Charging Magnets

[Stan H]

That's is how I do it (bench vise). I built a small jig out of 1/8" wood to hold the pickup so the poles wont acutally come in contact with the neo's. I heard that's bad...I just slide the jig with the pickup between the jaws of the vise several times to charge. Maybe one day I can afford a real charger.

A quick head's up with the Stewmac charging magnets. You need to put them in a heavy steel "charging circuit" that joins the outside poles to achieve full charge on your alnicos. The easiest way to do this is to stick them to the insides of a bench vise's jaws. You can set that gap that way.
Otherwise you would need to fabricate a heavy U shaped chunk of steel with the right gap built in.

[SkinnyWire]

If you're having problems with harshness you might try using GuitarParts USA brass bucker covers, they are thin enough to not kill alot of high end, but just take it off nicely for problem pickups.

Nah, it's not a problem at all just an observation that's different than yours. No need to resort to brass covers with the right wind.

[chevalij]

Funny thing about the stewmac charging magnets. Everything says don't touch the magnets and everybody makes jigs etc. When I used them, I just kept them in the plastic containers they shipped in and stuck them on a vise

[SteikBacon]

Why not touch the magnets???

[Spence]

They're probably just covering themselves against people who have bizzare magnet-related accidents. It is quite hard to sepreate them if you allow full contact but life's full of little inconveniences.

[cwood3]

Funny thing about the stewmac charging magnets. Everything says don't touch the magnets and everybody makes jigs etc. When I used them, I just kept them in the plastic containers they shipped in and stuck them on a vise

Now yer talkin'. I got them yesterday and they really are strong. Thanks for all the replies and good info.

[Possum]

...

they still won't give you a full charge, they're too small, I put them in a metal vise and charged alnico 5 rods with them and they don't hit really full hot charge that my big ass neo or my real charger will, but heck thats ok, only reason to have a full charge would be for alnico 3 or a tele bridge pickup....

[cwood3]

..................well, actually I am doing a Tele bridge pickup. Well, no big expense invested here. I'll go ahead and wind one up and give it the "human ear test". I've seen various "off the shelf" Tele bridge pickups ranging in resistance from about 7K-ohms to as high as 23k-ohms. With "semi-charged" Alnico V rods, I wonder what a reasonable wound resistance might be...... I'm not looking for a specific sound, just something pleasingly Tele-sounding.
Thanks.

[EtLa]

you might try using GuitarParts USA brass bucker covers, they are thin enough to not kill alot of high end, but just take it off nicely for problem pickups.

I solved alot of feedback (unwaxed pickup) problem by spraying release agent on the top bobbin and little bit of silicone inside center of the covers.

BTW a Luther gave me some Seymour's custom shop cover to work with and wow! They are well made, no needs of wax or anything and sounds great.