[Production Example] X100 #002 Transparent JB Pickup
This is production example #002 of the featured project [X100] currently being held at Nekodamari Kobo.
For more information on the X100 project, please click here.
#002 Overview
First off, here is the exterior.
As with #001, I changed the material from the general vulcanized fiber and made it out of a transparent material.
It is transparent so you can see the copper wire. This time, we used a novel red colored copper wire, and finally wrapped it with protective thread made of glitter material to complete it.
Since it is a transparent material, potting it would give it a dirty texture, so it is designed to be dry and no potting is required.
Although this is slightly less effective in preventing feedback, it is generally preferred by many people as the lack of potting treatment tends to result in a more natural sound.
Special craftsmanship: Non-contact processing of copper wire
It uses the non-contact processing that appeared in #001.
Since the content is duplicated, please check article #001.
Adoption of less commonly used copper wire standards
Well, I'm using a rare red colored copper wire, but this wire diameter is a thin copper wire that isn't usually used.
Specifically, if you consider a regular pickup copper wire as the standard AWG42 0.063 mm, it is about five levels thinner. It seems like they're skipping the "we tried making it one level thinner!" thing, but I don't think it's used very often.
There are probably very few situations where you would need to care about wire diameter, but I'll explain some basic information about it here.
First, about the thickness and resistance.
For the same number of turns, the thicker the copper wire, the lower the resistance, and the thinner the wire, the higher the resistance.
This principle is why typical pickups using AWG42 have similar resistance values.
If you want to add power, you can increase the number of turns to raise the resistance, but in this case there is a limit to the thickness of the copper wire due to the shape of the bobbin.
Therefore, with AWG42, no matter how many turns you add, the resistance value will almost never physically reach 10k.
So why do pickups with so-called high power ratings such as 14K exist? As mentioned above, it is because the resistance value increases when the copper wire is made thinner.
According to this principle, the difference is only about 0.01 mm, but when wound thousands of times, the difference becomes large and the limit value becomes higher than with thicker wire, allowing more windings.
Please imagine a typical pickup and look at the following picture. Even if the number of windings is the same, the appearance will be different by as much as five steps.
Incidentally, one of the reasons we rarely use it is that it breaks easily and is difficult to handle. We don't want to choose a material that is likely to break and interrupt work during mass production.
(Even #001's 0.050mm is not common.)
Causal relationship between wire diameter and sound *research required*
There are also some fun little touches that use this specification, but we'll save those for another time.
One thing you may be wondering is, "What difference does changing the wire diameter make?"
The general consensus is that the higher the resistance, the higher the power, and the lower the resistance, the more sensitive it is.
So you might think that the thinner the wire diameter, the higher the power it can be used for, but...
The thicker the wire, the fuller the sound.
There is also a common belief that the thinner the wire, the higher the resistance, so it can be confusing and you may wonder, "It has high power, but the sound is thin...?"
To be frank, I have not been able to find any academic papers on causation.
The sound is supposed to be determined by a complex number of factors, but there is information not only from the maker, but also from the player and seller, and as a result of being influenced by the writer's subjective opinion, the conventional wisdom is not very clear.
This would lack objectivity, so Nekodamari Kobo's current view is that we cannot say anything without first collecting data from scratch. (As of February 2024)
From a consumer's perspective, other than installing it and trying it out for yourself, the only way to find out is through the specification information provided by reliable musical instrument manufacturers and replacement manufacturers, and the reputation in the market.
I think that theory and objective data are necessary, but I also think that evaluation based on the musician's subjective feelings is also an important criterion for judgment.
For that reason, at this time, Nekodamari Kobo will be providing an interpretation that is in line with conventional wisdom.
For the X100, we will mainly use Alnico 5, which is widely available and easy to imagine, and we will not add any curveballs to the resistance values, so we hope you will make your decision based on your intuition.
That said, it doesn't feel right to leave the question of causation vague without any data to prove it, so I think that as a creator, I won't be able to make a definitive statement until I have everything in place, from data collection equipment to analytical instruments.
We are working on it bit by bit, so we ask for your patience.
Digression and Summary #002 Spec Introduction
Now, #002 is a JB pickup, and this one also has no cover.
As mentioned above, the resistance value is quite high due to its unusually thinness, but we have made it with a modest number of turns so that it does not go beyond the range of common sense.
Since it is combined with Alnico 5, you can think of it in the same way as a general high-power pickup, but please note that it has a no-potting specification that makes it less resistant to howling.
I apologize for talking about the appearance, but to make the red copper wire stand out, the protective thread is also red. Even if you put it on a classical jazz bass, it will have an eye-catching look that makes you think, "What is that?"
There is one outlet point. I forgot to include the neck position on the back.
The appearance is the same when installed, but only the bridge side has the back side written on it. The spec sheet is included, so there is no problem in practical use.
Unlike #001, this is not a floating setting so no base is included.
#002 Spec
| Compatible models | JB type neck/bridge 1 set |
| Hobin Material | Transparent material PMMA |
| magnet | Alnico 5 flat pole piece |
| Copper wire | Red enamel 0.040mm |
| Lead | Cross Wire |
| Potting Treatment | No potting (none) |
| Special Craftsmanship | Contactless processing of copper wire |
| specification | No pickup cover, bridge only RWRP (reverse wound, reverse magnetized) |
| Resistance value |
Neck 14.45kg Bridge 15.05k |
| accessories |
Spec sheet, package, mounting screws |
| Warranty details |
Free repairs for breakdowns caused by normal use Other features are the same as regular commercially available products. |
| Notes |
-There may be unavoidable scratches and scuffs due to the manufacturing process. -The dimensions are based on general standards, but please check the dimensions listed on the sales page before purchasing. ・Pickups are delicate parts and require specialized knowledge to handle. Please ask a professional to modify or install them, or do so at your own risk. ・If you have any questions regarding installation, please contact us using the inquiry form. ・As this is a prototype, the specifications, such as packaging, appearance, and engraved information on the back, may differ from those of the officially sold product. ・In principle, we can only accept one item, but if you would like a similar pickup, we may be able to accommodate your request as a semi-order. Please contact us for details. |
| Sales Information |
Available at Nekodamari Kobo's online store Sales price: 17,600 yen (tax and shipping included) |
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
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