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How much does a pickup last/live?

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  • How much does a pickup last/live?

    I'm interested to know about Alnico 5 and Ceramic pickups life time

  • #2
    Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

    Bill Lawrence says that an Alnico 5 magnet loses about 5% of it's power in a 100 years. Ceramics are even more permanent.

    If this is true, you'll probably die before your pickup does.
    "Dave, what are your thoughts on AIDS?"
    "You're talking about sex, right? Hell, i don't need no aids!" -Dave Mustaine

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    • #3
      Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

      Pups won't die unless either the magnet gets demagnetized (not a likely occurance), or the coils get physically damaged, the get a tiny bit weaker and a bit mellower sounding with age, because of the magnet losing some strength ... but even that is so subtle that one might not notice it unless there was a new/old A/B test.
      ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
      ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
      Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

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      • #4
        Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

        Of some interest to someone I'm sure, but a lot of the old pickups in 50's Fenders are dying off due to the chemical interaction between the metals of the magnets and the coils. The older coil windings weren't coated with a wax or lacquer, so the raw wire deteriorates. Different composition of the metal from that period may also be a factor.

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        • #5
          Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

          Interesting ... I've seen some old ones, but didn't know they were problematic ... They did use an oddball alloy to make the polepieces, I'm wondering if the magnets were done with something similar.
          ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
          ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
          Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

            Originally posted by Kent S.
            Interesting ... I've seen some old ones, but didn't know they were problematic ... They did use an oddball alloy to make the polepieces, I'm wondering if the magnets were done with something similar.
            Ummmm, if I'm not mistaken, in all Fender pickups from the 50's , the magnets ARE the polepieces.
            Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

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            • #7
              Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

              Originally posted by Benjy_26
              Ummmm, if I'm not mistaken, in all Fender pickups from the 50's , the magnets ARE the polepieces.
              Although I've never taken one apart, I'm pretty sure that the Fender humbucker had a bar magnet, although the poles were made from some weird alloy (CuNiFe I think) ... could be, I always assumed it was a bar magnet under the bobbins, never took the cover off of one to find out.
              ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
              ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
              Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: How much does a pickup last/live?



                There was a Fender 'bucker in the 50's? I thought those came along sometime in the 60's.
                Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

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                • #9
                  Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                  Actually, the first Fender bucker debuted on the 72 Tele.
                  This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. - St. Augustine of Hippo

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                  • #10
                    Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                    Originally posted by Benjy_26


                    There was a Fender 'bucker in the 50's? I thought those came along sometime in the 60's.
                    We were talking about the Fender humbucker though, I don't know where the '50's referrence came from ... Or at least I was, because ceramics didn't come along until later ... so I think the conversation kinda split into two paths. Yeah, a lot of the older pups are still just fine though. Coils corroding due to beer, and other contaminations would be physical damage, as it causes them to short out ... plus the question qwas about present days pups (or ,again, at least that's the way I interpreted it). I had heard one ot two rumours concerning the first couple of FWR pups from Fender that were along a similar line .... but I didn't know for sure.
                    ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                    ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                    Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                      The first Fender Wide Range buckers are built like modern days, two coils, bar mag.
                      This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. - St. Augustine of Hippo

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                      • #12
                        Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                        Originally posted by beandip
                        The first Fender Wide Range buckers are built like modern days, two coils, bar mag.
                        Yeah , but were the coils coated with anything to protect them from liquids and such getting down inside the covers. Even if potted I'm assuming you could get some bad chemical reactions in there from beer, soda, sweat, maybe even a little blood now and then ... oh look ... they've got chicken wire ...
                        ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                        ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                        Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                          Enamal, and covered w/ the nickel metal things.
                          This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. - St. Augustine of Hippo

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                          • #14
                            Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                            Wait, does liquid have anything to do w/ a magnets life? I dunno, so I'm asking.
                            This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. - St. Augustine of Hippo

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                            • #15
                              Re: How much does a pickup last/live?

                              Originally posted by beandip
                              Enamal, and covered w/ the nickel metal things.
                              Well, I realize that the wire is insulated so that it can work as a coil ...
                              ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                              ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                              Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                              Comment

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