magnetizing bars w/ stew mac magnets

[spy]

I have made a jig (not a vice) and I pass my alnicos between them but it's difficult to charge them more than 700G. If the pup is assembled it's even more difficult. When I pass the pup between the magnets one rod is 600G, the other 800G, the other 400G, etc. I need to pass it a lot of times very slowly to have a balance. I need to make my life easier that's why I thought about blocks.

[big_teee]

I have made a jig (not a vice) and I pass my alnicos between them but it's difficult to charge them more than 700G. If the pup is assembled it's even more difficult. When I pass the pup between the magnets one rod is 600G, the other 800G, the other 400G, etc. I need to pass it a lot of times very slowly to have a balance. I need to make my life easier that's why I thought about blocks.

You might want to get a couple more Neos and stack them.
I have some small ones that I stick to the ends of the rod magnets.
I like to charge each individual magnet.
I don't know if sound wise you can tell much difference in 600 and 800.
They show in the diagrams not to touch the magnets.
I stick mine on the ends of them.
The only problem is you will wear the shiney finish off.
Good Luck,
Terry

[RedHouse]

Might wanna check you mags with a gauss meter, you may find you dont wanna "fully" charge them, just say'in.

[spy]

I do have a Gauss meter (Elepro's meter) and that's how I do my measurements. How much do you charge your rods? How much is fully charged anyway?!

[copperheadroads]

A5 rods can be charged so much as 1300 gauss or more
Do some searching here ,there is a few discussions about it

[spy]

I'll try to search some more. If anyone can point a discussion it'll be really helpfull. And if there's anyone who has a magnetizer jig with blocks I'll be interested to know some more details on this.

[David Schwab]

I do it this way:

[spy]

David, how did you place the blocks on the vice? Any source for blocks?

[David Schwab]

David, how did you place the blocks on the vice? Any source for blocks?

There are attracting, so North is facing in on one, and South on the other. If you want the pickup magnetized in that direction, thats the way you pass it through. I have also used this to reverse the polarity of a Jazz bass pickup.

I get my neos from K&J Magnetics:

K&J Magnetics - Strong Neodymium Magnets, Rare Earth Magnets

[spy]

Thanks again David.

How much can you magnetize the rods with this jig? (Nice little vice you got there!)

[big_teee]

Thanks again David.

How much can you magnetize the rods with this jig? (Nice little vice you got there!)

It depends of the magnets your magnetizing.
You should to be able to get all Alnicos to full charge with good strong Neos.
Good Luck,
B_T

[spy]

Yes, I'm talking about the common alnicos used for strat, tele, jazz bass, p bass, etc pickups.

[big_teee]

Magnet charging Alnicos is about the easiest thing about Pickup winding.
You need a good strong set of NEOs, you run them through and your done.
If anything I usually wind up degaussing some to get the tone I want.
B_T

[RedHouse]

If anything I usually wind up degaussing some to get the tone I want.
B_T

Same here, and I sometimes like to charge them before assembling them into the forbon fibreboard, that way I can calibrate them to others, or for specific gauss levels. Fully charged alnico can sometimes sound too "boinky" and/or "quacky" for a lot of players.

[spy]

As I understand nobody fully charge their magnets. The pups I have made until now sound really great and all of them (A5 rods) are charged around 700-800G. I have tried lower but not higher, hope I don't miss anything.
I charge them before assembling them, too but sometimes I buy assembled bobbins and I charge them after the winding. Then it's where I have the most troubles especially on balancing.