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Well, Jazzmasters are my absolute favorite guitars - and my favorite pickups! Alot of players think they
are very one dimensional and bright, but I have always found a way to coax alot of usable tones out of
them - from bright chime to thick, rich mid driven overdrive!
I wanted to share with everyone the process I use to make Jazzmaster pickups. I had an order for a few
sets the other week, so I shot some pictures and made a page. Let me know what you think!
Mick
Raw bobbins ready to go. Two sets
are being delivered in grey Forbon,
one set in black. They will get cleaned
and prepped and shot with a light coat
of clear to help prevent temperature
shifts over the years....
Magnets pressed into bottom tab of
bobbin. I use a special jig on the drill
press to get them all in there with
equal pressure...
For the top bobbin tab, I place it in line
with the magnets and then place a
wooden 'hammer' jig over the top. A
few blows with the hammer gets the top
tab in place. Note the plexi-glass, in
the desired height for a jazzmaster coil,
used as a spacer to ensure proper
height of the bobbin...
Here you see the finished bobbins and
the accurate spacing for the height of
the windings....
A slight interruption - this is Helmet
Head, the shop cat. Came around a
few years ago, and has yet to leave...
Bobbins completely assembled and
magnets charged, ready for the next
step...
Bobbins strung up and ready for a
quick dip in some sealer. This ensures
there are no moving parts and also
helps insulate the magnets from future
shorts...
Sitting in the sealer for a few minutes.
Whe they come out, they are cleaned
and set aside to dry for a day or so...
Bobbins complete and ready to be
wound. No shots of my winder,
unfortunately. It's my baby and is
top-secret in my own mind!...
Pickups wound and ready for
lead-wire. Notice the black pickup has
a copper colored wire (Heavy Formvar)
and the greay pickup has black wire
(Plain Enamel). I use different wire
insulations and gauges depending on
what model is ordered.
Leads installed and ready to go get
another dip....
Pickups getting potted, a must for
vintage styled single coils! I have a
larger double-boiler system in the shop
as well, but this little glue pot is fast
and right there with little mess. I end
up using it alot...
Done, and ready for covers shipment.
As you can see in the picture, another
round of single coils for me - Strat
pickups! I enjoy the job b/c I get to do
different stuff everyday pretty much...
Thanks for looking!
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