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Magnet specs

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11/2/2002 7:11 AM

Magnet specs

Hey, I recently started working for Wolftone Pickups and I was given some homework. My assignment was to view this forum and as many of the posts as I could, and I'm slowly chipping away at them. I have a question about magnets, because I'm a newbie and I don't know too much. I know that there are the alnico magnets and ceramic magnets, but what does that all mean? What are better magnets for distortion? Softer stuff? Is there any advantage to having a covered pickup? How about pickups with screws acting as magnets? How about alan hex heads for screws? Any questions that could be answered would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot.

Carl

11/2/2002 2:33 PM

Welcome to the forum, Carl.

quote:
"Hey, I recently started working for Wolftone Pickups and I was given some homework. My assignment was to view this forum and as many of the posts as I could, and I'm slowly chipping away at them."

Well, it looks like Wolfe told you to grab a bear by the tail.

quote:
"I know that there are the alnico magnets and ceramic magnets, but what does that all mean?"

Alnico is a metal alloy and ceramics are, in a way, ceramic rust.

Alnico magnets are an alloy of AL.uminum, NI.ckel, CO.balt and about 50% iron. There a few different types, and they are all hard brittle alloys that throw a long magnetic field. It demagnetizes if you aren't careful, but is otherwise very useful.

Ceramic magnets are made from barium ferrites and can be extruded and fired just like clay or any other ceramic mix. They are weaker than Alnico, but inexpensive and more difficult to demagnetize.

quote:
"What are better magnets for distortion? Softer stuff?"

All of them. You must wind the pickup that is quiet when you use distortion or you get poor definition in the sound. If the magnet is strong enough (and that's not very strong), it will do fine.

quote:
"Is there any advantage to having a covered pickup?"

It has the lowest noise for its design at the expense of some clarity and treble.

[QUOTE]How about pickups with screws acting as magnets?
How about alan hex heads for screws?[/QUOTE]You can use any magnetically conductive steel you want if it will get the magnetic field to the guitar string okay. Screws, slugs, blades -- they all work fine if they are steel. There are other magnetically conductive metals, but steel is the easiest to get.

-drh
--

11/2/2002 2:38 PM
Dr Strangelove	Carl, To rot your brain with more technical information, search down this tree for "Permanent Magnet Docs". It has links to two important industry specifications for magnets. You don't need to understand them completely, just know what they are when you order magnets from a vendor. -drh --

11/2/2002 4:29 PM

So your the cub :-)

:-)

I tip my hat to the Dr. when it comes to specs and detailed info and you'd be wise to listen when he speaks.

I only know from experience and tend to rely on others for the technical stuff, but in purely pickup making terms: Ceramic is a tad brash and brittle whereas Alnico is softer and warmer, AND before everyone jumps in, I know you can make ceramics sound warm with different winding but in general terms warm and sweet with Alnico.

Any screws that are steel or iron will work, experiment, try for yourself.

Oh! and by the way you'll have a great mentor in Wolfe, bless his little heart........

Andy

11/3/2002 2:31 AM
WolfeMacleod	Carl Nice to see ya here, doing your homework! You forgot the "E" in WolfeTone, by the way Dr. Strangelove and Andy gave very good advice. On Allen Hex heads for polepieces, it's a Dimarzio thing. I can't stand them, really. Your next "homework" will be to watch some pickup making videos that I'll be burning off to CDrom. See ya on Monday! Wolfe

11/4/2002 11:03 AM
Larry N	I have a couple of sets of old 70's Fender humbuckers that use Cunife magnets as threaded pole-pieces. I believe that material was developed to be machinable. I find the tone to be interesting and desirable because the higher resistance (10.50K average) combines nicely with the brightness of the pole magnet design. They are a little fussy about adjustment, in my experience.

11/5/2002 6:06 AM

I've got a Rickenbacker 230 model guitar which has hum cancelling single coil pickups whcih use Samarium Cobalt magnets. They have a powerful and clear, but bright and often brittle sound, but they work great for loud, distorted type tones. Jason Lollar has played it and Wolfe has heard it so they can both probably attest to the powerful, yet bright sound of these pickups.
Samarium Cobalt is a rare earth magnet which has a powerful magnetic field. The pickups are about 12k to 14k, and are wired in series, so in the middle position, its like 22k or so.
Greg Simon

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