Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Tone-Analyst

New member
So I took this new pickup apart and found a .492 wide magnet in a space that would definitely have needed a .5. Dimarzio puts a silicon kind of stuff to keep things together and just from analyzing the remains it's clear there is a space between the hex screws and the magnet, about as thick as an x-acto blade. This pickup is not advertized as being "aired" and if it was there would be spacers between. Is it a common occurence? I don't fell very impressed..
 
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Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

I hope you're not expecting a pickup (or indeed a magnet) to have the precision of a swiss watch.....that would indeed be a mistake.
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Were you happy with the way it sounded? That's all that really matters.
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

I hope you're not expecting a pickup (or indeed a magnet) to have the precision of a swiss watch.....that would indeed be a mistake.
Well both sizes are available, why put the wrong one in there? You guys seem easy to please regarding pickups, I'm surprised you even browse this forum? No I'm not just happy if it sounds decent. I got 13 guitars and like to test pickups for particular technical reasons and expect quality. This isn't a chinese ROHS..
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

I try to save my outrage for things that actually matter, like if the pickup only sounds decent. ;)
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Try a .5" magnet and see if it makes a substantive difference in the sound. If you're unhappy with the product, let your wallet do the talking and don't buy their products anymore.

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Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

That's normal for all dimarzio pickups that use the thicker ceramic mags and the two rows of Allen slugs (not Allen cap screws) typically there is a thin ferrous metal spacer. This is a super 3 that has the same construction as a dactivator.
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It's all due to the width of those particular pole pieces, which is an important part of the design. They also need the .495 width for their other models and from a production perspective it's easier to use a magnet that fits all their models pole variations, instead of having multiple width magnets for each model.
 
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Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Well both sizes are available, why put the wrong one in there? You guys seem easy to please regarding pickups, I'm surprised you even browse this forum? No I'm not just happy if it sounds decent. I got 13 guitars and like to test pickups for particular technical reasons and expect quality. This isn't a chinese ROHS..

Ok, so I have between 30 and 40 guitars with pickups practically all in the boutique range.......if size comparisons are your thing.

I browse this forum as I am interested in tone. So many come in here applying standards that have no place in the guitar world. In fact the whole premise of guitar is in NON-accuracy......tubes being one key element.....the vague notion of fretted instrument intonation another, and the loose standards of pickup construction being the whole reason why the vintage pickups sound the way they do.
You are of course more than free to complain for any trivial reason you like.....just don't expect us tone hounds to consider such views in any way relevant.
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Wow this forum is full of trolls.. or Dimarzio infiltrators.. anyways here's why it's important: I'm used to dismantle Duncans and pull a tight .5" magnet out of a .5" spacing. If these's a space, it creates a different sound, for which Dimarzio coined the term "aired". If I want that sound, I'll purchase an aired pickup. The reason a certain pickup sounds the way it does is vastly due to it's technical specs. Long are gone the days when Gibson didn't count turns and you could be lucky or not. If as a company you keep very loose specs and magnets are floating all over, what you hear is not the sound of a D-Activator neck pickup (in this case), but you are hearing the random sound of a bunch of parts loosely thrown together like a chinese lawn mower. In my case, looking closely at the space in the silicon "rubles", the magnet was tilting from one side to the other, making both coils inversely gradually going from normal to aired. I bought this pickup for a very precise reason, to have low output, mismatched coils with the thin hex screws, to see how well it would perform for high gain leads way up the neck. I did get some of what I wanted, the way upper notes sound like gunshots, but in the lower range I heard a lack of definition like typical "aired" pickups and, now I know exactly why!
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

what you hear is not the sound of a D-Activator neck pickup (in this case), but you are hearing the random sound of a bunch of parts loosely thrown together like a chinese lawn mower.
Really??? Do tell!

Just how many of these have you "analyzed" ?!?

In my case, looking closely at the space in the silicon "rubles", the magnet was tilting from one side to the other, making both coils inversely gradually going from normal to aired.
Besides the fact that you compromised it (which proves exactly nothing), how were you able to determine this?
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

I live in Canada so I've never been able to take advantage of Duncan or DiMarzio's 21-day exchange policy. But when I spend time researching a pickup I always get an idea in my head about what I think it should sound like. If user reviews (primarily on this forum) line up with what I think I expect, I will buy the pickup.

Once I pull the trigger and get it installed, if I'm not getting the sound I expected, I sure as hell don't take the pickup apart to find out why. Lol

Generally speaking forum members here are inquisitive and there are a lot of guys who dive deep into the specs, but it's fair to say one player's ideal bass response through their rig might be too much or too little for the next guy.

