WHY ARTISANAL MICROS RATHER THAN INDUSTRIAL?

A guitar pickup works by wrapping a thin copper wire around magnets. The electrical resistance of this wire, measured in kilohms, partly determines the sound of the pickup. The higher the resistance, the higher the output level of the pickup and the bass is accentuated at the expense of the treble frequencies.

The difference between a home-made microphone and an industrial microphone is the way the coil is wound. Industrial microphones have turns that are aligned side by side, which decreases the bandwidth and increases noise. In contrast, home-made microphones have random winding of the turns, which promotes harmonics and produces a richer, warmer sound.

Hand-wound pickups are prized for their responsiveness and unique tone, much like tube amps that generate harmonics that are pleasing to the human ear. This sound quality is comparable to the effect of sugar in food, providing an enriching musical experience.

Technical review: Florian Plichet, electronics engineer