pickups
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850 QnAs for you
should cover ALL the questions on the surface of the earth (i think)
you can search for a specified question as well
191. What are the differences between Alnico 1,2,3,4,5 6,& 8:
Cast Alnico magnets come in a variety of grades which are made from various amounts of chemical composition (Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Copper, Titanium, Balance Iron. Magnet chemical composition is given in the chart below. Looking at the chart will give you a better understanding of the cast Alnico magnet properties.
? Chart PP1
The above chart shows the percentage (%) of compounds used in making a particular class of magnet. The percentages can vary and thus different formulations and grades of magnets came be manufactured. Many times the mixture is not homogenous and some magnets from the same batch can be stronger or weaker than others.
Cast Alnico Magnets: Alnico magnets are used in the majority of Fender style single coil pickups. The rod is sand cast 11.5” long and .20” in diameter. It is ground round often removing the rough sand pits then cut to the desired length Gibson bar magnets are also sand cast in the desired grade of Alnico. They are ground to the desired diameter and cut to the desired length by the use of diamond cutting wheels. Sometimes looking carefully at them you can see the sand cast impressions. Early Fender single coil pickups have sand cast impressions that causes damage to the coil when trying to change the staggered polepiece height. The magnets have cavity or pits that firmly grip the magnet wire when wound around the poles.
Sintered Alnico magnets: This is a method of bonding metal powders that have been compacted by heating them to a predetermined temperature. Sintered magnets normally have less center pits or pot marks.
Anisotropic*: is a term used for magnets having a preferred direction of magnetization so that the magnetic characteristics are better along the oriented axis. Usually a rod magnet has one end North and the opposite end is South.
Isotropic Alnico magnets: Isotropic magnets have the same magnetic properties in all directions. They can be magnetized in a desired direction. They are also called unoriented magnets or materials. They can be produced without any alignment of domains.
Cunife** Magnet: Is used in the Fender Bass and Guitar Humbuckers. The Cunife magnet is manufactured in .200” to .250” inch rods is threaded, cut and slotted for the adjustable polepieces.
Sintered Ferrite’s: are commonly known as “Ceramic” magnets. They are inexpensive and can be wet ground or sliced into the desired shape. They can be molded into round disc shapes which are commonly found in hardware stores and used for a majority of projects. They can easily crack and chip. They must be handled with extreme care. If two magnets snap together, they can easily break in half. The magnets can be made Isotropic (unoriented) or Anisotropic (oriented) or magnetized in a desired direction. The majority of magnets are made from a Barium composition and others are a mixture of Barium and Strontium ferrite’s
245. What makes electric guitar pickups different?
a. Magnet type, b. Magnet wire gauge, c. Bobbin shape, d. Number of turns, e. Polepiece type
a. The type of magnet that is used. Ceramic magnets are used for their magnetic strength and generally cost less than cast alnico magnets and ceramic’s are more fragile and can chip and break easily. Cast Alnico rod and bars come in a variety of grades and can be fabricated into rods, bars or many custom shapes. Alnico magnets can be sand molded or sintered under extreme heat and pressure. Alnico magnets are made from sand cast rods to a desired diameter and ground to the desired dimensions to the manufacturers specs. The ceramics are made from a mixture of magnetic compounds and fillers and mixed into a paste, baked into a brittle cake and sliced into the desired dimensions.
b. Magnet wire is insulated to keep the turns from shorting out and the diameter and insulation determine the American Wire Gauge. Magnet wire comes in a variety of diameters and insulated with a variety of insulation’s. The insulation’s can be made with traditional coatings such as Plain Enamel, Formvar, Polyurethane, Nylons and bondable coatings. The magnet wire gauge is named Minimal, Nominal and Maximum. Magnet wire is measured with out insulation and with insulation added. The insulation can come in a variety of thicknesses that add tuffness and durability. Normal magnet wire used for most passive guitar and bass pickups is 42 AWG. The American Wire Gauge is the standard by which all companies measure their products in the USA. When you get into active and low impedance pickups and larger diameter magnet wire can be used to match the coil to the pre-amp or active circuit. There are many ways to make a pickup using the various gauges of magnet wire and extreme care must be taken when you handle magnet wire. Oils and acids from your hands can contaminate some grades of magnet wire and can cause insulation breakdown over a period of time.
