Firebird Magnets

[Zhangliqun]

Okay, so I got some of the purported GJ Firebird magnets, and they are about 1/8" too long to fit in the bobbins -- and these are the long bobbins, any longer won't fit under the cover. Anyone know where to get some REAL Firebird magnets?

[David Schwab]

Not yet, but soon:

Mojotone Magnetized Alnico 5 Firebird Magnet (2.050'' long x 0.315'' wide x 0.125'' thick)

If you want a bunch of them, I'd suggest Sensmag.

[Zhangliqun]

That's a help, at least they're available somewhere if not right away. Thanks Dave. But gotta tell a customer there's going to be a slight delay. That's always fun...

[David Schwab]

The only magnets I see at GJ are for mini humbuckers, and they are listed as 2-5/31" X 1/8" X 1/4". That's not the same as Mojo at all. It says it slides into the bobbin. Did you use their bobbins, or from another source?

What size is the slot in the bobbin?

[Zhangliqun]

They're LISTED as 2-5/31" (whoever heard of 31sts of an inch?). But what they sent me was 2-5/16". The bobbin slots are just a shade under 2-3/16" by my ruler. And yes, these are GJ bobbins, which are significantly longer than the Allparts mini bobbins.

[David Schwab]

They're LISTED as 2-5/31" (whoever heard of 31sts of an inch?). But what they sent me was 2-5/16". The bobbin slots are just a shade under 2-3/16" by my ruler. And yes, these are GJ bobbins, which are significantly longer than the Allparts mini bobbins.

That's not good.

[Zhangliqun]

And while we're at it, the mags were also 1/2" wide. Thought they were supposed to be more like 3/8" or less.

[Spence]

Personally I would use two steel blades through the bobbins with a short PAF magnet on the baseplate.

[David Schwab]

Personally I would use two steel blades through the bobbins with a short PAF magnet on the baseplate.

Me too. Easy to do as well.

[Zhangliqun]

Would love to do it that way but my understanding is the real deal had magnets right there and anyway, the customer will accept nothing less.

[David Schwab]

Would love to do it that way but my understanding is the real deal had magnets right there and anyway, the customer will accept nothing less.

But will he accept something more? In the end you will make a good sounding pickup. What will the customer be comparing it to? He probably wouldn't know one from the other.

[jaydawg]

That's kinda funny. Pickup makers will argue the how the smallest detail will change the sound of a pickup but then turnaround and say that a complete change in the style of construction shouldn't make that big of a difference!

I personally believe that winding the coil on the magnet, ala firebird and hershey bar pups, is a large part of the sound of those pickups.

[David Schwab]

That's kinda funny. Pickup makers will argue the how the smallest detail will change the sound of a pickup but then turnaround and say that a complete change in the style of construction shouldn't make that big of a difference!

I personally believe that winding the coil on the magnet, ala firebird and hershey bar pups, is a large part of the sound of those pickups.

What I'm saying is forget trying to copy some old design, do something original in that form factor. Make your pickup, not someone else's.

[jaydawg]

I agree David. It's always more fun to do something original but it seems that customer wants a straight up Firebird pickup. Building him something else would be dishonest.............right?

[David Schwab]

Building him something else would be dishonest.............right?

Not unless you told him it was a "straight up Firebird pickup". I never said to do that.