Making A Humbucker Pickup For An Electric Guitar

Follow along as I make a humbucker pickup for an electric guitar from start to finish. Show your support! Visit www.eguitarplan... and buy a plan. Or visit highline-custo... and buy a shirt!

[@joshuamichael4312]

The beautiful thing about guitar is that you can go full on scientist mode with it. It's a perfect blend of bad-assery and science geek.

[@PretzelBoi726]

That's also what I love about these things

[@HellShredder713]

One of the best innovations to happen to arts & science. It's done enormous impact in various cultures for decades.

[@TheForce_Productions]

A video about the DIY gauss meter would be informative and appreciated.

[@dhfreak5575]

Lol Van Halen made these 700 years ago. I cried

[@timjeichoi4477]

Rip Eddie Van Halen

[@angelonavarro828]

Van halen is a revolutionary and a visionary

[@neilpincus4667]

Fender pickups have been wax potted since the late forties. People wax potted humbuckers in the sixties. EVH was a visionary but he didn't invent wax potting.

[@CarpeDiem23]

@@neilpincus4667 He never said he invented it first, just did it first on his own

[@Gholdwayne]

@@neilpincus4667 bro I wonder if you picked up the joke and made a counter joke, or if you took the man's word face value 🤣

[@scriptureexamined4664]

28 single-coil groupies have disliked this video. ;-)

[@cajoneez9657]

Isn't Winding directions of each bobbin important? As well as magnet pole positions? Did not see that explained... or did I miss it??

[@HighlineGuitars]

Only the magnet orientation. Winding direction isn't important since you can connect the leads to accomplish the same thing.

[@cajoneez9657]

@@HighlineGuitars OK, but don't you need to understand the winding direction in order to properly orient the magnet poles? (this affects "phase" doesn't it?) I did not see this explained... ?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@cajoneez9657 No. With a humbucker, you can wire the start and finish of each bobbin based on the magnet's intended orientation. The winding direction doesn't matter.

[@claudiospuskas985]

Hi,I was wondering if you/someone could help me out here. I was planning to change the cover of my pickups ( Gibson Humbucker 490r e il 498t) in gold tone so I would need to change the Pole Screws too in the same colour. I bought Pole Bolts - Slot Head 5-40 x 18mm (imperial). Did I get the right POLE Screws or did I need to buy different ones? I am still waiting to receive the guitar with those pickups so I can not really tell but these pole screw looks a little too small to my eyes. I am not an expert so I was wondering if you could help me out Thanks!

[@nelsanreang1527]

700 years ago by Eddie?... U serious?u mean Eddie was born in the 13th century..... man u gotta b doing weeds

[@bryanwilliams3665]

It was interesting the commentary on the reasons for the conventional Hotter Bridge Humbucker to create balance which is commonplace .. Jimmy Pages Les Paul tone in Led Zeppelin has been elusive as no mainstream manufacturer has ever created his UNCONVENTIONAL pickup arrangement. Namely a brighter Lower Wound 7.5k T Top with a short A5 magnet in the bridge creating some 'Twang' and a massively different high wind 8.6k Alnico 2 PAF in the Neck for a Buttery /Wood sound (Set BELOW pickup ring to create balance and no mud!)... These crazy pickup extremes create that "Hollow Toppy Chirp" almost acoustic sound in middle position which alludes conventional guitars.. With this setup, you get 3 much more 'radically different' tones than a regular hotter bridge/lower power neck setup.. Even the Gibson Jimmy Page model guitars are "Period Incorrect' pickup wise for Zeppelin, as they are modeled on post 1984 mods with hotter bridge

[@michaelb.42112]

I decided to take the plunge and ATTEMPT to make some home made pickups for friends first, then see how it goes...

[@SuperCrackerjacks]

Thanx. Super informative.

[@nickjames2521]

An excellent and inspiring tutorial; thanks so much for sharing your comprehensive and extensive knowledge! 🎸

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@caradabikeazul]

Why are pickups so expensive? The materials, apart from the copper, are pretty cheap.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Supply and demand.

