Welcome to BOLT ELECTRIC pickups — your source for handwound and custom electric guitar pickups. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, we scatterwind each model by hand and assemble using the highest-quality components.

Taking the best elements from vintage examples and combining them with select 'modern' sensibilities, BOLT ELECTRIC pickups are a unique blend of old and new, designed to cover a wide variety of playing styles and genres.

Because each pickup is wound by hand, the DC resistance can vary slightly, as vintage pickups often did. The recommended target resistance, specs and options for each pickup model are personal preferences; for those interested in a custom output, please see the Policies section.

Before placing an order, feel free to email with any questions. Our custom options help produce a pickup tailored to your individual sound, and we can steer you in the right direction if you're unsure which options are right for you and your guitar.

If you're located in or around the Knoxville area, BOLT ELECTRIC also does repair and servicing on amplifiers, guitars and pedals. Please email for more information.

SOUNDCLIPS:
I welcome customer soundclips and are in the process of compiling a playlist showcasing the most popular models. For now, check out some of these great BOLT ELECTRIC users and their bands: 10 Years (Ryan "Tater" Johnson), Adelita's Way (Keith Wallen), The American Plague (James Alexander, Ryan "Tater" Johnson), Luminoth (Jason Henry), Dead Language (Matt Wantland), Oh No Fiasco! (Seth Rowlette), Spencer McCoy, Badger Cannon (Drew Fulton), AfterLife (Adrian Thompson).

Inspired by the best vintage examples, BOLT ELECTRIC's vintage-spec'd pickups produce a honk, clarity and drive that recalls the golden days of pickup manufacturing: when wire, magnets and inventive minds came together to create a perfect storm. Vintage-style raw, chrome or nickel-silver covers are available for $10 each; gold covers are available for $15 each.

Vintage Standard
Wonderful midrange and harmonics, very responsive to volume and tone controls with pronounced mids and a wonderful grind. The PAF vibe is the soul of this wind. 42g plain-enamel wire, rough-cast long bar magnet and wooden spacer. AlNiCo II bridge, III neck 8.1k bridge. 7.6k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Vintage Plus
Thick mids and all of the syrupy goodness you can expect from the Vintage Standard, plus a bit more of everything. Rough-cast AlNiCo V long magnets for that extra-vintage vibe and push. AlNiCo V magnets 9k bridge, 8k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Vintage Low Wind
With rich, low-wound PAF tones, this pickup excels in clarity and harmonics. Don't let the lower DC resistance fool you — this wind has a rich "squish" to it when you dig in, and can really bring a tube amp tolife. AlNiCo II magnets 7.7k bridge, 7.2k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Vintage SELECT BOLT ELECTRIC's most accurate PAF-style pickup — the Vintage SELECT features rough-cast AliNiCo long magnets, vintage-correct screws and slugs, maple spacers, 42g plain-enamel wire on true butyrate bobbins, push-back braided lead, authentic repro (silkscreened) "Patent Applied For" waterslide decal. Lightly aged to perfection. Choice of II, III, IV, V, or unoriented V AlNiCo magnets 8k bridge, 7.6k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $140 Nickel-Silver $150 Raw Nickel $150 Chrome $155 Gold $155	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor
Magnet AlNiCo II AlNiCo III AlNiCo IV AlNiCo V AlNiCo V (unoriented)

T-Topper
Our take on the greatly under-appreciated T-Top humbucker from the mid 60s, right down to the evenly-matched poly coils and short, rough-cast A5 magnet. In the bridge, these have a nice bite and lots of clarity in all positions. They clean up well with your volume knob and have a great interaction with ODs and fuzz pedals. Short AlNiCo V magnets 7.5k bridge, 7.5k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Higher Voltage
A hot twist on the T-Topper, this rippin' wind will take overdriven blues and rock to the next level. Perfect for tight riffing and bluesy leads — 42g poly wire paired with a short A5 mag. Get on the highway to tone and ride on! Short AlNiCo V magnets 7.9k bridge, 7.4k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Diamond Dog
Based on the PAT # humbuckers of the mid 60s, these 'buckers channel the sound of 70s glam with a stellar mid and treble response to cut through the mix. Slightly mismatched coils, correct wire and AlNiCO mags. Optional 'jewel' inlay in the wire view hole of each bobbin to give your axe some added flare under the stage lights. Short AlNiCo V magnets 7.7k bridge, 7.4k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor
Jewel Yes No

