Pickup Specification

 

All information is general and based upon early versions unless otherwise noted,
there are exceptions , especially with Fender Pickups. HB specs are per coil.

LEGEND:
Pickup Name, coil wire guage, coil wire insulation(PE=plain enamel, F= formivar, P=poly/poly-nylon) number of turns (per coil), average resistance DC, Magnet type/grade (A=alnico, C=ceramic) special interest notes are in italics

Gibson Pickups

Firebird 42PE 4250 CCW 3.5 A2
Mini Bucker 42P 4250 CCW 3.35 A5
PAF 42PE 5000 CCW 4.0 A2 or 3
T-top 42PE 5000 CCW 4.0 A5
Dirty Finger 44PE 8000 CCW 8k both coils screw poles, 3 ceramic bars
P-90 42PE 10,000 CCW 8.0 A3 or A5
Alnico aka "staple" 42PE 10,000 CCW 8.0 A3 or A5
Bar Pickup, aka "Charlie Christian" 38-41PE 2.5-3.5k carbon steel
Melody Maker 42 PE 10,000 CCW 7.3 A5 "rail"
Early versions of most Gibson pickups were wound the same for both positions, slug side north where applicable. The HB/P-90 Bar magnets are also the Melody Maker "rail" magnets. Nylon bobbins from Firebird HB's were also used in Johnny Smith, LP Deluxe Mini buckers, Epiphone, and some Silvertone.

Fender Pickups

Stratocaster
1954 42 F 7956 CW 5.76k A5 North
1955 42 F7844 CW 5.89k A5 North
1956 42 F 8012 CW 5.98k A5 North
1957 42 F 8105 CW 6.02k A5 North
1958 42 F 8350 CW 6.20k A5 South
1959 42 F 7925 CW 5.95k A5 South
1960 42 F 8293 CW 6.33k A5 South
1961 42 F 8119 CW 6.19k A5 South
1962 42 F 8220 CW 6.22k A5 South
1963 42 F 8319 CW 6.37k A5 South
1964 42 F/PE 7980 CW 6.25k A5 South
Hand wound, same all positions, Black Bobbins, Staggered Polepieces, Wax potted. January 4, 1965, CBS bought , Fender Musical Instruments.
1965 42 PE 7626 CW 5.80k A5 South
1966 42 PE 7630 CW 5.76k A5 South
1967 42 PE` 7656 CW 5.88k A5 South
Machine wound, Grey Bobbins(bottom plate light grey '64/65-'68 then dark grey until about '80), Flat or Staggered, Laquer potted
The same strat "bobbins were used for Duosonic and Mustang pickups.

***SEE "PARTS" section for polepiece stagger information

Telecaster Bridge
50-51 43 PE 8000 CCW 8.0 A5 North
51-64 42 PE 9200 CCW 7.5 A5 South
60's/70's 42 PE/Poly 7800 CCW 6.4 A5 South
Zinc plated steel baseplate until early'51Then copper
plated steel (.05" thick)

Telecaster Neck
50/60 43 PE 8000 CCW 7.7 A5 South
60/70 43 PE 7800 CCW 6.9 A5 South
Fiber bobbin colors follows with Strat pickups.
53 on both pickups South polarity then RW/RP
in late 70's

Telecaster Humbucker
70's 42 P 5000 CW 5.3 Cunife threaded polepieces (three exposed per coil)

JazzMaster 42 F 8500 CCW 6.3 A5 South

Mustang 42 F 7600 CCW 5.5 A5 South

DuoSonic 42 F 8350 CCW 5.9 A5 South (.625"x.197")

Jaguar 42 F 8550 CCW 6.5 A5 South
JazzMaster, Jaguar, Mustang and Dousonic, neck pickups were RW/RP from the beginning. Forbon colors and wire insulation follows with strat pickups. Jaguar bobbins have no bottom "flange".

Music Master Bass 42 F 7600 CCW 5.75 A5 South

Rickenbacker Lapsteel: 38 PE 5500 CCW A "Horseshoe" South

Rickenbacker Toaster top: (and others) in '50's heavier guaged wire to about 4-5k, then 60's to about 7k w/ 42, then later 8k and above.. (I've been "told" it's only ever been wound w/ 43awg..)

DeArmond Single: 44 7750 CW 8-9k A5 poles
inductance 3.35 henries

DeArmond 2k: 43P 8000 CW 7.5k A5 bars
steel poles and magnets in a P-90 arrangement, steel baseplate, inductance 6 henries

Gretsch Filtertrons: 43P, 2000 CW 2k A5 coils generally pretty loosly wound

Hoffner Bass: 44F CCW total 8.8k both coils, usually uneven with one at 3.8k or so... A5 bar, screw side S

 

PARTS

HB adjustable polepieces #5-40 filluster head screws .75" long

HB slugs .187x .48

HB Magnets 2.4x .492x .120" magnetized across width (also the bar "polepiece" in melody maker p/u)

PAF Magnet 2.5"long '56-61 in A2/3/4/5 '61 went to aprox 1/8" shorter in A5 only.

PAF coil wire '56-63 PE, then Poly

PAF coils often "off" between the pair (e.g. 1coil 3.5k, 2nd coil 4.5k total=8k) Early PAF's (prior to '63) generally in the 8-10k range, after typically 7.75k

HB metal Spacer (screw keeper) 2.219x .19x .125

Strat/ Tele polepieces .187 dia x .656 long

Strat polepiece staggers:(keep in mind even modern manufacturing tolerances are normally +- .005")
up to '56: E .690 A .690 D .719 G .690 B .636 E .656
'56-aprox '69: E .690 A .690 D .719 G .719 B .636 E .656
'70's on, flat .656

Fender Lead wires
up to aprox. '68 waxed cotton insulated 22awg (bl/wht) then plastic coated

OLD strat/ tele/ other polepieces .197 dia

Telecaster Bridge pickup baseplate mounting holes: tapped for #6-32

Formvar wire insulation is somewhat heavier than either the plain enamel or poly creating a marginally larger coil for a given wire guage and number of turns.