A question for the experts

[madialex]

Ok this is driving me a bit batty!!

When I wind a single coil say a strat PU. I am getting this, cant describe it in words really, kinda like a slight stratitis in the tone on the unwound strings in the bridge position and it should not do that there. I have no other Pu's in the guitar, just the bridge for testing etc.. Clean it is almost non existent but can be heard when I overdrive the amp some.

Here is what I have done and results. I tried a very loose tension, it seemed to cure it for the most part but then the output is lower and bass response is a bit spongy. Seems the tighter tension I add it comes back more and more.

Am I dealing with bad magnets, a crappy wind or am I just not hitting the tension sweet spot??

Please help before I throw everything I own in the trash and say screw it, my sanity is not worth it!!

[copperheadroads]

it almost sounds like when you install a strat pickup that you forget to charge the magnets , you get that horrible sound ,kind of what your describing

[madialex]

You could be right. I use those fairly large Neos to charge with. Thing is, it has been so long I forgot how to use them to charge with. I saw a video on you tube where a guy put them both in a vise with north on both facing the middle and it worked but isn't that wrong? Wouldn't it be north facing out on one and south on the other??

[copperheadroads]

if you want the top of the pickup (just say north up) you will need the south pole of the neo magnet facing the soon to be charged north up pickup & on the bottom side of the pickup you will the neo magnet north pole facing the bottom of the pickup

[madialex]

I thought that was the right way but wasn't sure. Is there a stabilizing period after charging them?

[Spence]

Degauss and regauss. Should sort that out.

[madialex]

Degauss and regauss. Should sort that out.

Thanks Spence I'll try that. BTW what does that do?

[copperheadroads]

it takes the strength from the magnet then charge it again, run the pickup between 2 opposing poles of your neo magnets several times

[copperheadroads]

sorry.... i don't have a gauss meter yet , but with your neo magnets in your vise just flip a magnet to have the poles opposing each other north to north run your pickup thru then flip your pickup & do the same a few times . it degauss your pickup so much that ferrous materials wont be attracted to it very much if not at all

[Spence]

It will just ensure that your magnets are all fully charged and all in the same orientation.

[madialex]

Thanks for the help everyone, this saved my ass for sure and a whole lot of wire too!!
Still need to do some tweaking on the tension though. I have a wind I am very very pleased with and hope by adding a little more tension it doesn't alter the wind in a bad way. I am trying to not have to pot this wind, it sounds way too dam good to pot and lose some flair. But it squeals like a little girl when you add some gain to it. Hey I could call it the only use this pickup with little or no gain cause you'll need ear plugs wind

[big_teee]

Please be gentle, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post.

Speaking about magnet polarity.
My question is, about what is north.
a bridge single coil with South up, Does the south end (white) of my camping compass point toward this?
I have some ceramic magnets removed from humbuckers.
I always thought white was south, but the north end of my camping compass points to the white side of the ceramics.
Any clarification of polarity would be greatly appreciated.

[madialex]

Please be gentle, I'm new to the forum and this is my first post.

Speaking about magnet polarity.
My question is, about what is north.
a bridge single coil with South up, Does the south end (white) of my camping compass point toward this?
I have some ceramic magnets removed from humbuckers.
I always thought white was south, but the north end of my camping compass points to the white side of the ceramics.""If it is pointing to the north of the compass the white side is south""
Any clarification of polarity would be greatly appreciated.

I can finally answer this! If your compass points to north at the top of the pickup the magnet top is south polarity, if it points to south it is north up polarity. Hope this helped.

[copperheadroads]

the red on your compass is north & if you point towards the top of the poles on then what ever it is ,it is . are you talking about that white paint on on one side of those cheap humbucker magnets im not sure which side has which pole

[big_teee]

the red on your compass is north & if you point towards the top of the poles on then what ever it is ,it is . are you talking about that white paint on on one side of those cheap humbucker magnets im not sure which side has which pole

That's right, the cheap ceramics that come out of cheap import guitar humbuckers.
Look at the SD link I have here.
Wiring Diagram
So the first SD pickup, the red end (north) of my compass would point to Slug (North), is this correct or not???

[copperheadroads]

if you make a polarity tester with one of those little neo magnets you will paint one side of the magnet so if you paint the north side red & you test a north up single coil the south pole of the neo will be attracted to the north side of your pickup showing the red side of your magnet - determining a north up pickup a compass is doing the same

[copperheadroads]

screw side on the bridge pickup is south ,slug is north

[big_teee]

screw side on the bridge pickup is south ,slug is north

Ok, I take tha,t as Red Points to slug north.
The reason I asked for color I get different answers about the north and south ends of a compass.
Is the red end of compass pointing to north, or is the red end of compass north.
I have 2 different references on the net.
I just want to conform and do Like the rest of folks.
Thanks for the help!

[copperheadroads]

points north

[David Schwab]

The red end of a compass needle points to magnetic south, not north. The red end is north. The magnetic pole at the North Pole of the Earth is magnetic South, not North! So the red end of the needle will point to the south polarity of the pickup.

The white paint on ceramics is the north pole. Not just cheap ceramics, all ceramics.

Earth's magnetic field - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earth's magnetic field (and the surface magnetic field) is approximately a magnetic dipole, with the magnetic field S pole near the Earth's geographic north pole (see Magnetic North Pole) and the other magnetic field N pole near the Earth's geographic south pole (see Magnetic South Pole).

[copperheadroads]

confusing thats for sure ,as long as you saying the red arrow on a compass points north is ok

[David Schwab]

confusing thats for sure ,as long as you saying the red arrow on a compass points north is ok

Yes, Geographical North on the Earth, not Magnetic North on a pickup!

Someone just got it mixed up once and we have been calling it North ever since.

I use one of these. They would be simple enough to make.

STEWMAC.COM : Magnet Polarity Tester

[big_teee]

I Think I figured out my dilema! My Camping compass no longer pointed north, or my house got turned around.
I had inadvertently reprogrammed my compass. I had somehow reversed the polarity.
So I got a strong ceramic magnet and changed the polarity back so my house is now pointing the right direction again.
Has anyone else done that? Or am I just lucky. lol
You would think, a keep you from getting lost compass would be made of a permanant magnet.
This acted like it was Alnico composistion!
Later,
Terry

[Zhangliqun]

Don't bother with a needle compass. Just get a polarity tester like Stewmac sells. You can't miss.