Magnets & Copper Wire: A Pickup Building Thread

[Freekmagnet]

I suppose I could get those "barely too long" ceramic bar magnets and cut them shorter. Someone please tell me if cutting a magnet is a stupid idea.

Or I should just make 5 string Jazz pickups since those 3.125" magnets are probably just right for a fiver.

I'll check out that eBay seller!

Maybe I should just buy some neodynium magnets, too. They're all over the place, at least.

Yeah you need a diamond blade and toxic magnetic dust flies everywhere. And it sticks. ‘Cuz it’s magnetic.

 

[Jeff Siddall]

Yeah you need a diamond blade and toxic magnetic dust flies everywhere. And it sticks. ‘Cuz it’s magnetic.

And cutting usually makes heat, and heat is bad for magnets

 

[Beej]

Yeah you need a diamond blade and toxic magnetic dust flies everywhere. And it sticks. ‘Cuz it’s magnetic.

My next band name will be "Toxic Magnetic Dust". First album? "Flies Everywhere"

 

[MPU]

Cutting ceramic magnets to length is easy. I use Dremel diamond disc. I cut a shallow groove, maybe 0,5mm deep on two sides of the bar and the bar snaps in pieces. No heat to worry. I have vacuum hose to suck the dust and I wear a dust mask.

 

[slowburnaz]

Cutting ceramic magnets to length is easy. I use Dremel diamond disc. I cut a shallow groove, maybe 0,5mm deep on two sides of the bar and the bar snaps in pieces. No heat to worry. I have vacuum hose to suck the dust and I wear a dust mask.

Nice! Good to know it's not all that hard.

Now, you have any tips on how to lengthen them? ;-)

 

[MPU]

Nice! Good to know it's not all that hard.

Now, you have any tips on how to lengthen them? ;-)

Just stack them end to end.

 

[dwizum]

My next band name will be "Toxic Magnetic Dust". First album? "Flies Everywhere"

This is my second talkbass "that's a great band name" in 24 hours. The other one was Meat Antenna.

Maybe we can combine forces. Toxic Magnet Dust and the Meat Antennas.

I've got shopping carts full of magnets and other parts at three suppliers right now. I need to get some Zen and focus because it's too much to balance mentally. One design at a time...

I'm also going to bite the bullet and build a better bracket and pulley drive for the winder. @Bruce Johnson will be proud of me! I can't specifically detect an issue with it this way, and I do see other guys using these 555 size can motors direct drive, but after making a bunch of bobbins with it, I can see how it could get sloppy over time. Not just the motor but the PVC sheet for the bracket and platen - it's very easy to work with but not the most rigid material in the world. A shaft and some bearings and pulleys isn't exactly a big investment so might as well do it.

 

[Slidlow]

My next band name will be "Toxic Magnetic Dust". First album? "Flies Everywhere"

Second album " It Sticks"

 

[Bruce Johnson]

This is my second talkbass "that's a great band name" in 24 hours. The other one was Meat Antenna.

Maybe we can combine forces. Toxic Magnet Dust and the Meat Antennas.

Obviously, both Toxic Magnet Dust and Meat Antenna would be excellent brand names for pickups.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I knew Jeremy would jump at that. The Toxic Magnet Dust XP could be the next new pickup model from FreekMagnet Labs.

 

[ardgedee]

Obviously, both Toxic Magnet Dust and Meat Antenna would be excellent brand names for pickups.

The Meat Antenna would never ground properly and always be picking up hum whenever your hand got near it.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

The Meat Antenna would never ground properly and always be picking up hum whenever your hand got near it.

But it would be specially designed to be sensitive to finger technique.

 

[Beej]

lol you guys

 

[Jon Clegg]

Meat Magnet would work for a metal band.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I keep tellin' ya: In the world of boutique pickups, visual appearance and marketing are the most important characteristics. Soft Black Lump brand pickups aren't going to sell, no matter how good they sound.

 

[MPU]

Except when those black lumps are handwound by some teethless old grandma who used to work at Fender sometimes in the 60's when THE bass sound was developed (= bobbins were wound full whatever that meant).

 

[dwizum]

those black lumps

Hey, you know, that would make a great band name...

 

[ardgedee]

Soft Black Lump brand pickups aren't going to sell, no matter how good they sound.

Unless you come up with a good marketing angle that attributes qualitative benefits to being soft black lumps. So, like, make the shells out of silicone and claim that strings have 30% more bounce when slapped.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Unless you come up with a good marketing angle that attributes qualitative benefits to being soft black lumps. So, like, make the shells out of silicone and claim that strings have 30% more bounce when slapped.

Heh. Seriously, there's probably a market for a specialized slap bass pickup. It would mount up at the heel and have a radiused brass bar mounted on top. You'd adjust the height to be just even with the frets. The PingMaster.

Or, like you are suggesting, a pickup with a soft top pad that acts like a damper. That could work. KingThud.

 

[ardgedee]

Heh. Seriously, there's probably a market for a specialized slap bass pickup. It would mount up at the heel and have a radiused brass bar mounted on top. You'd adjust the height to be just even with the frets. The PingMaster.

Or, like you are suggesting, a pickup with a soft top pad that acts like a damper. That could work. KingThud.

There you go! A line of pickups whose selling feature is the different surface materials for different tactile effects. And once you've saturated the market with those you announce your new line of tonewood pickups...