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Schematics and Frequently Asked Questions


Mojotone Humbucker Color Code
Mojotone CTS Push / Pull Pot Wiring Diagram

Bass


ES-335


Les Paul


SG


Stratocaster


Telecaster



Frequently Asked Questions


Do covers affect the tone of a pickup?

  • The type of metal cover you choose can have a significant affect on the sound of your pickup. Generally metal covers will knock some of the highs off, making the pickup sound warmer or darker, while plastic covers will have no effect at all. It is generally found that the most magnetically transparent metal cover available is high quality nickel silver. All of the metal covers available at Mojotone are made from pure nickel silver, with the only exception being the plating. The cover itself is nickel silver but the plating is ferromagnetic and will have a slight affect, as it acts as a very thin magnetic shield.

How do I adjust guitar pickup height?

  • Pickup height is a personal preference, however there are reasons for making certain adjustments. Below are standard measurements we use on a daily basis when setting up guitars. All are our own personal preference, so please feel encouraged to experiment...
    All measurements are in 32nd's and 64th's of an inch and are taken from the top of the pickup pole and the bottom of the string (while pressing the string down against the last fret). The bass side represents the low E string and the treble side represents the high E string on a standard 6 string guitar. It would be the low E and high G for a standard 4 string bass.

    Telecaster/Stratocaster/Jazzmaster/Jaguar/Mustang/Jazz Bass/P-Bass single coil pickups:
    • Neck pickup: 4/32" treble and 5/32" bass side
    • Bridge pickup: 4/32" treble and bass side
    • TIP: Be careful with Strats especially, the pickups set too close can pull the strings and create a multitude of problems (3 pickups = 3 magnets on one string!)
    Humbucker/P-90 adjustable polepiece pickups:
    • Neck pickup: 5/64" treble side and 3/32" bass side
    • Bridge pickup: 2/32" treble and bass side
    • TIP: With adjustable poles, you can stagger them for the strings. Be careful setting the pickups too close for drop tunings and super heavy strings
    Keep in mind these are "general" specs, however they should yield excellent results and will act as a great starting point.

I have questions about your Quiet Coil Strat Pickups...

  • What is the difference between the ‘58 and ‘67 Quiet Coils?
    There is a significant tonal difference between the 67's and 58's. Just like the original 1958 and 1967 strat pickups, the materials, number of turns, winding patterns, etc all changed, which is why there is a tonal difference between the two. The 58's tend to sound brighter with more upper midrange presence, which gives them a more open and woody sounding tone, compared to the 67's which are more scooped on the mids and tend to have more quack and overall glassier highs. Think SRV or Clapton Brownie strat tones with the 58's, and think Hendrix or Gilmour strat tones with the 67's.
  • I see you recommend 500k pots for the Quiet Coils, but can I use 250k pots instead?
    The Quiet Coils are designed to work with 500k pots because they utilize 2 coils and 2 magnets per string rather than 1 coil and 1 magnet per string like a single coil. That being said, you have to double the resistance of the pot to 500k to match the impedance for a true single coil tone. We also sell prewired assemblies and prewired pickguards specifically for the Quiet Coils which are equipped with 500k pots. The prewired pickguards are also completely solderless so you don’t need to worry about solder skills or professional installation.
  • None of the other hum-cancelling strat pickups seem to fit my guitar because they are too tall. Will your Mojotone Quiet Coils fit my reissue strat with the vintage pickup routs?
    The Quiet Coil strat pickups are only about 1/16’’ taller than standard vintage strat pickups because of the shielding plate on the back of the pickup. That being said, as long as you lay the lead wires flat and side by side across the back of the pickups, without twisting or stacking the wires over top of one another, they will fit the shallow vintage routs just fine. We installed them into a ‘57 reissue here with no issues.
  • Why do I hear noise, especially when I remove my hands from the strings?
    With any hum-cancelling pickups, if you hear noise or buzz, especially when you take your hands off of the strings, it is most likely not the fault of the pickups but quite possibly the lack of shielding in your guitar. The Quiet Coil pickups are designed to be “hum-cancelling” against single coil 60 cycle hum, but they are not shielded against RF or EMI noise. The reason we do not shield the pickups or wires themselves is because it adds capacitance directly to the circuit and changes the tone. It is recommended to completely shield the pickguard and control cavities, and connect the shielding to ground along with the ground wires from the tremolo/bridge and input jack. Shielding helps block out unwanted RF/EMI noise for the most quiet performance possible.
  • Can I get them made left handed?
    Yes we can reverse the faux polepiece stagger for the look of left handed orientation by request. But the pickups themselves do not need to be made specifically for left handed guitars. See polepiece FAQ below.
  • Can I get the polepieces flat or change the stagger?
    The short answer is no. The Quiet Coil polepieces do not serve any purpose other than looks. We carefully considered players who don’t like the feel of magnets under their hand by beveling the tops and keeping them lower or flush to the cover. The actual Alnico magnets are hidden below the cover and the magnetic field is solid across all of the strings so there is no need to stagger the magnets or worry about string spacing. They can also be installed for left or right handed guitars because the actual magnets themselves are not specifically oriented for left or right handed guitars.
  • Can I swap pickup covers?
    The Quiet Coil covers are custom fit for this design and cannot be removed. Attempting to remove them can result in damage that would void the warranty.
  • Can I coil tap them?
    No we do not build the Quiet Coils with 4-conductor wire. These are designed to be like vintage strat pickups with 1 lead for ground and 1 lead for hot. There is really no reason to coil tap them anyway considering they already sound exactly like single coils. Coil tapping them would just make them sound thin and weak.
  • Do I need a treble bleed capacitor?
    Yes we recommend using a 470pf - 500pf treble bleed cap in between the input and output of the volume pot. This will keep your treble clear when rolling the volume back so the pickups don't get muddy sounding. See our wiring diagram.
  • What are the recommended pickup heights?
    We recommend starting at 3/32’’ on the treble side and 4/32’’ on the bass side. All measurements are taken while pressing the string against the last fret and measuring from the top of the polepiece to the bottom of the string. You can adjust the Quiet Coils closer without magnet pull on the strings so there is more room to adjust the pickups to your own personal preference.
  • Can I get them custom wound to my spec and change the magnet type?
    At this time we are not offering custom versions of the Quiet Coil pickups. We put years of research and development into the current models and we believe they represent the best possible sound you can achieve from their current specs.

