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Someone fairly recently on here mentioned a US pickup maker/business that sold hand wound pickups at very keen prices. I had a look on their website at the time, and it looked good, but now I can't remember the company name, and haven't been able to find them via Google. Should have bookmarked the site really. But can anyone suggest who it might have been?
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12-22-2016 07:29 AM
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Suddenly remembered - the brain works in strange ways, or at least mine does
Anyhow, it's Rose Pickups that I was unable to recall. If anyone has any other suggestions for good but economically priced pickup makers, please do say though.
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I think everyone uses some kind of winding machine.
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True, but some pickups are made by the maker controlling the speed of the wind, and how the wire is fed onto the bobbin by hand. Cheaper "machine-wound" pickups don't have that individual input, and the whole process is automated.
Originally Posted by icr
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Maybe it was Vintage Vibe pickups?
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Hi Meggy,
Another couple of options:
In the US, Pete Biltoft of Vintage Vibe offers a wide range of pickups and also does custom work:Vintage Vibe Guitar Pickups
Closer to home, Marc of Mojo Pickups here in the UK does fantastic looking work: Mojo Pickups | Hand Wound Custom Guitar Pickups
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Cheers - I do like the look of Pete Biltoft's pickups. But I did remember the brand that I'd forgotten - it was Rose Pickups. Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
Thanks David - aware of both of those already, and yes, they do look to do nice stuff. I'm just starting to think about a set of PAF types for my newly aquired semi-acoustic. I'll have another look on Mojo's website I think. Originally Posted by David B
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Remember a big part of pickup winding is getting the tension right. When you are doing it by hand it takes a lot of skill to do that CONSISTENTLY (so that not only does the pickup you get sound good but the second pickup you order 6 months later sounds like the first one)
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I'm sure this is true - so I wonder what your own preferences with pickups are? Are you if favor of using only a select group of trusted expert pickup makers? Or do you like the consistency of machine-wound pickups, and not believe in all the hype around the hand wound boutique stuff? Just interested is all. Originally Posted by SamBooka
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My experience was - I tried a current production Gibson Classic 57 and find it meh. Tried a Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday and loved it. My new guitar will have a Di Marzio 36th and, from my brief experience, that is a great pickup and quite cheap. Same for the Seymour Duncan Alnico II - these days I'm not sure the BK is worth the extra money although it's a great pickup.
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Question is what you would consider "affordable" but Curtis Novak is a name that comes to my mind when it comes to hand-wound pickups.
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Not exactly cheap but I have to say I LOVE the Dr. Vintage set (among others) from Wolfetone pickups. And I have always been a huge fan of Lindy Fralin's pickups as well.
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Thanks for this, I somehow suspect I'd like the BK Stormy Mondays as well, although perhaps rather more than I might want to spend. Just for what it's worth, my own experience with pickups is that different ones do sound different! Also the magnet type is quite a significant factor - I have two of the same model guitar, one with a 7K ish alnico 2 PAF type in the neck and the other with a 7K ish alnico 3 PAF type. Different pickup makers admittedly, but I find the A2 is a bit more middy, and with a little less highs - a smoother, warmer kind of sound. The A3 pickup seems to have a bit more highs, and a little more tamed back in the mids. Originally Posted by jorgemg1984
Wasn't aware of this maker, thanks for bringing him to my attention Originally Posted by Duotone
Had not heard of Wolfetone, so cheer for that. Lindy Fralin seems to be one of the best known "boutique" makers out there, and with a great reputation - I'm sure richly deserved. Originally Posted by jim777
Just to add, I am thinking of going back to a UK pickup maker I've used before - Ben Fletcher - not least because his prices are keen, and also he did the alnico 2 set I have in one guitar, and they are nice.
But also I could buy this set: Axesrus "Classic 50s" Humbuckers for just £50 for both pickups - I admit I'm tempted to give them a go. I don't know how they were wound ("hand" or machine) but otherwise the specs are good. It doesn't say, but I believe (from remembering when the pickups were previously listed at an un-reduced price) that the covers are nickel silver.
Anyhow, despite my initial title (which I can't change) I'm happy for this thread to be used for any thoughts/opinions/ideas/recommendations about pickups, especially re the PAF-type humbuckers.
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Another vote for Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe Guitar Pickups.
He's made two pickups for me, and both are outstanding.
