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Having many magnets will increase the output of a pickup if properly used. The increased magnetic field will also make the output louder, brighter and also dampen string vibration if the pickup is adjusted close to the strings. The increased magnetic field to the strings can make the tone loud and distorted even at lower…

The pits are formed into the rod and bar magnets when the molten magnet material is poured into sand cavities and the pits are from the actual sand mold. The older magnets had a larger diameter and the magnets were molded close to tolerance and cut to the desired length. The newer magnets are center-less…

Basically the magnets are chamfered on one end to allow the magnet to be pressed into the flatwork without tearing or cutting material away from the inside wall of the punched flatwork. If the magnets are inserted without a chamfer, the magnet can tear away enough material that the flatwork is loose and the ends…

Bar magnets are usually used for humbucking pickups and it eliminates 6 separate poles. Bar magnets have always been used for Gibson style pickups, though occasionally Gibson used rod magnets in some of their pickup/pickguard assemblies and P-90 style single coil pickups. Bar magnets have been used in many of Seymour Duncan pickups and have…

I often get called and asked where do you get your magnets. Well, I use various vendors for many types of magnets that we use. To find a magnet supplier or fabricator it is best to look a source book called “The Thomas Register” and you can find them usually in libraries. In the books…

Changing the magnet can do several things depending on the magnet you’re replacing it with. If the magnet is stronger than the replaced one the output can be greater and brighter sounding. If the magnet is weaker than the original, the output can be less and the sound will be warmer. Often remagnetizing a row…

The magnetic orientation of a magnet is the preferred direction of the South and North polarity. The rod magnets used in Fender style single coil pickups are South on one end and North on the other. The bar magnets used in Gibson style humbucking pickups designed by Seth E. Lover, the magnet measures 2 1/2″…

The magnetic polarity of pickups can either be South or North. I’ve seen early Fender pickups with both South and North polarity in the same guitar. Early Broadcasters, No-Casters and Telecasters were often made with pickups having different polarities. The early lever switch on the instruments didn’t allow the combination of both pickups and the…

In our lab we use electronic gauss meters for precise measuring of the various magnetic fields used in our pickup. When I do road trips I like using a small hand model manufactured by the R. B. Annis Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. The unit I use measures from -50-0-50+. The -50 is the South magnetic…

Generally the magnetic field in a pickup is where the pole pieces are located either in rod or bar magnet or in a ferromagnetic material such as the steel screw pole pieces that are strongly attracted to the screws which direct the magnetic field to the strings. The magnetic field can be attracted to the…