JUICEofVENUS
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I'm interested to know about Alnico 5 and Ceramic pickups life time
How much does a pickup last/live?
- Thread starter JUICEofVENUS
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BornToShred
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Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Bill Lawrence says that an Alnico 5 magnet loses about 5% of it's power in a 100 years. Ceramics are even more permanent.
If this is true, you'll probably die before your pickup does.
Bill Lawrence says that an Alnico 5 magnet loses about 5% of it's power in a 100 years. Ceramics are even more permanent.
If this is true, you'll probably die before your pickup does.
Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Pups won't die unless either the magnet gets demagnetized (not a likely occurance), or the coils get physically damaged, the get a tiny bit weaker and a bit mellower sounding with age, because of the magnet losing some strength ... but even that is so subtle that one might not notice it unless there was a new/old A/B test.
Pups won't die unless either the magnet gets demagnetized (not a likely occurance), or the coils get physically damaged, the get a tiny bit weaker and a bit mellower sounding with age, because of the magnet losing some strength ... but even that is so subtle that one might not notice it unless there was a new/old A/B test.
Boston Joe
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Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Of some interest to someone I'm sure, but a lot of the old pickups in 50's Fenders are dying off due to the chemical interaction between the metals of the magnets and the coils. The older coil windings weren't coated with a wax or lacquer, so the raw wire deteriorates. Different composition of the metal from that period may also be a factor.
Of some interest to someone I'm sure, but a lot of the old pickups in 50's Fenders are dying off due to the chemical interaction between the metals of the magnets and the coils. The older coil windings weren't coated with a wax or lacquer, so the raw wire deteriorates. Different composition of the metal from that period may also be a factor.
Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Although I've never taken one apart, I'm pretty sure that the Fender humbucker had a bar magnet, although the poles were made from some weird alloy (CuNiFe I think) ... could be, I always assumed it was a bar magnet under the bobbins, never took the cover off of one to find out.
Benjy_26 said:Ummmm, if I'm not mistaken, in all Fender pickups from the 50's , the magnets ARE the polepieces.
Although I've never taken one apart, I'm pretty sure that the Fender humbucker had a bar magnet, although the poles were made from some weird alloy (CuNiFe I think) ... could be, I always assumed it was a bar magnet under the bobbins, never took the cover off of one to find out.
Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
We were talking about the Fender humbucker though, I don't know where the '50's referrence came from ... Or at least I was, because ceramics didn't come along until later ... so I think the conversation kinda split into two paths. Yeah, a lot of the older pups are still just fine though. Coils corroding due to beer, and other contaminations would be physical damage, as it causes them to short out ... plus the question qwas about present days pups (or ,again, at least that's the way I interpreted it). I had heard one ot two rumours concerning the first couple of FWR pups from Fender that were along a similar line .... but I didn't know for sure.
Benjy_26 said:
We were talking about the Fender humbucker though, I don't know where the '50's referrence came from ... Or at least I was, because ceramics didn't come along until later ... so I think the conversation kinda split into two paths. Yeah, a lot of the older pups are still just fine though. Coils corroding due to beer, and other contaminations would be physical damage, as it causes them to short out ... plus the question qwas about present days pups (or ,again, at least that's the way I interpreted it). I had heard one ot two rumours concerning the first couple of FWR pups from Fender that were along a similar line .... but I didn't know for sure.
Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Yeah , but were the coils coated with anything to protect them from liquids and such getting down inside the covers. Even if potted I'm assuming you could get some bad chemical reactions in there from beer, soda, sweat, maybe even a little blood now and then ... oh look ... they've got chicken wire ... :saeek:
beandip said:
Yeah , but were the coils coated with anything to protect them from liquids and such getting down inside the covers. Even if potted I'm assuming you could get some bad chemical reactions in there from beer, soda, sweat, maybe even a little blood now and then ... oh look ... they've got chicken wire ... :saeek:
. sorry about that.Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Boston Joe brought up the '50's thing, we were talking about alnico 5 and ceramic magnets, and their lifetime ... ceramics weren't around commercially in the 50's ... I don't think they came out until later 60s (Lew what say you on this? ) therefore the post started in regard to those two magnet types.
beandip said:
Boston Joe brought up the '50's thing, we were talking about alnico 5 and ceramic magnets, and their lifetime ... ceramics weren't around commercially in the 50's ... I don't think they came out until later 60s (Lew what say you on this? ) therefore the post started in regard to those two magnet types.
Boston Joe
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Re: How much does a pickup last/live?
Sorry about that-- it just seemed like a cool little fact/rumor to be aware of. Seemed relevant to the lifespan question posed earlier. I would really enjoy owning a nice old 50's Strat (those kind you see in guitar books and are out of the reach of mortal men), but I would really appreciate knowing ahead of time if the pickups were ready to give out :laugh2: -- I suppose that may be why so few seem to exist.
Kent S. said:
Sorry about that-- it just seemed like a cool little fact/rumor to be aware of. Seemed relevant to the lifespan question posed earlier. I would really enjoy owning a nice old 50's Strat (those kind you see in guitar books and are out of the reach of mortal men), but I would really appreciate knowing ahead of time if the pickups were ready to give out :laugh2: -- I suppose that may be why so few seem to exist.
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