Success!! I'm officially a pickup un-winder now!!

I have a pair of GFS Bigmouth humbuckers that were just a little too hot for my tastes. The neck pickup was a bit muddy on the lower notes.

I already had the stock ceramic mags swapped out for A5 by a p/u winder friend of mine a while back and that helped alot.

I decided I would unwind them a bit to see if I could get something even more pleasing to my ear.

The GFS site says the bridge is 9.4K and the neck 8k however both mine were about 9.4k. I suspect that even though the neck p/u had a sticker on it saying "NECK' it was actually a bridge pickup that was mislabeled.

Fortunately they weren't too heavily potted when I opened them up so the unwinding was very easy.

I had my p'u maker friend disassemble the first one and get me started (I'd never actually looked under the hood of a humbucker before) and then I took them home and did the rest.

Well actually I've only got the bridge completely reassembled. I'll get the neck back together tomorrow.

I wanted the neck to read 7.9k and the bridge 8.5k.

Each coil from the bridge p/u had this much wire removed. I would take a bunch off and then take a reading to see where I was at.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/CHARLIE%20CAT/PICKUP%20UNWIND/IMG_1268.jpg

Back together

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/CHARLIE%20CAT/PICKUP%20UNWIND/IMG_1294.jpg

One coil measured at 4.2k and the other at 4.3k.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/boneyguy2/CHARLIE%20CAT/PICKUP%20UNWIND/IMG_1298.jpg

They're going back in the guitar I just built after I get it painted so I won't get to hear them for a couple weeks or so. If they still aren't what I want I think I'll just get my buddy to re-wind them.

All in all it's been an enjoyable project and I've learned a heck of alot too.

Cool project. Looking forward to hearing the results!

Now you need to get yourself on Ebay, stat!

"These pickupz were desined to give yuo the TONE! you needed! Did I say tone? No I siad TONE!"

Seriously, disregard my attempts at humor and accept my congratulations.

Cool project. Looking forward to hearing the results!

Thanks. I shouldn't declare complete victory yet because I now have to reassemble the neck pickup. Hope for the best!


Now you need to get yourself on Ebay, stat!

"These pickupz were desined to give yuo the TONE! you needed! Did I say tone? No I siad TONE!"

Seriously, disregard my attempts at humor and accept my congratulations.

You wild and crazy Ukrainians.:lol:

The next step is to transfer the tone in my underpants into these pickups. I'll need complete silence.........

Cool! I'm going to try this on a neck P90 soon, if it sounds too muddy once it's placed in the guitar.