Slotted poles vs hex poles

[vinnie1971]

Any views on using slotted threaded pole pieces vs hex type as per dimarzio super distortion? What might the effect be on tone?
Would it yield softer trebles? Or no effect?

Edit mines not DiMarzio but Maxon DiMarzio Super 2 clone

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/6pcs-Gold-P...d-Pole-Screw-Pickup-Tool-Useful-/271892541400

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[InbredJunk]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

In my experience swapping slotted poles for hex poles, the hex poles almost always give a boost to treble and tighten the lows. I've only used black oxide steel hex poles for this. It doesn't change the tone drastically, but it is noticeable. I reckon it would work the opposite way around if you replaced hex poles with the slotted type.

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[darthphineas]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

look at the Custom 5. then look at the Full Shred. same pickup, different poles.

pole length is also a factor.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

look at the Custom 5. then look at the Full Shred. same pickup, different poles.

pole length is also a factor.

What influence does pole length have? These poles are tiny bit longer than mine.


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[vinnie1971]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

In my experience swapping slotted poles for hex poles, the hex poles almost always give a boost to treble and tighten the lows. I've only used black oxide steel hex poles for this. It doesn't change the tone drastically, but it is noticeable. I reckon it would work the opposite way around if you replaced hex poles with the slotted type.

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Good, that's what I am looking for, softening the trebles as with my pickups they are very bright. Just want a little warmth on the upper trebles without affecting the rest of the tone.


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[darthphineas]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

What influence does pole length have? These poles are tiny bit longer than mine.

until labcoats show up with charts and graphs to offer a better visual understanding , imagine the longer poles stretching the magnetic field out bigger, but down. you know, since the extra length is down below the bobbins and baseplate. shorter poles keep the field smaller. typically, the shorter pole will produce a tighter character.

if you want an apples to apples, find out what alloy the poles are made from (good luck on that) and buy yourself a handful. then snip them down to a few different lengths. let's say snip on right at the bottom of the baseplate and another halfway. then swap them out and listen to the difference. or... do a little research on the different types of pole alloys, buy some of each that are of interest, and try them out.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

until labcoats show up with charts and graphs to offer a better visual understanding , imagine the longer poles stretching the magnetic field out bigger, but down. you know, since the extra length is down below the bobbins and baseplate. shorter poles keep the field smaller. typically, the shorter pole will produce a tighter character.

if you want an apples to apples, find out what alloy the poles are made from (good luck on that) and buy yourself a handful. then snip them down to a few different lengths. let's say snip on right at the bottom of the baseplate and another halfway. then swap them out and listen to the difference. or... do a little research on the different types of pole alloys, buy some of each that are of interest, and try them out.

I can't imagine the difference is going to be huge. I am getting good tone out of these pickups, but the top end has a little too much attack and rather bright, so I'd like to keep the EQ the same while just taking the edge off the top end, which the tone control won't do but, I do have a varitone box and going through a 0.001uF cap with an inductor gets the job done, but I'd rather not hard wire that into my guitar ;-)


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[darthphineas]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

I can't imagine the difference is going to be huge.

Depends.

 

[InbredJunk]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

Try a 250k volume knob. Might do the trick

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[Dave Locher]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

Those screws cost a buck or two! Just try them (and let us know how it goes).

Although...if it's a Super Distortion pickup you will have to either trim the screws down to the same length as the hex poles OR drill holes in your base plate to let the longer screws through. I'd vote for option A.

 

[vinnie1971]

Slotted poles vs hex poles

Those screws cost a buck or two! Just try them (and let us know how it goes).

Although...if it's a Super Distortion pickup you will have to either trim the screws down to the same length as the hex poles OR drill holes in your base plate to let the longer screws through. I'd vote for option A.

From the uk it's £6 for 24 screws with free shipping so it's worth shot. But I have a horrible feeling the threaded portion does not go far enough up the screw.

