Differences in various magnets

[kayakerca]

Being totally new at looking into building pickups and to learning the same, I had been looking for information on the potential magnetic capacity of the various Alnico magnet types and came across link (from the website of a UK P/U manufacturer). Not sure if this link or this information specifically had been posted in this format before, so I thought I'd pass it alone just in case there were others out there like me. It is REAL simple terms which makes it easy for guys like me to say, "OK, I sorta get a bit of that part of things now." I apologize if this is just repeat of many other postings.

Magnets explained

Take Care,

Jim. . .

[big_teee]

Being totally new at looking into building pickups and to learning the same, I had been looking for information on the potential magnetic capacity of the various Alnico magnet types and came across link (from the website of a UK P/U manufacturer). Not sure if this link or this information specifically had been posted in this format before, so I thought I'd pass it alone just in case there were others out there like me. It is REAL simple terms which makes it easy for guys like me to say, "OK, I sorta get a bit of that part of things now." I apologize if this is just repeat of many other postings.

Magnets explained

Take Care,

Jim. . .

Thanks for sharing your info.
I don't think the Gauss readings agree with other readings that have been made and posted here.
Alnico 5 is not the strongest Alnico.
Alnico 8 and Ceramic 8 are much stronger than Alnico 5.
A8, & C8 are close to twice as strong as A5.
Also I find A8 to not be as Bright and as harsh sounding as C5 & C8.
So I guess those are just Another Pickup Makers Opinions.
Here's some other findings that are more in line with the groups findings.
Pickup Specifications
There are some exceptions with these also.
Also each brand and batch of magnets come out a bit different in gauss strength
Good Luck and Welcome.
Terry

[kayakerca]

Thanks for sharing your info.
I don't think the Gauss readings agree with other readings that have been made and posted here.
Alnico 5 is not the strongest Alnico.
Alnico 8 and Ceramic 8 are much stronger than Alnico 5.
A8, & C8 are close to twice as strong as A5.
Also I find A8 to not be as Bright and as harsh sounding as C5 & C8.
So I guess those are just Another Pickup Makers Opinions.
Here's some other findings that are more in line with the groups findings.
Pickup Specifications
There are some exceptions with these also.
Also each brand and batch of magnets come out a bit different in gauss strength
Good Luck and Welcome.
Terry

Thanks for the link Terry. I picked up a gauss meter on ebay and tested the surface gauss readings off a set of Fender Tex-Mex (straight from the Fender box) with Alnico 5 magnets. They were in the 11,500 area (according to the meter) which is consistent with the readings for Alnico 5 from the link I had from the UK website where they were quoting surface gauss potential of ~ 12,800. Is there a relationship between these high values and the ones from the link you provided? Is this a different measure standard such as feet vs. metres? They seem vastly different.

[big_teee]

The ones on my link are bar magnets read on the edge.
I didn't personally make the readings they came from another forum member.
That does seem pretty high for A5 Magnets.
Maybe Copperhead or another member can chime in on the rod magnets.
My experience is mainly with humbuckers, with bar magnets.
11.5k sounds more in line with ceramics.
Let's wait and see what others think.
I wouldn't have said anything earlier, but the A5 vs C8, and A8 is totally different than what all of us here have come up with.
Also, can you read just one magnet or is that all 6 rod magnets on one pickup.
Terry

[kayakerca]

Also, can you read just one magnet or is that all 6 rod magnets on one pickup.
Terry

The readings are +/- the same area 11,000 to 12,000 for each rod in a p/u. I am placing the probe on the surface of the rod to take the reading. I also tested a couple of Strat clones I have. These pickups have a bar magnet on the bottom of the pickup vs. the magnetized rods like on the Fender Tex-Mex. They tested in the ~ 4,000 area when I placed the probe on the top of the rod (far end of the rod from the magnet).

This is the type of meter I am using:

Tesla Gaussmeter Digital Magnetic Flux meter 2000mT DC | eBay

Take Care

Jim. . .

[kayakerca]

The ones on my link are bar magnets read on the edge.
I didn't personally make the readings they came from another forum member.
That does seem pretty high for A5 Magnets.
Maybe Copperhead or another member can chime in on the rod magnets.
My experience is mainly with humbuckers, with bar magnets.
11.5k sounds more in line with ceramics.
Let's wait and see what others think.
I wouldn't have said anything earlier, but the A5 vs C8, and A8 is totally different than what all of us here have come up with.
Also, can you read just one magnet or is that all 6 rod magnets on one pickup.
Terry

The differences in the measurements is confusing because of the order of magnitude of the difference. I did a bit of Googling on Alnico 5 magnets and came across two different measurement of magnets.

- Gauss:
The gauss, abbreviated as G, is the cgs unit of measurement of a magnetic field B (which is also known as the "magnetic flux density", or the "magnetic induction"),

- Oersteds:
Oersted (abbreviated as Oe) is the unit of magnetizing field (also known as H-field, magnetic field strength or intensity).

These are different measurements of a magnet. Now, I stumbled on a book which contained some definitional aspects of magnets (specifically Alnico 5 here).

Woldman's engineering alloys - Google Books

If you look at the Alnico 5 data, they show:
- Gauss: 12,800
- Oersteds: 640

The Oersteds measurement value for an Alnico 5 is remarkable close to the reading of 680 from the link in your previous post. Is it possible that the readings in that link from your post are Oersteds (magnetic field strength) as opposed to Gauss (magnetic flux density/magnetic induction)?

And yet another link:

Magnetic Hold, Inc.

The table in this link shows the Alnico 8 has a lower gauss than the Alnico 5, but a higher oersteds measurement which coincidently is extremely similar to the Alnico 8 measurement from you link in the previous post. I think the measurements in the link from your post must be oersteds not gauss.

I'm just trying to learn and understand here, but this stuff is just pretty cool to an OCD techish personality type guy like myself. :-)

Take Care,

Jim. . .

[copperheadroads]

& There you have you just have to figure the math to convert it
I does look like nice meter & a good price

[kayakerca]

& There you have you just have to figure the math to convert it
I does look like nice meter & a good price

While the two measurements are 'related', from what I can find, there seems to be no conversion formula from one to the other. This seems to make sense as the gauss from Alinico 5 to Alnico 8 decreases while the Oersteds increases, whereas from Alinico 1 to Alnico 5 both measurements increase.