bass pickup pole piece question

[ILLINOX]

hey guys

before i go ahead and order my pole pieces I wanted to know, do you use the same LENGTH pole pieces for bass pickups as you do for guitar pickups?

it seems all the companies are selling them in .500"

or should i buy magnetized rod and cut my pieces?


thanks again

[SGD Lutherie]

For something like a Jazz bass you need .781" magnets.

http://www.mojotone.com/guitar-parts/Alnico-5

[ILLINOX]

oh ok. so its good i didnt just buy the stew mac stuff. thanks once again, SGD

and what does the longer magnet give us, just a skinnier pickup in the end, or are there other reasons to "stretch" the coils out, or to... not have so many wraps over each other?

[ILLINOX]

do i have to buy slugs, or is thee any reason i can't just cut up a steel rod?

[SGD Lutherie]

You can cut your own steel rods. I cut my own steel parts from rods and bars.

[ILLINOX]

good to know. thank you.

[ILLINOX]

hey SGD, I was just reading your opinions about 3/16 vs 1/4 poles in a jBass pickup in another thread:

what can you tell me about your experience with length of poles? what effect does changing the length have?

thanks