Mojotone Pickup Warranty and Exchange

  • Limited 1-Year Warranty
    Unsurpassed customer service and premium quality is hard to find, which is why we stand behind our pickups with a limited 1-year warranty. If your pickup stops working under normal conditions, we will repair it or replace free of charge minus postage, to the original purchaser.
  • Exchange Policy
    It is our mission to get the tone you are after, so we offer a 30-day exchange period (within 30 days from original delivery) for any of our standard pickup models. You are responsible for any greater difference in price, and all shipping costs to and from Mojotone. The installed pickups being exchanged must be in "like new" condition with full leads intact. Custom and OEM pickups, prewired pickguards and harnesses are not eligible for exchange.
  • Refund Policy
    Given the small and custom nature of our business, we do not offer refunds for pickups or prewired assemblies. We can however offer refunds (within 30 days from original delivery) for any unopened, never installed products that are returned in the same brand new condition and original packaging they were shipped in. Once they have been opened, handled, or installed, no refunds can be granted.
  • Warranty Guidelines and Exclusions
    The warranty does not apply to OEM manufacturers who install our pickups as original equipment. The warranty will be voided for any installation mishaps, misuse and abuse of any kind, modifications (such as removing or replacing covers, removing tape, cutting leads, etc) or any acts of nature such as moisture or heat damage. The warranty also does not cover cosmetic wear and tear such as rust and pitting of the metal parts, or worn and oxidized plating of covers and screws.
  • To obtain warranty or exchange service, you must be the original purchaser and follow these steps.
    Contact our sales department for an RMA number.
    -Call toll free 1-800-927-6656 or email [email protected]
    - You must include your proof of purchase.
    - Send pickup(s) to the following address below.

    Mojotone
    Attn: Pickup Dept.
    137 Worth Beverage Dr.
    Burgaw NC, 28425

What is F Spacing? Do I need 50mm, 53mm, or 49.2mm?

  • F-spacing refers to a wider string spacing at the bridge. This would be used for any Fender style guitar to provide for proper pole alignment underneath the strings. A typical F-spaced set would be 52mm or 53mm at the bridge and 50mm at the neck. If you do choose to use the 53mm, your ohm reading will increase but apparent output will not. The number of turns is the crucial factor and they do not change to compensate for the increased ohm reading.

What is RWRP (reverse winding reverse polarity)?

