Ash at Oil City answers pickup questions:

OilCityPickups · April 2020

Zoolooter said:

Ash, can you tell me what mags are in the Stone Tone pickups?

Alnico 5.

An interesting fact is that all through the 'golden era' of Fender pickup making: the 50s and 60s they only ever used alnico 5 in Strats. Telecasters started with alnico 3 then moved to alnico 5 in 1952-53, but Strats never used alnico 3.

Zoolooter · April 2020

Thanks Ash.

timmypix · April 2020

Hi Ash,

Just a curiosity question more than anything: how would you describe the differences between your Bean-o and Forces Sweethearts? Both appear to be A4 PAFs - is it just that one's masterwound and one isn't, or have they come from different design ideas/aims?

OilCityPickups · April 2020

timmypix said:

Hi Ash,

Just a curiosity question more than anything: how would you describe the differences between your Bean-o and Forces Sweethearts? Both appear to be A4 PAFs - is it just that one's masterwound and one isn't, or have they come from different design ideas/aims?

The main difference is the use of the US made, vintage specification PVA plain enamel wire on the Bean-o, along with US made, threaded baseplates, rough cast magnets and traditional maple spacers.

The Sweetheart uses poly coated modern wire that is around 1/3 the price of 'vintage' wire plus far eastern sourced baseplates and modern polished magnets.

The net result is the Sweetheart sounds a bit more 'modern' with a touch more top end and snarl.

timmypix · May 2020

There's a rather lovely looking Eggle in the classifieds at the moment with a set of Black Arrows in it; is there a neck model that's not described on your website, or is this likely to have the same 17k humbucker in both positions? Reading between the lines, this is a sightly better behaved JB, or have I misinterpreted?

Funkfingers · May 2020

timmypix said:

is this likely to have the same 17k humbucker in both positions?

I hope not. The neck/Rhythm position pickup would have to be set ridiculously low in the mounting surround to achieve an output level balance with the bridge/Treble position.

timmypix said:

a sightly better behaved JB

That would be a JB after an A2 bar magnet swap.

OilCityPickups · May 2020

timmypix said:

There's a rather lovely looking Eggle in the classifieds at the moment with a set of Black Arrows in it; is there a neck model that's not described on your website, or is this likely to have the same 17k humbucker in both positions? Reading between the lines, this is a sightly better behaved JB, or have I misinterpreted?

No there is a neck Black Arrow ...
And the yes ... a more musical JB ... but still with the power of alnico 5.

victorludorum · May 2020

Hello Ash :-) I have a Blitz Spirit from 2014 and I want to take the cover off, so I have 2 questions. What's the easiest way to remove the cover, with a sharp Stanley blade? If I do remove the cover, what colour are the bobbins likely to be?

Tadragh1 · May 2020

I've just posted in an old thread, but here it probably makes more sense - Ash, are you still making the Buccaneer Wide Range Humbuckers?

4string · May 2020

@Tadragh1 ;I have @'ed Ash in the other thread. I am not sure what we have in stock parts wise at the moment as Ash has been locked in the workshop on his own for the duration of the emergency. Also means he may be a little slow in responding. Bare with us.

Tadragh1 · May 2020

Much appreciated, @4string ;

OilCityPickups · May 2020

Yes I still do stillmake the Buccaneer ... though as it is time consuming to hand craft, it's not up on the site and only available to special order :-) If you are interested please PM me :-)

OilCityPickups · May 2020

victorludorum said:

Hello Ash :-) I have a Blitz Spirit from 2014 and I want to take the cover off, so I have 2 questions. What's the easiest way to remove the cover, with a sharp Stanley blade? If I do remove the cover, what colour are the bobbins likely to be?

We use a Stanley blade ... and default bobbin colour is black on covered pickups ... mostly :-)

victorludorum · May 2020

OilCityPickups said:

victorludorum said:

Hello Ash :-) I have a Blitz Spirit from 2014 and I want to take the cover off, so I have 2 questions. What's the easiest way to remove the cover, with a sharp Stanley blade? If I do remove the cover, what colour are the bobbins likely to be?

We use a Stanley blade ... and default bobbin colour is black on covered pickups ... mostly :-)

Thank you, sir! Much appreciated as always ;-)

DartmoorHedgehog · May 2020

Not sure if I should ask this here or in Making & Modding, but I'd appreciate your opinion anyway Ash.
I'm going to build an electric mandolin and need a pickup for it. I've got a broken cheap lipstick (guitar) pickup where the wire has snapped off inside the coil. I had the idea of possibly unwinding the pickup, shortening the bobbin and magnet, then rewinding it with the same wire to make a narrow pickup for the mandolin.
Given that the pickup is useless now I've got nothing to lose by trying it but my time, so I'm just after an opinion on the likelihood of me ending up with a useful pickup or whether I'll just be pissing in the wind. Is unwinding the wire going to make it so brittle I'll never be able rewind it successfully (bearing in mind I've not done it before)? And is shortening the bobbin and magnet to 2/3 the original length going to mean that it'll end up too weak to function as a useful pickup anyway - should I try to cram as much of the wire back on as possible or is it number of turns that matter rather than length/resistance of wire?

So, in short, I suppose I'm asking if you think it's worth a try or such a silly idea that I shouldn't even bother

Funkfingers · May 2020

I suggest that you check out Ash's existing threads about air coil pickup restoration/refurbishment.

Given that the bar magnet is the polepiece, it will be able to sense all of the strings on your mandolin, no matter what spacing you choose. There would just be a length of "unwanted" pickup to accommodate on the front of the body. This might not look very pretty. Then, again, neither would cut down sections of the chromed tube.

