There is apparantly a trick to winding pick ups.
And it is not fully manual, they have a spin fixture that rotated around while they wind the wire, but it is something done by hand as opposed to a wire feeder to a spin fixture.
Sure those would be somewhat accurate and repeatable, but I am sure what those that have hand wound pick ups have some tops and tricks to make them better.
I go back to Fender Pick ups, and I know @terb hates tem, andmaybe because they are a mass produced pick up with terrivle ressonance and resistance and any number of technical reasons I am throwing in the air after picking it blindly from a hat.
I think a hand shaped neck, will be better than one that is routed on a CNC sanded by a human, if it is sanded by a human, and not a robot.
Its not to say that the ones off CNC machines and robot sanding is horrible, but it is not the same thing as a master builder, using templates and tools he knows very well, and trusts his feels and measurements and resend, or re-work in. a way that a simple CNC and simplistic robot sander that they would use in production would never be able to ewual, because they do not do it by feel, its by sensors and limits set by a person for when it starts and when it stops.
I would argue that this type of technology for building automobiles, airplanes, and medical, dental andmany other items that need dead nuts precision accuracy are best produced on the correct high speed milling machine and handled by robotoc arms for many applications and the end result is perfect parts over and over and over.
I work in that high tech field and am very familiar with the materials, the machenery and the robotics useed for these actions, and although the bass and guitar industry does make its fair share of money in the realm of things, it would first be overkill to put it on 2.5 million 5 axis machining centers and add a fully designed manufacturing cell to take the guitar from a siple slab on a tray wheeled into one end of the cell, and handled by a series of robotic arms that sand, wash, try, load into a mill, wait for completion, and remove it, wash it, dry it, drop it at the next station where another arm picks it up, and probes to make sure certain features were machined correctly on the first machine, and load it in machine 2, and remove it after completion, wash it, dry it, and pass it to the next station, and repeat and repeat and repeat until by the time is is finished at the 8th and final machine, the robot washes it, drys it, probes it for burs, and any holes that are missing due to broken tools, adn then does a full 100% CMM (computer measurement machine) to see if it passes within 98% accuracy, then is stocked on a tray at te other end of the cell (a caged cell that no person enters, unless there is a problem, and power is shut off, and special keps open a door and allow a technician in.
True, we benefit from this type of manufacturing for our cars, trucks, planes, etc…
That cell I just described was a cell that my company made, and dully designed and set up and run on our shop floor for a given run off to show the integrity of the system, then was bought off, packed up and shipped to its new owner, Harley Davidson, for their head covers.
And yes, this type of manufacturing is mandatory to meet needs and precisions needed to make products succesful and safe.
But, I dont’ think we look at the whole manufacturing process for Basses, and guitars and many componants like the Pick ups and think to ourselves, w need this type of automation and accuricies for our products to maintain quality and keep a reputation so we can sell to our customers.
I think the Hand made, which commands a premium price most of the time, due to the time it takes a master crafter to create such a thing of beauty that will in many cases, for manufacturers that really care about their instruments, a grade of instrument that sets itself apart from the mass produced instruments and components on the market.
Especially when I know what machines they are using to do the work, mind you, the rough work on bass bodies and knecks, and i know the cheaply rigged exuses for robotic arms they would use to do automated sanding.
And if this was the type of machinery and robots that we used to build Harley Davidson their head cover cell, we would have failed miserably.
So,I do beleive that handwound pick ups, MAY, have a better sound, if the WINDER knows what he is doing. I also agree that someof the automated pick ups are adequate, and still could be very good and superior to many if its a good brand that has automated their technique that has set them apart from the competition.
Sorry, mechanical engineer, applications engineer, machinist.
and yes, all the tuner pcs, adn bridge pcs and screws and many of the electronics, PCB, pots, etc, have alot of high speed manufacturing processes that helps to keep costs down and so the companies can buy inexpensive pot housings and screws and bridge parts and all that stuff, and without CNC machiing, those great hipShot products would not be as readily available, and would cost way Way Way more if a few guys built them by hand on a manual mill.
It could be done. I could do it with the mill and right end ills and drills. I don’t want to, HipShot has the same thing and I don’t need to spend 2 hours making it (on a manual, probably 20 min on a cnc or less) and then pay to have it polished and annodized, and all the fun work, I like to get my pachage and use it from the package.
Sorry to rnt, but I do think there is something to be said for hand wound pick ups.
Unfortunately, I don’t know much or enough about pick ups to speak to it with any. authority on the subject.