Another Mag Swap ?

[assquatch20]

I've got these "Johnson by EMG" single coils in a parts strat that are ruining it for me. They all measure at 6.5k but are just terribly harsh unless I roll some volume off, in which case they're either flat or losing highs. Maybe it's the pots. I've noticed how single coils are getting so "hot" nowadays in some cases that a 500k pot is helpful in taming it and getting the vintage sound back out of it. I'm thinking quarter pounder in this case, IIRC. I'd even like to see that pickup with a 1Meg just to see what happens. A tapped one maybe?

Anyhow that doesn't apply so much in my case. I don't think it's the pots as much. I'm just curious about trying to see what magnets are in there and whether or not swapping will get me closer to something like my buddy's '69 CS set. I'm guessing no chance, but if mags would at least improve it a bit, that'd be nice. I'm assuming the wire type and windings are all wrong though, but I have no way to be sure right now. I'm not even sure what magnets are in it yet.

Any insight on how much a mag swap would improve it, and am I missing any factors holding it back? I'd eventually like to have the capabilities to assemble my own pickups (wouldn't we all?), so a refresher wouldn't hurt here.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

Magnet swaps on single coils. Hmmm. If it's a bar ceramic you could try putting in a different type of bar magnet. But it might be more trouble than it's worth.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

If they are too harsh you should probably lower the pot value. Maybe 300k all around to keep them from being too hot. Another thing to consider is either going active, using 50s wiring, or using a treble bleed to prevent them from losing highs when you roll back the volume.

If you want EMGs that sound somewhat vintage and don't bleed treble with the volume pot I got a DG20 loaded pickguard FS/FT.

But I think since they are cheap pickups, you might get lucky and have a bar magnet you can swap out, most likely a ceramic. I would switch it with an A5 to start, that would be the least radical change. If it's not a bar magnet, it is possible to change the polepieces, but there is a large risk to damaging the pickup. I wouldn't suggest doing it if you are attached to those single coils, it comes with a lot of risk of damaging the coils.

If they are epoxied, like most real EMG's, you won't be able to do either

 

[assquatch20]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

If they are too harsh you should probably lower the pot value. Maybe 300k all around to keep them from being too hot. Another thing to consider is either going active, using 50s wiring, or using a treble bleed to prevent them from losing highs when you roll back the volume.

If you want EMGs that sound somewhat vintage and don't bleed treble with the volume pot I got a DG20 loaded pickguard FS/FT.

But I think since they are cheap pickups, you might get lucky and have a bar magnet you can swap out, most likely a ceramic. I would switch it with an A5 to start, that would be the least radical change. If it's not a bar magnet, it is possible to change the polepieces, but there is a large risk to damaging the pickup. I wouldn't suggest doing it if you are attached to those single coils, it comes with a lot of risk of damaging the coils.

If they are epoxied, like most real EMG's, you won't be able to do either

I don't believe these are epoxied together. They just came with the guitar. No real attachment to them.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

I don't believe these are epoxied together. They just came with the guitar. No real attachment to them.

Then feel free to try taking the polepieces out. You just simply need to push out on the poles from the bottom. "Simply" isn't the best word for it, as it's a rather delicate process, but it's really not that hard once you get the hang of it. It is usually easier on cheaper pickups because the poles don't fit as snug, but this isn't true 100% of the time.

 

[Artie]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

I have a set of these. They are definitely the glued on bar magnet variety. Btw, I thought mine sounded pretty good.

 

[assquatch20]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

I have a set of these. They are definitely the glued on bar magnet variety. Btw, I thought mine sounded pretty good.

I thought I noticed the bar magnet under some foam maybe. Back when I found the guitar I liked it compared to my buddy's American strat. Found it to be very much the same. But recently we've built a a strat for a bandmate with a Fender "Custom Shop" '69 set, and a Callaham bridge. I kinda hate playing mine in comparison. Pretty sure the pots that are in mine are 250k and may play with that first, as well as a treble bleed. His set is wired to the pots a little different than mine, but I don't think that's how they sound so much nicer. I'll try to get ahold of some alnico mags and see what happens.

 

[Artie]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

Btw, raising the pot value, ie., going from 250k to 300 or 500 will make the pup even hotter and brighter. You want to go the other way, but the next standard pot value down is going to be around 100k. Probably too much of a change. Frankly, if it was me, (and at one time, it was), I'd watch the Trading Post for used Duncan Designed's or even regular Duncans. I've got a set of Duncan Designed "Hotrails" in a Squier Strat that sound amazing. They can often be found fairly cheap.

 

[assquatch20]

Re: Another Mag Swap ?

Btw, raising the pot value, ie., going from 250k to 300 or 500 will make the pup even hotter and brighter.

I find this odd. With the same friend's quarter pounder tele set, we had to go from 250k to 500k to get the pickups less bright and gainy. Even speculated about a meg. Although I could have it backwards as the pickup did twang better with the higher value pot. Maybe that's part of the tradeoff. With a 4 way switch and series position the guitar is capable of returning to sounding huge as ever, but it was hard in that case to actually get it sounding like a Telecaster.