Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

[benvigil]

I recently swapped magnets in my P90's and need some clarification. My understanding is the polarity of each magnet should be matched via the long, skinny edge, not the end or the flat face. In a P90 the long edges facing the pole pieces should NOT attract. When I swapped magnets in my P90's everything matched my understanding and all went well.

I was looking at some videos today about humbucker magnet swaps and these two videos have opposite information about matching the orientation for single-magnet humbuckers: which is correct?

Video 1, he matches the short edge/face (starting at 9:03):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIfwn47hK9M&feature=youtu.be&t=542

Video 2, he matches the long, skinny edges (starting at 0:53):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju6Y1h4bFr8&feature=youtu.be&t=53

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

With pickup bar mags, you match polarity at the edge, not the end.
Only on rod mags do the ends count as N/S poles.

I only know of one exception to this - some of the Tom Anderson humbucker designs use a vertical magnet between the coils, instead of under them. I believe this would require a mag that's charged so the faces are the poles.

PS: Something's wrong with those links; couldn't watch the vids.

 

[benvigil]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

With pickup bar mags, you match polarity at the edge, not the end.
Only on rod mags do the ends count as N/S poles.

Right. The poles run N/S parallel with the strings. That's my understanding too.

PS: Something's wrong with those links; couldn't watch the vids.

I guess I'm not getting how to embed the videos correctly. It's not parsing the link with the timestamp in it, so I changed it to plain link.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

Right. The poles run N/S parallel with the strings. That's my understanding too.



I guess I'm not getting how to embed the videos correctly. It's not parsing the link with the timestamp in it, so I changed it to plain link.

Just click the little filmstrip icon above, and insert the full link in the dialog box. The Youtube button has never worked for me.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

The way you match orientation for both p90 and humbucker is identical. you slide a mag out and the new mag laid along the long thin side should attract.
The second video is the one I'd use for sure.

 

[benvigil]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

The way you match orientation for both p90 and humbucker is identical. you slide a mag out and the new mag laid along the long thin side should attract.
The second video is the one I'd use for sure.

Cool, that's what I wanted to know.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Magnet Orientation (HB vs P90)

Typically on a P90 the north pole of both magnets faces in (repelling each other).

If you have any doubts, you can check with a simple compass.