[@user-qm7nw7vd5s]

I just got a 1965 black Hagstrom 1 electric guitar, and the pickups are known to have a special sound that people pay a premium for, even decades old. QUESTION: When I was rubbing the rust off the pole pieces, pressing hard (heavily rusted), I discovered the poles are not one solid piece. The top part (that is visible) is actually a little steel cap that is glued onto the pole underneath. Apparently the rubbing alcohol I used to free the rust dissolved the glue. This happened on two pole pieces. I cleaned the old glue off, and put a tiny pinch of super glue (with pressure overnight) to secure the two caps. Have you ever seen pickups made this way, with metal caps fixed on top of each pole? They were magnetized. If you put them upside down, they would repulse, but the correct way, and it they fit right back in place. They work fine, but I'm curious nevertheless if this strange construction is unique to Hagstrom, or is this a build technique unique to Hagstrom? Thanks for your wonderful video.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I know nothing about that brand.

[@bobless5517]

I realized from the video that the finishing ends of the coils are soldered together. Which wire from the beginning of the coils do you use as "hot": the "Start" of the southern coil or the northern one? Thanks, Chris!

[@HighlineGuitars]

North start is the hot. South start is the ground. North and south finish are soldered together.

[@dalgguitars]

Oooooo. Do a video on that home made Gauss meter please! Love the video, thank you very much.

[@Andluth]

AGREE!

[@tarsiousmunalembohol]

What is a gauss again?

[@gabrielezeta7571]

@@tarsiousmunalembohol It's a unit of measurement of magnetic flux

[@tarsiousmunalembohol]

@@gabrielezeta7571 that tool is a must in every pick up builder. Or its okey with out it?

[@ccchicken8889]

@@tarsiousmunalembohol I'm curious too.

[@elvinebovine1297]

Hear me out… 1 pickup per string. Each run vertically from bridge to neck. Would the fields be to close, or is there another issue with doing that? What about 1 large pickup, how big could you go?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Go for it.

[@amonynous9041]

winding the bobbins sounds like a great title for a song

[@armandoivanjimenez1245]

Cheers... I have a question, sir, what happens if I rewind more one coil than the another in a humbucker?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Gibson did that way unintentionally with their early PAF humbuckers. I do it as well. Usually 5 to 10% difference.

[@jonm1544]

Chris, do you have any recommendations for an electric screwdriver for adding or removing screw pole pieces? You mentioned using one in this video.

[@HighlineGuitars]

No. I use a cheap Harbor Freight.

[@MarkGutierrez]

Yeah, this was good. We need more of this. Let's hear the pickups in the next pickup build vid.

[@9fingacustoms62]

Very cool video! Where can I hear it ?

[@juanilloJMTV]

Hi Chris, is there any way to fix the Tobin when the wire breaks through the wiring process, or you have to start over every single time it happens??

[@HighlineGuitars]

I usually just start over. You can solder the break and either tape the joint or lacquer over it.

[@GuitarrasTrevara-ro1ub]

Hi Chris! does it realy matter how you place the magnet, south to the screws or noeth pointing to the screws??

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, it does.

[@kentinspacetime5378]

Great video BUT I wish you would have shown more detail on how and where the magnets are attached under the coil.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I’ll do it for a future video.

[@davidgolia]

Very well done, but is it possible to buy some of your creations? Thank you

[@HighlineGuitars]

Only if you buy a guitar and I don’t have any for sale at the moment, so, no.

[@getenlightened]

Chris, this is my second time watching this one, and I suspect I'll watch it a couple more times before I attempt my first DIY humbucker. Do you have any tips on where to get the best pickup parts for the best prices? Do you buy in bulk? I've seen some 'humbucker' pickup 'kits' that include all the pieces - are these a good option or do you pick everything separately?

[@HighlineGuitars]

For the guitars I sell on Reverb, I buy kits fro CE Distribution. You have to have a business account to get the best prices. For custom builds I source parts all over the internet.