Vintage Semi-Hollow With a clear, complex tone, this wind was developed for semi-hollows. Slightly underwound for a smooth response and bright enough to retain note definition that can sometimes be lost in these wonderful guitars. AlNiCo V bridge, II neck 7.7k bridge, 7.2k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Rock Semi-Hollow
A hotter-wound vintage flavor perfected for semi-hollows, this pickup is great for everything from raucous blues, hard rock, punk or indie rock. Great compression and distortion, but bright enough to retain note definition that can often be lost in these wonderful guitars. AlNiCo V bridge, II neck 8.3k bridge, 7.8k neck
Price (cover options) No cover $100 Nickel-Silver $110 Raw Nickel $110 Chrome $115 Gold $115	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Lowland Devil Humbucker Set
Smokey, full-moon blues sounds that you'd hear seeping up from between the cracks of an old wooden floorboard. Luckily, you don't have to sell your soul to get this tone — wound with a mix of wire guages for a nice twang and unique bite, just in case that hellhound's on your trail tonight. Includes a baggie of graveyard dirt. AlNiCo V bridge and neck 7.77k bridge, 6.66k neck
Price (cover options) Uncovered $200.00 Nickel-Silver $220.00 Raw Nickel $220.00 Chrome $230.00 Gold $230.00	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor vintage braid 4-conductor

Neckbreaker Humbucker Set
For those who like to break bad on some blues and lead with the neck, so to speak, here's a set that's just right — a thick-sounding neck humbucker wound to 8.1k paired with a hand-picked AlNiCo V magnet. The bridge compliment is an underwound PAF-flavor, wound to 7.4k with an AlNiCo IV magnet. AlNiCo V bridge, IV neck 8.1k bridge, 7.4k neck
Price (cover options) Uncovered $200.00 Nickel-Silver $220.00 Raw Nickel $220.00 Chrome $230.00 Gold $230.00	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor vintage braid 4-conductor

The BOLT ELECTRIC Modern line is a selection of passive humbuckers designed for players in the metal, thrash and doom genres. Thick, meaty and sped'd to liquefy an audience, they're also surprisingly articulate and respond well to volume and tone knob changes. Wax potting is mandatory... but then again, there are no rules.

Lovecraft
Delivering the dark and modern sounds of the underground, this vintage-meets-modern pickup has enough throaty grind to it to slay an entire auditorium. Flash potted for zero squeal while still retaining a complex harmonic character. Chrome, raw or nickel-silver covers available for $10 each. AlNiCo 8 long bar 14k
Price (cover options) No cover $110 Nickel-Silver $120 Raw Nickel $120 Chrome $125 Gold $125	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Cthulhu
A Ceramic-magnet version of the popular Lovecraft with a tweaked wind for even more heat. Rafter-shaking in a downtuned axe, the Cthulhu sports the killer highs, tight lows and scooped mids that are the hallmark of many modern heavy recordings. Available with un-punched raw nickel covers for $15 each. Ceramic long bar 15k
Price (cover options) No cover $110 Un-punched Nickel $125	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Tentacle S3x Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Available with un-punched raw nickel covers for $15 each. Ceramic 8 long bar 16.5k
Price (cover options) No cover $110 Un-punched Nickel $125	Position Bridge Neck	Bobbins Black Zebra Other	Wiring 2-conductor 4-conductor

Like the best vintage examples, BOLT P90s are touch-sensitive, articulate and slightly microphonic. If you're playing with higher gain, you may consider having your P90 potted (no additional charge). P90s are available as 'dogear' or 'sopabar' with black or white plastic covers. Please specify type and color when ordering.

