[sdiy] Wrapping directions for pickups - polarity and such

[jeff brown]

If I understand correctly, the answer is, unfortunately, no.

The wire needs to be perpendicular to the magnetic field lines, such that if the north and south poles of the magnet in the pickup were like the north and south poles of the earth, the wire would need to run around the equator. You also want the strings to move through the greatest nuber of magnetic field lines (close to one of the poles). 

I agree with Richard Moore about winding separate pickups. That also allows you to adjust the sensitivity of each string. There are a lot of ways to make a simple coil winging jig - there are amateur scientist out there making big magnetometers!. Try a Google search. Or canabalize an old electric piano?

Jeff
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Robotboy8 at aol.com 
  To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl 
  Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 10:28 PM
  Subject: [sdiy] Wrapping directions for pickups - polarity and such


  I'm in the process of constructing a simple electric harp.  In all a very simple project with one exception: it requires a foot-long pickup with custom magnet spacing.  Not difficult to make but tedious as all hell to wind.  So what I'm wondering is how necessary it is that the wire go around the magnets in the traditional direction
  (beware ascii picture)
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  as opposed to wrapping around the magnet lengthwise.  In other words, will the pickup work (and if so, how well) if the wire were wrapped around the foot-long bobbin such that the smallest diameter were made, rather than the largest.  And if that works, will it be better to have it come back over and cover itself again and a third time?  Wrapping front to back, then back to front, then front to back again?

         -eric, apologizing for how hard it was to phrase this question 
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