c. The bobbin shape is an important factor in the winding area and the tonal character the pickup will have in relationship to the polepiece arrangement. How tall and wide a bobbin is can determine if the pickup sounds thin and bright or fat and full. The spacing of the polepieces is usually determined by the string spacing between the bridge and neck position. Usually the neck pickup has a narrower pole spacing than a wider bridge pickup. For economy most manufactures of pickups use the same pole spacing for both neck and bridge pickups. The position of the coils in relationship to the strings and magnetic field within the bobbin can determine the particular tonal character of a pickup. Many instruments use one, two, three or more single coil pickups for a variety of tones. Humbuckers can be wired several different ways and a combination of positions can give you a multiple of tones. The proximity of the pickup(s) under the string and switch position can alter the tonal variations to ultimate sounds desired by the player. Eric Johnson plays his favorite 54’ Strat, and Albert Collins, Roy Buchanan and James Burton all have their favorite instrument for their particular tone. The shape of the pickup and how it is wound either by hand or machine when combined with wood and hardware give you a distinctive sounding instrument.
d. The number of turns with a particular wire gauge will determine the maximum number of turns that will fit on a particular bobbin. Thinner magnet wire will allow more turns on a specific bobbin than a heavier gauge. If you can only get 8,000 turns of 42 gauge magnet wire on a particular bobbin, you may be able to get 10,000 turns of 43 gauge magnet wire. The number of turns and magnet wire gauge is important to the sound and output of a pickup. Generally the more turns that are added to a coil the pickup will sound louder and fuller. Less turns in a coil will give the pickup less output and brighter sound. The higher the gauge of magnet wire, the wire gets thinner. Along with winding pickups to a number of turns, a pickup can be wound to a desired DC resistance. This can be time consuming unless you are using consistent tension on the magnet wire, exact winding speed as the tension can be increased on the magnet wire with increased speed and less tension with slower speeds. The lubricant on the magnet wire will also determine how the magnet wire layers itself turn after turn. Magnet wire can vary in diameter throughout the spool it is being used to wind from. The de-reelers are important too as they can vary the tension and how tight the coil is being wound. Winding a coil too fast and with too much tension will stretch and can crack the insulation causing turns to short and giving inconsistent DC resistance
e. Polepieces used on guitar and bass pickups can be steel stud polepieces connected to a particular magnet, cylindrical rod magnets, bar magnets, ferrous blades and custom poles. The magnetic path to the vibrating string determines the output and tonal quality of a pickup and the pickup placement between the neck and bridge position will determine the output, fullness and how bright the pickup will sound. Output is also determined by height adjustment, gauge and alloy strings are made of. The diameter of a pole piece and it’s magnetizing ability to magnetize the string is an important factor. The field produced by external magnetic field through the coil or inductor and how the current travels through a coil. The winding direction around the pole pieces can determine electrical polarity and the way the magnets are magnetized determines the magnet polarity. A magnet is in a pickup to magnetize the strings that inturn vibrate and move the magnetic field back and forth through the coil and produce the alternating current. A pole piece can be all South polarity or all North polarity in the same bobbin. If you re-arrange the magnet pattern within the same bobbin the phasing in combination with the coil becomes affected. In humbuckers usually one bobbin is all South and the other bobbin is all North. When both coils are wound in the same direction and the two finishes are hooked together, the beginning of one coil is grounded and the beginning of other coil is positive, and finally each have opposite magnetic fields the pickup the pickup is humbucking-series-in-phase. Reversing the magnet polarity and wiring can make for a pickup with many modifications. This is some interesting to experiment with.
What is coil splitting?
Coil splitting refers to the ability to disable one coil in a humbucker-type pickup. This offers the player option of getting a single coil-type tone from a humbucker-loaded guitar. Many pickups have three- or four-conductor wiring that allows for one coil to be disabled by shorting one coil to either ground or hot. All production Seymour Duncan humbuckers can be purchased with four-conductor wiring either stock from the factory or as a Production Floor Custom order. The exceptions to this rule are the Vintage Rails (SVR-1) and Duckbuckers (SDBR-1), which are wired internally in parallel from the factory.
just have fun
850 QnAs for you
should cover ALL the questions on the surface of the earth (i think)
you can search for a specified question as well
191. What are the differences between Alnico 1,2,3,4,5 6,& 8:
Cast Alnico magnets come in a variety of grades which are made from various amounts of chemical composition (Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, Copper, Titanium, Balance Iron. Magnet chemical composition is given in the chart below. Looking at the chart will give you a better understanding of the cast Alnico magnet properties.
