42 AWG or 43 AWG wire

[gavinturner]

Hi guys,

I'm planning on winding some hot strat and tele pickups. Should I use 43 or 42 AWG wire?
the interwebs seems inconclusive on the question. Anyone out there got an opinion?

cheers,
Gav.

[keloooe]

43 is thicker, so if you want a hotter pickup but with a smaller coil, then it is perfect, otherwise 42 is the 'standard'
I think the only production pickup that uses 43 AWG wire is the tele neck pickup, everything else seems to normally be 42

Maybe try a humbucker with a 42 awg coil and the other coil being 43?

[dingobass]

Wont really matter too much... Its all semantics really.

It only changes the amount of wire you can fit on the bobbin, so 42 will give you more room to stack more on.

[gavinturner]

Thanks guys! I think I'll try the thicker first and get my technique down.

cheers,
Gav.

[kells80aus]

I think you'll find 43AWG is thiner than 42AWG. based on the logical stepping of the table below. the higher the number the thinner the wire.

Your biggest issue is whether or not your rig can run 43AWG with out shredding it to bits.


36 0.00500* 0.127* 200* 78.7 0.0250 0.0127 1361 414.8 4 A 3.9 A 22 A
37 0.00445 0.113 225 88.4 0.0198 0.0100 1716 523.1 3 A 3.1 A 17 A
38 0.00397 0.101 252 99.3 0.0157 0.00797 2164 659.6 3 A 2.4 A 14 A
39 0.00353 0.0897 283 111 0.0125 0.00632 2729 831.8 2 A 1.9 A 11 A
40 0.00314 0.0799 318 125 0.00989 0.00501 3441 1049 1 A 1.5 A 8.5 A

42 AWG 0.002500 0.06350 42 46 - - 6.249821
43 AWG 0.002200 0.05588 43 46 - - 4.839861

http://www.bulkwire.com/wiregauge.asp

PK

[dingobass]

Dammit! Yes, 43 is thinner... Note to self... Dont answer questions after consuming too many home brews

[wokkaboy]

Dammit! Yes, 43 is thinner... Note to self... Dont answer questions after consuming too many home brews

haha trap for young players DB !!
That is a trap higher gauges being thinner though.

Go the thicker wire for sure Gav !

[keloooe]

Dammit! Yes, 43 is thinner... Note to self... Dont answer questions after consuming too many home brews

I got it wrong too DB, damnit!
If you go 43, run the winder at a slower speed to not rip it to shreds! Also use a bit of felt or talcum powder to reduce the grab that the wire has when it passes through your fingers and get a cleaner wind

[kells80aus]

Well it's a bit like this 45 years ago when I was a technician in training and we were studying magnetic coils. I looked at the idea of winding my own pups. But for a young bloke earning about $60 a week it was something I put in the too hard basket as it would have to be hand wound and 42 or 43 AWG would just fall to bits if you applied a bit too much presure.
Life quickly moved on from Guitars to surfboards and cars and girls and that's just the way life is.



PK

[gavinturner]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I was aware that 43 AWG was the thinner of the two, but was going to leave Callum and DB with their dignity. No such luck! :P Thanks again everyone.

cheers,
Gav.