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I have always wondered why there isn't a pickup with aluminum wire for the coils rather than copper? I think since aluminum has greater resistance you could wind less turns and get a higher resistance. Although you may get more inductance, and capacitance. My line of thinking was a low output distortion pickup.

It seems that so many distortion pickups are designed to drive clean amps into distortion. Rather than than distort a signal first and let the amp provide volume later. I kind of like the idea of low output with distorted sound.
Snowdog

im not sure if you can distort a signal with a pup. even with slightly different construction.

Pickups don't clip, amps do. You can get a different voicing withaluminum for sure, but the capacitance might be so high you might end up with a muddy mess.

Is there such a thing as an aluminum solenoid, let alone pickup? I've never seen one, and I'm guessing there's a good reason why.

Copper is perfect never deviate. Begrudge, belittle and berate. kkkkkkkkk.5

Snowdog


Originally Posted by idsnowdogCopper is perfect never deviate. Begrudge, belittle and berate. kkkkkkkkk.5

Snowdog

Silver might be better. I dunno if anyone has experimented with it.

But then again, Silver has almost no resistance. So I must be wrong. Oh well...


Originally Posted by ratherdashingIs there such a thing as an aluminum solenoid, let alone pickup?

Lace Alumitones as I know.

Two issues I can think of offhand:
1) Just because higher resistance pickups are generally louder, that doesn't mean higher resistance materials will be. The reason higher resistance pups are louder isn't the resistance itself; it's that to GET the higher resistance you use more windings, and THAT makes it louder. If you used thinner copper wire like 44awg and wound *to the same resistance* as thicker wire - 42awg - you'd get fewer windings AND weaker output with the thinner (more resistant) wire.

2) insulated copper wire is used all over the place in transformers and elsewhere. Fairly easy to get hold of in various lengths, sizes, and coatings. I doubt aluminum is the same.

Fighter planes use a whole lot of gold wiring. I don't know how that would work in a pickup, but it'd probably be an expensive proposition.


Originally Posted by Jester700Two issues I can think of offhand:
1) Just because higher resistance pickups are generally louder, that doesn't mean higher resistance materials will be. The reason higher resistance pups are louder isn't the resistance itself; it's that to GET the higher resistance you use more windings, and THAT makes it louder. If you used thinner copper wire like 44awg and wound *to the same resistance* as thicker wire - 42awg - you'd get fewer windings AND weaker output with the thinner (more resistant) wire.

2) insulated copper wire is used all over the place in transformers and elsewhere. Fairly easy to get hold of in various lengths, sizes, and coatings. I doubt aluminum is the same.

Good explanation. 1.
All things equal, more windings = more electromagnetic field strengthOriginally Posted by Benjy_26Fighter planes use a whole lot of gold wiring. I don't know how that would work in a pickup, but it'd probably be an expensive proposition.

Where did you hear that?
Planes don't use gold wiring. Connectors / contacts are often gold plated to prevent corrosion.

I don't care for the lace alumitone way too bright. I really should get a winder and put some of my strange ideas to the test.

Snowdog


Originally Posted by Chaos
Where did you hear that?
Planes don't use gold wiring. Connectors / contacts are often gold plated to prevent corrosion.

I have a friend who works for Raytheon. The fire control computers are wired with gold.


Originally Posted by Benjy_26I have a friend who works for Raytheon. The fire control computers are wired with gold.

I think your friend is mistaken.
Gold is used to plate connections and contacts.
Gold wire is used to bond SMD onto circuit boards but the thickness of the wire is measured in microns so the amount used is very small.

Gold wire would be too malleable to survive the harsh environment a fighter is subject to.

I used to work for the ‘dark-side’ myself. I was trained in electronic countermeasures (ECM) electronic warfare (EW) Radar, IFF and FC. I know of no application that uses gold wiring other than that explained above.


Originally Posted by ChaosI think your friend is mistaken.
Gold is used to plate connections and contacts.
Gold wire is used to bond SMD onto circuit boards but the thickness of the wire is measured in microns so the amount used is very small.

Gold wire would be too malleable to survive the harsh environment a fighter is subject to.

I used to work for the `dark-side` myself. I was trained in electronic countermeasures (ECM) electronic warfare (EW) Radar, IFF and FC. I know of no application that uses gold wiring other than that explained above.

Like I said, I'm going on hearsay. Heck, I am probably misquoting the guy.

Anyway, thanks for clearing it up.

I do know they use gold in the canopies for protection (like on astronauts' visors). How do they do that?

BTW, sorry for the thread hijack.

I'm thinking Aluminium 42 gauge wire would just snap like crazy and prevent anyone from winding pickups with it.

Silver is the best natural conductor, while copper is the most practical natural conductor -- not quite as good as silver but still very good and a WAAAAYYY more cost effective.

Gold is a very soft metal and easily wears. That's why old LP Customs hardware usually looks silver because the gold has mostly worn off.

Anyone ever thought of gold plating some 44 awg wire before covering it with the insulator? Plating it would increase the ability of the wire to carry a given signal and it would have less resistance without drastically affecting the wire's strength. It would probably equal a slightly louder pickup with all other things being equal.

I have also heard of OFC (oxygen free copper) that isn't suppose to oxidize and also is less resistant to electricity. Anyone else heard of this?

Snowdog

From audioholics:
quot;Many cables today are advertised as using quot;oxygen-free copper,quot; copper which has been annealed in an oxygen-free atmosphere. OFC is popular in audio cables, and has begun to make inroads into the video cable market as well.

We all know, of course, that oxygen is bad for things made from copper. Copper oxidizes and turns green and flaky; in so doing, it loses its high conductivity and begins to fall apart. But the amount of oxygen present in conventionally annealed, non-OFC copper is so tiny that it simply isn't a factor in cable quality. We have cut into pieces of Belden coaxial cable twenty-five years old that have been used in radio transmission applications--and found them clean and bright, completely lacking any sign of oxidation. Modern coax is better still, with nitrogen-injected foam dielectrics that keep oxygen entirely away from the center conductor.

As it is with silver, there's nothing wrong with OFC; but electrically speaking, OFC wire is indistinguishable in audio and video applications from ordinary annealed copper wire.quot;
I dunno if there is more to OFC in the small sizes used in pickups, but I'd want good data before spending a dime more on the stuff over quot;normalquot; wire.