Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

['59]

All things else being equal, what is the difference between a deguassed magnet and a fully charged one? My friend is offering me a degaussed, slightly overwound (7.2k neck, 7k middle, 7.5k bridge) SSL-2 at just under the price of a standard production set.

He lives in Canada, which is a bit of a ways from where I am, so I can't test them out. I can assume that the added winds will cut back the treble and boost the mids slightly and the bass even more slightly, I hear non-staggered single coils are punchier, but what should the degaussed A5 do?

Should I pull the trigger on this set? I'm thinking about putting them in my MIM, which is stock as far as electronics are concerned.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

The magnet will be weaker.....thats the common factor.

Winders will know best what happens with each magnet type tonally. The guy who runs Zhangbucker pickups often posts here, so maybe he'll chime in.

 

[Herby]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

I'm very curious about this also. Hope someone who knows comes along...

 

[Discharged]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Without knowing how much those magnets are degaussed, no prediction can be made about their actual tonal outcome.

Up to 20%, generally speaking, the effect is a decrease of mid-lows, with highs being basically untouched. The effects of higher degaussing can't be predicted, only assessed by actual listening, and prone to change even more with time.

YMMV.

/Peter

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Not knowing all of the technical aspects and owning and playing Seymour Duncan strat, tele and P90 Antiquities, the degaussed pickups sound like 40 or 50 year old pickups and I love the sound of them. Excellent pickups.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Magnets does not age in 40-50 years....
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?121187-How-to-degauss

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Magnets does not age in 40-50 years....
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?121187-How-to-degauss

Wait.....are you telling me that Seymour Duncan does not tell the truth? I'm pretty certain of what I'm hearing while playing through my pickups and they sound fantastic. I am absolutely certain that Seymour Duncan Antiquities are everything Seymour says they are, thank you very much.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Well unless they got stuck next to an electric engine of sorts!
Magnets do not loose their strength in a very very very long time!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Yep - charge lasts and lasts.....

But things can happen to them, and the strength of the charge can vary.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

So....there is no benefit to degaussing a pickup magnet?

 

[Toejam]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

A few months back, I got two Custom Shop Quarter Pounds. I wanted the middle wound hotter since I keep it lower. What I was told was the middle was overwound by 5% to be 14.8k which is above their standard 13.4k. I didn't specify how I wanted the neck, figured it would be standard, but the spec sheet says it's 12.8k with calibrated, degaussed magnets. What that's supposed to do exactly, I'm not sure.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

So....there is no benefit to degaussing a pickup magnet?

there is a definite change in tone, whether that is a benefit is up to you. i love the degaussed magnets in my antiquity pups in most guitars, in some i want a bit more so ill either charged the magnet up (for single coils) or replace with a fully charged magnet (humbuckers) i wouldnt say one is better than another but there is a difference.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

And - it's not like it always works. Deguassing makes them unstable from what I understand. Can go from 100% to 75% to dead....

I don't know how they do it, but me belief/understanding is that it is potential tragedy...

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Never done an A/B test with them, but I've loved the tone and feel of DeGaussed A5s. UOA5s are great too.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

I've learned in talking to other pickup winders that degaussed magnets are a very tangible way of altering the tone of a pickup. Some guys have even developed special winds to take advantage of different magnet strengths. The set I just purchased from Re-Wind Pickups has a custom charge level on each magnet and the bridge magnet charge is different from the neck magnet charge.

Many of the boutique makers have machines that custom charge magnets to very specific levels, and the charge remains very stable; so it is a real thing and not just internet hooey. I don't believe Seymour would have produced the Antiquity line if he was unsure of the manner in which the magnets were charged or if he was concerned that his magnets might fail and go to zero charge.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

I own SD humbucker, P90s, strat and tele Antiquities and they ALL sound extremely great. I love them.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

The degaussing in vintage pickups is by no means a guaranteed thing. In fact it is more likely a way of making a modern magnet sound more like a fully charged vintage one rather than trying to mimic something that you would expect to see in a vintage pickup.....except of course for p90's where the 2 mags are set repelling.
Additionally a common method is to adjust the charge to adjust eq to meet a certain target tone - in ways you cannot do with the wind.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

You really know your stuff Alex.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

Another benefit is reduced string pull - which may be more of a factor in the tone issues than many seem to believe.

 

[Toejam]

Re: Degaussed Versus Regular Magnets

That makes sense. You can get it a little closer to the strings and not worry about stratitis.