Oil City Pickups - new old stock wire!

OilCityPickups · July 2023

Most normal guitarists get excited about a finding a vintage instrument or perhaps a vintage pedal – but I’m that strange breed: a pickup winder … so I can get excited about all sorts of other stuff … like new ‘old stock’ wire.

Yep vintage magnet wire. A short while ago we had the opportunity of buying out the wire stocks of a winder who so to speak was ‘winding down’ (I know … so shoot me). He was winding pickups before the advent of the ‘major UK brand’ or indeed any of the newer crop of winders, and his stock included wire manufactured in the US, but also in the UK … when that was a thing!

And there's much, much more than just this :-)

So why am I excited about old wire? Well, aside from having lots more luverly wire to create stuff with, this lot includes both glorious Heavy Formvar from back when it still had the early formulation for the insulation, and also a stock of plain enamel wire that is very likely the same as early T-Tops were wound with!

Why is old wire so interesting? Well aside from it being rare, it is also less ‘perfect’ than modern wire. Computers and modern measurement and production controls have produced wire that is of super consistent diameter – whereas older wire tends to vary more over its length. This can under the right circumstances lead to very ‘open’ sounding single coils in particular.

As a bonus I got a large stock of rubber magnets perfect for Gold Foils and Rick type builds!

I’m taking a while to consider how I want to use the wire in particular … but you can expect some rater exceptional and unique (and most probably never to be repeated) pickups!

normula1 · July 2023

Looking forward to the results

impmann · July 2023

Interesting. :-)

I shall be watching for pickups made with this.

OilCityPickups · July 2023

impmann said:

Interesting. :-)

I shall be watching for pickups made with this.

Proper old-school :-)

roberty · July 2023

This is really cool

Neilybob · July 2023

Ooof this is uber cool.

OilCityPickups · July 2023

Well I couldn't resist ... I wound myself a set of Pre-BS 62 (1962 style) Strat pickups today ... they will most probably be tested in my number one Strat that currently has Route 66 pickups.
I'm a big kid really :-)

earwighoney · July 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Well I couldn't resist ... I wound myself a set of Pre-BS 62 (1962 style) Strat pickups today ... they will most probably be tested in my number one Strat that currently has Route 66 pickups.
I'm a big kid really :-)

I bet they will sound glorious!

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

roberty · July 2023

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

Well I couldn't resist ... I wound myself a set of Pre-BS 62 (1962 style) Strat pickups today ... they will most probably be tested in my number one Strat that currently has Route 66 pickups.
I'm a big kid really :-)

I bet they will sound glorious!

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

I see a 0.0024mm there which is between 42 and 43 awg https://www.carreracasting.com/charts/wire-gauge

I wonder what the manufacturing tolerances are

OilCityPickups · July 2023

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

Well I couldn't resist ... I wound myself a set of Pre-BS 62 (1962 style) Strat pickups today ... they will most probably be tested in my number one Strat that currently has Route 66 pickups.
I'm a big kid really :-)

I bet they will sound glorious!

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

42awg mostly, with some 43awg roberty said:

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

Well I couldn't resist ... I wound myself a set of Pre-BS 62 (1962 style) Strat pickups today ... they will most probably be tested in my number one Strat that currently has Route 66 pickups.
I'm a big kid really :-)

I bet they will sound glorious!

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

I see a 0.0024mm there which is between 42 and 43 awg https://www.carreracasting.com/charts/wire-gauge

I wonder what the manufacturing tolerances are

Well the Strat set meters bang on what I'd expect for a 1962 set in resistance and inductance in a vintage pickup. Will install them early next week.

earwighoney · July 2023

OilCityPickups said:

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

42awg mostly, with some 43awg

Ooh. Unobtanium wire Broadcasters by chance? I hope you get the chance to make a standard awg43 Alnico 5 Tele neck pickup too.

These humble spools of wire will provide jaded middled aged men more happy endings than a tax rebate/weekend in Amsterdam (I'm too old for Amsterdam).

Funkfingers · July 2023

OilCityPickups said:
magnet wire

I blame lazy Americans for this erroneous and misleading expression.

Copper is non-ferrous. It has no magnetic properties.

The wire is high purity copper in an insulation coating.

Wire is wire and magnets are magnets. Fortunately, the combination is rather useful.

OilCityPickups · July 2023

Funkfingers said:

OilCityPickups said:
magnet wire

I blame lazy Americans for this erroneous and misleading expression.

Copper is non-ferrous. It has no magnetic properties.

The wire is high purity copper in an insulation coating.

Wire is wire and magnets are magnets. Fortunately, the combination is rather useful.

