Woltz's 2nd Scratch Build

[Woltz]

Ok so this is just a placeholder for the moment until I've finished my first scratch build but I thought it would be useful to have somewhere to start dumping information that I've started collating as it may be useful for other people as well.

In the interest of setting myself another challenge, here is my next planned build.





Yep it's going to be a Rick build. The plan I've drawn above is based on the current 330 but with a 660 neck which is wider.

So far I've been trying to find as much information as I can on the internet and I've been able to find a bit.

The toaster pickups have the following dimensions:

3.5" long
1 3/8" wide
1/2" high
5/16" magnet roughly protrude out bottom of pickup

Rough bobbin dimensions:
71mm x 26mm x 9mm with the gap between the top and bottom flatwork roughly 5mm.

There is mixed information out there but it looks like they were originally AlNiCo 2 rod magnets 0.25" diameter. Modern toasters are AlNiCo 5. And they are wound with 44AWG wire to roughly 7.5K resistance.

The toasters sit on top of the body so the pickup routs are only to accommodate the wiring and the magnets poking out.

The machine heads used on the 12 strings now are Schaller M6 Minis.

Rickenbacker use maple for their bodies and necks with a plywood back on the bodies. I'm undecided on whether to get some maple for this build. I have a piece of Australian Red Cedar here that I could use for the body and a piece of QLD Maple that I could use for the neck. The debate is whether tonewood is a thing and whether it'll alter the "jangle".

[Woltz]

So my pickup covers arrived today. And I've started drawing the bobbin in illustrator and printing to check how it would fit.

[FrankenWashie]

I love the sneaky 12 headstock. IGOR! Fetch the popcorn!

[Woltz]

I love the sneaky 12 headstock. IGOR! Fetch the popcorn!

Haha I'm really looking forward to this one as well but it will be a slow build, because of all the work involved and that I want a really nice finish because the parts won't be cheap.

I'm investigated tailpiece and bridge options. At this stage I'm looking at a 12 string harp tailpiece. Bridge will probably be a genuine 12 saddle Rick bridge.

Tuners I need to look at what options there are because the Schallers are pretty pricey and obviously I need 12 of them.

For the pickups I've been unable to source 0.25" Alnico 2 Rod Magnets so I'll probably order some Alnico 5s and depending on availability and cost I may use 43AWG wire instead of 44AWG.

[FrankenWashie]

Are you scarfing the headstock, or going with an offset?

[Woltz]

Are you scarfing the headstock, or going with an offset?

Leaning towards scarf as I think it'll be safer from a strength perspective with the tension from 12 strings.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[FrankenWashie]

Depends on the timber blank, true quarter sawn blank would be okay, but a slab sawn piece might give a bit much.
A laminate blank would probably be ideal for it, you’d just need to be spot on with your cutting and scarf joint

[Woltz]

I'm starting to acquire the different parts that I need as I come across options.

43AWG wire for the pickups. As I mentioned above Rickenbacker use 44AWG but 43 is cheaper because I can get it here in Australia.



And just recently RealParts started selling an aftermarket Rickenbacker style bridge. Given the cost of genuine Rick stuff and also the difficulty getting it here in Australia, I ordered one from RealParts. I'll make some aluminium replacement saddles to be suitable for the 12 string.



And after searching all over the place, I found a supplier for 0.25" Alnico 2 Rod magnets for the pickups which should arrive Monday or Tuesday.

[Woltz]

Oh and I've finished drawing up the Bobbin.

[Woltz]

The 1/4" Alnico 2 Rod Magnets arrived today. I'll be making a mock up bobbin with some scrap timber and plywood over the next couple of weeks to test out fitment etc.