California Guitar Pickup Restoring And Modifying Expert Dan Torres Give You The Straight Goods And Golden Nuggets Of Info To Keep Your Pickups Hummin' Along

Dan Torres Guitar Pickup Mod and Restoring: Interview

By Mark Grove

Co-author: Dee Curtis

Article 02/29/04 Catalog Back desired by readers

When you hear the name Dan Torres and pick-up in the music industry, the ears tend to benefit or pick-up is a joke it.I know is bad. And officials like Seymour Duncan pick-and Di Marzio tend to take note. Introduction of this section and information about Dan Torres amp and pickup Master of California, is by Canadian Guitar Player Music Consultant Dee Curtis.
The first time I heard of Dan Torres was when I was in Los Angeles in the 80s with a group of musicians, who spoke of Dan Torres, who was and is a guitar guru moding, modding their amps and guitars for them.

These guys took the time to contact Dan by an ad in (Guitar Player) when the electronic control was rabies in the world of music. So I sent for some info on your guitar and hop How to make mods to your amp, through its free brochures and ended up with reprints of its articles that were (Vintage Guitar).

I had a bit of how electronic moment which been helpful, but anything with a tube amp. But through some articles that I started tinkering with the capacitors and resistors in amp head along with changing tubes, to reshape the sound coming from the cabin. I found myself with a switch midrange tone control on every guitar I had at the time. Currently, I am not using them and I miss them.Dan is a leading expert on amp and guitar and modified many great musicians use.

Very recently, I contacted my Dan (Sovtek Midget Combo Amp) and asked him what he recommended because the tubes Sovtek sounded a bit dark for me. I had some feedback about it and Sovtek made mods, but it was still sounding too dark.

I like the amp, but I wanted more brightness and cleaner tones. Dan suggested I try (6L6 GC tubes) that will give me more clear at the top end and less midrange and dark tones. I have on order now and I know it will sound beautiful.

Now, anyone who is a guitar player or bass, I implore you to get Dan Torres book (inside the tube amps), which is literally the Bible on tube amps, and it is in simple terms that everyone can understand how - mod their amp or guitar.

Mark Grove We started this with an intro on how Dee Curtis was first introduced to the amp and the master pickup is Dan Torres but we will end this section, where we first wanted to go, and talk about Dan Torres take on the restoration of pickups and the fact that was one of the first technicians to rewind pickups for musicians in California. Dan also has a line of single-coil pickups and custom made, and the new conscripts (Torres P90) and custom Humbuckers - as well as medium and light trucks SRV blues.

This man is the master of control tone pickup and other gurus like Bill Turner (founder of the EMG and current resident expert pickup for Fender. In this interview with Dan Torres We start in restoring and collecting vintage microphones how to keep just "hummin 'along.

www.torresengineering.com This is an uber cool website for players.

I know another bad line. Dan is also known for his guitar amp and construction kits are popular for the more skilled musician. This is an interview that you want to archive your e-mail or a website, so be prepared to be surprised by fellow musicians Dan Torres. Canadian Guitar Player Dan Torres talks about the complexities of collecting and restoring time to introduce this old heap.

MG: At what point is a pick-up Regular or vintage indeed outlived its usefulness and mechanically it's wise?

DT: Actually, since the beginning of sensors magnetic, almost none of them have actually spent. Even the best microphones, unless they are damaged, are still valid functional wise and mechanically.

MG: What is the most common form of wear collection which must be addressed when restoring a pick-up?

DT: The most common concern is the wear of the user. damage Pick up the truck was doing shots with screwdrivers, screws and results stripped of ill-treatment. Magnets and materials can rust a bit of an instrument that is allowed to be wet. Rust can push magnets out of contact with the pole pieces, causing the van to stop working correctly.

MG: Is re-magnetize a large collection of original and regain the support solid traction?

DT: It a very sensitive issue that the objective of tonal character of our most popular guitars (and trucks) is based on these instruments is the old when they were used / stored. That - among them - not to seek a Gibson Les Paul 1959 with patents applied Hum-bucking pickups playing "How High the Moon" (a Les Paul hit the 50s) they try to play "Sunshine of Your Love" (Clapton "or" One Way Out "(Allman Bros.)

