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Post by John E. on Mar 2, 2022 13:02:18 GMT -7
I know that PAF's are still useable so I didn't think it'd be a possibility for pickups to die or get weaker over time. But I've noticed that the Seth Lover in the bridge position in my Les Paul feels much weaker than it used to. They're only 11 years old so it's not like they're antiques, but I've just never experienced this before with passive pickups. If I had to describe the difference, it feels like it "lost weight" tonally, less low end fizzier top end weaker mids. Could it be a bad magnet or maybe something with a pot or the output jack? The neck pickup is totally fine, it's just the bridge.
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Mar 2, 2022 13:13:20 GMT -7
My understanding is that pickups can demagnetize (like all magnets). I think Seymour Duncan offers to "re-magnetize" pickups. Paging Todd pcns to the white courtesy phone for a consultation.
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Post by nmz on Mar 2, 2022 13:33:39 GMT -7
Jerry Garcia thought so and would change his out fairly regularly. Me, no idea but the demagnetize angle seems believable.
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Post by Chilly Gibbons (Todd T.) on Mar 2, 2022 13:43:27 GMT -7
You can also experiment with different magnet types in humbuckers. It’s pretty easy to do, just have to get the orientation correct. The guys on the Seymour Duncan forum are constantly writing about “you’ve got to try an alnico x in pickup y”.
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Post by nick0 on Mar 2, 2022 14:12:59 GMT -7
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Post by John E. on Mar 2, 2022 14:29:27 GMT -7
Ahhh apparently placing a guitar near the backside of a speaker cab or near the magnet of a speaker can degauss it quickly. I recently was swapping around speakers in my cabs and most likely sat one of the speakers very close to my guitar on a stand so maybe this is what happened. Sucks, but now I know not to do that!!
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Post by nick0 on Mar 2, 2022 15:10:15 GMT -7
Ahhh apparently placing a guitar near the backside of a speaker cab or near the magnet of a speaker can degauss it quickly. I recently was swapping around speakers in my cabs and most likely sat one of the speakers very close to my guitar on a stand so maybe this is what happened. Sucks, but now I know not to do that!! Yeah, that does suck. Like you said though, at least you know. Don't have to guess at what the problem is or what caused it. That can drive you up a wall!
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Post by GuitarZ on Mar 2, 2022 16:31:48 GMT -7
Interesting thread. The P90's on my '68 Les Paul are still original.
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Post by nicholas on Mar 3, 2022 9:33:17 GMT -7
I don't know. I'm not going to argue that magnets can't be de magnetized by other magnets. They can. But this seems like one of those things where someone reads how a pickup magnet can be de-magnitized and draws a line to the magnets in speakers and it gets a little overblown. Lots of things can demagitize a magnet, heat, shock, other magnets, aliens. Lots of stuff. The fact that shock can de magnitizes a magnet didn't stop decades of rockers standing directly in front of a drum set, or a blazing loud marshall full stack. Talk about vibration and shock. Lots of speaker magnets too. Heat can demagitize magnets, but that didn't stop decades of winders from submerging them in boiling wax to pot them. I look at it like a stove. Yeah, it's bad to put your finger in the flame, but you can walk by it safely even if it's on . Just in case, I've but this sign on my jam room door. Just think about all the pickups ruined in Jaguarguy (Mike) 's museum! That place has a magnetic pull like a MRI machine. Probably could pull dental filling out with all those speaker magnets !
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Post by nick0 on Mar 3, 2022 10:57:59 GMT -7
I believe the strength of a speaker's magnetic field drops off fairly quickly as distance increases. Therefore, I assume the pickup would have to be fairly close to the speaker in order to be effected. Not sure about dental fillings lol.
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Post by pcns on Mar 3, 2022 13:38:14 GMT -7
My understanding is that pickups can demagnetize (like all magnets). I think Seymour Duncan offers to "re-magnetize" pickups. Paging Todd pcns to the white courtesy phone for a consultation. Hi all, I've heard a few things before on this topic. I'm not sure all of the potential causes for magnets to lose their strength are valid and I will only speak to what I do know. I do magnetise my own pickups and I have a magnetometer to measure their strength. Some pickups sound different with the magnets at different gauss measurements. Better or worse can be subjective but typically pickup tone is a system working together to generate a sound. Magnet strength and material type are part of that system. It's fairly easy to adjust a magnets strength and I am careful handling my magnets but generally you need the opposite pole field in close proximity to reduce a magnets strength. There are other factors that could cause a guitar to lose volume though. This list is not exhaustive but are some other things to consider: Dirty connection, output jack or switch Cold solder someplace in your guitar. (happend to me recently) Failing guitar cable Dirty plug or jack our memory of what we thought it sounded like our hearing has changed To the original poster, if you want to mail me your pickup I would be happy to take a look at it and meter it for you and if needed can repair or replace the magnet for you. No charge, just pay for the postage both ways. I hope this helps, Todd greenvillepickups.com
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Post by nick0 on Mar 3, 2022 21:03:38 GMT -7
Great info Todd! Thank you!
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Post by lowbudget on Mar 4, 2022 8:00:49 GMT -7
You know, this kinda begs the question of how come all those old unmolested ‘50s Teles and Les Pauls, etc. still sound so good and are so highly prized? Not to mention that they are often used as a benchmark for reissues and reproductions and the like.
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Post by nick0 on Mar 4, 2022 8:47:00 GMT -7
I have heard manufacturers claim that the de-magnetizing of those old pickups over time are part of what contributes to the way that they sound. If you want a pickup that sounds 70 years old, I assume one of the things you could do is match the magnetic strength to that of a 70 year old pickup. And as Todd pointed out, the strength of the magnet can change the sound. Better or worse are subjective. I do magnetise my own pickups and I have a magnetometer to measure their strength. Some pickups sound different with the magnets at different gauss measurements. Better or worse can be subjective but typically pickup tone is a system working together to generate a sound. Magnet strength and material type are part of that system. It's an interesting topic.
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Post by BritInvasion on Mar 6, 2022 8:45:46 GMT -7
You know, this kinda begs the question of how come all those old unmolested ‘50s Teles and Les Pauls, etc. still sound so good and are so highly prized? Not to mention that they are often used as a benchmark for reissues and reproductions and the like. A lot of them seem to hold up fine for decades. I had a '55 Tele that suddenly lost volume in the bridge pickup - weak and very thin sounding. Turned out the coil wire developed a short way inside the core , right where the wire was wrapped around the magnets. Lindy Fralin rewound it back to original specs , he said it's not unusual in really old Fenders as sweat / humidity / beer etc. can get in there and corrode the wire , usually in one tiny spot. I also had a 1966 Gibson SG Standard that had the bridge humbucker die. I had the cover off and gigged it heavily for years. I suspect it was sweat from my picking hand that got into it. I never repaired it , I just replaced it.
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Post by fishyfishfish on Mar 21, 2022 4:54:03 GMT -7
You can get a solder joint that goes bad and gets the same result.
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