I figure it this way: the Americans invented guitar pickups (based on telephone technology) therefore if they want to call it magnet wire (and they do) - they get first dibs on the expression even if it is a bit erroneous. Though it's wire designed to be wrapped around magnets so magnet wire is not too far out of whack. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_wire

OilCityPickups · July 2023

Oh my ... just tried them ... nobody gets this first set ... they're mine all mine.

Best Strat set I have ever wound/played.

Characteristics: 6k / 6k 6.3k neck to bridge.
First thought, clear, gutsy and incredibly loud for a vintage wind. Loads of 'air' in the sound and very touch sensitive, My Route 66 pickups in my white Strat are more mid focused ... these have a flat to slightly scooped tone picked gently - but pretty easily get an aggressive attack with more mids coming in if you dig in hard.

Hopefully I can get around to noodling a demo track for you guys ... these are something really special.

Power-Beef · July 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Oh my ... just tried them ... nobody gets this first set ... they're mine all mine.

Best Strat set I have ever wound/played.

Will you consider sending a set out to Tomo Fujita for demoing? He's a Strat man and I am sure there is a strong Asian following.

OilCityPickups · July 2023

Power-Beef said:

OilCityPickups said:

Oh my ... just tried them ... nobody gets this first set ... they're mine all mine.

Best Strat set I have ever wound/played.

Will you consider sending a set out to Tomo Fujita for demoing? He's a Strat man and I am sure there is a strong Asian following.

Maybe ... had to look him up mind

Mojopickups · September 2023

Ash, if you flick over the label on the spools, often the date of manufacture is on the underside, which always appeals to the inner geek.

Image: https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Label.jpg

OilCityPickups · September 2023

Always got to satisfy the inner geek ... early 70s for most of my heavy formvar 71 and 72 which makes it the same age as my Missus :-)

roberty · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Always got to satisfy the inner geek ... early 70s for most of my heavy formvar 71 and 72 which makes it the same age as my Missus :-)

Did you check the underside of her label, too?

OilCityPickups · September 2023

roberty said:

OilCityPickups said:

Always got to satisfy the inner geek ... early 70s for most of my heavy formvar 71 and 72 which makes it the same age as my Missus :-)

Did you check the underside of her label, too?

Yep it said 'this way up' :-)

oh_pollo · September 2023

Will it just be Strat pickups in the NOS wire or do you have enough to do P90's?

OilCityPickups · September 2023

oh_pollo said:

Will it just be Strat pickups in the NOS wire or do you have enough to do P90's?

I have a good load - so I will be doing a fair bit of stuff eventually :-)
Of course when it's gone it's gone.

PhilKing · September 2023

Hi Ash, I have an old 62 slab board Strat which was converted to HSS back in the 70's sometime (I got it in 1983). It had lost the original pickups but had 2 grey bottoms and a SD JB original double cream in it. I would love to get a set with a Patent number PAF wind (I have one of them in my 1970 LP Custom and it is an amazing pickup and I know you have a soft spot for that particular era), along with 2 original spec 62 Strat pickups. Let me know if you would consider doing this and if so, just PM me with the cost. Thanks, Phil

Greatape · September 2023

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

42awg mostly, with some 43awg

Ooh. Unobtanium wire Broadcasters by chance? I hope you get the chance to make a standard awg43 Alnico 5 Tele neck pickup too.

These humble spools of wire will provide jaded middled aged men more happy endings than a tax rebate/weekend in Amsterdam (I'm too old for Amsterdam).

Another vote for this! (Tele pickups, not Amsterdam.)

OilCityPickups · September 2023

Greatape said:

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

42awg mostly, with some 43awg

Ooh. Unobtanium wire Broadcasters by chance? I hope you get the chance to make a standard awg43 Alnico 5 Tele neck pickup too.

These humble spools of wire will provide jaded middled aged men more happy endings than a tax rebate/weekend in Amsterdam (I'm too old for Amsterdam).

Another vote for this! (Tele pickups, not Amsterdam.)

All noted ... excepted Amsterdam ... nice beer there though :-)

Greatape · September 2023

OilCityPickups said:

Greatape said:

earwighoney said:

OilCityPickups said:

What thickness of wire did you get? Awg 42?

42awg mostly, with some 43awg

Ooh. Unobtanium wire Broadcasters by chance? I hope you get the chance to make a standard awg43 Alnico 5 Tele neck pickup too.

These humble spools of wire will provide jaded middled aged men more happy endings than a tax rebate/weekend in Amsterdam (I'm too old for Amsterdam).

Another vote for this! (Tele pickups, not Amsterdam.)

All noted ... excepted Amsterdam ... nice beer there though :-)

Actually just posted a question in Guitar re: a great sounding set of pickups. This is the sound I'm chasing that I haven't gotten from v-mods or Dimarzio Areas, but experienced when playing a friend's vintage Tele.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/254176/k-line-tele-pickups-whats-similar?new=1

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Oil City Pickups - new old stock wire!

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