cunife magnet
- Thread starter Voxman
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Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: cunife magnet
Seymour might use cunife in the Custom Shop. We don't use it in production.
I once talked to Seth about cunife. He liked it because it was machineable. Thanks for the interesting question.
Seymour might use cunife in the Custom Shop. We don't use it in production.
I once talked to Seth about cunife. He liked it because it was machineable. Thanks for the interesting question.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: cunife magnet
It was a cool question and Thanks to Evan for giving the answer...now for another question. What kind of tonal properties do the cunife manets have?
It was a cool question and Thanks to Evan for giving the answer...now for another question. What kind of tonal properties do the cunife manets have?
theboatcandream
dreamonologist
Re: cunife magnet
How does this magnet sound compared to alnico magnets? The first time I heard of it was today.
How does this magnet sound compared to alnico magnets? The first time I heard of it was today.
gmacdonnell
New member
Re: cunife magnet
They're brighter, for one thing.
"Wide-Range" humbuckers, (which I really like,) have a very unique sound, and set of specs.
*5,000 turns of polysol-coated 42-ga. wire
*10-10.5k ohms
*Six individually threaded Cunife magnets per coil, with 3 adjustable, and 3 slot-down
You'd think, looking at those #'s, it'd be a fairly hot, fat pickup. But in fact, it's fairly bright, while being rich and powerful, very clear, and of course, "wide ranged." This is mainly because of the difference Cunife makes, and Seth Lover's genius in making a humbucker that retained much of that "Fender sound."
Ironically, Fender really just wanted him to make a PAF-styled pickup to compete in the 70's rock era. But I think Seth showed his brilliance yet again with this design.
Cunife is a very expensive magnet, apparently much more so than Alnico. I believe it was developed a few years after Alnico (1935,) in Germany.
BTW, the info on tone was based on my experience, but the specs and other info was from Dave Hunter's excellent book, the Guitar Pickup Handbook.
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Pick-Up-Handbook-Dave-Hunter/dp/0879309318
Awesome read, very informative, and with many great interviews, (my favorite being the one with Seymour himself!)
They're brighter, for one thing.
"Wide-Range" humbuckers, (which I really like,) have a very unique sound, and set of specs.
*5,000 turns of polysol-coated 42-ga. wire
*10-10.5k ohms
*Six individually threaded Cunife magnets per coil, with 3 adjustable, and 3 slot-down
You'd think, looking at those #'s, it'd be a fairly hot, fat pickup. But in fact, it's fairly bright, while being rich and powerful, very clear, and of course, "wide ranged." This is mainly because of the difference Cunife makes, and Seth Lover's genius in making a humbucker that retained much of that "Fender sound."
Ironically, Fender really just wanted him to make a PAF-styled pickup to compete in the 70's rock era. But I think Seth showed his brilliance yet again with this design.
Cunife is a very expensive magnet, apparently much more so than Alnico. I believe it was developed a few years after Alnico (1935,) in Germany.
BTW, the info on tone was based on my experience, but the specs and other info was from Dave Hunter's excellent book, the Guitar Pickup Handbook.
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Pick-Up-Handbook-Dave-Hunter/dp/0879309318
Awesome read, very informative, and with many great interviews, (my favorite being the one with Seymour himself!)
theboatcandream
dreamonologist
Re: cunife magnet
Does that mean Cunife is a low output, high fidelity magnet? I have a very low-tech understanding of this stuff.
Does that mean Cunife is a low output, high fidelity magnet? I have a very low-tech understanding of this stuff.
super rad stuff
Skaforlifeologist
Re: cunife magnet
i've heard it be called "unobtainium" before(totally tongue in cheek
)
i've heard it be called "unobtainium" before(totally tongue in cheek
)
gmacdonnell
New member
Re: cunife magnet
not that it's low-output, but that it has the kind of fidelity you might associate with ceramic, but the warmth of alnico. It also doesn't have the power of ceramic, it's probably on par with some ALnico formulas.
Does that make sense?
not that it's low-output, but that it has the kind of fidelity you might associate with ceramic, but the warmth of alnico. It also doesn't have the power of ceramic, it's probably on par with some ALnico formulas.
Does that make sense?
