I feel retarded asking this....

[GUITARKID514]

Hey guys. This probably seems like a lame question, but what does overwinding or underwinding do to change the sound of a pickup?

Right now I have some handwound Tex-Tone p/u's that I like a lot, but they don't quite have the twang I want. Any tips?

Thanks

[chuckocaster]

yes, it has a HUGE impact.

in simplest terms:

low wound= chime, clarity, cutting.

overwound= ballsy, mid heavy, thicker sounding.

now we can use different words to describe the tonal qualities, but these are the words that i associate with them. i have a bunch of different pups. there is no right or wrong, just what you prefer and what works in a particular guitar.

[Don]

Lindy Fralin describes this pretty well on his website.

[chuckocaster]

and you can trust fralin, he's a straight shooter.

[jerryjg]

I wouldnt say its lame OR retarded. Its pretty ghey though.
Yeah, but there is some question cause ive heard contrdadictory things about "overwinding" Talking single coils, I've heard that 'overwinding' can make a pickup sound thin and bright , but I've also heard it can make it sound thick and beefy, so IDK. Zhanglighun ( SP?)would know about this. Maybe you have to get it just right?
In humbuckers 'Overwinding' can get some hot distorted sounds pushing your amp, but its a science to get it where it doesnt sound too muddy, -its almost like alchemy, cause you have to balance all the different magnet materials and wire types along with windings to achieve a golden tone.
'Underwinding'- well, there really isnt anything thats underwound beyogd a standard vintge tput- it would sound too nassally i think.
You can underwind a pikup thats already overwound beyond vintage specs- humbucker or single. Don't quote me on this.

[Don]

You can underwind a pikup thats already overwound beyond vintage specs- humbucker or single. Don't quote me on this.

I did this to a set of Fralin Vintage Hots. It wasn't difficult though I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner.

It would be a lot more difficult to do to a humbucker.

[GUITARKID514]

hmm...interesting.

I guess I'm basically asking cause I want something that will give me more punch and twang...kinda SRV style tone. Right now I feel like my p/u's sound great - very well balanced tone. They just aren't putting out like I want them to ;)

[jerryjg]

well, I'd suggest about a 10K overwound bridge pickup-something like Texas hots ( i think) in the bridge, and to leave the other two pickups be.You are talking Strat pickups right?
Tons of people use a overwound "hot" bridge Strat pickup, and feel it works better than the stock low output "vuintage" Fender Strat bridge pickup. I like both.

[jamisonst]

well, I'd suggest about a 10K overwound bridge pickup-something like Texas hots ( i think) in the bridge, and to leave the other two pickups be.You are talking Strat pickups right?
Tons of people use a overwound "hot" bridge Strat pickup, and feel it works better than the stock low output "vuintage" Fender Strat bridge pickup. I like both.

It's pretty hard to get 10k out of a single coil. The Fender CS Texas Specials are only 6.5k +/-

[Gris]

hmm...interesting.

I guess I'm basically asking cause I want something that will give me more punch and twang...kinda SRV style tone. Right now I feel like my p/u's sound great - very well balanced tone. They just aren't putting out like I want them to ;)

Punch and twang are kinda moving in diff directions vis a vis PUs. FWIW, SRV got his tone as much from amps and speakers as PUs. I think every player going through the PU search needs to look hard at his amp and speakers. Certain PUs just match up really well with certain amps, and speakers are a huge part of the amp's sound.

[Offshore Angler]

Punch and twang are kinda moving in diff directions vis a vis PUs. FWIW, SRV got his tone as much from amps and speakers as PUs. I think every player going through the PU search needs to look hard at his amp and speakers. Certain PUs just match up really well with certain amps, and speakers are a huge part of the amp's sound.

Good call. The NUMBER ONE WRONG ASSUMPTION by newer players is that pickups make you sound like so and so. I put them down about 4th in the food chain.

My order is
1) the player's technique,
2 and three are 3: the guitar itself and the amp,
4) the pickups,
5) effects,
...


Now, that said, a great set of pickups is fun to play. I recently played a Tele with Telenator WRHB's in it. The pickups cost as much or more than the guitar! Mikey, Rickenjangle and a few more were there. It absolutely ripped. But - I still sounded like OSA on a Tele through a DRRI, it was just better.

[Zhangliqun]

It's pretty hard to get 10k out of a single coil. The Fender CS Texas Specials are only 6.5k +/-

Only if you use 42 gauge wire. Getting 10k worth of 43 on a typical bobbin is pretty easy. That said, 10k of 43 is not going to sound nearly as beefy as 10k worth of 42.

I have made a few 42 AWG 10k+ Strat pu's and it can be done but you have to use longer rod magnets and a slightly larger top flatwork piece.

As for the earlier question about too many turns suddenly making a Fender-style single suddenly bright again, no. More wire = more beef on singles too.