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+1 for Pete Biltoft, got 2 of his Charlie Christian in Humbucker form and they are great
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My ears are shot to shit so it doesnt matter any more lol. Originally Posted by Meggy
I'm sure this is true - so I wonder what your own preferences with pickups are? Are you if favor of using only a select group of trusted expert pickup makers? Or do you like the consistency of machine-wound pickups, and not believe in all the hype around the hand wound boutique stuff? Just interested is all.
I am trying to find a neck pickup I like for my tele.
It came with a Tex Mex that I thought was meh..
I tried Lollar Special T that I have in another guitar and loved.. meh..
If I loved the Lollar before it must be the pots and caps so did the laurence 5 way mods , switched to 500k pots and tried a few different cap values... meh..
Well I didnt try the tex mex with the new caps and pots so put that back in.. meh..
On paper the specs for a Tex Mex and a Special T are very similar so lets try something completely different.. DiM Area T.
The Area T is SUPER quiet (side rant.. stock TM pickups are not RWRP.. WTF). Tone wise.. meh..
Went back to the Tex Mex just in case it magically got better.. meh.
I still have an SD Alnico II Pro (or something like that) sitting in a box because when I put it in my other tele it was.. meh...
So getting back to your question: I think the boutique guys make some great pickups. Very happy with all the Lollars I have and their customer service is great. I am very happy with the bigger guys like DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan. I have never had to deal with their CS though. The smaller, lesser known guys can also hit one out of the park, but can they do it consistenly? Only time will tell.
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Curtis Novak makes really nice tele pickups. He's in North Carolina last time I checked. Have a set in a partscaster tele...vintage type sound....no icepick-y treble....I'm not an overwound guy. I always figure a signal can be dirtied up later in the chain.
PS: Posted this before I read thru the whole thread, and #11 mentioned Curtis Novak already. Have to report myself to the Dept. of Redundancy Dept.
PS-PS: I bought a set of his tele pu's about 5-6 yrs. ago. Curtis' prices were pretty much in line w/ stock then, IIRC. Took a look at his website, and it appears that he's raised prices across the bd., but I suppose that is the market "voting" in his favor.Last edited by goldenwave77; 12-22-2016 at 02:47 PM. Reason: Add postscripts
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Thanks for the replies chaps, good stuff. One take home would seem to be Pete Biltoft is a good bet.
And hope you find that magic tele neck pickup SamBooka - I have a partscaster tele I made with pickups by Chris Hernandez aka Wound4Sound - the neck is an alnico 3 with 43 gauge plain enamel wire wound to about 7K - and it's certainly pretty nice for a clean jazz tone through my Polytone amp. It's a covered pickup, and I'm not sure if the cover is brass or nickel silver - I suspect from the jazz tone point of view, the cover on a tele neck pickup may be desirable, if not for other styles/tones. Just for what that's worth though.
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A guy named Travis Morris makes Charlie Christian pickups and sells them on ebay.
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Manluis Pickups!
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When we were actively building guitars I came to MUCH prefer production machine wound pickups. It was't that they were better but rather they were much more consistent and predictable. There were some individual winders who I got some great pickups but I'd order another set and they'd be completely different. When I ut in a pickup I want to know what I'm getting and get what I want.
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This reminded me of an exhibit at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts. In 1900 (or maybe 1904), the U.S. Riflery team competed at the London Olympics using production grade rifles from the Armory manufacturing facility. Each rifle cost $16. The British team had custom-made (bespoke) firearms which cost $2,000 apiece. The U.S. team won. (Firearms mfg. is generally credited with being an innovator in standardized, replacable parts, production.) I think the engineering term for this is "tolerance" (how close something is to a stated value). Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Yup. During our last few years, if I had control of the configuration, I almost always used DiMarzios and always knew exactly what I was going to get. Originally Posted by goldenwave77
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Reilander pickups. Made in BC. The USD is worth about $1.35 CDN these days. Or, other way around. The CDN dollar is worth about $.70.
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Years ago I bought three sets of Pete Biltof's VVG pickups: 1) single coil HCCs, 2) Humbuckers (both pairs in Alnico II with extra Alnico III magnets); 3) Tele set both pickups in Alnico V.
I have put them on and taken of of guitars when I sold them. Still keep them three.
Like the sound. And the price was quite affordable considering the quality, extra magnets, and service.
I found Pete Biltoft a great person, knowledgeable and willing to help you get wat you need.
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