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Unsure how to re-gauss the magnets in this pickup

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  • Unsure how to re-gauss the magnets in this pickup

    Pickup is from an old Lori guitar. Very flat, top mount pickup. Anyway, I noticed the gauss at the screw poles were significantly weaker on the bridge pickup, which felt extremely weak. I'm just unsure how exactly to re-gauss the two magnets for the proper polarity and magnetic field pattern, in this pickup using a Neo magnet. This is my first time charging multiple bar magnets in a pickup and I want to make sure I do it correctly..

    Thanks!
    Click image for larger version

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  • #2
    correct me anyone if i am wrong, but those magnets look ceramic

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    • #3
      They do appear to be small ceramic magnets.
      Make sure the magnets are oriented correctly.
      Like this North/screws/North, or South/Screws/South.
      If one magnet gets flipped over, like South/screws/North?
      If that is the case it will read weak, and not operate correctly!
      T
      **Another observation.
      The top magnet in the picture, appears to be against the bobbin coil, and not against the steel keeper.
      I would try to get the magnets setting on the bobbin against the keeper.
      That will strengthen the magnetic field strength considerably!
      "If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference of the Devil in the House of Commons." Winston Churchill
      Terry

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      • #4
        You may be right. I can't really tell, but judging by the gauss (or lack there of) I am going to assume they're not. Were ceramics popular back in the ~60's? AFAIK, the pickups stayed on the guitar it's entire life, so why a ceramic would lose so much charge is beyond me, but you never know, they may not have been brought to full gauss, at the factory.

        I assumed they were either alnico or some sort of refrigerator type magnet

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        • #5
          it could be that it was like that all its life...

          i have seen many old guitars that had faults and people never knew and put up with them

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          • #6
            I cleaned up an old Teisco-ish pickup for a friend, and it had a really weak ceramic bar in it. Low DCR, too. He hasn't loaded it in its intended guitar, so we don't know what it sounds like. I offered to sneak some neos under the hood, but he wanted to wait and see what it sounded like in its original condition first.

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            • #7
              That's an interesting design, reminds me of Lace Sensors with that iron comb and the magnets on the outside. Cheap ceramic mags back in the 1960s probably weren't very strong as other have mentioned. I would simply replace them with C8 mags that fit or possibly AlNiCos but the form factor looks all wrong for AlNiCo. What are the dimensions of the magnets and how much room is there side to side for a wider set?

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              • #8
                Originally posted by David King View Post
                That's an interesting design, reminds me of Lace Sensors with that iron comb and the magnets on the outside. Cheap ceramic mags back in the 1960s probably weren't very strong as other have mentioned. I would simply replace them with C8 mags that fit or possibly AlNiCos but the form factor looks all wrong for AlNiCo. What are the dimensions of the magnets and how much room is there side to side for a wider set?
                Dimensions are about
                5.5cm length
                6mm width
                ~7mm height

                Not too much room for more magnet. Pickup is about 3 1/4'' wide, so I could probably fit a slightly longer magnet.

                I think the skinny Mojotone ceramic bar mags may fit, @ 2.35''x .250'' x. 120'' So perhaps I will just replace them

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                • #9
                  Hello,
                  Some of the squiers have what I think is called Tex Mex pickups with the screws going through the bobbin. It has two slim magnets one on each side of the screws.

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                  • #10
                    JD0*0
                    I have some ceramic 8s that would probably work for you. They're .210 x .240" x 2.25" I think. I can just send some to you.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by David King View Post
                      JD0*0
                      I have some ceramic 8s that would probably work for you. They're .210 x .240" x 2.25" I think. I can just send some to you.
                      I greatly appreciate the offer, but by the time I saw this the Mojo mags were on their way.

                      I've fitted the magnets, and adjusted the keepers and the pickups are fully functioning and sounding really good, especially considering this guitar was pulled out of the trash. I reversed the magnet polarity on one pickup so I can get hum canceling with both pickups engaged. Lots of output with the new mags. Coils read about 6.3K>6.5K DCR looks to be 42awg wire

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