Magnet swap gone wrong?

SlappyTappy

New member
Long story short-

The magnet in my Seth Lover B model is noticeably thicker than the N model. When I tried to swap it out for an A5 like I order from Addiction-FX, which all come at roughly the same size (and worked fine for the N) it left my B model's bobbins caving in on each other, like a V shape.

So whatever, I just swap the old magnet back in. Problem is, now it feeds back more than I remember before. I can't even get my N model to feedback whatsoever and my Bridge feeds back quite easily.

Is this because the B model is higher output, or did I inadvertently fudge the magnet swap in some way?
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

measure the thickness differences between the original magnet and the new Alnico 5 magnet.

Make a spacer using strips of old business cards (glue up the strips if you want) equal to the difference of thicknesses. I'd put the magnet on the baseplate where it normally goes, and the spacer strips on top of it.

reassemble.

done.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

if it still works but it's noisy as hell and feeding back, it's probably a little vibration from everything not being nicely seated and sealed together by the little bit of wax around the magnet; the one from addiction won't have any on it.
i'd suggest loosening the 4 screws under the baseplate (that hold the plastic bobbins on), and melting the wax before putting it back together again.
i heat the baseplate with a soldering iron while pressing everything together, but other guys swear by simply heating it with a hair-dryer before tightening the 4 small screws back up, which totally makes sense.
a heat gun is overkill, but you get the idea.

i'm hoping that's all you need to do and there won't be any gaps when you're done, but if there are still gaps once you've melted the wax and pushed everything together and tightened it up, what CTN said about spacers could be the necessary (i'd put them between the mag and the baseplate though).

definitely read the "how to make a 59/custom" thread by bachtorock before getting started, if you haven't already.


i'd be interested to try an A5 seth bridge myself, do let us know how it goes
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

seths aren't potted though, so there's no wax to reflow. ensuring that the bobbins are well seated against the magnet and shims, then tightening the screws up that hold em in place is about all you can do really.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

i know the coils themselves aren't potted, but i'd be very surprised if there's no wax in the entire assembly.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

i know the coils themselves aren't potted, but i'd be very surprised if there's no wax in the entire assembly.

What part of "NOT POTTED" you don't understand?

Plus, it's got NO COVER, so tell me where would you put the wax?
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

What needs done differently? I wrapped the tape tightly around it, the ground is still intact on the inside, what else am I looking for?

Here's your answer:
seths aren't potted though, so there's no wax to reflow. ensuring that the bobbins are well seated against the magnet and shims, then tightening the screws up that hold em in place is about all you can do really.

Seth w/A5 and no cover? This is wrong in so many levels that I just don't know where to start, so... I just say it: BAD IDEA.

The Seth Lover set is the outcome of the refinement of the original PAF design, done by its inventor, helped by Seymour.

This set is the closest to PERFECTION you'd ever be, so why, oh why the A5? All the p'up's character, together with the harmonic complexity is gone.

OK, never mind that, why NO COVER? Did you get some advice from user staybobo? You could've saved some cash going with a '59... 'cause that's what you're getting, make no mistake. And you wouldn't've had the howling problem, either.

In the PAF design, the cover is paramount to ensure not only the tone, but the correct BEHAVIOUR of the p'up, put to its paces. It's what literally holds everything together.

Sorry for the rant... I guess I just love the Seth too much, so I can't avoid being emotionally involved. ;)
 
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Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

What part of "NOT POTTED" you don't understand?

Plus, it's got NO COVER, so tell me where would you put the wax?

pickups with NO COVER still have wax around the magnet,
and i'm sure i've read that the coils in the seth aren't potted but there's still a little around the mag.

either way, i may be wrong today, but you'll still be an arrogant cock tomorrow.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

This goes against all religious rules of the Pickup Lounge. Magnet swaps are everything right and nothing wrong.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

Here's your answer:


Seth w/A5 and no cover? This is wrong in so many levels that I just don't know where to start, so... I just say it: BAD IDEA.

The Seth Lover set is the outcome of the refinement of the original PAF design, done by its inventor, helped by Seymour.

This set is the closest to PERFECTION you'd ever be, so why, oh why the A5? All the p'up's character, together with the harmonic complexity is gone.

OK, never mind that, why NO COVER? Did you get some advice from user staybobo? You could've saved some cash going with a '59... 'cause that's what you're getting, make no mistake. And you wouldn't've had the howling problem, either.

