MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

[DieterPinklage]

AHOY.

I'm looking for a fool proof way to properly swap a magnet into a previously unmolested pickup without using any tools other than the magnets themselves and keeping the same polarity that the "factory" pickup had.

I've opened 3 newer SD pickups and all 3 have had a mark on the magnet at what I would call the "top right edge" meaning if the pickup is face up with the Duncan logo on the bottom coil reading left to right, the mark on the magnet is at the top right.

To swap, is the general idea that you want the new one to REPEL the existing magnet in all directions? I do not mean to oversimplify this, but I have no tools to check with and just need to know how the NEW magnet should "react" to the old one before swapping. I think I did one backward and made the polarity backward on accident.

 

[Demanic]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Slide the original magnet part of the way out. Then take the new magnet and hold it with largest side to the largest side of the magnet in the pickup. If they attract each other, install the new magnet in the orientation that you have it when they attract. If it repels, flip it over before installing it.
If you ever install a magnet and find that the middle position of the three way switch sounds out of phase, just take out the magnet again, flip it and reinstall.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[DieterPinklage]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Don't I need to do an edge to edge repel and a top to bottom repel test?

The rectangular mags have a total of 6 "sides". Are they supposed to repel this way [=====] <repel> [=====] and also top to bottom repel?

 

[Demanic]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

You can if you want, but really only one is needed, either top to bottom or edge to edge.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

If you set the new magnet on top of the old magnet, lying flat, the should attract = stick together. Put the new mag in the same way the old one came out. As Demanic said, you don't have to take the mag from the pickup, all the way out. Slide it out halfway and lay the new mag on top. When it attracts you have your orientation. I've always done it that way and I don't have any phase issues.

All you need is a small Phillips head screwdriver to loosen the baseplate screws a bit. No special tools required. Sometimes you might need a hairdryer to help loosen any wax around the magnet, but most houses still have one.

 

[DieterPinklage]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Now to actually oversimplify this, please confirm if I am understanding correctly:

With the original magnet slid halfway out, I want the bottom of the replacement magnet to "stick" to the top of the original magnet. Once that is achieved, this tells me the orientation? Ignore what any of the other "edges" of the magnet are doing?

 

[Demanic]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Yes.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[DieterPinklage]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Thanks a lot for the wisdom and advice! I had been guessing up to this point and got 2 out of 3 right, hah.

On the one I did backwards I accidentally made it so the 'slug' poles made my test magnet stick vs the screw poles sucking the magnet in. They are all bridge pickups where I orient the screw pole coil closer to bridge. I will reverse the magnet in the "slug pole sucker" and see if that fixes.

 

[Demanic]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

It should.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Discharged]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

The screw bobbin is the South and the slug bobbin is the north.

Take the mag partially out and mark the slug side wih a sharpie, so you know that's North.

Done.

/Peter

 

[DieterPinklage]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

I flipped the magnet on one of the pickups that was weird and now I have the screw bobbin sucking in the magnet and the slug bobbin repels, so it's right now!

The tester magnet I am using is a ceramic bar mag and what I am doing is holding it up so just one of the thin edges gets sucked onto the screw bobbin. One of the thin edges on this ceramic (came out of a parallel axis distortion trembucker) is like silver or white in color which is the one that sticks to the screw coil and the other edge is black like the rest of the mag. What does that colored edge mean? Here are some pics of my magnet sucking to the screw bobbin and a photo of the much lighter colored "edge" of the mag.

 

[Hank-]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

The coloured edge helps in marking the polarity of the magnet. That way in a two humbucker pickups set its easier to slide the correct magnet polarity towards the screw coil. I forgot whether the marked side denotes north or south.:smack::friday:

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

While you've got that mag out, might as well replace it with an alnico and get some improvement in your tone.

 

[DieterPinklage]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

While you've got that mag out, might as well replace it with an alnico and get some improvement in your tone.

HAHA! This genuinely made me laugh. Classic, classic comment.

I actually did replace the ceramic with an Alnico8 and think I like the pup butter with the A8. *BIG* lows but still tight and a smoother top. Nothing against ceramic at all because I really love ceramic pups like the Distortion and especially Nazgul!

Swapping magnets is a lot of fun, I'm glad I decided to take the plunge and just do it. The hardest part of it was just learning how to put the friggin' magnet in the right way.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Screwdrivers are complicated.

 

[Discharged]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

Screwdrivers are complicated.

Yeah! Sneaky little bastards, that's what they are!

/Peter

 

[Mr. B]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

 

[Discharged]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

That video shows exactly the opposite of what you supposed do.

It's incredible that he does that right after explaining the very concept of mag bars polarization. What it shows absolutely no understanding of this so simple concept.

/Peter

 

[gearhead63]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

I use a cheap compass, hover it over the pickup and see which way the needle points. Then install the new magnet so it's the same as the original.
DON'T TOUCH IT TO THE MAGNET OR YOU'LL HAVE A JUNK COMPASS!

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: MAGNET replacement - easiest way using no special tools

@DieterPinklage In post #11, what kind of magnet is that in the attached pic, with the extremely rough and wavy edge? I've never seen a magnet with an edge that rough. Is that one of your ceramics or A8? It looks very interesting.