Neo and SamCo

[automan]

I want to start experimenting with Neodymium and Samarium Cobalt but really have no idea how much mass I would need. How big are these magnets usually in pickups? This is mainly for jazz bass pickups, but I wouldnt mind experimenting with humbuckers or even strat sized pickups for guitar.

Also, for those of you that build pickups out of these, where do you get them from?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Dave Kerr]

I made a 5 string blade humbucker using 4 ea 1x1/4x1/4 neo magnets from K&J, sounds great. Seems like overkill, but David S mentioned using those magnets, and they worked out really well.

[automan]

What kind of steel did you use for the blades and where did you get it?

My head has been exploding with designs once I start to think how little area a neo mag would take up inside a sealed pickup.

[David Schwab]

I get my neos from K&J Magnetics. I get my steel from McMaster-Carr. I use different types of steel in different pickups, but generally it's 1010 or something similar. I've never used SmCo magnets.

[Dave Kerr]

I used hardware store grade 1/8" steel. Had tried laminating blades from metal shim stock (there's a long thread here on that, worth reading for both the good advice on adhesives and procedure from guys like Jonson and Joe G and for the tales of my idiocy trying to figure it all out). I liked the sound of the solid blades better.

[David Schwab]

I used hardware store grade 1/8" steel.

I made a bunch of pickups using that stuff. It sounds fine.

Had tried laminating blades from metal shim stock (there's a long thread here on that, worth reading for both the good advice on adhesives and procedure from guys like Jonson and Joe G and for the tales of my idiocy trying to figure it all out). I liked the sound of the solid blades better.

I think the issue there is the type of steel. I had a model using laminated SS blades and I found them to be too edgy sounding. Switching to solid blades warmed up the tone. The SS blades might be useful for some other design though.

[jbforrer]

I have been using laminations from an old power transformer to fabricate blades. Fairly tough stuff, but cuts easily with tin snips --- hammered flat on an anvil afterwards. That makes it easy to build a core as needed, i.e., taylor magnetics or get more/less inductance, whatever the need is.

Magnetism is provided by small neo's attached to the blade. The neos are 3/16" dia of various thicknesses depending on application. Very compact and powerful little things. I buy mine off eBay.

Please see pictures of how this applies to my sidewinders (shown are middle and bridge). These use ferrite rods in the coils and the pickups are intended for use in single-coil slots. Gauss readings measured at the top of the blade are ~120 vs. ~800 for typical A5 rod SC pickups.

Hope this helps.

JBF.

[Dave Kerr]

I think the issue there is the type of steel.

Probably, and I had dragged out the project (bass for my son) too long already, so I punted on the lam part of it. I used the 1008-1010 grade steel shim stock from McMaster, the solid hardware store stuff is more like 1018 I think. I'll give JBF's idea a shot if I ever find the time to revisit, I really like the idea of reusing found stuff like that.

[David Schwab]

I used the 1008-1010 grade steel shim stock from McMaster

Oh, well that's what I use too.

[Dave Kerr]

Oh, well that's what I use too.

Then it's one of the other variables, I guess. I gave it only a couple iterations, but since I was throwing a buffer in the bass anyway I wasn't all that concerned about losing high end.

[Amit]

I have been using laminations from an old power transformer to fabricate blades. Fairly tough stuff, but cuts easily with tin snips --- hammered flat on an anvil afterwards. That makes it easy to build a core as needed, i.e., taylor magnetics or get more/less inductance, whatever the need is.

Magnetism is provided by small neo's attached to the blade. The neos are 3/16" dia of various thicknesses depending on application. Very compact and powerful little things. I buy mine off eBay.

Please see pictures of how this applies to my sidewinders (shown are middle and bridge). These use ferrite rods in the coils and the pickups are intended for use in single-coil slots. Gauss readings measured at the top of the blade are ~120 vs. ~800 for typical A5 rod SC pickups.

Hope this helps.

JBF.

How about a review?!