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Pickups could be wound with various alloys that are insulated such as aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium and tungsten. All the listed ones have no magnetic attraction and can be used to make a pickup. There are economical factors to consider along with physical properties. This chart will give you physical comparisons. Pure metals…

These may be confusing but it’s the general guide I use when winding coils. Cohesion is the force that holds together the molecules of the same elementary magnet wire. The greater the temperature of the magnet wire, the less is the cohesion. Malleability, ductility, tenacity, toughness, hardness and elasticity are to be considered properties dependent upon…

The American Wire Gauge (AWG) is the approved name for that previously known as the Browne & Sharpe Gauge (B&S) and is practically the only gauge used in the United States for wire used in electrical work. The majority of pickups use 42 AWG and the nominal diameter is .0026″.

When the insulation is removed from the copper magnet wire the copper becomes oxidized under ordinary exposure to air. Copper becomes coated with green basic carbonate when exposed to moist air containing carbon dioxide. That’s why protecting the coils from moisture is important and potting solutions are used. Copper wire is said to be hard-drawn,…

Yes there is, and I often find that this is very useful when trying to wind a coil to a specific number of turns and getting the right D.C. resistance. The chart below will show you the most popular wire gauges and the differences between the whole and half gauges. The half gauge wire is…

The bare copper wire that is 99.9% pure is run through a series of rollers with a pad saturated in the insulating material such as Plain Enamel or Formvar which is common in most vintage pickups. As the magnet wires passes the saturated pads, the bare copper wire is coated with the desired insulating material….

Magnet wire starts out in the manufacturing mill as a ingot usually 4 inches square and drawn through many stages using a series of dies that reduce the diameter of the 99.9% pure copper until the desired wire gauge is obtained. The mills have pretty unique equipment for making many types of magnet wire. The…

AWG stands for The American Wire Gauge, which is the standard in the United States for measuring various gauges of wire. Magnet wire is not the only wire that is gauged and many other countries have adapted their own way of testing and measurements. The majority of time I use measurements in the American Wire…

A typical magnet wire chart includes the following as a reference and guidelines for designs and applications: Diameter: Bare wire diameter is Minimal, Nominal and Maximum. Single Build Insulation: Minimum increase in film diameter. Overall Diameter in Insulation: Minimal, Nominal and Maximum. Nominal Ohms per 1000 feet at 20°C Nominal Ohms per pound at 20°C…

Magnet wire: There are many types of insulation’s used and many companies have their own brand name and insulation types. Some of the most common and their thermal ratings: Plain enamel 105°C Polyurethane 105°C Polyurethane Bond 105°C Formvar 105°C Formvar Bond 105°C Poly-Nylon 105°C Polyurethane-Nylon 130°C Poly H.T. 130°C Polyester 130°C Polyester Epoxy 130°C Polyester…