building custom guitar pickups with existing electronic parts?

[Mad Scientist]

I am building some experimental pickups for ukeleles, mandolins,
harpsichords, and other totally custom steel-stringed instruments, and
need to build some odd-sized pickups from scratch. I have a book on
pickup winding, though it looks like the bobbin sizes will need to be
custom (it will vary with each instrument).

Anyway, I was wondering if I could use an existing coil from some
electronic component - just stick a pole piece in the middle and put a
magnet underneath and voila!

Does anyone know what electronic parts, if any, would somewhat match a
guitar or similar pickup in magnet wire gauge and # of wraps, and
other properties, to sound decent with the right magnet underneath,
and is the right size to fit a guitar-ish pole piece inside?

I am sure I have seen something like this over the years from taking
apart old radios, etc.

I would rather pursue this route if possible, than spending a ton of $
on custom pickups, or a ton of work/time on building a bobbin &
wrapping it from scratch.

Any help appreciated!

 

[Michael Black]

hmm
maybe a coil assembly from a relay.

I'd certainly try something like that as an experiment.

I'd wonder about whether one could get a proper enough frequency response
for serious use with a musical instrument.

Michael

 

[Jamie]

hmm
maybe a coil assembly from a relay.

 

[Watson A.Name \Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\]

I am building some experimental pickups for ukeleles, mandolins,
harpsichords, and other totally custom steel-stringed instruments, and
need to build some odd-sized pickups from scratch. [snip]

Any help appreciated!

I would say that since you are dealing with sound quality which is
highly subjective, you would be much better off buying a pickup that has
been designed for this use, rather than building one. You may spend a
lot more time finding out what doesn't sound good, rather than getting
something that's right the first time.

 

[jtech]

I am building some experimental pickups for ukeleles, mandolins,
harpsichords, and other totally custom steel-stringed instruments, and
need to build some odd-sized pickups from scratch. I have a book on
pickup winding, though it looks like the bobbin sizes will need to be
custom (it will vary with each instrument).

Anyway, I was wondering if I could use an existing coil from some
electronic component - just stick a pole piece in the middle and put a
magnet underneath and voila!

Does anyone know what electronic parts, if any, would somewhat match a
guitar or similar pickup in magnet wire gauge and # of wraps, and
other properties, to sound decent with the right magnet underneath,
and is the right size to fit a guitar-ish pole piece inside?

I am sure I have seen something like this over the years from taking
apart old radios, etc.

I would rather pursue this route if possible, than spending a ton of $
on custom pickups, or a ton of work/time on building a bobbin &
wrapping it from scratch.

Any help appreciated!

Try a coil from a tv set, its on the pc board and has a small magnet
attached to it. just look over some dead sets and see if you can make em
work out.
good luck.