In the PAF design, the cover is paramount to ensure not only the tone, but the correct BEHAVIOUR of the p'up, put to its paces. It's what literally holds everything together.

Sorry for the rant... I guess I just love the Seth too much, so I can't avoid being emotionally involved. ;)

I'm agreeing with you here. The OP might az well of got a '59, since I'd expect it would be pretty similar to the A5 Seth Lover. Also, the metal cover helps acting as a shield along with holding the assembly tightly together.

Hope that emotional reasoning improves still. ;)

pickups with NO COVER still have wax around the magnet,
and i'm sure i've read that the coils in the seth aren't potted but there's still a little around the mag.

either way, i may be wrong today, but you'll still be an arrogant cock tomorrow.

I don't usually agree with Pepe, in fact I probably disagree with him most of the time, but calling someone anonymouson the Internet male genitals is just going to lead to trouble.

As for the wax potting issue, un-potted means the pickup and its parts were not submerged in wax. There is no wax to be found stock on the Seth Lover pickups.

OP, make the bobbins spaced high enough for the magnet or the magnet higher until they are at a matching height. The concave shape of the pickup is your problem which is an assembly issue.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

Here's your answer:


Seth w/A5 and no cover? This is wrong in so many levels that I just don't know where to start, so... I just say it: BAD IDEA.

The Seth Lover set is the outcome of the refinement of the original PAF design, done by its inventor, helped by Seymour.

This set is the closest to PERFECTION you'd ever be, so why, oh why the A5? All the p'up's character, together with the harmonic complexity is gone.

OK, never mind that, why NO COVER? Did you get some advice from user staybobo? You could've saved some cash going with a '59... 'cause that's what you're getting, make no mistake. And you wouldn't've had the howling problem, either.

In the PAF design, the cover is paramount to ensure not only the tone, but the correct BEHAVIOUR of the p'up, put to its paces. It's what literally holds everything together.

Sorry for the rant... I guess I just love the Seth too much, so I can't avoid being emotionally involved. ;)

People complaining about magnet swaps? On THIS forum? What the hell?

The Anniversary Seths that command so much money have A5 magnets and nobody is fussing about that.

Contrary to your assumptions, with A5 it does NOT sound like a 59, which is the pickup I had in before it. The A5 Seth has lower output and a more even response in the mids.

My intentions were simply to try the closest clone to a PAF (the Seth) with ALL of the different magnets that originally came in the early models (A2, 3, 4, 5). The neck pickup I have easily installed A4 and A3 in to stellar results. The A4 is probably my favorite neck humbucker I've ever played, with near single coil grind and clarity while still reacting like a humbucker.

Nobody complains that Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page removed their covers from their PAFs. I prefer it for aesthetic reasons and so I can more easily access the magnets.
 
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Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

I'm agreeing with you here. The OP might az well of got a '59, since I'd expect it would be pretty similar to the A5 Seth Lover. Also, the metal cover helps acting as a shield along with holding the assembly tightly together.

Hope that emotional reasoning improves still. ;)



I don't usually agree with Pepe, in fact I probably disagree with him most of the time, but calling someone anonymouson the Internet male genitals is just going to lead to trouble.

As for the wax potting issue, un-potted means the pickup and its parts were not submerged in wax. There is no wax to be found stock on the Seth Lover pickups.

OP, make the bobbins spaced high enough for the magnet or the magnet higher until they are at a matching height. The concave shape of the pickup is your problem which is an assembly issue.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

The noise issue I'm having is in both conditions. I have it with the stock thick A2 magnet and level bobbins and I'm getting the "howl." I've checked it over thoroughly and I think the issue is more to do with the higher output of the bridge model compared to the neck. It's entirely possible that I didn't test the pickup at sufficient gigging volumes to discover the "howl" before playing with magnet swaps.
 
Re: Magnet swap gone wrong?

pickups with NO COVER still have wax around the magnet,
and i'm sure i've read that the coils in the seth aren't potted but there's still a little around the mag.

That's the problem right here: you have no idea, as you have never seen a taken-apart Seth p'up. Yet you feel the need of talk about what you obviously don't know, adding insult to injury for playing the hearsay card, just trying to save face.

Then, you name call ME? For stating the facts? The simple facts you blatantly ignored?

A worthy man would've simply stand corrected.

Your honor, I rest my case! :cool2:
 
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