Pole piece rod magnets vs magnet bar in humbucker

plyta · 04-22-2008, 06:26 AM

I've noticed only today

that there are 2 different full-size humbucker designs: PAF design with magnet bar under them coils, and the single-coil design with magnet rods as pole pieces inside them coils (kinda like 2 singlecoils on 1 mounting plate: Progressive - Stag Mag™ SH-3 - Seymour Duncan/Basslines, many of them Rio Grande pickups).

Could any one describe sonic differeces between these two designs (comparing sound in standard series wiring)?

dpm · 04-22-2008, 06:36 AM

Humbuckers that use alnico magnet slugs instead of a bar magnet are very unusual. Given identical coil size, shape, and windings the alnico slug pickup will be brighter with less output. The steel polepieces and keeper bar in the PAF design increase the inductance of the coils which results in a warmer and louder sound.

D-EJ915 · 04-22-2008, 06:40 AM

there are also some pickups which use magnets as the rails, such as the SD Scott Ian el diablo

dpm · 04-22-2008, 08:07 AM

This might help.... I just uploaded a quick and dirty clip of my bass pickup. The first half (30 seconds) is alnico poles with ceramic bars underneath, the second half is steel poles with ceramic. The only difference between these two sounds is the slug material so it's a good demo of how iron content effects a pickup's tone.

Sevenstring.org - Jukebox - Now Playing:: alnico & ceramic vs. steel & ceramic bass coils

plyta · 04-22-2008, 08:47 AM

Thanks a lot

supertruper1988 · 04-22-2008, 10:02 AM

the stag mags are made that way so the when split the produce a very authentic strat sound

plyta · 04-23-2008, 02:23 AM

Nordtrand humbuckers in some of Mike Sherman guitars seems to have this magnet slug construction as well

nordstrand signature guitar pickups

ibznorange · 04-23-2008, 03:26 AM

Could you do both? use a small amount of winds to keep it from getting overly hot, have alnico slugs, and a bar magnet?

dpm · 04-23-2008, 03:47 AM

The alnico side of that bass pickup uses ceramic bar magnets as well. The output of that side is still not quite as hot as the steel slug side with exactly the same wind. Adding the ceramics increases the magnetic field of the alnicos and in turn increases output. That's OK on a single bass pickup but a set of guitar pickups with that kind of magnetic pull would seriously effect intonation.

04-22-2008, 06:26 AM	#1
plyta Fuck you Floyd Rose! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kaunas, Lithuania Posts: 286 Real Name: Andrius Main Seven: Ibanez Prestige RG1527 RB Rig: Prosonic->SVT15E Thanked: 19	Pole piece rod magnets vs magnet bar in humbucker I've noticed only today that there are 2 different full-size humbucker designs: PAF design with magnet bar under them coils, and the single-coil design with magnet rods as pole pieces inside them coils (kinda like 2 singlecoils on 1 mounting plate: Progressive - Stag Mag™ SH-3 - Seymour Duncan/Basslines, many of them Rio Grande pickups). Could any one describe sonic differeces between these two designs (comparing sound in standard series wiring)? ALCOBRUTAL

04-22-2008, 06:40 AM	#3
D-EJ915 <3's Tsukasa Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 16,627 Real Name: Kagami Main Seven: Blackjack ATX Rig: Randall RG75G2C Thanked: 202	there are also some pickups which use magnets as the rails, such as the SD Scott Ian el diablo My Site: əBCAir

04-23-2008, 03:26 AM	#8
ibznorange Chief Officer/RHLC © Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 7,968 Real Name: Max Main Seven: Dean Vendetta 1.7 Rig: None Thanked: 54	Could you do both? use a small amount of winds to keep it from getting overly hot, have alnico slugs, and a bar magnet? Reverse Headstocks or Bust ALL HEIL THE ADMINISHREDDER!

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04-22-2008, 06:36 AM	#2
dpm RnB causes cancer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,797 Real Name: Dan Main Seven: Old UV Main ERG: Oni 8 string Rig: modded Laney VC50 Thanked: 19	Humbuckers that use alnico magnet slugs instead of a bar magnet are very unusual. Given identical coil size, shape, and windings the alnico slug pickup will be brighter with less output. The steel polepieces and keeper bar in the PAF design increase the inductance of the coils which results in a warmer and louder sound.

04-22-2008, 08:07 AM	#4
dpm RnB causes cancer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,797 Real Name: Dan Main Seven: Old UV Main ERG: Oni 8 string Rig: modded Laney VC50 Thanked: 19	This might help.... I just uploaded a quick and dirty clip of my bass pickup. The first half (30 seconds) is alnico poles with ceramic bars underneath, the second half is steel poles with ceramic. The only difference between these two sounds is the slug material so it's a good demo of how iron content effects a pickup's tone. Sevenstring.org - Jukebox - Now Playing:: alnico & ceramic vs. steel & ceramic bass coils

04-22-2008, 08:47 AM	#5
plyta Fuck you Floyd Rose! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kaunas, Lithuania Posts: 286 Real Name: Andrius Main Seven: Ibanez Prestige RG1527 RB Rig: Prosonic->SVT15E Thanked: 19	Thanks a lot

04-22-2008, 10:02 AM	#6
supertruper1988 ss.org Regular Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ Posts: 614 Real Name: Cameron Main Seven: '98 RG7620 Royal Blue Rig: Peavey Valveking 212 Thanked: 17	the stag mags are made that way so the when split the produce a very authentic strat sound

04-23-2008, 02:23 AM	#7
plyta Fuck you Floyd Rose! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kaunas, Lithuania Posts: 286 Real Name: Andrius Main Seven: Ibanez Prestige RG1527 RB Rig: Prosonic->SVT15E Thanked: 19	Nordtrand humbuckers in some of Mike Sherman guitars seems to have this magnet slug construction as well nordstrand signature guitar pickups

04-23-2008, 03:47 AM	#9
dpm RnB causes cancer Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Posts: 2,797 Real Name: Dan Main Seven: Old UV Main ERG: Oni 8 string Rig: modded Laney VC50 Thanked: 19	The alnico side of that bass pickup uses ceramic bar magnets as well. The output of that side is still not quite as hot as the steel slug side with exactly the same wind. Adding the ceramics increases the magnetic field of the alnicos and in turn increases output. That's OK on a single bass pickup but a set of guitar pickups with that kind of magnetic pull would seriously effect intonation.


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Pole piece rod magnets vs magnet bar in humbucker