P90 Bobbins

[spyykko]

If i've understood correctly a P90 pickup is wound between two fiberboard bobbins with adjustable pole piece screws and two rod magnets in touch with the pole piece screws poking through the bottom plate of the bobbin. But where are the pole pieces screwn? Is there a some sort of bar with threaded holes hidden inside the coil where the screws go, or how does it work? At least according to the pictures I've managed to find there is no such bar between the magnets, so where it is?

Rockinger.de used to have a complete winding kit for P90, but they seemed to have removed it from their web-catalog, so I can't check what parts was included in their kit.

I've never held a P90 pickup in my hand, nor played a guitar equipped with one, but still I've decided to make one as my first attempt with pickup building

[Monty Cadenhead]

If i've understood correctly a P90 pickup is wound between two fiberboard bobbins with adjustable pole piece screws and two rod magnets

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Bar magnets, just like the ones in humbuckers:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_p...ckup_Parts.html

In English, a rod magnet is a cylinder.

some sort of bar with threaded holes hidden inside the coil where the screws go, 

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Yes. I've seen them made from plexiglass and wood(I wouldn't use wood.). If the holes are sized right, the screws will work without tapping the holes. Gibson usually wound 10,000 turns of AWG 42 wire for about 8,500 OHMS. 42 AWG is 0.06325 millimeters. (more or less )

Here's what it looks like:

http://www.lollarguitars.com/BobbinDesigns/p90_bobbin.jpg

http://www.fralinpickups.com/p90s.asp

The 2 larger holes, in line with the pole piece screw holes, are to attatch the pickup to the covers, with dogears, or with soapbar covers, to the body. With soapbars, there's a foam rubber pad underneath, to force the pu up against the screws.

I've never held a P90 pickup in my hand, nor played a guitar equipped with one, but still I've decided to make one as my first attempt with pickup building 

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Me too.

Monty

Edited May 24, 2005 by Monty Cadenhead

[spyykko]

Bar magnets, just like the ones in humbuckers:

In English, a rod magnet is a cylinder.

Sorry, my mistake. I got a bit confused with the foreign language terms.

Here's what it looks like:

http://www.lollarguitars.com/BobbinDesigns/p90_bobbin.jpg

http://www.fralinpickups.com/p90s.asp

Thanks for the links. How on earth have I managed to miss those, I've even bookmarked the link for strat bobbin design at lollar's website

The 2 larger holes, in line with the pole piece screw holes, are to attatch the pickup to the covers, with dogears, or with soapbar covers, to the body. With soapbars, there's a foam rubber pad underneath, to force the pu up against the screws.

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You managed to answer to my next question before I even asked it, thanks! I think Ill make the spacer out of polyacetal plastic (POM, Delrin). It is commonly used here where I work.

Now I just have to move fast, I'm about to change my work soon and therefore have an access to a simple winding machine and coil wire only for a few weeks.

Thanks Monty for your answers, this helped me a lot!

[frank falbo]

Maybe you already know this, but you can do a P-90 like a strat pickup, too. You can use rod magnets pressed into a fiber top and bottom, then wind directly around the magnets, or tape them off first if you like.

Actually I just realized that the Fralin link talks about that method of construction too. Anyway have fun! P-90's are a great choice to start winding! The bobbin is really oversized, so there's lots of room in there, and you won't even come close to the edge unless you grossly overwound it. Plus it's pretty narrow so you're going back and forth pretty quickly. A few crossovers aren't as big a deal as if you're trying to do the picture-perfect, tall strat coil with every wind tightly pressed in the perfect order. Hey they're supposed to sound kind of distorted, right? You can't do wrong! Anything you do "wrong" will actually be cool to some people, like scatterwinding or losing your tension, etc.

[Monty Cadenhead]

No problem with the language, I just wanted to be sure you found what you searched for. My Suomi...Suomic... Suomeski..., well, anyway, I don't even speak english very well, myself.

Make sure you can glue the delrin to the flatwork.

Allparts shows a complete P-90 bobbin for sale, but there's no picture.

Frank's right, it's hard to make a P-90 sound bad.

Monty