i just converted a MIM single to alnico 5 poles

[rumblebox]

i got rid of the ceramic bar magnet and installed some A5 poles. i used silicone goop to hold them in from the bottom. also, just for ****s'n'giggles i checked the resistance, and it is about 8.4. so it may be just right for my custom5/jazz combo.

[tenniso]

nice! i have one of those laying around. let us know how it sounds. i may want to try this myself.

[rumblebox]

i put some goopy silicony stuff on the bottom to make sure they dont move. we'll see how it sounds as soon as my A2 magnet comes in for the custom.

[idsnowdog]

I put a set of A5's and A3's in some super cheap Ibanez single coils. Although neither is a tone monster the amount of tonal change is impressive and turns a mediocre pickup into something usable.

[BPSUL]

This begs the question - why isnt magnet wapping widespread with single coils?

I think it should be. For one, why are most single coils A5? Why are A2 and other softer magnets found on so few models? I love the way the harsh high end from single coils are tamed by an a2 mag.

Also - we should be able to monkey around with strat sized p-90 style pickups - adjustable steel poles with alnico bar magnets on the bottom. Fralin makes a few of these, as do a couple other boutique makers. Seems as this is uncharted territory. We should chart it. Where do you get alnico pole magnets and screw slugs??

[idsnowdog]

This begs the question - why isnt magnet wapping widespread with single coils?

Because most people assume that the poles are epoxied in place and not removable. However they are often held in place only with friction. I used a torx head screwdriver, a hammer and a 1/2 socket to tap out the non-magnetic poles and replace them.

[BPSUL]

Oh yea same here, I just tap them with needle nose pliers or similar and they will move slightly.

[FuseG4]

right after I told another forum person that "people generally don't mag swap single coils" because... well... a lot of magnets do seem to be epoxied.

[LtKojak]

This begs the question - why isnt magnet wapping widespread with single coils?

Good forbone made p'ups have their mag rods fixed with some kind of glue and trying to move'em will certainly damage/destroy the forbone.

The othe kind, wound in some plastic bobbin with metal slugs for polepieces and a single ceramic bar at the bottom epoxied to it, are generally cheapest of the cheap, so even if for some making the upgrade could be fun (there's even a how-to video in the Mojotone site), usually the finished product is nothing to write home about, so... there's why!

In my case, been there, done that, never again.

[LtKojak]

FWIW, I haven't seen any strat set made with A5 rods for the low strings and A4 rods for the high ones. I'd like to think it'll make an extremely nice sounding and balanced set in the right instrument, specially the bridge p'up.

Yo, winders! Here's the idea, it's NOT copyrighted, so what are you waiting for, uh?

[lemonman]

This begs the question - why isnt magnet wapping widespread with single coils?

Traditional Fender type single coils have the wire wound directly against the magnetic polepieces. Even moving them can lead to breaking off the insulation & shorting out the pickup. Removing the poles would, if they even came out cleanly, surely tear the wire trying to push them back in. It can only be done on bobbins that separate the wire from the poles, which are generally not the most desirable pickups.

[nd1377]

Great job on converting it. I was thinking about doing something like this.

[trevorus]

I want to hear a detailed review, I was planning on trying this as well.

[rumblebox]

I thought this was a MIM strat pickup, but its most likely a squier pickup. Regardless, it sounds much more mellow and toneful with the A5 poles. I still need to make a video.