Is it possible to place single coil rod magnets?

[CountFunkula]

I want to try out some A3 mags in my Tele pickup, but is it possible to remove them without damaging the pickup?

[octavedoctor]

It depends on the type of bobbin you have. The traditional vintage flatwork bobbin can't be tampered with in this way; the magnets form the core of the bobbin sometimes with a layer of masking tape.

The moulded bobbins used by Fender can have the poles pulled out, reversed and replaced because there is no direct contact between the inside of the coil and the magnets. It's fiddly work though and although all strat type pole pieces are technically 3/16" there is often some variation. I had to replace a set recently where the pole pieces on the customer's guitar had completely degaussed (or perhaps had never been magnetised, I'm not sure) and getting the new ones in was quite a struggle.

[idsnowdog]

You can just push them out with a small screwdriver.

[octavedoctor]

You can just push them out with a small screwdriver.

not if it's a flatwork bobbin you can't

[stevesmith1987]

I've done it in my MIM Tele, I used a threader and pushed the pole pieces out, then I put A5 Rods in it, a vast improvement over the ceramic bars they had on them.

[octavedoctor]

That guitar has the US standard pickups in it with the moulded bobbin. If you did that with a flatwork bobbin then you got very lucky indeed and i wouldn't try to repeat it if I were you.

however I can pretty much guarantee you that it was a moulded bobbin if it had a ceramic slab.