Mustang bass pickups - experiments with magnets. Question!

[Alanko]

I've noticed a few budget brands are now offering neodymium pickups for cheap prices. I've bought neodymium magnets in the past to bolster weaker pickups, and I understand Alembic even offered a professional 'pickup booster' kit that was basically a ceramic bar magnet you stuck on the back of a Strat pickup or similar.

Out of curiosity, I'm wondering if I can wring a bit more output from my Mustang bass in a similar manner? In the long term (give it a few weeks) I might invest in a pickup upgrade for the wee beast. In the short term I was wondering if I can replace the slugs in the stock pickups with neodymium magnets? At the moment I feel that the stock pickups are a bit... thin? There is a bit of everything going on with the bass's tone, but it is a bit weak sounding overall.

I've found magnetic rod of a suitable size (6 mm by 15 mm), and for cheap. If nothing else I might tap one slug out the stock pickup on the wee beast and see what it sounds like. My fear, and probably the most obvious issue, is that the corresponding string will be inseparably attracted to the pickup. Secondly, there might be no tonal difference or output difference...

With these pickups, do I need to have the poles facing North in one half and South in the other? Should I simply see what direction the neodymium rods want to bond with the stock magnets, and use that as a reference? I've never worked with pickups with charged poles before.

Cheers,
Alan

[exiledarchangel]

It's not a good idea to replace charged iron rods with neo rods, the string pull will be too strong. Instead you could try to change the (ceramic) magnet bar with a neo, or, even better, to push back a little the top of the iron rods and stick neo "button cell" magnets on the top. You must be careful thru, all magnets must have the same orientation (all south OR north to strings).



edit: just realised you are talking about a mustang pickup, in that case each "half" of the pickup must have magnets with DIFFERENT orientation from the other one (one half south to strings, and the other north to strings). You can check orientation with a compass.

Beware not to let those pesky neos to stick together, its almost impossible to take them apart after. Also, they are fragile.

[Alanko]

The mustang pickups don't have a ceramic bar, just charged rods. I've purchased some neo buttons as well.

Just a thought, but do the rods have to go right through the coil and be up under the strings? What would happen if I used the neo rods, and simply pushed them 5mm or so down from the top of the flatwork?

[exiledarchangel]

I think it will work, I have never tried that. You will get reduced output due to reduced magnetic pull, but how much I don't know. Those neos (especially the higher grades like N52) pull like crazy.

[Alanko]

It will be a fun experiment if nothing else. I can get a chuckle from watching a bass string throw itself at the pickup cover. 

These are the bar magnets Entwistle use in their neo pickups:



Nothing too high tech there.

[exiledarchangel]

Yeah, its how a P-90 is constructed (or a cheap strat pickup). I don't like the extra long iron rods that extend behind the magnets, I have read that this just wastes magnetic energy or something. But that maybe makes sence when working with neos.

[Alanko]

Entwistle use those long tapped poles on a lot of their pickups. I've owned a few sets. They appear adjustable, being threaded and coming with a slot  in the top. However whenever I tried to adjust them they simply broke the magnets free of their epoxy on the back of the pickup! No idea why they need an extra ~5 mm of pole extending out the back like that.

[exiledarchangel]

Who knows, maybe they have found them on a sale and they are using them on everything they produce!

[amptech]

Who knows, maybe they have found them on a sale and they are using them on everything they produce!

Unfortunately this is likely to be true..

[wellREDman]

are Entwhistle pickups connected in anyway with JAE?

[exiledarchangel]

Unfortunately this is likely to be true..

You know, the funniest part of it, if its true, is that they could just install the poles so the screw part is under the coil, and sell them as non-adjustable. That company must have more salesmen than engineers...

[Alanko]

are Entwhistle pickups connected in anyway with JAE?

No connection. The bloke behind them is called Alan Entwhistle. I reckon they are made by Artec or similar to Alan's specs. They have a pickup called a 'Dark Star' which is somewhat confusing.

[Dave W]

Guys, there is no h in Entwistle!

And I thought these were designed by Entwistle the electrician from Last of the Summer Wine.

[Alanko]

And I thought these were designed by Entwistle the electrician from Last of the Summer Wine.

I thought you woz an American? 

I've been to Holmfirth, which is where that show is set. I think I even went round a museum dedicated to the show... not much else to do there!

[Dave W]

I thought you woz an American? 

I've been to Holmfirth, which is where that show is set. I think I even went round a museum dedicated to the show... not much else to do there!

If it weren't for UK TV shows I get on PBS or online through Acorn TV, I wouldn't have much to watch.