Fire-breathing patent stickers

[EFK]

I have a weird set of patent stickers that date to probably early 1965. They are non-T bobbin, one has dbl. black wires and one is black/white. Both are about 7.3 DCR. They had chrome covers and I know the junked guitar from whence they came - the covers had NEVER been off. I wanted to put them in my SG, so whether this is blasphemous or not, I took the chrome covers off and I'm using them uncovered. However, these things sound like the voice of godzilla! Now, I have not done anything to them, but wondered why they sound so ridiculously bright and loud (which I love in this guitar by the way...), so the first thing I did was to take gauss readings at the poles. I didn't want to pull the magnets out, but expected typical T-top (crappy undersized mags) short mag gauss @ 200-230 at poles (screw poles). These suckers are reading 360 to almost 400 at the poles. WHAT?!!!! Does this sound off to anyone other than myself? Has anyone come across patent stickers or early pre-T tops with this kind of magnet pull? I don't want to screw with them - when you have a good thing, leave it alone - but what I can see of the mags, they're typical-looking short mags. They look like they might be a little thicker in the center than on the ends but judging by the dirt and dust they haven't been touched in 45 years. So anyone come across something like this? I don't think I can get this gauss at the poles with modern A5. ???

[Possum]

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the covers may have been off before, it was typical in the 70's to buy "hot rod" ceramic magnets and install them. Check for that. Those are awful high readings to be alnico....

Also be aware that alot of old Gibson buckers are dead because of being played without covers. One drop of sweat hits the tape, seeps into the coil and a few years later, you got a dead pickup. I've been amazed by the dirt and goop I found all the way inside uncovered vintage Gibson pickups...

[LtKojak]

the covers may have been off before, it was typical in the 70's to buy "hot rod" ceramic magnets and install them. Check for that. Those are awful high readings to be alnico....

My thoughts exactly. I'd bet those are indeed ceramics, not only the readings but more the description of the sound produced is the giveaway.

Depending on you rig they can sound powerful although obnoxious or like nails on a chalkboard. The few experiences I've had were of the second kind.

Anyway, to me those p'ups are crying for AlNiCo mags. An A4 in the neck and an A8 in the bridge would make'em a nice, balanced set. Try for yourself, you can thank me later!

[EFK]

I'm no "expert" but this isn't my first rodeo either. I know where the guitar they came from has lived since the late 60s and I can guarantee the covers had never been off. Additionally, from what I can see w/o removing the magnet, it sure looks like a typical Gibson alncio ie. w/ rough surface, a little pitting etc. I hate to remove the magnet to dig deeper because usually the gauss will drop off and as crazy as they are, they're different enough that I really like them in this particular guitar. Has a real Angus Young thing going on. So this type of strength is never found, historically? Just trying to figure out how far out of the ordinary they are. As I said, they're certainly twice the strength of any of my t tops.

[Possum]

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What is the gauss of the actual magnet itself? What kind of gaussmeter are you using?

[JGundry]

If you are using a Carlsen Melton meter then those are short oriented A5 magnets IMO. I had some cast in the to old specs. that read the same at the pole screws. These are great sounding magnets. Very vocal sounding and a darker toned A5. The charge is probably high because the pickup has never been messed with. The pickup assembly will preserve the charge of the magnet if you leave it alone. I had a short A2 magnet that came out of a PAF that never had the cover off prior and it read as high as 588 on the pole edges when it came out of the pickup.

[Bill M]

What is the gauss of the actual magnet itself? What kind of gaussmeter are you using?

I use Band aid brand gauze. Oops you said gauss.

[EFK]

Yep, Carlsen Melton. I don't want to pull the mags out because as I'm sure you all know better than I, as soon as I do they're going to drop strength. I figured they had to be A5. In some ways, it's almost too much! I yanked the covers because they were chrome and they sure didn't match all the nickel on the guitar. I'll be getting a set of nickel covers to put on them, but I have to admit the warped/shrunken bobbins with the big shrinkage divots in between the poles are pretty cool looking.

I've got a lot of mid/late 60s T tops, most of which also have not been molested, and yet they typically only show 200-230 at the screw poles. What was so different about those mags? I've always thought they were A5 also, seem a hair thinner than earlier mags, but never take very much of a charge....

[JGundry]

Gibson made A2 and A5 short magnets for years. I have a Gibson technical drawing of a short magnet from 1968 with an A2 formulation specified. The lower charged ones are either A2 or unoriented A5 IMO.

[Possum]

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You can easily recharge it if you take the magnet out, you have to charge the entire pickup is the secret. The ones that lose strength are usually the real thin smaller width magnets, I've had those come in nearly dead.