Question on Benedetti pickup construction

[ikay]

Does anyone have any insight into the internal construction (winding spec and magnet type/configuration etc) of these glorious Benedetti single coils in my Vigier Excess? From the back they appear to be wide aperture SCs (much wider aperture than a jazz) set in a humbucker size case (I wonder why the HB size case?). Passing a screwdriver across the front of the pickup suggests 8 individual pole pieces (similar to a J) running down the centreline, but on the underside, the bridge pickup appears to have a narrow full length bar of some sort. The underside of the neck pickup looks quite different, I wonder what's going on there! I'm just curious. I love these pickups and would like to know more about how they're put together. Any input appreciated!

 

 

Edited January 20, 2025 by ikay

[Hellzero]

Benedetti have been using samarium cobalt magnets on sole higher end pickups, just like the ones made for Leduc.

 

Vigier models like the ones pictured are derived from the standard series and were wound like a P-90 or a Jazzmaster pickup.

 

There was quite a lot of information on the original website, but I think everything is gone now.

[Hellzero]

You'll find a lot of information through Wayback Machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20040606235231/http://n.mercadal.free.fr/html/english/start.htm

 

Edited January 21, 2025 by Hellzero
Bloody spelling

[ikay]

Thanks Hellzero, that's very helpful. I found some basic pickup spec on the 4C and a bit more descriptive info on an old Vigier Guitars website page. Interesting that they use Alnico 8 magnets. I'm still curious about the intricate sculpting on the underside of the neck pickup!

 

The Excess is equipped with twin single-coil pickups designed by Benedetti. Two Alnico magnets are fitted for each string. They have a wide frequency band that accurately reproduces low-end and high-end response. Only the finest materials are used ; Alnico 8 magnets for the poles and pure copper and silver alloy wire for the coils. To reduce microphonic feedback, the pickups are wax potted and bolted down with 4 adjustment screws.

 

Edited January 21, 2025 by ikay

[itu]

This is a picture of the magnets from my Passion II from 1989. As can be seen, here the polepieces are not visible, but magnets are.

[ikay]

That's an interesting pic - how does this magnetic imaging work itu?

[itu]

This is an EMG magnetic viewing film that I found from some music shop maybe two, three decades ago. I do not know whether they still sell it. Green thin film filled with oil and iron particles. You can buy similar stuff here:

https://e-magnetsuk.com/product-category/magnetic-measurement-tools/magnetic-viewing-film/?srsltid=AfmBOorfmS1KTjOfyFqR4muH4SaqQq50KoIPhFn1zOUjMcd29qqtPwtH

[ikay]

Aha! Thanks itu

[Hellzero]

In fact, these pickups are the same as the original ones with the visible magnets, only the casing is different. 😉

 

@itu I also still have this EMG magnetic viewing film that was kindly offered to me by Rob Turner himself when I said I was desperately trying to buy one during a Frankfurt Musik Messe way back in the late 80's. Great memories. 😊

[ikay]

I got hold of some magnetic viewing film and took a pic of the Benedetti (top) alongside a standard jazz pickup. The Benedetti has a somewhat fatter (and probably flatter) coil which bears out the P90 type construction. Interestingly the flux image looks like a single blade rather than 8 separate poles but I think that's because the Benedetti poles are a little bigger and set in one long evenly-spaced row (bottom pic).

 

 

Edited January 24, 2025 by ikay