Depending on the design of the pickup there are a few basic parts in which pickups are made. A. a permanent magnet B. pole pieces C. coil or coils D. bobbin or flatwork E. component support
A. A permanent magnet can be made of several types of material IE: Alnicos & Ceramic
being the most common. There are several grades of Alnico’s and Ceramics
B. Pole pieces are usually made of rod magnets like in Fender single coils and a soft iron material used to direct the magnetic field.
C. Coils are wound with several thousand turns. Depending on the diameter of the
magnet wire, the number of turns and shape of the coil will help determine the sound and output of the pickup. More turns will increase the output and make the pickup sound less bright Less turns will decrease the output and make the pickup sound brighter. In a humbucking pickup two coils can be connected in series or parallel. Humbuckers usually have a fatter sound than single coils.
D. Bobbins and flatwork can be made from a number of materials ranging from paper, bakelite, nylons, vulcanized fibre, plastics and other non-conductive materials. Bobbins are used to hold the wound coil stable and keep it from changing shape. After a coil is wound and held to shape with a bonding material such as wax or varnishes the tooling of an air coil can be pulled apart leaving the coil without a bobbin. The air coil can then be insulated with a material such as tape and then be inserted into a cover with magnet, iron load or pole pieces.
E. Component support: After the bobbins are wound the components are all supported by means of a bottom plate, cover or mechanical assembly. The bobbins on Gibson style humbucker are held in place by 4 screws to hold the bobbins, magnet and unit together. A cover is used also holds the components in place. Gibson Mini-humbuckers use no mounting screws and need a cover to keep everything in place. In most Fender style single coil pickups the magnets are pressed into the flatwork and wound to the desired number of turns and winding direction. The magnets are magnetized either north or south polarity and the pickup is secured into a mounting ring, plate or pickguard.