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How To Build Your DIY Magnetic Pickup For Diddley Bow: Part 1
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Introduction:
Did you know you can build a DIY magnetic pickup for your CBG or Diddley Bow for next to nothing? Magnetic pickups offer a warmer tone and higher output compared to piezo pickups, which are commonly used in these instruments.
Materials:
- Broken headphones (free from friends or electronics stores)
- Magnet (from the headphones)
- Copper wire (from the headphones)
- Scotch tape
- 1/4″ inch jack
- Soldering iron (and solder)
- Optional: Hot glue gun or other mounting materials
Instructions:
- Disassemble the headphones: Carefully open up your broken
headphones. You’re looking for a small speaker driver inside, which consists of a magnet with a coil of wire wrapped around it. - Extract the magnet and coil: Remove the plastic membrane or diaphragm from the speaker driver. This membrane is not needed for the pickup.
- Secure the coil: The coil of wire m
ight be loose after removing the membrane. Use a small piece of scotch tape to secure the coil around the magnet for stability. - Attach a jack: Solder the two ends of the coil’s wire to the appropriate terminals of a 1/4″ inch jack. You can find tutorials online for soldering if you’re unfamiliar with the process. By the way, I used the jack from the pre-maid piezo pickup I bought on Amazon.
- Mount the pickup: Here, you have some flexibility. You can use hot g
lue, tape, or other materials to securely mount the finished pickup to your CBG or Diddley Bow in a position where the magnet will be close to the strings.
Testing and Part 2:
Once mounted, connect your instrument to an amp and test the pickup. You should hear the sound of your strings when you play.
https://fxo.co/Itbd
https://fxo.co/Itbd
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll explore some tips on getting the best sound out of your homemade magnetic pickup and see it in action with a video demonstration!
That’s how it looks like as a result.