To the OP, don't be offended or surprised that we're not taking you seriously because you took the pickup apart to prove your point. Most of us just don't do that.

Did you try flipping the pickup around already? Did you call DiMarzio? Does it sound the same in one of your other guitars?

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Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

IDK, I own a set of those pickups, and the neck pickups is certainly not low output, although it has a lot of its energy focused in the highs and upper-upper mids which may make it seem like it is a little cooler than it is, its still almost as hot as some of their highest output bridge models, The hex stud poles are actually thicker throughout than the typical cap hex, which are just thicker at the head, but thinner in the threaded, and they don't protrude from the base plate, which really directs focus. I definitely wouldn't call it a pickup with lack of definition either.

I honestly think it might be the case of a missing spacer just like the picture I posted shows. I have a suspicion that Dimarzio might build pickups more on an assembly line fashion, since they are a high production company, where in somebody makes a bunch of preassembled magnet and base assemblies, and its possible somebody grabbed a baseplate intended for an air model. Mistakes happen, and even some Duncan products have shipped with errors as well that make it to the sales floor, such as unintended reverse wiring of the conductor cable, that cause phase issues with other pickups. That happened to a forum member just recently.

I do agree that you should take up your beef with Dimarzio's customer service instead of forum members here, as it's their product you have issues with, not anyone's at this forum. They are both better equipped and more obligated to thoroughly answer your questions regarding their products and why yours is the way it is. They should be able to make things right for you. I have delt with hteir customer service team many times, and they have always been more than willing to help.
 
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Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

Really??? Do tell!

Just how many of these have you "analyzed" ?!?


Besides the fact that you compromised it (which proves exactly nothing), how were you able to determine this?

Look I've been playing guitar for 25 years, I build and repair tube amps and electronics of all sorts. I reconed at least 4 Celestion speakers, 1 JBL, I've manually rewinded a number of single coils. I just know my way around technical stuff. I've seen a couple aired Dimarzios and they use plastic spacers which is the only way to make a consistent product. Aired pickups are also advertized as such. I did not compromise this pickup as I can put that magnet back in tilted just the way it was, which ain't happening anyway as I'll be moving forward trying other magnets and mixing coils. I would not have held onto this pickup in it's stock configuration anyways. Looking at your first reply you seem to be very minimalist, if it sounds good just leave it. You're the type of guy that lets machines run until they implode and then take em to a guy like me.. I'm not really looking forward to keep arguing about this, I was just looking to find out how common this was for Dimarzio pickups. ..
And Joey yes this pickup is quite hot, but because the ceramic magnet is off the charts strong, the coils themselves are burderline underwinded.
 
Re: Magnet way too narrow in new Dimarzio D-Activator??

And Joey yes this pickup is quite hot, but because the ceramic magnet is off the charts strong, the coils themselves are burderline underwinded.

Well the magnet is a huge factor in all of it, as well as how much metal is encased with in the bobbin, not just the wire gauge used for the coils or the coil geometry, so don't expect a lower output or for it to respond like a lower output pickup just because the dcr seems more in line with vintage models, than their high power models. If you are judging this by the published dcr of 7.22k, dcr is again the worse spec to make assumptions with especially with dimarzio products which use all sorts of techniques to shape output and response. Also don't assume that the coils are under wound just because of the dcr spec either, unless you know exactly which gauges of wire they used for each coil, and how many turns were used. Underwound has a very specific meaning, not just implied dcr. If awg41 was used for one of the coils, you could wind until the wire was slipping off the bobbin and only have a reading of 3kohm dcr for that coil. (Yes dimarzio uses 41 for some of their models). It has a low dcr, but it's certainly not physically underwound. If they used 44awg and the coil only read 3-4k than yeah you could confidently make the statement that it's underwound, but underwound usually is reserved as a tool of comparison generally for two otherwise like items, so under wound when compared to what?

Edit: just measured my dimarzio dactivator neck, and I indeed think they use 41awg for one coil and 42awg for the other. The north facing coil reads in the 3k range and the wire is nearly falling off the bobbin, and the south is in the 4K range and is about standard for a paf wind. Both coils by my calculations have about 4000-5000 turns, which also make it congruent with the 4501 patent. So nothing is Underwound. This looks like a super2/humbucker from hell hybrid. The magnet in mine also appears to be a suitable width as both rows of pole touch it firmly.
 
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