Post Type Archives: SWD

Grinding the pole pieces on a magnetized and wound coil can cause several problems and I wouldn’t do it. I seen pickup done this way and all the ground and chipped magnet dust clings all over the pickup and poles. The heat from grinding can melt the insulation inside the pickup and later cause the…

Pickups with the above magnet (s – south, n – north) field pattern would be out of phase with itself and when combined with another pickup. The first pattern (s s s n n n), half of the coil would be in phase and the other half would be out of phase with another combined…

You can replace the 3/16″ inch diameter ferrous studs with rod magnets of the same diameter and length. You need to keep the same polarity as the studs were magnetized through magnetic induction. Using magnet rod pole pieces can give you a slightly brighter pickup depending on the grade and strength material you are using.

They are used to direct the magnetic field from its magnetic path within the pickup towards the strings. Some pole pieces are rod or bar alnico or ceramic magnets and others are ferrous poles (studs) or ferrous bars that act as pole pieces to magnetize the strings. The further away the pickup is from the…

Most of the flex magnetic strips I’ve seen are magnetized N-S-N-S-N-S per given length and side. You would need a magnetizer capable of remagnetizing it so one side is South and the reverse side is North. I have seen pickups made with flexible magnet strips and many early Sears Silvertone guitars, for example, used a…

I generally refer to aging the magnets as ones that loose magnetism or strength often referred to as gauss and flux. Rubbing magnets together does not age or properly weaken the magnets in a pickup and most likely it will rearrange the magnetic domains and can cause each magnet to be magnetized inconsistently from pole…

The shape and diameter of the various type pole pieces can change the shape of the magnetic field to the string. Longer and shorter pole pieces can change the magnetic path through the coil as it magnetizes the string. Various pole pieces can be alnico rod or bar, ceramic rod and bar, magnetic stainless steel,…

Any pickup where the pole pieces facing or closest to the string are all magnetized “South” polarity. South polarity is also known as South magnetic polarity. The top of the pole closest to the string is magnetized South and the opposite end of the pole inside the cavity of the instrument is North.

It generally refers to the magnetic polarity of the magnetic pole piece that are closest to the strings. In a typical single coil pickup the magnetic rod pole pieces closest to the strings are all magnetized “North” or “South” polarity.

Generally you will decrease the brightness and output from your pickup. Decreasing the magnetic field can increase the sustain from less string pull. The pickup will sound warmer and smoother but may have less attack.