Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Sergio: Are you able to comment on the different materials used to make pickups over the past few decades or so? Are they basically the same or have materials changed to any appreciable degree?

Here's a visual to get us going...

An original 64 bass bobbin, with the thin black plastic lip top and bottom.

One thing I have wondered about is whether the screw-top polepieces were regular steel parts that had been magnetized, or magnetic alloy (e.g. alnico) blanks that had been machined into screws.

alnico magnets don't make good screws ... the metal is too brittle ...

here is a picture of a 60 horseshoe pickup ...





and an early high gain screw top ...

Great photo, Andrew that is old.

Jeff: Nice horseshoe and screw top.

Well, I've seen pickup bobbins made from cardboard (!), fiberboard, plastic, even wood and metal.
I don't think materials have changed much over the decades, nor could they. By definition a guitar/bass pickup is a crude electronic device which relies always on metal and plastic or the like. The range of materials used for building a pickup can not vary much.

Oh but they can! Today I found a great new material for fashioning pickup bobbins from. Wanna guess what it is? It's the most unlikely of materials hehe.

Schmutz, Sergio?

Elephant dung?

I don't think I want to know Sergio!

Cole

No idea...please let us know Sergio! The suspense is killing me....

Color is black.

How about automotive tires or how 'bout rubber soul shoe bottoms?

Licorice. Granite. Snoop Dogg. Charcoal. Burnt weenie.