500T - magnet swap possibilities?

[appar111]

I'm going to be sending payment over for a nice used 500T today, and am prepared to do a little magnet swapping if necessary to get it to sound it's best in my guitar (alder tele, hardtail strat bridge, maple neck & fretboard, single 500K pot). I can also swap the pot for a 250K if needed.

What are some winning magnet swaps for the 500T? I'm thinking A2, A3, A4 or A8 and leave the ceramic magnet spacers on the sides, or just an A8 and remove the ceramic magnet spacers (it might be powerful enough that it doesn't need the side magnets?)

If I removed the ceramic magnet spacers, what should I replace them with? Can I get plastic spacers at the same places I can get replacement magnets? I have some A2's lying around the house, and I think an A5 and an A3..

Who knows, for hard rock and classic metal, perhaps all I'll need to do is put a lower value volume pot in and leave the pickup stock?

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

I wasn't happy with the 500T. I tried a Alnico 5 which made it brighter, tighter and less fuzzy. I didn't have any other magnets and I didn't feel like experimenting, so I sold it.

 

[DonP]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

My 500T sounds perfect as is. No need to mess with it. It's in a Les Paul Classic with 520K CTS pots. It's a Zebra set 4 conductor and I can split the coils with push/pull tone pots.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

I got a 500T for an Epi '58 V. Very good sound for a cermic PU. However, I decided I wanted more warmth and mids and put in an A8. This was several years ago, but as I recall, 500T's have a thick ceramic center mag, and two skinny side ceramics. I pulled all of those out, put in an A8 and regular plastic spacers, which made it the same thing as an 498T with an A8 (which is also a very good PU, similar to a C8).

It'd be worth trying with a few different center alnicos and keeping the side ceramics in. I think the Tony Iommi signature HB is basically a 500T with a cernter A2 and side ceramics, though I'm not 100% sure.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

I say try just removing the side spacer mags 1st and see what that does, should "breathe" more. The A8 would be my next stop.

 

[appar111]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

Can I remove the side spacer mags and not put anything in place of them, or will I definitely need some sort of spacers? If I don't want to order just spacers, are there any MacGyver suggestions for something to use as a spacer?

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

You should put something in there. Plastic or wood cut to the right size would be best, but I'll bet some corrugated or heavy cardboard would work in a pinch. I have some spare spacers, if you try it and like it without the spacers hit me up and I can send you a couple so you'll have a more permanent fix.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

You can get spacers off a cheap Asian HB.

 

[appar111]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

I don't have too many of those lying around, but I'm assuming that in a pinch, a square or round wood dowel rod of the right diameter would be useful-- just cut it to the right length.

Alot of vintage spec pickups use wooden spacers too, so I could infuse the wood dowel with "mojo" prior to installing it. I wonder what type of wood used as a spacer would provide the best tone?

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

Maple is usually what's used, but I don't notice any difference between even plastic and maple.

 

[appar111]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

Turns out the stock 500T rocks in this guitar, and rocks hard. So no need to magnet swap on this one!

 

[dr. ad]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

^ good to hear, it is quite a beast.
one thing i've tried that worked really well is leaving the side mags in, taking the central big ceramic out, and putting in an A5 stacked on top of a regular-sized ceramic. makes is sound slightly friendlier and more balanced without sacrificing much (if any) of the 500T-ness
happy 666th post

 

[dbazille1970]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

I have done magnet swaps with the 500T and the Dirty Fingers. They both use 3 double thick ceramic magnets. Swapping magnets in these pickups is easier than most people make it sound. I put a rough cast A8 in a 500T and then put it in the neck position where it really sounds good , but only in my Epiphone SG with a Korina wood body. As for the thickness of the original magnets they are almost as thick as 2 normal magnets put together. Anyway what I did was to use normal thick maple spacers where the 2 outside ceramics used to be. You see if you back the pole screws out of the back plate you can then retighten the bobbin screws after the magnet swap and the bobbins will lower tp compress on the normal thick magnet and spacers. I recommend using a compass to check N S orientation before pulling any magnets out and matching it with the new magnets. Also my next experiment will be putting half wide magnets where the outer ceramics used to be. Still thinking about which magnets I want to try in those places. Let me know if there are any other questions you may have.

 

[dbazille1970]

Re: 500T - magnet swap possibilities?

Just yesterday I added on the pole screw side 1/2 wide polished A2 magnet to a gibson 500T which already had a rough cast A8 in the center position. This pickup is installed in the bridge position of a Cort MMP2 guitar and the pole screws are facing the neck. The addition of the 1/2 wide A2 magnet gave the pickup some balls. instead of sounding so thin now it sounds like the the low frequencies are bringing out the guitar bodys resonant growl when you dig in a little. If you want 1/2 wide magnets you can take a full size magnet and cut it with a small electric grinder that has a cutting wheel on it. This greatly increases your magnet tone options on just about all humbuckers. You can even mix differant magnets in the middle of a humbucker where 1 standard sized magnet goes. Just more fun chasing the tones.