[@prakashkaliappan9226]

How many turns it will for 42 gauge wire for single pickup sir ?

[@HighlineGuitars]

8k to 10k.

[@drumstrumming]

Love your channel!! Just a note that Eddie Van Halen took the putting pick ups idea among other ideas from Tony Iommi and Jon Birch. In 1970 he needed to solve the problem of his P 90 pick ups squealing too much in front of his Laney stacks. Birch performed an overwound rewind on his bridge P90 and made an overwound neck P90 for him. both were potted.

[@eduardonakamura2707]

Amazing job, true craftsmanship!!!!

[@WolfetonePickups]

Plumbers tape??

[@williardbillmore5713]

If you can't find a good source of color coded four conductor with a ground to convert two conductor humbuckers to out of phase switchable or single coil taps. Cut the ends off of USB cables. Cheap and available everywhere.

[@mashterlloyd1904]

you didnt show how the 4 wires connected to pickup wires. which one is for red white black and green.

[@HighlineGuitars]

There are different ways to wire the coils. What you do depends on what you want.

[@knightyyz]

Tone is the relationship between the gauge of wire, the number of turns, and the strength you charge the magnet to. The stronger the magnet, the more winds it can take. Over winding a weak magnet makes a muddy pickup

[@alexilaiho8534]

So what is the relationshop exactly? Is it directly proportional?

[@alexilaiho8534]

So should I buy emg 81/60 or just make my own? What do you suggest people huh?

[@bryanwilliams3665]

Jimmy Pages Alnico2 Neck PAF is Wound to a Hot(ish) 8.6k , but then set below pickup ring to balance the underwound 7.5k Short A5 T Top in the bridge . No Mud .( The Led Zeppelin Set no mainstream manufacturer has ever made!)

[@oakhurstaxe6392]

Thanks Chris, Your video gave me tips on how to handle the only thing I still struggle with, soldering on the leads to the coil wire and attempting to not short out anything with moving them around. I think your way to deal with that will help me out greatly! I appreciate it very much! I think you should have included a brief bit testing the resistance of the coils to show how to check for a short or partial short in it. I do it about 100 times while assembling because I'm a bit insane about it. I also understand that becomes a rabbit hole based on wire thickness and number of windings, which might be why you skipped it.

[@reedperry593]

This is a great resource, thank you! Do you press the bobbins in using an arbor press, and do you magnetize them? If so, I'd love to see further instruction on that. A bit more clarification on the steps that happen before winding. Thanks for the great videos!

[@squiresuzuki]

The vast majority of humbuckers have non-magnetized pole slugs and screws. And you can see him pressing them in at 9:15 with a screwdriver.

[@freeelectron8261]

Excellent PUP building tutorial - I have wanted a tutorial like this for years! Thanks HG!

[@1froberto]

Thanks for the info, it made sense to me finally. Your video are awesome.Loved The homemade pickup winder, and gauss contraption,

[@scottdunn2178]

If anyone thinks making a killer pickup is just a matter of winding some wire on a coil and sliding in a magnet... 🤣

[@matyasszombati2763]

could you provide some information how you connect the 2 bobbins? I mean are they series or paralell? or the wiring of the 2 bobbins are in different direction? or you handle the phase of the 2 bobbin with simple wiring the south hot to the north end?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I wire mine in series. The north start is hot output, the south start is ground. The series connection is north finish to south finish. Both bobbins are wound clockwise.

[@matyasszombati2763]

thx@@HighlineGuitars

[@anw321]

Thank you for posting this! It helped me better understand my instrument. Of course, it also made me want to learn more about building guitars too.

[@peterjosvai9804]

@ Gauss Meter There are quite many inexpensive Gauss Meter plans (based on Arduino + an LCD display) floating on the Web, but Chris just uses his voltmeter... @ 9:45, how come? I mean, we are creative folks, right? What do we make out of this? :) hint: Linear HALL sensors

[@cybeagles]

very usefull..

