Wrongdog Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Swapping magents will be the quickest and easiest part of your day. Why are there two sizes of magnets? Actually 3 sizes - 2.36, 2.44 and 2.5 Addiction FX sells these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alnico-2-and-4-humbucker-magnets-3-pieces-each-/320755348260?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4aae823324 That good for us?? I haven't had the time to pull a pickup out and measure but want to order ASAP. Should I also get some A3's too???? Its cheap enough but I don't want to buy if length is too short. Thanks for all your help Blueman335. BTW Addiction FX has not responded to any questions about the size on the CHN P90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Nickel is magnetic, chrome plate is usually over nickel, so most covers are interfering with the mag field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrongdog Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Nickel is magnetic, chrome plate is usually over nickel, so most covers are interfering with the mag field So the CHN Riviera with aluminum covers, being non magnetic and these black P93 pups, being powder coated, should still provide a Faraday cage for emi from outside sources but not effect pup magnets or tone???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrongdog Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Magnets make more of a difference than you may think. When I got my Vintage Vibes, I got a set of every kind of magnet he had available (A-2,A-3, A-5 and Ceramic). I spent hours changing them out, trying different combinations. Yes, the type of wire and wind do affect the tone some, but in my experience, magnets make the biggest difference. I ended up with A-2s at the neck (and South side up) and A-5s at the bridge. Nice warm, almost acoustic, neck tones to that overdriven (without sounding like a cheap chainsaw) P-90 sound everybody knows. I found that the Ceramics were just too much for me. I've never changed the magnets out on any other P-90, but I can't imagine it would be too difficult. Nice info, Blueman. So you did not mix magnet types?? A2 and a A5 at neck say... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted December 26, 2011 Share Posted December 26, 2011 So you did not mix magnet types?? A2 and a A5 at neck say... Absolutely! You can mix mags in P-90's; you get a lot more tonal increments that way. My favorite pairs: Bridge: A8/A4 (warm, powerful), A8/A5 (slightly brighter), UOA5/UOA5* (warm with lots of vintage dynamics), A4/A4 (warm with a balanced EQ) Neck: A5/A5 (the classic Gibson sound), A5/A4 (a little fuller and warmer), A5/A3 brighter (good in dark woods and guitars, like LP's). You want standard sized mags, fully charged. * = unoriented. The internal 'grain' in the metal is random, not all pointing in one direction, so the magnetic field is more varied. Makes an A5 sound like a cross between an A5 and an A2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrongdog Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Absolutely! You can mix mags in P-90's; you get a lot more tonal increments that way. My favorite pairs: Bridge: A8/A4 (warm, powerful), A8/A5 (slightly brighter), UOA5/UOA5* (warm with lots of vintage dynamics), A4/A4 (warm with a balanced EQ) Neck: A5/A5 (the classic Gibson sound), A5/A4 (a little fuller and warmer), A5/A3 brighter (good in dark woods and guitars, like LP's). You want standard sized mags, fully charged. * = unoriented. The internal 'grain' in the metal is random, not all pointing in one direction, so the magnetic field is more varied. Makes an A5 sound like a cross between an A5 and an A2. Okay - I bought a starter set on ebay. (3) x A2 and (3)x A4's. I bought the 2.36 size since my P93 p90's seem to have magnets about 2.25-2.35 in length. I have a million questions! Will it affect DC reading? Doubt it since that must depend on how much wire is on the bobbin. If a magnet is too long do you just grind them? Is the length going to affect the field and tone - especially at the E poles? What is this polished versus unpolished tone difference? how does one polish a non-smooth one? Okay - that is just a start... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Okay - I bought a starter set on ebay. (3) x A2 and (3)x A4's. I bought the 2.36 size since my P93 p90's seem to have magnets about 2.25-2.35 in length. I have a million questions! Will it affect DC reading? Doubt it since that must depend on how much wire is on the bobbin. If a magnet is too long do you just grind them? Is the length going to affect the field and tone - especially at the E poles? What is this polished versus unpolished tone difference? how does one polish a non-smooth one? Okay - that is just a start... The resistance (ohms) stays the same, regardless of which magnet is in, but the output will change with different magnets (resistance does not necessarily equal output). The different metals used in the various alnicos changes their magnetic field, and therefore they 'read' a different part of the string vibrations, which changes