? Chart PP1
The above chart shows the percentage (%) of compounds used in making a particular class of magnet. The percentages can vary and thus different formulations and grades of magnets came be manufactured. Many times the mixture is not homogenous and some magnets from the same batch can be stronger or weaker than others.
Cast Alnico Magnets: Alnico magnets are used in the majority of Fender style single coil pickups. The rod is sand cast 11.5” long and .20” in diameter. It is ground round often removing the rough sand pits then cut to the desired length Gibson bar magnets are also sand cast in the desired grade of Alnico. They are ground to the desired diameter and cut to the desired length by the use of diamond cutting wheels. Sometimes looking carefully at them you can see the sand cast impressions. Early Fender single coil pickups have sand cast impressions that causes damage to the coil when trying to change the staggered polepiece height. The magnets have cavity or pits that firmly grip the magnet wire when wound around the poles.
Sintered Alnico magnets: This is a method of bonding metal powders that have been compacted by heating them to a predetermined temperature. Sintered magnets normally have less center pits or pot marks.
Anisotropic*: is a term used for magnets having a preferred direction of magnetization so that the magnetic characteristics are better along the oriented axis. Usually a rod magnet has one end North and the opposite end is South.
Isotropic Alnico magnets: Isotropic magnets have the same magnetic properties in all directions. They can be magnetized in a desired direction. They are also called unoriented magnets or materials. They can be produced without any alignment of domains.
Cunife** Magnet: Is used in the Fender Bass and Guitar Humbuckers. The Cunife magnet is manufactured in .200” to .250” inch rods is threaded, cut and slotted for the adjustable polepieces.
Sintered Ferrite’s: are commonly known as “Ceramic” magnets. They are inexpensive and can be wet ground or sliced into the desired shape. They can be molded into round disc shapes which are commonly found in hardware stores and used for a majority of projects. They can easily crack and chip. They must be handled with extreme care. If two magnets snap together, they can easily break in half. The magnets can be made Isotropic (unoriented) or Anisotropic (oriented) or magnetized in a desired direction. The majority of magnets are made from a Barium composition and others are a mixture of Barium and Strontium ferrite’s
245. What makes electric guitar pickups different?
a. Magnet type, b. Magnet wire gauge, c. Bobbin shape, d. Number of turns, e. Polepiece type
a. The type of magnet that is used. Ceramic magnets are used for their magnetic strength and generally cost less than cast alnico magnets and ceramic’s are more fragile and can chip and break easily. Cast Alnico rod and bars come in a variety of grades and can be fabricated into rods, bars or many custom shapes. Alnico magnets can be sand molded or sintered under extreme heat and pressure. Alnico magnets are made from sand cast rods to a desired diameter and ground to the desired dimensions to the manufacturers specs. The ceramics are made from a mixture of magnetic compounds and fillers and mixed into a paste, baked into a brittle cake and sliced into the desired dimensions.
b. Magnet wire is insulated to keep the turns from shorting out and the diameter and insulation determine the American Wire Gauge. Magnet wire comes in a variety of diameters and insulated with a variety of insulation’s. The insulation’s can be made with traditional coatings such as Plain Enamel, Formvar, Polyurethane, Nylons and bondable coatings. The magnet wire gauge is named Minimal, Nominal and Maximum. Magnet wire is measured with out insulation and with insulation added. The insulation can come in a variety of thicknesses that add tuffness and durability. Normal magnet wire used for most passive guitar and bass pickups is 42 AWG. The American Wire Gauge is the standard by which all companies measure their products in the USA. When you get into active and low impedance pickups and larger diameter magnet wire can be used to match the coil to the pre-amp or active circuit. There are many ways to make a pickup using the various gauges of magnet wire and extreme care must be taken when you handle magnet wire. Oils and acids from your hands can contaminate some grades of magnet wire and can cause insulation breakdown over a period of time.