[@larryfleming7295]

What makes Duncan’s & D’addario pick ups “ Sooo Awesome “ ???? I mean it shouldn’t be that complicated to reverse engineer ..Why don’t we have “Knock Offs” that are plain as day Copies that are just as good?

[@AnthonyGartung]

What’s the general cost for you to make a single coil or a humbucker ?

[@BrantleyAllen]

Dude, you do such cool stuff. Thank you for all your effort to share your knowledge.

[@scottlittle8380]

wow! Great!

[@JHenzly]

Great video. Ty! I've been playing for years and never knew that so much went into a pup. Question: can a passive pup go bad over time? I heard that you shouldn't put your pups near anything metal. My old pups just don't sound like when they were new. Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, they can go bad. The coil wire insulation can degrade over time, which can weaken the signal and lead to shorts. Also, the magnets can be degraded by blunt impacts and excessive heat, although these issues are rare.

[@danielcastillo1225]

Great video lesson, keep up the good work

[@thepricklyseed]

Very informative and insightful video. Thank you very much!

[@GeoversePR]

And its art, one way to achive true happiness by creating stuff.

[@mil182]

This video was awesome. Very informative and interesting! Thanks so much for sharing. This is definitely something I want to be able to do in the near future and everything you showed and explained was easy to understand and made a lot of sense.

[@JtJt-bg8rn]

Thank you Sir, Excellent 🤩👍🏆

[@YOU_screener]

hey I like the Video and it's pretty informing but there was one part that was not right in terms of the positioning of the Pickup. the most about it was right but a bridge Pickup and a neck Pickup have with the same note played the same frequency. because if they had different frequency the same note would sound different (like a played a note sounds at the neck as a a but at the brige as a b) but the reason why chords sound brighter is the thinner sides have a higher frequency but not so high altitude as the thicker sides and the diffrence between the higher altitude of the thicker sides getts narrower to the bridge so they sound higher

[@Mr.Wu.]

Someone can link me a good cloth humbucker tape to buy please? Thanks

[@KaneMuir]

Very eloquently explained, thanks. ✌🏼

[@bernardallen7878]

Thanks that was the best and most comprehensive video on making pickup I’ve seen.

[@kanthafa3317]

Apakah anda menjual pikub anda ? Bagaimana saya bisa membelinya ? Mungkin

[@strat7751]

Same direction for 2 humbuckers? (cc)? or (cc) and (c)?

[@HighlineGuitars]

You can wind all of your bobbins (humbucker or single coil) in the same direction (c) or (cc). If you want a coil to be in the opposite direction of another, you simply flip the leads when you solder them into the circuit.

[@strat7751]

thank you, I wound my Humbucker neck to (c) and my humbucker bridge to (cc) will this work?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@strat7751 Yes.

[@lorencing]

Thanks for the video, very informative.

[@ThunderAppeal]

Eddie Van Halen was a genius to the degree that he learned extensive musical theory and classical music because his father was a task master and a very capable guitarist who pushed his children to learn as much as he could make them learn about music.

[@richpepp4815]

Excellent video, thanks. Good to have something with real info for once

[@OldBiker]

Good video except the only bit I was interested in that you never said anything about was the hook up wires, which one is live, which one is earth and which two get connected together?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Because there are so many options. www.seymourduncan.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/color_codes-809x1024.jpg

[@marxvino]

Outstanding video Chris!!! Thank you!

[@rodrigocastro7651]

Wow amazing video CHRIS thanks !!!!!!!!

[@austinmangum297]

Great video! I had one question though. There is a guitar player you are probably familiar with “Eddie van Halen” who crafted his own pick up. What did he do differently from you to get more of a (screaming tone) this question is very specific sorry, haha.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I think even Eddie would tell you it's not so much about the pickup as it is about the way he plays. In other words, if you played his guitar, it would sound like you. However, if Eddie played your guitar, it would sound like Eddie. That being said, the humbucker he originally used in his Frankenstrat was a Gibson PAF lifted from an ES-335, which was potted with paraffin wax. God only knows the specs of that original pickup, but he has stated in the past that one of the coils didn't work. PAFs are usually wound with 42awg wire to a low DCR and I would guess the magnet was either an Alnico 2 or a low gauss Alnico 5.

