Guitar Pickup Building — 2-Day Hands-On Workshop

Unlock the art and science of electric guitar pickups in this immersive two-day, hands-on workshop hosted in the Rockin’ Replicas shop. Designed for beginners, guitarists, and curious builders alike, this class combines foundational theory, real-world techniques, and modern pickup-building tools so you can confidently build your own custom set of pickups to take home.

Over two full days, we’ll cover the complete pickup-building process from start to finish. You’ll learn how pickups work, why design choices matter, and how subtle variables — magnet type, coil wire, turns count, tension, and potting — directly shape tone, output, and feel. Instruction includes demonstrations, guided hands-on work, and plenty of time for questions and discussion.

This is not a lecture-only class. Participants actively wind, assemble, and finish pickups using the same equipment and techniques found in professional boutique shops. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with both practical skills and a deeper understanding of how to evaluate and design pickups for your own instruments.

Professional Pickup Winding Equipment

Students will gain hands-on experience using industry-leading pickup winding systems, including:

• Tonewinder 1.3 with Automatic Traverse Control (ATC) — offering precise, repeatable coil winding with programmable control over traverse patterns, tension, and consistency.

• Mojotone pickup winder upgraded with the Tonewinder Traverse system, providing fully automatic traverse functionality comparable to the Tonewinder platform.

Using both systems allows students to understand modern automated winding workflows while still learning the fundamentals behind traditional hand-guided techniques. We’ll discuss when automation improves consistency, when controlled variation is desirable, and how different winding approaches affect the final sound.

What You’ll Learn

• How electric guitar pickups actually work

• Differences between single-coil and humbucker designs

• Magnet types (Alnico, ceramic) and their tonal characteristics

• Coil wire, turns count, tension, and output

• Winding strategies: consistency vs controlled randomness

• Assembly, potting, and basic troubleshooting

• How to evaluate pickups by ear and by design intent

Build Your Own Pickups

Each participant will build a complete set of pickups during the workshop. These are yours to keep and install — not kits, but real, shop-built pickups made with professional materials and tools.

Who This Class Is For

• Guitar players exploring tone at a deeper level

• DIY builders and electronics hobbyists

• Luthiers and aspiring pickup winders

• Anyone who wants to build their own guitar pickups instead of buying off-the-shelf

No prior pickup-building experience is required.