It's a Maxon pickup which I believe is a Super 80 - seems to be a clone of DiMarzio Super 2 but the base plate is a generic design that Maxon could use interchangeably with all their pickups designs. The rods are 18mm so I think they will fit but I have also ordered standard fillister screws and keeper bars - the bass plate has holes in it. I have maple spacers to hold ALNICO mags in place, but as long as I get the effect in tone I am looking for, then I think 12 fillisters, keeper bars and alnico magnets is the way to go as I will be able to remove the spacer between the base plate and magnets and hopefully the combined effect of the brass base plate touching the magnets, and slot head fillisters will take some of the harshness on the trebles that is still present even with Alnico magnets. I think it's the hex poles. They are short like super distortion ones but not so short that when I swap the giant ceramic for an alnico that I can get away without a spacer.




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[vinnie1971]

Slotted poles vs hex poles

Those screws cost a buck or two! Just try them (and let us know how it goes).

Although...if it's a Super Distortion pickup you will have to either trim the screws down to the same length as the hex poles OR drill holes in your base plate to let the longer screws through. I'd vote for option A.

I want to make the change completely reversible. These Maxon pickups are fetching $70 plus for one and are getting pretty scarce. So I would want to butcher them. They got a big fan club in vintage Japanese guitar circles, especially the super 70 and V2 / V1, mine have fans in the heavy rock / metal camp.



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[Dave Locher]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

Ah, that's different then.
I have a 1978 V-2 that I LOVE. I've had it in three or four different guitars since I got it around 1986 or so. Great pickup. Also had Super 70s and did not care for them.

I will say, though, that it sounds like you are making so many changes that it would be easier and less risky to just get a whole new pickup?

 

[thanaton]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

Any views on using slotted threaded pole pieces vs hex type as per dimarzio super distortion? What might the effect be on tone?
Would it yield softer trebles? Or no effect?

The shape of the screw head isn't going to make any difference, but the type of steel and screw length do make a difference. It's worthwhile to try swapping them out or shortening them. Cutting the screws makes the same sort of difference that you get when you swap an AlNiCo 2 bar for AlNiCo 5, it makes the same type of electrical and magnetic impact on the pickup.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

The shape of the screw head isn't going to make any difference, but the type of steel and screw length do make a difference. It's worthwhile to try swapping them out or shortening them. Cutting the screws makes the same sort of difference that you get when you swap an AlNiCo 2 bar for AlNiCo 5, it makes the same type of electrical and magnetic impact on the pickup.

 

[thanaton]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

How would the shape of the screw head make a difference? How exactly would that work? It's your turn to wear the lab coat.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

How exactly would that work

1. Remove the filister poles.
2. Install hex/Allen pole. (Or vice versa).
3. Plug in and play.
4. Use the ears. <- important part
5. Difference is obvious.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

Well I have seen graphs and lots of technical info but it doesn't really translate into anything other than theory for me. I need to hear it. From what I have read the concavity of the hex head makes a difference to the magnetic field as there is less iron near the string and in my pole pieces they are 12x5 mm threaded slugs with a hex head. That's quite a different shape and dimensions to a standard fillister screw.
Whether there's a difference, I will know in a few days when my screws, spacers, keepers etc arrive [emoji6]

I am interested to try one coil left as it is and the other coil replaced with fillisters so from a distance it would look like a regular humbucker, and see how that compares with swapping all the poles for fillisters.
I haven't even considered the ferric alloy as that's just beyond my means to identify... just mild steel so far as I am aware with nickel coating for the fillisters and my hex poles look like black powder coated mild steel.


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[thanaton]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

1. Remove the filister poles.
2. Install hex/Allen pole. (Or vice versa).
3. Plug in and play.
4. Use the ears. <- important part
5. Difference is obvious.

"How"

 

[devastone]

Re: Slotted poles vs hex poles

If the materials are the same, the slotted head screw has more metal near the string, it's pretty much a sold pole with just a slot in it, the hex head is more like a tube, the hex hollows out the pole near the string. I can see how it could make a difference, but I'm not going to try to predict exactly how or try to draw the magnetic field or anything.