Pickup experimentation with ceramic magnets

[cenizasblancas]

Hi everyone, i want to share my experimentation with some of the ceramic magnets that i have, sorry for the pickup.... is awful but is for experimentation....
Here is the pictures of the magnets dimension (ceramic 8 from Magnetic holds and the smaller are for a strat pickups)



and the magnets:



Here is what i use for the poles, they are of the same diameter of the common slug and screws but are allen and are 1209 steel :



And the awful pickup:



The bobbins are from a stagg guitar (5000 turns, 80 tpl aprox), the magnets touch the screws of each bobbin, i´m planning to build my next bobbins from wood, the sound are bright and with not much power.

Regards

Juan

[Kindly Killer]

Looks like fun. Are you going for a '70's Dimarzio type sound?

[cenizasblancas]

I don´t know... ja ja, i looking for a sound like a classic paf but with more power,i demagnetize a alnico 5 bar magnet and i test it in the same bobbin and it sound too weak but the classic paf sound appeared, I have thought about doing another coil and put instead of 6 screw 12 screw and more turns with the alnico 5 demagnetized, what do you think?

[jack briggs]

A buddy of mine wanted me to wind him a "Super Distortion" type with parts he bought from Addiction FX. wound both coils with 43SPE to 8000T and used his cermaic 8 magnet. Much to my surprise (I'm more of a PAF guy) the pickup didn't suck! Actually had plenty of mids (natch with 16.5K) but clarity from the ceramic mag and all-out balls!


cheers,

[cenizasblancas]

Thanks for shearing this, here in Uruguay i can found 0.05 mm wire, is similar to the 43SPE but for the experimentation is ok. i have a question, the baseplate of the pickup is like this;



I don´t know what material is, maybe this material is stealing me inductance?

[big_teee]

Thanks for shearing this, here in Uruguay i can found 0.05 mm wire, is similar to the 43SPE but for the experimentation is ok. i have a question, the baseplate of the pickup is like this;



I don´t know what material is, maybe this material is stealing me inductance?

Looks like brass.
Nickel is brighter and IMO sounds better.

[cenizasblancas]

Looks like brass.
Nickel is brighter and IMO sounds better.

Any experience using wood? what it sound like?

[big_teee]

using wood for a baseplate would be bright like using forbon fiber.
The problem I see with using wood as a baseplate, Can it handle the stress.
The screws and springs may try to warp or split the wood baseplate.
Wood makes great pickup covers if you have a way to route them out.
for an alternative to metal baseplates is forbon, G10 circuit board material.
Some plastics will hold up and work.
GL
T

[cenizasblancas]

The next week i going to find some silicone for make molds for the base plate in resin, the new bobbins too.

[cenizasblancas]

I have been too busy so I could not do much, but i have tested 2 ceramic 5 magnets in the first and second string and i noticed that this two string sound darker....

[big_teee]

I like Ceramic Magnets, they can be very versatile.
There seems to be a stigma, that ceramics are too bright and harsh.
Most pickups can be tuned to the magnet for a good sound.
It's a bit tricky, but I have adjusted the gauss a bit to make them warmer sounding.
The Up side, is Ceramics are usually very cheap compared to Alnico.
They come charged and stay charged.
I really like the ceramic bass humbuckers I've been making.
I use them as blades in my bass pickups, and as blades you have no pole spacing problems.
If you don't use Ceramics, you may want to give them another Chance!
T

[cenizasblancas]

If you degauss ceramic magnets they are going to sound less bright?

[big_teee]

If you degauss ceramic magnets they are going to sound less bright?

They are a little tricky to degauss, but it can make them sound a bit warmer.
ceramics don't have the eddy currents like Alnico, does.
So Ceramics will always be brighter sounding.
Which can be a good thing.
So how many Ceramic Magnets did you make?
T

[cenizasblancas]

They are a little tricky to degauss, but it can make them sound a bit warmer.
ceramics don't have the eddy currents like Alnico, does.
So Ceramics will always be brighter sounding.
Which can be a good thing.
So how many Ceramic Magnets did you make?
T

56 ceramic 5 and 8 for humbuckers and 54 ceramic 5 and 8 for strat, can you explane my how to degauss it?

[big_teee]

56 ceramic 5 and 8 for humbuckers and 54 ceramic 5 and 8 for strat, can you explane my how to degauss it?

Run them thru NEOs backwards.
T