The guitars are the most valuable were in their "second life" as instruments collected by the young musicians of the mid-60s, pawnshops, etc. very cheap, used, good guitar sound. Therefore, the force magnetic origin - which is the magnetic force when this particular guitar was built in 1959, is not the desired effect ". Level desired guitar sound "old" course in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and today.

A lot of effort have been degaussing magnets or find old ones. Currently, my collection of original Gibson patent applied magnets sell for $ 150 + per magnet I will not hold if one of them. (Only about six left.)

MG: Is the magnetic field weakens over time yet to produce soft sounds and fatter?

DT: This is easy, yes. But the magnetic field has a long life. Even the oldest pick-up we see often as the "Charlie Christian" pickup available on the 1939 Gibson cobalt magnets have more flow is sufficient to date. Barney Kessel Jazz Great used bring in much-too-famous Gibson with Charlie Christian pickup.

These huge magnets are very old yet very strong and the best pick-up (he had several) was very high impedance, 10,000 ohms. The pickups seemed absolutely wonderful, magical musical instrument. A lot of experimentation has been made in the 80s by the manufacturers of many pick-ups, with stronger magnets or exotic.

But the point of diminishing returns has been reached instantly. Stronger magnets can produce a stronger pickup with more output, but the traction caused excess depreciation, which pulls the strings field so that the pickup must be placed fairly average below the thin ropes, offsetting much of the improvement. The alien did not ring magnets not as good as alnico wider range of flows or ceramic magnets.

MG: Have hum-bucking or bring down a single coil over quickly and why?

DT: A difficult question. Single coils, such as pick-up more often die early, but most often because of damage. It is not difficult at all to wear the top of a pickup cover and early destruction of the coil. type P-90 single-use magnet coils hum-bucking (2) and have a spiral of plastic, so we have a cross on the structure of picking between the buzz-saw and P-90.

The cylindrical magnets Start and Telecaster pickups have a lot of flux and last time so many lives if they are not damaged. The first guitars still sound spectacular. Jerry Garcia replaced the DiMarzio Hum-bucking pickups often saying they had used, but these pickups have been moving here in the Bay San Francisco, and do not seem to have lost anything noticeable. But musical perception is much, much more sensitive, any instrument.

Do not hear any new, it is impossible to hear what Jerry has heard. By their nature, single coils can wear more quickly than the magnets are more submitted to the assassin a magnet, a shock of being hit by renewed, ropes, etc.

MG: With your handling of certain microphones best players today, they think twice before casting their singles or hums, or even go to another company for restoration?

DT: I usually encourage professionals and enthusiasts consider keeping vintage microphones in place if they are for your type they want. I find that the guitar feels good, but not ringing, hand injury or new pickups from ourselves and / or all other manufacturers can be selected with the appropriate knobs, tone controls, etc.

To refine the guitar to do exactly what you want without cutting a fine vintage guitar, many advantages are the choice of new guitars, or a fine quality imports (Ibanez, Aria, Cort, etc.) to they can make as many changes as they wish and have several guitars on the same hand without the high cost of super vintage instruments. Restorations are done if microphones were severely damaged, dead or partially dead or in some cases - when they just look shabby, ugly.

Rust can be removed and / or new pole piece screws and studs capable Hum buckers, the delicate work of steel wool can clean strategy - TV magnets. Most restorations are dead vintage (pick-up value) bring them back to life without losing their own music.
Broken coils are the main problem by far. With a very good eye, a steady hand, and knowing exactly what to look for the broken coil wire can be located and replaced without losing more than one or two ohms of a pick-up 5000 ohms.

The hardest part of this process can be found the broken wire. It is the treatment of it after finding it. Usually, you only have one chance. The wire is covered with insulation which must be removed before re-welding it. Since the wire is thinner than a hair, and in some cases, we work with just 1 / 16 to 1 / 8 wire. It is a tricky task.

MG: What is the most common type of truck that is replaced?

TD: It is currently running about 55% start - kind of TV and 45% hum-buckers, but she moves very well understood by guitars used in popular current television, concerts and other media.

MG: Are Pickups to restore the thing for the most part what you should give the makers of guitar or restoration specialists parts?