[@u.s.a.198]

Smart man... very solid info.. ty

[@pablomartinvazquez]

Thanks for all your vids, your´re great at explaining stuff, can´t count the tips and principles I´ve learned til now. I hope some day you tell us how a johnny smith style mini humbucker is made.

[@nickhlawka7073]

Hello. After you wind each bobbin and have two copper wire ends....does it matter which end to connect to other bobbin and make the humbucker? Does the inside start end have to connect to the outside finish end of the other bobbin? Does it matter? Thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes it matters, but you can wire the bobbins in series like you described, or in parallel. In series yields higher output and darker tone. In parallel yields lower output and brighter tone.

[@nickhlawka7073]

Is the hum eliminated both ways series or parallel?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@nickhlawka7073 both ways are hum canceling.

[@nickhlawka7073]

Thank You

[@nickhlawka7073]

@@HighlineGuitars What about in series but instead of connecting the negative pickup side to positive pickup side, connecting negative to negative or positive to positive??? Thanks

[@Blueflamewarriors]

Thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

Welcome

[@Houstnwehavuhoh]

Awesome video, thanks for this! I know it’s a bit older but I actually had a question in regards to wire - when I’m trying to wind, I constantly have to stop to unspool a bit of wire and it makes the winding part take forever. I cannot go quickly. When I unspool a bunch of wire to wind, it’s likely that unspooled wire will pool and knot next to me as I’m trying to wind. I set up the spool on a little pole, in hopes that as I wind, the wire will be pulled, the spool will then turn and feed more wire as it goes, but then I have issues with wire snapping, as the spool is too heavy and is only relying on the pull from the winder to unspool it. How do you go about having enough wire and being able to work at that speed while dealing with a spool of wire? Thanks!

[@Houstnwehavuhoh]

I actually just read that people stand the spool vertically below where they’re working - this seems to be the common trend and works well?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I’ve never had the issue you described nor have I heard of anyone other pickup makers with that same experience. With the spools I use, the wire unravels on its own as the bobbin spins.

[@Houstnwehavuhoh]

@@HighlineGuitars thank you for the response! It must have to do with how I have the spool set up. I set it up expecting the spool itself to roll to unwind while the pickup winder does its thing. I need to set it vertically so the wire can come off freely (how a fishing pole spool would be orientated) and not expect the spool itself to move.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@Houstnwehavuhoh That is correct.

[@SandeepKumar-kj5sy]

Hello sir i am from india tell me what is the gauge of wire you have taken in this pickup and how much have you done in turn, i play typewriter keys banjo and want to make a pickup for him which does not have humming problem

[@HighlineGuitars]

I use 42 to 44 AWG wire. The number of turns varies between 4500 and 8000 for a humbucker.

[@corkkyle]

This is incredibly interesting. Thank you!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@brianpetersen3429]

Excellent video!

[@doctortono]

How did you do your Gauss Meter sensor? Do you have a schematic for share?. Thanks anticipated !

[@HighlineGuitars]

This is the old one: www.coolmagnetman.com/magmeter.htm This is my new one: amzn.to/304Z6rm

[@getenlightened]

Thank you, sir! I've seen some of your vids, but I'm now subscribed. I hope to make some guitars in the future. I've thought about how nice it would be to make my own pickups. Definitely something I'll try at some point and I'm sure I'll refer back to this as a starting point. Thanks again.

[@ej1_drew]

hands down one of the best channels on yt

[@MrSubscriber77]

The best pickup winding video I’ve seen.

[@dpratte]

Excellent job, Sir!

[@davidlalremruata]

Awesome 👍

[@edwincancelii2917]

700 years ago by Eddie Van Halen? That doesn’t make sense.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Edwin Cancel II sorry. 699 years ago by Eddie Van Halen

[@elvinebovine1297]

Would solid copper work better than wound copper? 4:58

[@HighlineGuitars]

It wouldn’t work at all.