Re: cunife magnet
maybe, maybe not. they may be able to make one but im not sure they could make one from your new version. the new one is made just like any other humbucker and the old wide range are quite a different beast
maybe, maybe not. they may be able to make one but im not sure they could make one from your new version. the new one is made just like any other humbucker and the old wide range are quite a different beast
Re: cunife magnet
I just wanted to point out a couple of things here for the sake of accuracy and passing along correct information since there is a lot of misinformation circulating around these awesome pickups.
They're actually 6800 winds "per coil." That spec of 5000 winds is incorrect and unfortunately in print where several refer to it.
If you do the math, there is no way you'll get 10.5k ohms from 5000 winds using 42 awg wire. 5000 winds per coil will yield more to the plus side of 8k.
And it's 6 threaded CuNiFe studs per coil for a total of 12 pieces. The reason I mention this is because you've stated "10-10.5k ohms" which relates to the entire pickup, not just one coil.
CuNiFe is no longer available, but alnico 5 works just as well. But you'll have to machine your own bobbins and cut alnico 5 to .193 x .545 to accurately mimic the magnetic field of CuniFe. It works. It's just real expensive to do.
I just wanted to point out a couple of things here for the sake of accuracy and passing along correct information since there is a lot of misinformation circulating around these awesome pickups.
They're actually 6800 winds "per coil." That spec of 5000 winds is incorrect and unfortunately in print where several refer to it.
If you do the math, there is no way you'll get 10.5k ohms from 5000 winds using 42 awg wire. 5000 winds per coil will yield more to the plus side of 8k.
And it's 6 threaded CuNiFe studs per coil for a total of 12 pieces. The reason I mention this is because you've stated "10-10.5k ohms" which relates to the entire pickup, not just one coil.
CuNiFe is no longer available, but alnico 5 works just as well. But you'll have to machine your own bobbins and cut alnico 5 to .193 x .545 to accurately mimic the magnetic field of CuniFe. It works. It's just real expensive to do.
dr. ad
MonkeyDungologist
Re: cunife magnet
has this been discussed at the duncan company before? i imagine a legit Duncan wide-range pickup would be highly sought-after, and would look most impressive in the Duncan line-up next to the phat cat, phat staple and antiquities?
:deal:
are you able to confirm if it's been done by the duncan company before?
ie A2-A4?
i assume mr duncan has reverse-engineered a wide-range or 2; hypothetically speaking, would it be possible for the custom shop to make a new wide-range HB with the 12 cunife mags that would fit a regular HB slot and ring?
has this been discussed at the duncan company before? i imagine a legit Duncan wide-range pickup would be highly sought-after, and would look most impressive in the Duncan line-up next to the phat cat, phat staple and antiquities?
:deal:
Re: cunife magnet
The thing that makes a Wide Range Humbucker "Wide Range" in the first place, is the use of two Tele bridge pickup size bobbins. The bobbins are shorter in height, but just as wide. They fill the chrome cover. Having the poles seperated like that is in large part responsible for the wide range sound. If you were to make it small enough to fit into a regular humbucker cavity, you would lose all the properties that make it sound the way it does. It would sound like a "Stag Mag" pickup.
As far as CuNiFe is concerned, it really is not necessary to get the sound of an authentic WRHB. I had my tech use alnico 5 for the WRHB's we put together.
Here's a clip of some WRHB's we put together for a guy in Australia. He put them in an awesome Thinline custom build and it sounds terrific!
If you're familiar with the sound of the originals, I'm sure you'll agree that the sounds in the clip really nail the tone.
The guy is playing through a Bronco amp.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/sookwinder/various/telebronco.mp3
The thing that makes a Wide Range Humbucker "Wide Range" in the first place, is the use of two Tele bridge pickup size bobbins. The bobbins are shorter in height, but just as wide. They fill the chrome cover. Having the poles seperated like that is in large part responsible for the wide range sound. If you were to make it small enough to fit into a regular humbucker cavity, you would lose all the properties that make it sound the way it does. It would sound like a "Stag Mag" pickup.
As far as CuNiFe is concerned, it really is not necessary to get the sound of an authentic WRHB. I had my tech use alnico 5 for the WRHB's we put together.
