- Are the elevations of individual pole pieces in stacked dual coil pick ups (hum-cancelling) permanently fixed? Or are they able and intended to move for the purpose of balancing volume as part of a setup?
.
On the neck PU shown In the attached image, the poles for the "B" and treble "E" strings are both well below the elevation of the rest of the poles. There are also differences in over all pole lengths from one pole to the next.
. - Metal swarf can be seen on two pole pieces of a pick up. Does such swarf influence the magnetic field of the pole piece (and the tone)? Are there any suggestions for extracting the swarf?
Pole Pieces: Stacked Dual Coil Pickups
- Thread starter EddyCurr
- Start date
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
The polepieces are non adjustable, they are staggered to give even string-to-string volume with a 7.25" radius and wound g string. I've never bothered cleaning my polepieces, but I doubt it would affect the sound in any meaningful way
Thank you
Being more accustomed to the adjustable poles in PAF-like humbuckers, I gently poked the low poles in the stacked pickups w/o receiving any sense of moment. Then I decided to ask my betters before proceeding along a path of no return.
Bonus appreciation extended for the 7.25 radius & wound G configuration criteria. Good to know about. I play light strings (9-42, 8-38) that feature a plain, rather than wound "G" string, but NBD.
I will put a few moments into seeing what can be accomplished by going after the swarf with a couple of Q-tips.
Being more accustomed to the adjustable poles in PAF-like humbuckers, I gently poked the low poles in the stacked pickups w/o receiving any sense of moment. Then I decided to ask my betters before proceeding along a path of no return.
Bonus appreciation extended for the 7.25 radius & wound G configuration criteria. Good to know about. I play light strings (9-42, 8-38) that feature a plain, rather than wound "G" string, but NBD.
I will put a few moments into seeing what can be accomplished by going after the swarf with a couple of Q-tips.
The Q-tips needed backup. With assistance from a bit of scrap plastic, an old toothbrush, some Naptha and most importantly, a vacuum with a crevice-type nozzle attachment, the improvement in appearance pleases me.
If you use Naptha, use it SPARINGLY. I did not have trouble (yet), but I think excessive application could dissolve the adhesive that holds the clear tape wrapped around the stacks.
The crevice-type nozzle was essential for pulling accumulated swarf from the magnets. A previous owner or "luthier" must have failed to cover the pickups before using steel wool on the frets.
The scrap of thin plastic was particularly useful for scrapping DNA off the rails without any damage. The "before" picture on the left is what the rails looked like AFTER cleaning with cloth and toothbrush.
Thanks.
It was one of those projects that did not take long, utilized materials I already had on hand and delivered satisfying results.
Forgot to mention that
. a) I use safety glasses for this kind of work - the kind with lenses that have good optical characteristics (UVEX or equivalent).
. b) Good general lighting plus a flashlight for spot illumination helps ensure no debris is overlooked by those of us with vintage vision.
It was one of those projects that did not take long, utilized materials I already had on hand and delivered satisfying results.
Forgot to mention that
. a) I use safety glasses for this kind of work - the kind with lenses that have good optical characteristics (UVEX or equivalent).
. b) Good general lighting plus a flashlight for spot illumination helps ensure no debris is overlooked by those of us with vintage vision.
strat dude
Active member
“Metal Swarf” my next band name. !!
