Magnet swapping question

BruceBruce

BruceBruce

New member
Hi, I ordered a new Custom SH-5 to put in my Fender Strat. I have a few magnets lying around in case I want to make it a CC or C5. My question is: how do I know which sides are 'top' and 'bottom' and which are 'up' and 'under'? So what's the direction I have to put it in and how can I know?
 
Magnet swapping question

Most magnets are marked North or South. The person I buy my magnets (eBay seller) from marks north. Throbak marks south iirc.

Anyhow, loosen the screws off your baseplate and carefully push loose/out the original magnet in the Custom. Try to see what side is identified. I think SD marks south, but I'm not sure. Remember that opposites attract and N-N or S-S or repel. So what I do is that I line up the new mag with the old to figure out which direction to put it in. If it repels, orient it to where it'll attract. That's the direction you want the magnet to go in.

You can also go off these pictures.
34974f251b3da077755a44fbbd8d12d8.jpg
757204c995a20c82cbceba5313845019.jpg



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Re: Magnet swapping question

Mine are from a Gibson and GFS pickup, so they're not marked. Any way to tell an A2 from an A5? I think I know which one is which, but it would be still interesting to know.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

Good info Yeredhouse! Ive done dozens of mag swaps and NEVER had a magnet marked. Some Ive bought will have A2 or A5 written on them. Ive just always done this. Dont pull the orig magnet all the way out. once its about half way, take the new magnet and hold it to the other one sticking out of the pickup. And then figure out which end/side is which based on whether they attract or repel. once if figure that out, Ill mark ends and sides with a sharpie on the new mag so I can slide it right in and will also mark t or b (treble or base) on the ends and T or B for (top or bottom) on em..

Brucex2, As far as which is which mag is which.. First, going forward mark them with a sharpie or label somehow as you remove them. As far as which is which tween a few different ones you may have in a pile.. Im not 100 % im sorry to say. perhaps someone will be able to tell us. I do know that my alnico 8 mags are usually almost black vs silver for the others. (i know, not much help) Otherwise, Im sure there is someway to tell with a multi meter and reacon someone will be along to answer that..
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

Sorry to highjack the thread, but it is on topic. So what side touches the baseplate matters? I was wondering about that. I wasn't sure if it just mattered to get the right edge facing the right way. good to know. I'm going to swap the A5 in my custom 5 with an A8, and the same for my jazz with an A4.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

BruceBruce said:
Mine are from a Gibson and GFS pickup, so they're not marked. Any way to tell an A2 from an A5? I think I know which one is which, but it would be still interesting to know.
Click to expand...

Visually? It'd be pretty difficult. More so if they're both polished. I would ask Gibson and GFS what type of magnets they use in the pickups you have.

chris effect said:
Sorry to highjack the thread, but it is on topic. So what side touches the baseplate matters? I was wondering about that. I wasn't sure if it just mattered to get the right edge facing the right way. good to know. I'm going to swap the A5 in my custom 5 with an A8, and the same for my jazz with an A4.
Click to expand...

I'm not an "expert" on this, more experienced members here will have to confirm it, but I think as long as you orient the magnet as pictured/ described in the blog, it'll be fine. The top and bottom should be correctly oriented and will face the baseplate in the "right" direction.



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Re: Magnet swapping question

chris effect said:
Sorry to highjack the thread, but it is on topic. So what side touches the baseplate matters?
Click to expand...

No. The poles are on the long edges. As long as N touches slugs and S touches screws, your humbucker will be in phase with other humbuckers because 99% of the buckers on the market have their magnets oriented that way. On the other hand, if your humbucker is out of phase with another pickup, you can spin the magnet around 180 degrees. Also, as I've said so many times in here that others may be sick of it, get one of these:

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tool...building/Schatten_Magnet_Polarity_Tester.html

You'll wonder how you got along without it.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

As far as telling them apart, A8s are a bit more powerful than A5s- there's a chance you'll be able to find out which is which by sticking them to the fridge and seeing which holds tighter. Unscientific, I know. But it might work. I've been able to distinguish A4s from A8s that way.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

chris effect said:
Sorry to highjack the thread, but it is on topic. So what side touches the baseplate matters? I was wondering about that. I wasn't sure if it just mattered to get the right edge facing the right way. good to know. I'm going to swap the A5 in my custom 5 with an A8, and the same for my jazz with an A4.
Click to expand...


I orient like this: Pull the old mag out halfway, and hold the new mag against so that the ends repel and sides attract. I don't know the polarity of my magnets, nor do I need to.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

Zhangliqun said:
No. The poles are on the long edges. As long as N touches slugs and S touches screws, your humbucker will be in phase with other humbuckers because 99% of the buckers on the market have their magnets oriented that way. On the other hand, if your humbucker is out of phase with another pickup, you can spin the magnet around 180 degrees. Also, as I've said so many times in here that others may be sick of it, get one of these:

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tool...building/Schatten_Magnet_Polarity_Tester.html

You'll wonder how you got along without it.
Click to expand...

Thanks.. I have an electronic one coming from amazon. It was like 5 bucks more. Maybe it'll be ok. It seemed to be ok in the videos. I have a known polarity magnet so I can test


blueman335 said:
I orient like this: Pull the old mag out halfway, and hold the new mag against so that the ends repel and sides attract. I don't know the polarity of my magnets, nor do I need to.
Click to expand...

That's awesome too. Simple, I like that.
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

chris effect said:
Thanks.. I have an electronic one coming from amazon. It was like 5 bucks more. Maybe it'll be ok. It seemed to be ok in the videos. I have a known polarity magnet so I can test




That's awesome too. Simple, I like that.
Click to expand...

Thats what I said in my previous post.... sheesh.. haha


Zhang, I hadnt seen that before.. Pretty cool! I may pick one up. Ive always done it by the repel method, but I have once or twice in haste, pulled the magnet out before testing and had em end up out of phase. One guitar I left that way cuz it sounds cool..
 
Re: Magnet swapping question

No prob. was just goofing.. Blueman was more to the point.. Yeah, I have a couple of projects (including a pickup swap and mag swap) that I keep putting off too..
 
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