US Magnet Manufacturer

[Pep]

Hi guys, long time no see. I was handwounds on the old board. Anyway, it's been about a year since I have touched a pickup and I have been wanting to get back into it. Most of my old sources seem to have dried up and I am trying to figure out this "mystical" US Magnet manufacturer that made the original magnets for fender products. I think John Suhr and a few others are sourcing some stuff but I have been digging for awhile and can't come up with any useful leads. Anyone around here know what the name of this manufacturer is or perhaps have any helpful information on tracking it down. Thank you and very much appreciated. PM me if you don't want to post.

Pep (josh)

[Pep]

nobody huh?

[ken]

My magnets probably come from China, just like everything else. I just buy 'em
from the vendor.

Sorry,
Ken

[Pep]

Well, I've kept working on this and have gotten a few leads (not from here) but nothing yet. Either nobody knows or nobody wants to spill the beans.

[David King]

Pep, I doubt there are any beans to spill. There aren't that many US manufacturers left to do business with and for all we know they are just importing the same magnets in from China since for most purposes, saving 75% makes sense..
You can try the usual suspects:
Master Magnetics
Bunting Magnetics
Dura Magnetics
Arnold Magnetics
EA Magnetics
and doubtless others...
Perhaps someone on one of their sales forces will remember the old days when "crazy Leo" kept bugging them.

[ken]

I don't really know who actually makes them, I buy from Master or Allstar just like everyone else.

Ken

[Pep]

Thanks for the replies guys. I know allstar owns their own plant in China and they turn out really good magnets (good prices for low quantities as well). Honestly, I don't know that there is an audible difference or if US quality is better. That is really what I would like to find out with some testing. Odds are they are probably pretty damn expensive too.

[David King]

Pep I once got a set of new Lindy Fralin bass pickups in an Arnold Magnetics box. That was 10 years ago before they had a website up but it got me thinking. I didn't care much for the pickups but what do I know?

[soundmasterg]

Possum and I share your opinion of Fralin's stuff too. Nothing special....

[Pep]

That makes 3 of us. Blahh. Mags are way to strong. Too much biting high end. I thought I once saw a video of Fralin doing his thing. My memory is shot, but he was using a servo motor with a joystick to wind his coils. Strike a bell with anyone?

[Zhangliqun]

I buy from Magnetic Hold, Inc., in Wichita.

Can't say for sure if they make their own or just import them, but they are extremely responsive to any and all unusual size or dimension of magnet I ask for and they get them to me pretty quick, which sure sounds like they have the plant nearby rather than in China. I may be wrong, but I can't imagine some big overseas firm willing to so quickly put out unusual size mags in such small quantities.

[Spence]

Arnold magnetics. Read their history page and understand why they were so big in the AlNiCo scene pre and post war.
There's nothing mystical about any of this either and they didn't develop AlNiCo for guitar pickups so nothing magical was injected into the mix.

[Pep]

In 2001, Arnold acquired full ownership of Jade Magnetics Ltd. Founded in June of 1998 in Shenzhen, China, a city of four million located just across the border from the Northern Territories of Hong Kong. Since its inception, the company has grown from three employees and a single product to more than 45 employees and a range of products spanning sourced magnetic materials to complex high precision assemblies.

The Sevierville, Tennessee Ferrite manufacturing plant was closed in October 2001 as a result of low cost product being imported from China and Korea. This was the third US ferrite manufacturing company to close (another closed in 2002). Arnold's strategy became one of buy/resell, developing relationships with higher quality Asian manufacturers.

[David King]

http://www.chinamagnets.com
They supply several west coast, boutique pickup makers. Great prices and better QC than many domestic suppliers.