[BluesJam]

I’ve read that pickup winding machines can be programmed to wind pickups uniform and scatter wound and everything in between.  I don’t hear much if DiMarzio uses scattering in their pickup designs.  Sone people say that scattering of the coil winds reduces capacity and increases clarity and dynamics of the pickup.  Does anybody know how they wind their coils or is it a company secret?

[HarlowTheFish]

You can't do a true scatter-wind unless your machine just turns the bobbin and you have someone guiding it by hand. Dimarzio (and Duncan, Fender, Gibson, all the bigger companies that make pickups) just have a set wind per pickup. It's not always gonna be uniform or identical between individual units, but it's no Bare Knuckle-style scatterwind.

IMO sure scatterwinding makes a difference, but a well-designed pickup is still gonna be good (and some of the "issues" scatterwinding fixes, like compression or clarity, are all in the ear of the be-listener).

[BluesJam]

I thought winders can be programmed to scatter windings.

[HarlowTheFish]

Theoretically, but it's genuinely more work to program a scatterwind into an automatic machine than to just do it by hand, and since most of the pickup designs that these companies make predate the scatterwinding hype train, they just are what they are - no worse, no better, just a particular sound and feel.

[BluesJam]

Good information.  I bet the early DiMarzio pickups were handwound, probably 1970’s maybe into the 1980’s.  I wonder when the automation commenced at their factory.

[DarthPhineas]

I’ve read that pickup winding machines can be programmed to wind pickups uniform and scatter wound and everything in between. 

yes, they can.

I don’t hear much if DiMarzio uses scattering in their pickup designs. 

probably won't ever hear anything about that.  Larry essentially threatened action against a DiMarzio-themed FB group because someone posted a photo (or photos) of a disassembled DiMarzio product.  my thoughts on that aside (for now), it's an indication of how the company wants to protect their process.  not unheard of, although some companies approach is to different degrees.

Sone people say that scattering of the coil winds reduces capacity and increases clarity and dynamics of the pickup. 

yes.  the short version is that it can add a little more space within the windings of the coil, which does reduce the distributed capacitance with opens up the character a little.

there's more that can be said about "scatter winding" but it's become a point of contention over the past several years.  many pickup companies do it.  some call it different things.  one company in particular made the process part of the marketing plan, which seems to put blinders on a lot of people to how it's nothing new and how it's not uncommon.

Does anybody know how they wind their coils or is it a company secret?

see above

[BluesJam]

Great information DP.  DiMarzio has been around forever and so little is known as compared to Duncan and others.  Not much transparency for the masses that are interested in this pickup making type of stuff.