a PU's EQ. Polished mags have a sharper high end, I prefer them in the neck slot. Roughcast have a smoother, less harsh high end, and that's what I have in almost all my bridge HB's and P-90's. You buy mags either polished or roughcast, you can't do it yourself without risking ruining the mag. Just get the right one up front. A2's, A3's, and A4's are always unoriented, meaning the 'grain' in the metal is random, and that gives them a more varied and complex magnetic field. The other alnicos are almost always oriented, except for UOA5 ("unoriented A5", Addicition FX is one of the few suppliers). This is the way they sound: A2 - lots of mids, not much treble, loose low end, low output, rich vintage dynamics. Popular in PAF's for a vintage sound. A3 - like an A2, but with more treble and less low end. Used mostly in the neck when an A5 is too bassy or too loud. A4 - balanced EQ, medium output. Good in the bridge or neck. A5 - lots of treble and bass, scooped mids, tight low end, fairly high output. The most popular alnico. Can be too brught in the bridge though. A8 - lots of mids, moderate treble, firm low end, high output. Pretty much bridge only. UOA5 - a blend of A2 and A5 qualities, with the best of both. Moderate output. Lots of dynamics. Usually for the bridge slot, when an A5 is too bright, or an A2 is too warm. Also works in the neck when an A2's highs are too rounded. There are also roughcast versions of A2, A3, A4, and A5, all of which are close to their polished counterparts, except for the smoother high end. Have you considered joining the Duncan User Forum? We can teach you all kinds of things about PU's, magnets, pots, caps, resisitors, alternative wirings, and tone in general. Very educational if you're a hands-on kind of guy. It's all simple stuff, but knowing what to do makes a huge difference. Check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrongdog Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The resistance (ohms) ....[ Have you considered joining the Duncan User Forum? We can teach you all kinds of things about PU's, magnets, pots, caps, resisitors, alternative wirings, and tone in general. Very educational if you're a hands-on kind of guy. It's all simple stuff, but knowing what to do makes a huge difference. Check it out. Thanks Blueman!!! Yeah - I will head over to the SD forum. I wanted to help out here with this Epi forum since I think the P93 is nice but needs some pup tweaking to be great. I will post my results here as they develope and as I learn more at the SD forum. thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Thanks Blueman!!! Yeah - I will head over to the SD forum. I wanted to help out here with this Epi forum since I think the P93 is nice but needs some pup tweaking to be great. I will post my results here as they develope and as I learn more at the SD forum. thanks again! That's the kind of guy that makes the Duncan forum what it is: enthusiastic tweaker with an open mind. Sky's the limit. Seymour Duncan has created a number of production and custom shop pickups based on the experience and recommendations from the users on their forums. There's some cutting edge stuff happening there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 That's the kind of guy that makes the Duncan forum what it is: enthusiastic tweaker with an open mind. Sky's the limit. Seymour Duncan has created a number of production and custom shop pickups based on the experience and recommendations from the users on their forums. There's some cutting edge stuff happening there. Well, count me in as a new Duncan member as well......... [thumbup] ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Well, count me in as a new Duncan member as well. Excellent! Any of you guys who want to learn how to do the basic tweaking yourself, check out Duncan site, and feel free to ask for help and suggestions. I've got my Epi's sounding so much better than they did stock. I get guys coming up to me, looking at the name on the headstock, and they don't understand how I get the tones I do. And I had no prior experience or skills with any of this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Excellent! Any of you guys who want to learn how to do the basic tweaking yourself, check out Duncan site, and feel free to ask for help and suggestions. I've got my Epi's sounding so much better than they did stock. I get guys coming up to me, looking at the name on the headstock, and they don't understand how I get the tones I do. And I had no prior experience or skills with any of this stuff. Do you have the same member name over there ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Do you have the same member name over there ??? Yes. It's patented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yes. It's patented. Ya mean it's not "Patent Applied For" ?????? :unsure: ..........( I joined the Duncan site last night ).......... ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Ya mean it's not "Patent Applied For" ?????? Ahhh...very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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