Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

[Lewguitar]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

The Stack Plus should be in phase with regular humbuckers. You might've received a defective (out of phase) pickup, Lew. If so, please contact us for an RMA.

EVAN IS CORRECT. I COMPARED THE STACK PLUS PICKUPS TO SEVERAL DUNCAN HUMBUCKERS THIS MORNING AND THEY APPEAR TO BE IN PHASE. THE JB PICKUP I HAD TROUBLE WITH AND HAD TO OPEN UP AND REVERSE THE MAGNET IN WAS APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE AND COULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE 'BAD' BATCH ARTIE COMMENTED ON.

SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.

LEW

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Actually, the plot thickens...

Lew, if the Stack Pluses you installed were the beta test units, they were, in fact, built backwards relative to the production versions.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Actually, the plot thickens...

Lew, if the Stack Pluses you installed were the beta test units, they were, in fact, built backwards relative to the production versions.

Hi Evan, No I'm using those myself. The Stack Plus pickups I installed were the new production version I ordered from you at NAMM.

Before doing the installation I mentioned yesterday I held the poles of a neck Stack Plus against the screw poles of the JB and noticed they repeled.

I thought that was good sign...but I was wrong as they turned out to be out of phase with each other and I had to open up the JB and reverse the magnet.

This morning I took a new neck Stack Plus and held it against the screw poles of a new 59 and a new JB right out of the box and the poles of the Stack Plus and the screw poles of the HB's were attracted.

To me, that meant that the JB pickup in the Tom Anderson had the magnet reversed.

Would you agree?

Thanks! Lew

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

That's what it looks like. If you want us to replace the defective JB, just call for an RMA#.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Lew and everybody -- try to avoid pushing pickups against each other as a way of testing polarity. If they repel each other, you may weaken the magnets some, especially rod magnets.

Just get polarity tester from Stewmac, only $7.00...

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Tools:_Polarity_tester/Magnet_Polarity_Tester.html

...but if you should weaken a magnet some, get a couple of these...

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamps,_support_tools/Guitar_Repair_Magnets.html

...put them on each side of a vice, one facing out north, the other facing out south, and you can use them to recharge magnets.

(Note, however, that Alnico 5 is "anisotropic" which means the charge cannot be reversed. Alnico 2, 3 and 4 can be switched from north to south with a recharge, but if you recharge an Alnico 5 from the wrong direction, it will just make it weaker.)

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Lew and everybody -- try to avoid pushing pickups against each other as a way of testing polarity. If they repel each other, you may weaken the magnets some, especially rod magnets.

Is it that serious?

I've been doing this for years now! :smack:

B

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Hmmm.. this thread gives me a totally new idea: raising the magnet strength w/o changing the physical magnet...:scratchch :naughty:

 

[ranalli]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Lew and everybody -- try to avoid pushing pickups against each other as a way of testing polarity. If they repel each other, you may weaken the magnets some, especially rod magnets.

yeah...but wouldn't you have to hold them together for a while before any real "damage" was done??

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

yeah...but wouldn't you have to hold them together for a while before any real "damage" was done??

With two humbuckers it's probably not much of an issue. But two Strat or Tele style pickups where the poles ARE the mags, you could have some strength loss even with relatively brief mutual exposure. If they are opposite poles (attract each other) there won't be a problem but if they are the same and repel each other, they could weaken each other some.

Although, who knows, that might make them sound a little better, depending on your tastes.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Is it that serious?

I've been doing this for years now! :smack:

B

Me too!

I've never noticed it do any harm.

Lindy Fralin warned me about this when packaging pickups for shipment but I got the impression you'd have to leave them together for a while (hours, days or weeks???) to create a problem.

I doubt a brief exposure would do much harm...but who knows???

I'll try to limit such exposure to a very quick test from now on.

Thanks! Lew

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Here's Seymour's explanation:

Hi Guys, The reason for this is because Fender during the mid 50's and start of the Strat production the pickups all had "North" polarity till 1957-58 and that's what the Antiquity (one's) are modeled after...The Antiquity II's are based on the Mid Sixties Gray bottom pickups and they were "South" Polarity...We can make Antiquities from 58-64 that are still Aged and "South" Polarity...we need to come up with a name and marketing for it...This would be Evan's area of expertise...Hope this helps you understand this better for why we make them this way...SWD

Do I smell an Antiquity III on the horizon???

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

I wish SD had standardized it from the beginning, but at this point in the game, it may be too late. I always thought a good plan would be to standardize the polarity on all Duncans, and also supply every pickup with phillips head bolts, and do away with the slotted head (vintage Gibson) style bolts

I wonder if some pickups have a reversed magnet, due to being OEM pickups for a manufacturer that wanted them that way, to jive with the stock singles in their guitars. Any possibility that JB could have been from something like a G&L or Jackson, or something?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

Me too!

I've never noticed it do any harm.

Lindy Fralin warned me about this when packaging pickups for shipment but I got the impression you'd have to leave them together for a while (hours, days or weeks???) to create a problem.

I doubt a brief exposure would do much harm...but who knows???

I'll try to limit such exposure to a very quick test from now on.

Thanks! Lew

1 or 2 seconds should be okay, especially if you don't really press it in there. It's not a disaster anyway, because you can recharge them if something does happen...

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

There's nothing to freak out about regarding polarity standardization, just flip the flippin' magnet (or reverse the Strat pu leads) already...!

 

[ParaGuitarMedic]

Re: Suggestion for Evan and Seymour:

If this thread is for all suggestions I have one:

I think it would be totally cool if SD offered CREAM & BLACK plastic covers for the PHAT CAT. The Nickel/Chrome looks cool. But I, for one, would be absolutely sold. Just think, maybe you want folks to know you are playing P-90s.

I will post this in the pickup forum incase I just hijacked this thread.