Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

[PRG]

A friend of mine has access to high-level machines at his job, along magnet remnents. So I asked him if he could machine me a Neo magnet for one of my pickups and he delivered!
So now I've got my own Neodymium bar magnet that's going in my SH-5 Custom in the next week or two.
Anyone want to guess what the tone or output would be like?
PRG

 

[Chaos]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Depending on how the magnet was handled, I'm guessing loud, shrill and little sustain.

Post a 'before and after' clip so we can hear your experiment.

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

should be interesting..

 

[PRG]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Quiet, shrill, and little sustain would describe the Custom in it's present guitar, so at least loud would be an improvement
I don't have a way to record it, but I'm a long time SH-5 Custom user, so I'll do my best to describe the differences.
Too bad I don't have my Invader any more, imagine 3 Neo magnets in that one!

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Sounds like that it is the guitars fault more than the pickup.

 

[Dodger]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

If this turns out good i say we call this new pick up the Seymour Duncan Custom Neo.

 

[mrid]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

If this turns out good i say we call this new pick up the Seymour Duncan Custom Neo.

You could call it "The One." :laugh2:

 

[danglybanger]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

You could call it "The One." :laugh2:

damn it... I think you beat about 20 people to that one.
not me though. of course
dan

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

You could call it "The One." :laugh2:

You beat me to it!!!


BTW, what guitar is this going in???

 

[benji657]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

You could call it "The One." :laugh2:

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

i'd like to know how it sounds too.

benji

 

[Jester700]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

I'm guessing it's too strong as well. If so, you COULD machine it down a bit more so that it becomes an air coil - maybe a "neo air custom"...

 

[ranalli]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Quiet, shrill, and little sustain would describe the Custom in it's present guitar, so at least loud would be an improvement

Quiet and little sustain?? Usually Customs are loud....and sustain is a function of the guitar....???

 

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

+ 1!!!!!
i want to know
ahahahahaah how it will sound

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Interesting experiment!@

 

[Chaos]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Quiet and little sustain?? Usually Customs are loud....and sustain is a function of the guitar....???

Excessive magnetic field strength will dampen the string vibrations causing loss of sustain.
Increasing the magnetic flux will increase the output.
Ceramic magnets sound shrill to me (compared to AlNiCo) so I’m guessing that a Neo magnet will be worse.

Of course improper handling of the magnet during machining will reduce the field strength (which would probably improve the sound) but it would be hard to replicate if you wanted to build another pickup.

I got to believe that all the major pickup manufacturers have experimented with Neo’s and rejected them for the above reasons.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Excessive magnetic field strength will dampen the string vibrations causing loss of sustain.
Increasing the magnetic flux will increase the output.
Ceramic magnets sound shrill to me (compared to AlNiCo) so I’m guessing that a Neo magnet will be worse.

Of course improper handling of the magnet during machining will reduce the field strength (which would probably improve the sound) but it would be hard to replicate if you wanted to build another pickup.

I got to believe that all the major pickup manufacturers have experimented with Neo’s and rejected them for the above reasons.

I understand what you're saying but is there seriously not enough sustain with a Duncan Custom??

I mean with good strings and a well setup guitar, sustain is the least of my problems with almost any pickup. I just don't understand what kind of sustain someone would need that the Custom would prevent them from getting especially if over-drive and/or distortion is used in the tone.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

I got to believe that all the major pickup manufacturers have experimented with Neo’s and rejected them for the above reasons.

The Fishman Neo D sounds spectacular on acoustic. I don't know what the size of the mag is, though.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

I thought one of the main problems with Neodymium magnets were that it was cost inhibitive, being a more rare earth magnet than your everyday Alnico or ceramic varieties.

 

[PRG]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

I'm joking on the sustain, it's in my maple/mahogany neck-thru (string-thru body and direct-mounted p'ups), which is the most awesome guitar I've ever picked up. It'll sustain for quite a while, actually, but hey, more sustain never hurts. Tone-wise, it's comparable to a LP Custom with the shape of a PRS.
I love the SH-5 Custom, actually, and load it in all my guitars. As much as I love it, though, I wish it had just a hair more output and a littler more beef in the lows and mids. So if the Neo magnet will give me a little more output and fullness, I'll take it. If it's a little harsh on the high-end, that's fine with me.

 

[PRG]

Re: Got my Neodymium mag, going in the Custom

Cost is supposedly the problem with the Neo magnets, just notice how Duncan charges the least for Ceramics, more for Alnico 5, and the most for Alnico 2.
In reality, though, if you go through a vender like McMaster-Carr (great business, BTW), you can get Neo magnets for around $3.