DT: If the sensor has a high value, yes, ask someone with experience. One eye, good practice, and knowing what to look for can save $ 200.00 a patent application that could be destroyed by an experiment (or unstable) hand to try to repair a broken coil wire. attention to detail will pick up to life as it should.

MG: When restoring a pick-up coils are single or hum-buckers easier to restore?

DT: Single coils are generally easier - they are simple, everything is open air and easy to see, there are no layers of tape secular to take off, (a real difficulty with old hum-bucking pickups.) But - "funky coils" single. Harmony, Silvertone, Danelectro, Kay etc. are very difficult to restore because they are often made on a budget.
Cardboard forms coil, glue and masking tape are used in the assembly difficult to dig through. Some of those old cheap guitars do not even have the forms of the coil. Just a wire coil and magnet. There is often difficult to say what it should be first!

MG: Are there any special means of potting, re-magnetization or rewind a pick-up is actually to improve and maintain the tone regarding traction?

DT: I would not say "special means" where application of the technique is very good in all these technologies. Potting soil or in wax (or paint) must be at the right temperature so the wax absorbs all the coil, but not so hot, it melts a coil Tricky re-pot. But once you have a right, it is easy to repeat.
This will prevent microphonics, allowing the collection to perform at a level much higher volume, no cry. Re-magnetizing may improve or restore the tone of a magnet damaged. The shock can demagnetize the magnets sufficiently so as not to produce a signal. In this case, the re-magnetization is back to life.
Often more powerful magnets, such as Alnico 5 are demagnetized or redone to bring down an "old" level, reduce power train and get the effect we intend to vintage guitars.
A fairly efficient process that may increase support given a van. But with our new stock Alnico 2 magnets, it is often easier to simply install a downward flow Alnico 2 magnet in place a Alnico 5 magnetic pull down more gently. Pickup liquidation is another story. Most "classical" guitars made in the years 50 had hand-wound pickups to some extent.
In a conversation with Doc Kauffman, Leo Fender original partner, he told me it was some time before he and Leo thought "maybe we should measure these microphones?
In a pickup to get a good sound liquidation Vintage scatter "wound" technique works best.The wire is not provided absolutely perfect, but somewhat random, filling the coil the eye as it spins. This gives the pickup more harmonic tone - not so perfect is often more musical. Hum-bucking pickups, to have two coils are essentially asymmetrical in the original Gibson design. Each reel has a load of different iron, so a different impedance. If the coils are also not exactly the same, there is an effect of, again, less perfection and more harmonic quality due to the slightly different tones of each coil.

In addition, the distance between the two coils receive the signal from a guitar string at different locations (called phase cancellation) gives the hum-bucking pickup its distinctiveness. These factors can be manipulated to vary the tone of the pickup extreme levels.
DiMarzio is well qualified to develop sound more and more news from such techniques, (and well others.) Observation dozens of actual patent application Gibson Humbuckers, show reels that are "close enough", but not exactly when read with Digital Vom meters, which were not available when they were made.
MG: When wiring a pickup are all techniques used to give your guitar a tone depending on the type of music you play?

DT: One of our specialties. In addition to all the variations of pick-up, we have discussed, we have introduced the concept of variation of potentiometers to increase or decrease the load on the pickup, change significantly the frequency response, gain and tone.
We also do a series of checks passive medium that can be applied to any guitar to give the musician even further range of shades of the same "old" pick-up. We can begin with new pickups or custom and to further optimize for their use, or work with existing microphones by varying the volume controls, tone and wiring harness.

MG: Do higher prices vintage microphones make it more attractive to restore the originals?
DT: Certainly, and my clients, friends are always on the lookout for the guitar that "does not work. "Restoration has often cheap and we have approximately 90% success on pickups dead. The balance shall be rewound. Very few are eliminated, perhaps 2 per year from hundreds. Find a pick-up dead and have restored or even rewound is certainly the cheapest way to get "" Good.

Dan Torres


To contact Dan Torres guitar amp or mic mods:
www.torresengineering.com
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About the Author
Mark Grove,music industry writer from Canada.I write how to material
for musicians on guitar and gear tips,music business and artist
profiles.

We also offer an article writing service for musicians called:
The Musicians Instant Press Kit.

Our site is called:Canadian Guitar Player.com


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