  • The RWRP designation in a single coil prevents hum when both pickups are engaged. Each pickup is a mirror image of the other with the electrical and magnetic polarities being opposite. This does not prevent hum when only one pickup is being used.

What is the right magnet and output for me?

  • Understanding some basic characteristics of guitar pickup components, such as magnet types and DC resistance, may help one narrow their search within the wide variety of pickups available. There are many other aspects that can help determine a pickup's overall sound, but the following information should help in making an informed decision.
  • Magnet Types
  • Alnico 2
    Warmer sounding with less magnetic pull to allow the strings to vibrate more freely. A good choice for warming up a bright or harsh sounding amp and guitar. Overall the Alnico 2 is warm, with clear mids, spongier bass, and a softer attack. Many players use the Alnico 2's to better achieve the vintage tone heard in many pickups from the 50's era.
  • Alnico 3
    Considered to be brighter than Alnico 2 with the least magnetic pull to allow the strings to vibrate more freely. A good choice for clean tones and lots of articulation. Overall the Alnico 3 is bright, with clear mids, warm bass, and a softer attack.
  • Alnico 4
    This magnet is best described to have the characteristics of both Alnico 2 and Alnico 5. Kind of a happy medium.
  • Alnico 5
    Bright sounding with more focus and enhanced dynamics. A good choice for adding a brighter punch to a warm or dull sounding amp or guitar. Overall the Alnico 5 is bright and punchy, with glassy highs, tight bass, and more attack. Alnico 5 magnets are the most commonly used magnets in guitar pickups today.
  • Ceramic
    Considered to be the most aggressive sounding magnet. A good choice for adding bright punch and output to a warm or dull sounding amp or guitar. Overall the ceramic magnets are bright, with clear upper midrange, compressed highs, very harmonic, tighter bass, and aggressive attack. Ceramic magnets are most commonly associated with higher output or higher DC resistance pickups.
  • Notes on output
    For the most part (not always), DC resistance can give you a basic idea about the overall output and response a pickup will give you. Generally the more winds you put on a coil, the higher the DC resistance. Increasing the DC resistance with the number of winds will increase output, but will also increase lows and mids while reducing the amount of highs. This can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. Don't become too focused on the reading as it is only one part of the equation. These readings can fluctuate due to temperature, wire diameter variations, and other factors. Don't assume that a "lower output" will have less because of it's reading. You must compare the same type of pickup for this to work. In other words, don't think a 7.7k strat and 7.7k humbucker will be equal. The coil length, shape, and wire size will all play a part in the final result.

Why choose Mojotone pickups?



Passion, experience and some really good ears...
Much more goes into making our pickups than just magnets and wire. Our focus is making extremely high quality pickups that not only sound absolutely amazing, but are designed and built with unsurpassed attention to detail and quality. We do this by spending obsessive amounts of time with our products, whether it's endlessly designing prototypes to get the sound "just right", or making sure that each pickup is built consistently from one to the next. It's about passion combined with experience and some really good ears when it comes to making Mojotone pickups sound so good.

It's all about the details and materials...
Absolutely no details, costs, or corners are cut with our pickups. Not only do we design amazing new pickups, we also recreate authentic clones of original vintage pickup designs. Most pickup makers just build them to sound like a vintage pickup, but they don't use vintage correct parts or manufacturing methods. Sure, these small details may not have much effect in regards to actual sound, but they have everything to do with being authentic and vintage correct, which we think is exactly the point. If the original pickup was handwound, we handwind it too. If the original vintage pickup used nickel silver alloy, or butyrate plastic bobbins, we made sure ours did too. We build everything with extreme attention to detail, with no sloppy or inconsistent pickups. We aren't building rockets, but we sure build pickups to that same level of detail that speak for themselves once you lay eyes and ears on them.

When in doubt just listen...
Mojotone pickup winders always have a keen sense of ability to not only listen to the pickups themselves but also to what the guitar player wants. This plays a major role in how well our pickups exceed expectations. Just copying other pickups or relying on our meters and graphs to determine the sound doesn't make great sounding pickups. Using our ears and listening for what the player wants (or doesn't want) and knowing exactly how to achieve it consistently is what helps us create great sounding pickups. Not only do Mojotone pickups ooze with good tone, we believe that if you If you listen close enough you can hear the passion, research and all of the hard work that goes into each and every one. Otherwise we wouldn't even consider offering them to the world!