c. The bobbin shape is an important factor in the winding area and the tonal character the pickup will have in relationship to the polepiece arrangement. How tall and wide a bobbin is can determine if the pickup sounds thin and bright or fat and full. The spacing of the polepieces is usually determined by the string spacing between the bridge and neck position. Usually the neck pickup has a narrower pole spacing than a wider bridge pickup. For economy most manufactures of pickups use the same pole spacing for both neck and bridge pickups. The position of the coils in relationship to the strings and magnetic field within the bobbin can determine the particular tonal character of a pickup. Many instruments use one, two, three or more single coil pickups for a variety of tones. Humbuckers can be wired several different ways and a combination of positions can give you a multiple of tones. The proximity of the pickup(s) under the string and switch position can alter the tonal variations to ultimate sounds desired by the player. Eric Johnson plays his favorite 54’ Strat, and Albert Collins, Roy Buchanan and James Burton all have their favorite instrument for their particular tone. The shape of the pickup and how it is wound either by hand or machine when combined with wood and hardware give you a distinctive sounding instrument.
d. The number of turns with a particular wire gauge will determine the maximum number of turns that will fit on a particular bobbin. Thinner magnet wire will allow more turns on a specific bobbin than a heavier gauge. If you can only get 8,000 turns of 42 gauge magnet wire on a particular bobbin, you may be able to get 10,000 turns of 43 gauge magnet wire. The number of turns and magnet wire gauge is important to the sound and output of a pickup. Generally the more turns that are added to a coil the pickup will sound louder and fuller. Less turns in a coil will give the pickup less output and brighter sound. The higher the gauge of magnet wire, the wire gets thinner. Along with winding pickups to a number of turns, a pickup can be wound to a desired DC resistance. This can be time consuming unless you are using consistent tension on the magnet wire, exact winding speed as the tension can be increased on the magnet wire with increased speed and less tension with slower speeds. The lubricant on the magnet wire will also determine how the magnet wire layers itself turn after turn. Magnet wire can vary in diameter throughout the spool it is being used to wind from. The de-reelers are important too as they can vary the tension and how tight the coil is being wound. Winding a coil too fast and with too much tension will stretch and can crack the insulation causing turns to short and giving inconsistent DC resistance
e. Polepieces used on guitar and bass pickups can be steel stud polepieces connected to a particular magnet, cylindrical rod magnets, bar magnets, ferrous blades and custom poles. The magnetic path to the vibrating string determines the output and tonal quality of a pickup and the pickup placement between the neck and bridge position will determine the output, fullness and how bright the pickup will sound. Output is also determined by height adjustment, gauge and alloy strings are made of. The diameter of a pole piece and it’s magnetizing ability to magnetize the string is an important factor. The field produced by external magnetic field through the coil or inductor and how the current travels through a coil. The winding direction around the pole pieces can determine electrical polarity and the way the magnets are magnetized determines the magnet polarity. A magnet is in a pickup to magnetize the strings that inturn vibrate and move the magnetic field back and forth through the coil and produce the alternating current. A pole piece can be all South polarity or all North polarity in the same bobbin. If you re-arrange the magnet pattern within the same bobbin the phasing in combination with the coil becomes affected. In humbuckers usually one bobbin is all South and the other bobbin is all North. When both coils are wound in the same direction and the two finishes are hooked together, the beginning of one coil is grounded and the beginning of other coil is positive, and finally each have opposite magnetic fields the pickup the pickup is humbucking-series-in-phase. Reversing the magnet polarity and wiring can make for a pickup with many modifications. This is some interesting to experiment with.
What is coil splitting?
Coil splitting refers to the ability to disable one coil in a humbucker-type pickup. This offers the player option of getting a single coil-type tone from a humbucker-loaded guitar. Many pickups have three- or four-conductor wiring that allows for one coil to be disabled by shorting one coil to either ground or hot. All production Seymour Duncan humbuckers can be purchased with four-conductor wiring either stock from the factory or as a Production Floor Custom order. The exceptions to this rule are the Vintage Rails (SVR-1) and Duckbuckers (SDBR-1), which are wired internally in parallel from the factory.
just have fun