[@ramaclub9999]

How did you wind clockwise vs counterclockwise with your setup

[@HighlineGuitars]

My winder spins both ways.

[@guitarhobbywithdannythemedic]

Thanks

[@richpeltrick1492]

Final assembly; "screw bobbins are oriented toward the South Pole...". What exactly does that mean?

[@HighlineGuitars]

The bobbin with the adjustable pole screws is on the south pole of the magnet. The bobbin with the slugs is on the north pole.

[@richpeltrick1492]

@@HighlineGuitars Oh, it refers to the magnet polarity. Another thing to research... thanks

[@marxvino]

Hey Chris, where do you buy your pickup supplies? (bobbins, magnets and wire) Thanks!

[@HighlineGuitars]

CE Distribution

[@adamsmith5598]

The best video on this subject I have seen so far. Had all the information I needed to understand how humbuckers are actually made. Just subscribed. I wish you were just down the road. I suspect you would be the perfect guy to ask about dialing in a perfect humbucker tone :-) I look forward to seeing your other videos.

[@jayurban4313]

Chris, you ever hear of a mini humbucker? If so have you ever found any of those little bobbins on your Whatsit?

[@nenepilio5620]

This is art man! Thanks a lot.

[@chadlove3443]

Why ground the baseplates? What is the science behind it? It doesn't seem to be necessary for the signal loop, so what's the deal?

[@christopherchristopher4482]

I unliked my original like, just so I could like again. Awesome video!

[@donaldfisher8556]

Hey Chris thank you for your reply. It makes sense and is really interesting. Thank you

[@davidsolomon5612]

U have not mentioned the number of turns clearly. 5000/7000/8000

[@cashewwalnut3589]

How about magnetizing the pickups? Aren't humbuckers supposed to be composed of two single coils with opposing magnetic fields? Also how many turns do you usually put in your pickups (both bridge and neck)

[@pericles6114]

amazing video!

[@freeelectron8261]

Where do you buy all the components for pickup building?

[@HighlineGuitars]

CE Distribution and eBay.

[@freeelectron8261]

@@HighlineGuitars Thank you! Love you videos and your intelligent explanations.

[@jayurban4313]

Wound

[@eldie3d]

I'm sorry I'm so late! LOL I just found you and this video. Thank you for creating this video!! I have a question... You stated that you use 42, 43 and 44 gauge wire. You say that the more turns you put on a bobbin, they higher the output signal, the higher the output signal you clip treble frequencies. To balance this - if you put more turns on the bridge bobbin the less turns on a neck bobbin. I'm learning a lot, but I have no idea how many turns should be a minimum, what's the maximum amount of turns and what is the average amount of turns? If I want to DIM (Do It Myself - similar to DIY lol) and I go buy a 50 foot roll of 44 gauge copper wire, will that be enough for 1 single coil and 2 humbuckers? About how many feet of wire do I need for 1 single coil? And for 1 humbucker? That's the only information that I'm really lacking... How many turns is average for a single coil neck pickup? And how many turns are average for a bridge humbucker pickup? How many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average single coil neck pickup? And how many feet of 44 gauge wire is normally used to wrap an average bridge humbucker pickup? Thank you so much!!! Not many KZbin creators respond to my comments and questions. I hope you do! I really do!!! Thank you so much!!!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Start here: www.google.com/search?q=how+many+feet+of+wire+in+a+guitar+pickup&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS749US749&oq=how+many+feet+of+wire&aqs=chrome.2.0j69i57j0l4.9028j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[@johnr7303]

Hi, hope this is not a silly question but do you solder the two finish wires together or the start and finish wires? I only ask as there seems to be a lot written about this on the net and I can't tell which way is right.

[@stacylenihan206]

I just received my Mira se and the tape on the pickup was a mess. to fit can I tape over or remove tape and retape and what size tape do I get. .It would not be an issue except the cobbjob is on the bass side and I see it.

[@analogueheavenrecordingstu2984]

Amazing video thanks so much you inspired me to wind my own humbucker!👍