Mountlake Terrace shop winds guitar pickups for musicians nationwide

Wolfetone Pickups in Mountlake Terrace has manufactured 1,227 guitar pickups so far this year. The company specializes in humbuckers, P90s, and single coils that allow musicians to adjust the specific tone of their instruments.

Owner Wolfe Macleod began working full-time in the business in 1998. He spent the years before that working for musical manufacturers like Warmoth Guitar Products and crafting knives and swords for about 10 years. Macleod traced his initial interest in music back to the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, which led him to conventions where he met future colleagues and friends.

Inside each pickup is a coil of wire finer than a strand of hair wound around a bobbin. This assembly is placed under the guitar strings. When the strings vibrate, they interrupt the magnetic field and induce a current in the coil. That current travels through the volume and tone controls to the amplifier. Macleod described the component as what makes a guitar make noise.

The design of the pickup depends on the genre of music the player performs. For jazz and blues, Macleod tunes the pickups for note separation and clarity. For modern high-gain heavy metal or thrash, he adjusts the winding pattern or magnet to create a sound that heavily distorts the front end of the amplifier.

Many customers arrive at the shop looking to modify existing guitars. These players often enjoy their instrument but find the original pickups unsuitable for their specific style. Macleod replaces those components with custom-wound units that fit the player’s needs.

Production numbers for Wolfetone have declined in recent years. The shop made 1,869 pickups during the same period three years prior. Macleod attributed the drop to changes in purchasing habits among music stores and international customers. He noted that many are buying fewer American products.

Tariffs have also affected the business, with Wolfetone paying thousands of dollars in fees. Despite these challenges, Macleod said he continues to love his work. He recalled a moment in 2006 when guitarist Rick Derringer used Wolfetone pickups during the Taste of Edmonds. Hearing music from his youth played through his own components still brings Macleod to the verge of tears.

Macleod is assisted by two employees, including John Passarelli, the most recent hire. Passarelli has played guitar for approximately 47 years. He joined Wolfetone in early 2023 after a recommendation from a mutual friend. He took the part-time position when his Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band, Whiskey River, was scheduled to perform 30 shows in 2024.

Passarelli works at the winding station, a task he described as requiring tiny, precise movements. He said the work gave him a new appreciation for the role of pickups in his own playing. Previously, he rarely changed components on his guitars unless he disliked the sound. Now that he makes them, he values the pickups more.

Macleod hopes to grow the company in the future. He has expressed a desire to potentially see his daughter take over the business. As of now, the shop has orders to fill. Customers can view the collection of available components on the company website, www.wolfetone.com.