Here's a clip of some WRHB's we put together for a guy in Australia. He put them in an awesome Thinline custom build and it sounds terrific!
If you're familiar with the sound of the originals, I'm sure you'll agree that the sounds in the clip really nail the tone.
The guy is playing through a Bronco amp.
http://www.offsetguitars.com/personal/sookwinder/various/telebronco.mp3
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LtKojak
New member
Re: cunife magnet
To Tele-Bob:
I'm not familiar at all with the originals, but having heard the clip, for the variety of sounds produced and specially how nicely the neck p'up cleaned up turning back the volume pot I can't say anything short of "excellent job". Those p'ups sound terrific. Tele-twangy, Jazzy HB warm retaining the clarity and articulation and even B.B.King's single note tone in just one package. I'm impressed!
My hat's off and I'm getting down making a "Texas Bow" at you.
Keep up the good work!
To Tele-Bob:
I'm not familiar at all with the originals, but having heard the clip, for the variety of sounds produced and specially how nicely the neck p'up cleaned up turning back the volume pot I can't say anything short of "excellent job". Those p'ups sound terrific. Tele-twangy, Jazzy HB warm retaining the clarity and articulation and even B.B.King's single note tone in just one package. I'm impressed!
My hat's off and I'm getting down making a "Texas Bow" at you.
Keep up the good work!
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Re: cunife magnet
Thanks Lt Kojak! I worked with my tech for 8 months on that one just about drove all my friends crazy, along with all the music stores in Connecticut who had original vintage Tele Thinlines on hand as well as the re-issues.
dr. ad, it's not quite as simple as two Tele bridge coils. The bobbins I had machined for my pickups are not nearly as tall as a Tele bridge pickup. But the width and length are the same.
Here's what mine looks like in a MIM re-issue chrome cover.
The magnets are merely rounded and slotted to look like screws but they're just plain alnico 5 rods that I cosmetically altered.
Thanks Lt Kojak! I worked with my tech for 8 months on that one just about drove all my friends crazy, along with all the music stores in Connecticut who had original vintage Tele Thinlines on hand as well as the re-issues.
dr. ad, it's not quite as simple as two Tele bridge coils. The bobbins I had machined for my pickups are not nearly as tall as a Tele bridge pickup. But the width and length are the same.
Here's what mine looks like in a MIM re-issue chrome cover.
The magnets are merely rounded and slotted to look like screws but they're just plain alnico 5 rods that I cosmetically altered.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: cunife magnet
You can't shape A5 like the originals because Alnico is to brittle to machine into complex shapes like that. Just rods and rectangles.
Never heard an original but the reissues are just garbage to my ears. I rewound one that was about 9.5k that sounded like pure mud, in part because that's way too much 42 wire for the neck position and because the cover is so thick it could handle an anti-tank round, and which darkened the tone even more. I rewound it to about 7.3k and strongly recommended to the owner that he leave the cover off.
You can't shape A5 like the originals because Alnico is to brittle to machine into complex shapes like that. Just rods and rectangles.
Never heard an original but the reissues are just garbage to my ears. I rewound one that was about 9.5k that sounded like pure mud, in part because that's way too much 42 wire for the neck position and because the cover is so thick it could handle an anti-tank round, and which darkened the tone even more. I rewound it to about 7.3k and strongly recommended to the owner that he leave the cover off.
Re: cunife magnet
Well, I "shaped" the alnico 5 rods you see in the pickup above. I cut them to length and then ground the heads round and then slotted them. it's a lot of work but it looks just like the original and sounds just like it too! They're just not threaded like the original. But even that is not impossible. It's just expensive.
You can solve any problem if you throw enough money at it! LOL!
Well, I "shaped" the alnico 5 rods you see in the pickup above. I cut them to length and then ground the heads round and then slotted them. it's a lot of work but it looks just like the original and sounds just like it too! They're just not threaded like the original. But even that is not impossible. It's just expensive.
You can solve any problem if you throw enough money at it! LOL!
LtKojak
New member
Re: cunife magnet
Yes, I agree. This was Walt Disney's way of doing things, and looking at the final result I feel safe to say he was right!
Yes, I agree. This was Walt Disney's way of doing things, and looking at the final result I feel safe to say he was right!