Vintage Standard
Shimmering cleans to throaty means with a twist of the volume knob. Outfitted with vintage-spec wire and rough-cast AlNiCo long magnets, these are the perfect replacement for your vintage Junior, Special or 330, or a killer upgrade to your reissue or modern P90-equipped guitar. AlNiCo V (more bite) or III (less bite) 8k bridge, 7.5k neck Price: $95
AlNiCo magnet III (more vintage) V (more bite)	Type Dogear Soapbar	Cover Black Cream

Raw Power
This dog packs a mean bite! AlNiCo V mags deliver all the top end snarl and articulation for a vintage-meets-modern vibe. Flash wax-potting is optional (recommended for high-gainers). AlNiCo V 8.7k bridge, 8k neck Price: $95
Type Dogear Soapbar	Cover Black Cream

Boring old Tele pickups? Not here! Sweet highs, clarity and a swirling harmonic content tip a hat to some of the most famous guitar sounds around. Wax potted and charged south up — please include a note with your order if you need a different orientation

BOLTcaster Vintage Standard
Tradition, continued. Finger-pickin' good, with just enough wind to heat things up when you need to work that amp. Pedals love it, too. AlNiCo II, III or V flat pole (raised G version also available) 6.6k
Type AlNiCo II $100 AlNiCo III $100 AlNiCo V $100	Raised G No Yes	Coil String White Vintage dark

BOLTcaster Vintage Standard Combo
For those who want a slightly different flavor, this pickup has a nice single-coil twang with rich midrange and the meat of a P90 on tap. Great for rhythm work, the 5/2 magnet combination (AlNiCo 5 on the low strings, 2 on the high strings) gives you a taste of both worlds. Lacquered assembly with flat-pole rod mags, wax-potted with vintage-style cloth-covered lead wire. AlNiCo V / II flat pole combo 7.7k Price: $100
Coil String White Vintage dark	Raised G No Yes

BOLTcaster Rock Bridge No ice pick here — wound with the spirit of the 50s in mind, this hot, syrupy wind is perfect for those who want to retain the articulation of a single coil but have compression and heat similar to an over-wound humbucker. This meaty pickup is perfectly at home driving a vintage Tweed or a wall of Plexi stacks! For those after a modern sound in a traditional package, this pickup will push an amp to overdrive very quickly while still retaining that famous clarity. AlNiCo III flat pole 11k Price: $110
Coil String White Vintage dark

The Micawber Set
Specifically designed for Teles routed for a humbucker in the neck position, this set pairs a sizzling BOLTcaster Rock Bridge with a 7.6k Vintage Standard neck humbucker, housed in an unpolished nickel-silver cover. All the dirty rhythm & blues you can use, sho 'nuff! If you're 21+, I'll include a mini-bottle of rum with this set. BOLTcaster Rock Bridge + Vintage Standard neck humbucker AlNiCo III bridge, II neck 11k bridge, 7.6k neck
Price (humbucker cover options) with humbucker uncovered $210 Nickel-Silver cover $220 Raw Nickel covered $220 Chrome cover $225 Gold cover $225	Wiring (humbucker) 2-conductor 4-conductor
Bobbin Color (humbucker) Black Zebra Other	Coil String (Tele) White Vintage dark

Vintage or modern, BOLT ELECTRIC can rewind, modify or repair a dead pickup to spec, replace broken baseplates or magnets, extend or replace lead wires, repair shorts, etc in your existing pickup. Common humbucker modifications include replacing a stock 2-conductor lead with a 4-conductor lead for coil tapping / phase reversal, etc., swapping the stock magnet for a different grade or AlNiCo or Ceramic bar, flipping the stock magnet to reverse polarity in the middle position, wax potting to prevent feedback, and much more. Basic repairs are typically turned around with 24 hours.

Rewinds are a great way to get custom-wound tone from a stock pickup, but keep in mind, some pickups cannot be rewound or repaired because of their manufacturing process (glues, lacquer, heavy potting, etc). The coils are just part of the total equation in a good-sounding pickup, and if the rest of the parts are lacking, tone can still suffer. Send an email with the type of pickup you have and we can discuss repair or rewind options. Wax potting is available on customer-supplied pickups for $10 each.

