magnets for bass pickups.

[Darren Orr]

Hey, i was after some info as to what magnets to use for bass pickups, I was planning a build which will have a P-bass pickup in neck and a MM soapbar pup in bridge.

What size magnets should be used? and Where can they be ordered from??

I live at the arse end of the world and its really pretty hard to get anything special down here.

Would the ones from guys magnets (in the specials section) do the job??


Cheers, Darren

[Spence]

Send a PM to Jonson. He maybe able to help you.
Or try David Schwab if he realises he has a PM or you're not on his 'ignore list'.

[Darren Orr]

thanks!

[David Schwab]

Ignore list? We have one of those? Oh I'm putting Spense on that!

Well P-basses use alnico rod magnets, just like most of the Fender single coils. The single coil winder here would likely have a lot of answer as to where to buy those.

I've been using a stockpile of ceramic magnets I had. Most are the same size as under the ceramic Fender Strat pickups, or the size used in humbuckers. I have to start buying some soon myself.

Soapbar is a shape of the case, and anything can be on the inside. For example, EMG make soapbars that all look the same on the outside, but the J is a stacked single coil, the P is a split Pbass style humbucker, and the CS and DC are dual coil humbuckers.

Here's a photo of the bottom of a Basslines ceramic MM pickup. They have 2 ceramic bar magnets, one under each coil, and of course the poles are steel rods. So in this way an MM pickup is kind of like two single coil pickups.

The other way to do a dual coil is to have a single magnet the way a gibson humbucker is set up.

[Darren Orr]

sweet, Thanks guys!

[Spence]

Ignore list? We have one of those? Oh I'm putting Spense on that!

Well P-basses use alnico rod magnets, just like most of the Fender single coils. The single coil winder here would likely have a lot of answer as to where to buy those.

I've been using a stockpile of ceramic magnets I had. Most are the same size as under the ceramic Fender Strat pickups, or the size used in humbuckers. I have to start buying some soon myself.

Soapbar is a shape of the case, and anything can be on the inside. For example, EMG make soapbars that all look the same on the outside, but the J is a stacked single coil, the P is a split Pbass style humbucker, and the CS and DC are dual coil humbuckers.

Here's a photo of the bottom of a Basslines ceramic MM pickup. They have 2 ceramic bar magnets, one under each coil, and of course the poles are steel rods. So in this way an MM pickup is kind of like two single coil pickups.

The other way to do a dual coil is to have a single magnet the way a gibson humbucker is set up.

Which works best?

[mkat]

Here's a photo of the bottom of a Basslines ceramic MM pickup. They have 2 ceramic bar magnets, one under each coil, and of course the poles are steel rods. So in this way an MM pickup is kind of like two single coil pickups.

The magnet grounding is much nicer on this than the alnico version of the same pickup, which has a single wire (kind of like a paper clip but thinner) touching all the magnets.

[black_labb]

where do you live in australia?
there is a place in sydney called a magnetic force (in botany near the airport) that sells magnets of different sizes, some being 20mm by 5mm diameter which are the magnets you need for a strat or fender style pups (including basses)

http://www.magnet.com.au/company_profile.php thats the website, which tells you which mags they have in stock.

if you have a bit of room, or are making the bass yourself you could make an interesting pup using a different sized magnet that they have.

alternatively mick (he visits these forums a reasonable amount, and will probably chip in soon) sells parts for pups, including magnets and the bobbins. i havent bought any from him as ive been making my own bobbins from wood to match the guitar ive been making. i will be making a couple bass pups soon for a bass ill be making for my girlfriend. the bass pup will be a simple single coil, with 8mm diameter by 24mm alnico magnets i think, but that may change.

[Darren Orr]

australia????? hahhahhaaaa no thanks....

I live in New Zealand. 8)


Cheers for that, will check it out.

yeah im making the bass myself. Just started making pickups and decided i like those pickups, so ill make them.

[R.G.]

Which works best?

Define "best".

[mkat]

there is a place in sydney called a magnetic force (in botany near the airport) that sells magnets of different sizes, some being 20mm by 5mm diameter which are the magnets you need for a strat or fender style pups (including basses)

http://www.magnet.com.au/company_profile.php thats the website, which tells you which mags they have in stock.

I know the place and bought a hand full quite a while ago, but they are expensive if you buy bulk. Buying a few here and there for experimentation is convenient being so close.

[Spence]

Define "best".

That's a good point but I was asking Dave's opinion as a bass player which he thought worked the best for a bass.

[David Schwab]

Which works best?

I don't know. I've never made any set up like the MM pickup. It's a very wide pickup, so a single magnet would be pretty big, and then of course the slugs would have to be taller too.

I don't think there's a best, just different. It's a nice sounding pickup... very bright and snappy.

[David Schwab]

The magnet grounding is much nicer on this than the alnico version of the same pickup, which has a single wire (kind of like a paper clip but thinner) touching all the magnets.

It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? I had a bass in the shop with one of each, which was the first time I saw the Alnico model. I thought that wire was funky as well.

[mkat]

It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? I had a bass in the shop with one of each, which was the first time I saw the Alnico model. I thought that wire was funky as well.

What's connected to the small solder joints visible on the four (I think it's five actually, the shield wire looks like it's soldered to the middle joint on the bottom coil) corners of each copper tape?