One of the traditional choices for your sort of project is half of a Precision Bass pickup. It has the advantage of looking vaguely traditional. The disadvantage is that the polepiece spacing defines your string/course spacing.

DartmoorHedgehog · May 2020

Yes, thanks @Funkfingers ;
If the pickup was working I'd just use it as-is - I don't really care that much about the extra width. But as I have no spare working pickups and this dead one, my options are to buy something specifically (had thought about using half a bass pickup, which would look quite cool, or just another cheap guitar pickup) or to try and make something our of the dead lipstick. I think shortening the tube (and the other physical mods to shorten bits) won't be hard - the bit I know nothing about is the unwinding/rewinding of the wire (which I'd have to do in order to rescue this pickup even if I didn't change its size). But I'll have a look for Ash's other posts you recommended, thanks.

OilCityPickups · May 2020

unwinding the wire is not really feasible ... it will break over and over again ...

why not pop over to 'Scientific Wire' and pick up a cheap reel of 42 or 43awg wire ... they do tiny ones for hobbyists. You want solderable grade 1 ... in 0.063 (42awg) or 0.056 (43awg) ... the latter will probably give best power and balance for a mandolin

DartmoorHedgehog · May 2020

Thanks Ash, that's the type of answer I was after - I won't bother wasting too much time unwinding it then, but I may have a go at winding it with new wire.

OilCityPickups · May 2020

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Thanks Ash, that's the type of answer I was after - I won't bother wasting too much time unwinding it then, but I may have a go at winding it with new wire.

Don't be tempted to buy winding wire from certain UK parts suppliers ... it's hugely expensive for the tiny quantities they sell.

DartmoorHedgehog · May 2020

OilCityPickups said:

Don't be tempted to buy winding wire from certain UK parts suppliers ... it's hugely expensive for the tiny quantities they sell.

Thanks for the tip - I'll have a look at Scientific Wire. There used to be a roll of enamelled wire in the cellar at home when I was young - used to play with it making electromagnets and rudimentary solenoids to operate signals on my train set... but I've no idea what gauge it was and even less idea where it is now (probably in my parents garage at their new house, but it's been a very long time since anybody last saw it and I'm not allowed to visit at the moment to have a look) so buying some more is probably going to be the best option.

robinbowes · May 2020

Hi Ash,

I just missed out on getting something from your most recent clearance, so am looking for a couple of pickups for a Gretsch BST-1000: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/181864/wtb-pickups-for-gretsch-bst-1000

Any recommendations for pickups for this guitar?

The "Oil City Masterwound Beano with shorter legs" looked perfect (the Gretsch is pretty thin). I've also vaguely considered humbucker-sized P90s (I don't currently have a P90 guitar).

Cheers,

R.

Funkfingers · May 2020

Question about Telecaster neck/Rhythm position pickup covers.

Please attempt to quantify the sonic/tonal differences imparted by brass (of whatever thickness), nickel silver and fresh air. How much brighter/duller do things get?

earwighoney · May 2020

Funkfingers said:

Question about Telecaster neck/Rhythm position pickup covers.

Please attempt to quantify the sonic/tonal differences imparted by brass (of whatever thickness), nickel silver and fresh air. How much brighter/duller do things get?

I've been looking at this myself and I think I can answer.

Brass colours the sound the most and will make the neck position sound warmer/darker etc, whilst no cover will be the brightest, and a nickel silver one is somewhere in the middle.

Funkfingers · May 2020

This, I know already.

I was hoping that somebody who has dismantled and rebuilt pickups of this type could say how much difference a change of cover brings.

OilCityPickups · May 2020

Funkfingers said:

Question about Telecaster neck/Rhythm position pickup covers.

Please attempt to quantify the sonic/tonal differences imparted by brass (of whatever thickness), nickel silver and fresh air. How much brighter/duller do things get?

this is a judgement rather than anything I have measured with an oscilloscope .... but pretty much all the very top most frequencies seem to be filtered out by brass. These are the frequencies that to my ear give 'sparkle' and presence to a tone. Nickel is miles better ... bit still filters a bit.

OilCityPickups · May 2020

robinbowes said:

Hi Ash,

I just missed out on getting something from your most recent clearance, so am looking for a couple of pickups for a Gretsch BST-1000: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/181864/wtb-pickups-for-gretsch-bst-1000

Any recommendations for pickups for this guitar?

The "Oil City Masterwound Beano with shorter legs" looked perfect (the Gretsch is pretty thin). I've also vaguely considered humbucker-sized P90s (I don't currently have a P90 guitar).

Cheers,

R.

Beanos should work well or a Mighty 90 bridge and a Smooth 90 neck. :-)

Funkfingers · May 2020

OilCityPickups said:
pretty much all the very top most frequencies seem to be filtered out by brass. These are the frequencies that to my ear give 'sparkle' and presence to a tone. Nickel is miles better ... but still filters a bit.

Thank you.

I feel some Seymour Duncan pickup cover surgery coming on.

carlos · June 2020

Do you make any 8 string pickups at all? How do the prices compare to the 6 string versions? Anything in stock at the moment?

4string · June 2020

carlos said:

Do you make any 8 string pickups at all? How do the prices compare to the 6 string versions? Anything in stock at the moment?

Hi, we do, but they are to special order. There is a lot of variation in spacing with 7 and 8 string pickups, so it does not make sense for us to carry stock. I suggest a direct contact with Ash via the site contact form: https://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/contact Thanks.

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