P-90 Magnet Question...

[Stan H]

What does having twin bar mags on a SC like a P-90 do tone-wise? Does it double the magnetic strength? Double the pull? Just take up the extra space under the bobbin?

[J S Moore]

Makes it loud and aggressive. If you make a P-90 with rod magnets it will tend to sound more like a Fender single coil, but fatter. Not as fat as a P-90 with both magnets.

The double magnets make a very large magnetic field so the notes are maybe not as defined as a Fender single. There were some great illustrations on SK's site that showed the differences in the magnetic field for various types of pickups.

[Possum]

....

Its makes the tone fatter, because you have the magnetic field coming up both sides of the pickup, from the pole tops down to both sides to the edges of the magnets. If you took one of the magnets away I'm betting the tone would get a little bit thinner sounding. Some of the very first P90s acutually DID use alnico rod magnets, these seem to have been short lived version, there aren't many of them around, probably to bright and thin sounding....too Fender like.....

[Stan H]

Thanks guys, makes sense...I think I understand now.