Rewinds starting at $50 per pickup

Repairs starting at $25 (full quote will be given once the job is evaluated)

BOLT ELECTRIC also offers repair and servicing for tube amplifiers, pedals and guitars for those in the Knoxville area. For amps this includes recap, retube / bias, cleaning of pots and jacks, troubleshooting, modification reversal, upgrading to a grounded cord and much more. Guitar work includes setups, minor repairs, fret level / crown / polish, electronic installation, etc. Please email for more information and pricing.

 

Magnet Swap / Upgrade Replacing the stock magnet from your humbucker with a BOLT ELECTRIC magnet can make a significant difference in tone and response and is a cost-effective way to experiment with tones while not having to buy new pickups. If you don't feel comfortable doing the magnet swap yourself, BOLT ELECTRIC is happy to do the work free of charge when you purchase a magnet — just ship your pickup and include return postage ($5.50). $10 per magnet
Type AlNiCo I AlNiCo II AlNiCo III AlNiCo IV AlNiCo V long bar AlNiCo V short bar AlNiCo V unoriented AlNiCo VIII Ceramic 8

Looking for a different spec'd pickup than the ones listed above? Want to customize your tone? Many of the stock BOLT ELECTRIC models above can be customized. Options include:

• custom winding to your target spec (+$10 per pickup)
  
• coil wire insulation: plain enamel or poly
  
• magnet options: AlNiCo II, III, IV, V or unoriented V (2, 4 or 5), long bar; short-bar AlNiCo V; Ceramic 8
  
• magnet orientation: normal or flipped for out-of-phase middle tone (e.g., Peter Green)
  
• upgrade to butyrate bobbins on any humbucker model (+$10 per pickup)
  
• bobbin color (humbucker)
  
• potting: beeswax / paraffin mixture to reduce unwanted feedback for higher-gain applications
  
• lead wire (humbucker): vintage-style 2 conductor braided or 4-conductor for splitting
  
• flatwork color (Tele bridge): black or grey-bottom/CBS style
  
• baseplate (Tele bridge): copper- or zinc-plated
  
• humbucker covers

There are some considerations to keep in mind when contemplating a custom wind. As a very general rule, the lower the ohm rating (number of winds) of a pickup, the more high-end, clarity and perceived headroom. The higher the wind / ohm rating, the more mid presence and warmth with an earlier breakup, but at the sacrifice of some of the high end. Please note that in single coil pickups higher winds can increase susceptibility to outside interference (60-cycle hum caused by fluorescent lights, for instance).

PAYMENTS ACCEPTED:
PayPal (all major credit cards or bank account), USPS Money Order, cash

TURNAROUND TIMES & SHIPPING:
Single pickups and sets are typically turned around in one week or less. Larger orders may require more time and will be quoted per job. Shipping in the United States via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation. Please allow 3-4 days for delivery, depending on location. International shipping is also available, please inquire for current rates after checkout.

WHOLESALE PRICING:
Wholesale pricing on larger orders is available to Mom 'n Pop retail stores and luthiers fighting the good fight. Please email to discuss.

ARTIST ENDORSEMENTS:
Email for information

LIMITED WARRANTY:
Each BOLT ELECTRIC pickup has a full one-year warranty beginning at the time of purchase. During that period, if you believe a pickup is defective, you may return it for repair at no charge (repairs can typically be turned around in 24 hours). If the pickup is damaged from abuse or modifications such as cover removal, bobbin tape removal or magnet swapping, the warranty will be voided and normal repair fees will apply.

RETURN POLICY:
Since each BOLT ELECTRIC pickups are made to order, returns are not offered, and cancellations are not offered once an order has been started. However, if production on your order hasn't begun, you may switch your order to a different pickup model than what you initially chose (i.e., switching from Vintage Standard to Vintage Plus, etc.). This will need to be done via e-mail, and you'll receive an invoice or refund via PayPal if there's a price difference.

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