Mixing Alnico bars?

[chevalij]

I've had a request to make a 5/2 P90. I did some searching and found Spences lovely Alnico cutting tool But, has anybody cut and mixed A5 and A2 bars? I was thinking just cutting one of each and laying them end to end, but wasn't sure what effect the cut would have on the bars if any? I don't mean the physical cutting, I mean when the two magnets are laid end to end.

Yes, I could do it and find out (and probably will anyway), but before I wind a pickup and ship it, it would be nice to know if it will die in two weeks or something similar...

[guitician]

Like a Dearmond??

I recently restored this Dearmond "Guitar Mike", and it had two alnico bars, that seemed to be of different strengths, set end to end. I think the design was for less pull, or pickup of the B string. Alnico should keep it's magnetism unless subjected to strong rotating magnetic field.

[chevalij]

Is that a brass spacer between the bars? I think someone else was talking about a similar pickup a month or two ago?

[guitician]

Yeah, that is right were the B string would be located. I've seen early models that use one single alnico bar in the same housing, but with a solid chrome cover(no black bars). I started a thread about three months ago called "DeArmond "Guitar Mic" Resoration". The other DeArmonds like the Chief use different alnico bar magnets and wind four with one coil, then the B and e strings with another coil. It seems anything will work, it's just a matter of it fitting the application.

[David Schwab]

What are those pieces that were in the cutouts in what looks like cardboard on the back of the pickup? Are those steel?

[guitician]

Yep, steel

Die stamped, and fit exactly into the cutouts in the cardboard.

[David King]

Smart buggers they were..