Re-Magnetize a humbucker

[Scott S.]

Is this possible - re-magnetize the two coils seperately without disassembly, via some kind of magnetic shielding?

[David Schwab]

The coils aren't the magnet. The magnet is under the coils... can you loosen the screws and slide the magnet out?

[Scott S.]

I left out important info, this is a humbucker with two rows of Fender style rod magnets, sorry about that..

[David Schwab]

Oh, I see...

I can't think how you would do it without taking it apart. But maybe one of the clever chaps here know a trick.

[kevinT]

you might try Stewmac's technique that they use for charging single coils. Using a vice and 2 neo magnets. I provided the link. The part about magnitizing the magnets is near the bottom. It may work, even though the bottom of the plastic bobbin is still covering the mags, unless you already drilled the bottom out.

if you try this technique with humbucker bobbins, let us know how they turn out.


http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-5967.html

[David King]

Any magnitizer should be able to do this no? You insert the poles in the gap in the proper orientation and zap it or do whatever it takes to get the magnets up to snuff.

[kevinT]

oh yeah. a magnetizer would definitely do the job with ease. However, with the most popular one, that most comercial pickup makers use on the forum, costing $600, not everyone has one.

[RedHouse]

oh yeah. a magnetizer would definitely do the job with ease. However, with the most popular one, that most comercial pickup makers use on the forum, costing $600, not everyone has one.

What one is that?

[kevinT]

What one is that?

Part No. MAG24C


http://www.magnetsource.com/Solutions_Pages/magnetizrsetc.html

when i bought mine over a year ago, it was over $500. Add about $60 or more shipping (it is very heavy) and it brings you to about $600.

This is the most widely used magnitizer among winders from what i can tell.

Possum, Wolfe, Nordstrand, and some others use them.

[Scott S.]

The issue with a normal magnetizer or neos is both rows will be magnetized to the same polarity, and they need to be opposite.

Maybe two horseshoe magnets would work?

[kevinT]

for the magnitizer, i just put them in between the holders and zap them. I don't put them in based on matching the poles. I don't believe it matters...the magnitizer is sort of neutral.

I actually add gauss and degauss bar mags with an Alnico 8 bar mag.

point the same poles towards one another and the A8 degausses it with quick swipes. The good thing is if you degauss it too much, just point the opposite poles (ie N and S) and hold it there for a few seconds and the A8 will charge it. You can do this even while the pickup is in the guitar. This works for me.

To check polarity, use a compass or stew mac has a nifty little polarity tester that works great.

I haven't tried it with rod magnets but i am sure it will work in that context too.

[David Schwab]

To check polarity, use a compass or stew mac has a nifty little polarity tester that works great.

I love that little thing. Clever idea... put a painted neo button magnet in a plastic tube.

[Joe Gwinn]

The issue with a normal magnetizer or neos is both rows will be magnetized to the same polarity, and they need to be opposite.

Maybe two horseshoe magnets would work?The neo magnetizer will make all magnet rods the same direction unless one makes iron polepieces to focus the magnetizing field onto one row of rods at a time.

Two heavy (at least 0.5" square in cross-section) mild steel bars can be used for this, with the row of rods between the bars, which are stuck to the neo magnets in the drill press vice.

The magnetizing field thus flows through the first neo magnet, the first bar, the parallel rods in a row, the second bar, the second neo magnet, and back to the first neo magnet via the body of the drill press vice.

A suitable heavy rectangle: http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/GSDRVSM?PACACHE=000000053349640

Cut to length with an ordinary hacksaw, and dress the sharp corners with a hand file. Use the 0.5" faces on magnet and rods, so distance between faces of the neo magnets and the rods is 0.75" on each side.

[Scott S.]

Joe,

I drew up what I think you are describing, is this correct?

[Joe Gwinn]

Joe,

I drew up what I think you are describing, is this correct?Not quite, although what you drew could work. I had the neos and the rectangle bars down in the vice, between the jaws of the vice, with the pickup between the bars.