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This is a process I developed to calibrate various bar and rod magnets to a desired field strength. I artificially age or degauss magnets to obtain a certain tone and output from a pickup. I like winding vintage coils and using very weak magnetic fields. It helps soften the sound of an instrument that may…

A magnet is in a pickup basically to magnetize the string. When the string vibrates, it moves the magnetic field within the coil and generates an alternating current. By removing the magnet in a pickup, there will be little residual or no magnetism needed to magnetize the ferrous string. There would be little or no…

Magnets can be magnetized or re-magnetized with the magnet in or out of a pickup. Some winders magnetize the magnets before winding the bobbins and some magnetize the magnets after the bobbins are wound and assembled. You get a different magnetic field pattern from a bar magnet if you magnetize it out of a pickup…

I’ve seen many Telecaster pickups where the raised D & G poles have been ground down to simulate Fender pickups from the ’50 to ’54 era with flat poles. Grinding magnets with wound coils often becomes so hot it causes the insulation on the magnet wire to melt and eventually fail. If the magnet is…

You will notice less output and at times a pickup can become out-of-phase with another. The pickup will lose its brightness and perhaps output from string to string. You would need a qualified repair shop to properly re-magnetize and calibrate your magnet within your pickup.

It’s the quality and percent of elements combined to make a particular grade of magnet material either in rod, bar or other custom shape. How and the type of magnetizer that is used is very important. Magnetizers can fully saturate or magnets can be calibrated to a desired strength. The type of magnetic path within…

When you decrease the amount of magnetism or increase the magnetic gap between the magnetized poles and strings, you will decrease the output and tone of a pickup. The less magnetic field to the strings also decreases the amount of magnetic field movement or induced alternating current through the coil. The combination of string vibration…

If a magnet becomes weak that’s used in a pickup, the sound will be less bright and less output. When you re-magnetize a magnet that has become weaker it re-aliens the magnetic domains within the particular magnet you are charging providing your magnetizer has enough ampere turns to fully charge the magnet. Also using a…

Using for example an Alnico 5 rod magnet that’s uncut usually starts in lengths between 6.5 and 11.5 inches long. It has a rough surface and made by larger mills. After the rod stock is ready for shipping and sent to many smaller job shops that surface grind the rod magnet to the proper diameter…

The raw material such as Alnico rod and bar magnets look very pitted and the surface is dull and dark brown. This is usually caused by the magnets being cleaned with steel shot, walnut shells or sandblasting. Often the sand casting causes many pits and a rough surface. Most magnets used in instruments have surface…