Magnet orientation --> tone/output?

[alex1fly]

I have these cheapo single coil pickups with two bar magnets glued on the bottom. One of the magnets has come loose. When I put it back on, will the orientation affect the tone??

(C'mon Alex1fly, just do it and report back)

Related question, since the pickups have two magnets, how would removing one of the magnets affect the tone & output?

(See above note)

Also, see the glamour shot at the bottom of this Yamaha partsocaster in the works. It's been through two refinishes and tons of luthier practice - fret crowning, wiring, shielding, and drilling entirely too many holes. She's ugly and I love her.

[jeremy]

yes, it will matter which way you orient them. you want the two same sides touching the pole pieces. so NS || SN leaving one magnet off will give usually you less output and a thinner tone

[idsnowdog]

That should be like a P90 with the same magnetic poles facing each other N/S S/N.

[alex1fly]

Got it. Thanks!

[Ewizard]

To clarify a little bit. Since you only have one side to worry about, it is not of much issue. Place it so that the magnet tries to repel from the other. Now if both magnets were off, as long as they were placed back on so that the magnets try to repel each other it wouldn't change anything about the pickup EXCEPT how it works with other pickups of the same type. Changing the magnet direction is very similar to changing the wire leads around. The middle pickup in a Strat set is generally RWRP which means reverse-wound, reverse polarity. The magnet poles are in the opposite polarity to the bridge and neck pickups and the coil is wound in reverse when used in conjunction with the bridge and neck pickups. The reverse winding of the pickup is of little need though, as simply swapping the leads would accomplish the same thing. I think the only reason that reverse-wound is used is so that there is no confusion when you have a pile of pickups in the bin? I don't know why the extra effort is used to reverse wind a pickup honestly, as it has no bearing on the resultant sound at all. If you have two pickups that you know have opposite magnet polarities, if they produce noise/hum or sound very nasally and honky sounding, simply swapping the leads on one of the pickups will solve the problem.

The point being that if you find that your pickup sounds off, or produces hum when used in conjunction with the other pickups, simply swapping the leads of one particular pickup will solve the issue. OR you can swap the polarity of the pickup by swapping the direction of the magnets.

[alex1fly]

To clarify a little bit. Since you only have one side to worry about, it is not of much issue. Place it so that the magnet tries to repel from the other. Now if both magnets were off, as long as they were placed back on so that the magnets try to repel each other it wouldn't change anything about the pickup EXCEPT how it works with other pickups of the same type. Changing the magnet direction is very similar to changing the wire leads around. The middle pickup in a Strat set is generally RWRP which means reverse-wound, reverse polarity. The magnet poles are in the opposite polarity to the bridge and neck pickups and the coil is wound in reverse when used in conjunction with the bridge and neck pickups. The reverse winding of the pickup is of little need though, as simply swapping the leads would accomplish the same thing. I think the only reason that reverse-wound is used is so that there is no confusion when you have a pile of pickups in the bin? I don't know why the extra effort is used to reverse wind a pickup honestly, as it has no bearing on the resultant sound at all. If you have two pickups that you know have opposite magnet polarities, if they produce noise/hum or sound very nasally and honky sounding, simply swapping the leads on one of the pickups will solve the problem.

The point being that if you find that your pickup sounds off, or produces hum when used in conjunction with the other pickups, simply swapping the leads of one particular pickup will solve the issue. OR you can swap the polarity of the pickup by swapping the direction of the magnets.

Thanks. I got lucky and since the magnet had been previously glued down, I was able to use the dried glue bits on the magnet to guide the magnet back into its former spot. No idea about polarity, but it sounds normal so I'm guessing it's wherever it's supposed to be.