Bar magnets in humbuckers are magnetized with the poles along the longer edge (like in the second paper strip demonstration). So when you put your new magnet in just make sure the north and south orientation is the same as the original.
I watched this video and it inspired me to try a ceramic magnet I had in an old pickup and put it in a Seymour Duncan JB that I wished had a tighter low end. Mission accomplished! Thanks!
I was looking to replace the pickups in an Epiphone Les Paul Special because the ones in it are muddy and mids are too strong. Fortunately, I came across your excellent How-To videos! You, sir, are an awesome teacher and I appreciate the hard work you put in making these videos. You have a dedicated follower in me. I'm going to try the magnet swap out and see what I get. I just need to find out where to purchase them. Thank you again.
WARNING: your indications to get the right orientation of polarity are WRONG. I followed your tutorial and ended up with out of phase tones after swapping the magnet of one of my humbuckers. The previous comments are right: the magnet is polarized as per the second set of paper stripes you showed, so to get the correct placement the new magnet must attract "long side to long side" with the old one, and it must repel both if placed over the old one and along the short side.
Doug H. in VA the magnets must attract along their thin long side, not their flat surface. In other words, magnets are polarized so that one pole is towards the bridge of the guitar, the other pole is towards the neck of the guitar. Is it clear now?
Yup. I followed this video and it ended up out of phase. When you slide out the old magnet and place the new one on top of it, they must REPEL, not attract.
VERY IMPORTANT - if you are looking to swap magnets in certain years of Gibson BB (burst bucker) pickups YOU MUST REMOVE THE THREADED POLE SCREWS. You cannot remove the backing plate until you back the POLE screws out of the backing plate AND out of a slender piece of metal with machined holes that is attached to the side of the magnet via magnetism. That thin strip of metal sits on top of the backing plate along side of the magnet. The threaded pole screws thread through it and then thread into the backing plate. I just replaced the BB Pro short A5 magnet with a standard sized A2 which brings up another issue. The A5 magnets in BB's are a bit shorter length wise. I was able to get the A2 mag in there and reassemble it. Not sure how much of a difference in sound there is between a shorter magnet and a longer one but I have read there is a slight difference. Swapping the magnet with an A2 definitely helped sweeten the sound of the BB by removing some of the ice picky characteristics of the A5 but I'm probably going to replace the entire pickup with a PG (Pearly Gates) anyway. The BB is a good pickup but isn't quite hot enough for what I want. The PG is a clever design because of the wire itself used for the windings and the way it is wound, as well as the other pickup components including an A2 magnet. Put together, it gives you a slightly hotter version of a standard PAF.with the sweetness and transparency of a 59 PAF. I have a PG in the bridge in another Gibson and the difference is night and day. It's why one PG cost $149 brand new and not much less than that used. It is a proven pickup.
I don't see why anyone would remove the backing plate. Just loosen the screws and pull the magnet with pliers, (opposite the lead end). In this video he installed the magnet backwards as well. The long edges facing the pole pieces are the N-S poles. When stacked in the same orientation, the should repel each other.
Thx for making this great vid. While I’d flipped the mag in the neck p90 in my Goldtop, the humbucker swap was a lil’ more difficult and hands-on especially with cover removal and dealing with all that wax. Proved ever so worth-it though and the 57 and 57 plus in my SG gots great facelift - polished A4 in the neck (sounds super fat and cleans up to classic PAF tone perfectly) and a rough cast A8 in the Bridge... crazy bite and lots of crunch there. After experimenting with heights the middle position is exactly what I was looking for and very unique, which was the goal. Thanks again!
I watched this yesterday - and this morning woke up with an afterthought. At 10:18 or so, when you have the new magnet laying on top of the existing magnet, you slide it into place. But, if it's laying so nicely on the old magnet, wouldn't that mean that the N and S of the new magnet are at the opposite sides of the old magnet? In other words, instead of sliding the magnet in like you did, wouldn't you need to flip the magnet (the sideways direction) so the N and S are going the same direction as the magnet you are replacing?
I found something about magnets I wanted to share. First off, get polarity tester. There are many available online and they all do the same thing, tell you whether you are on the magnetic north or south side of the magnet. Also humbucker magnets are only magnetic along their long edges. That way the magnet's north and south side corresponds with the pole pieces. So there is no magnetism top to bottom. This makes your life easier than this video indicates. All you have to do is test which edge is north and which south and make sure the magnet you put in oriented the same way. There is a diagram and more information at this link. www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
WRONG. New magnet is installed incorrectly in this video. Also, you should never let the magnets you are going to use stick to another magnet, it changes the charge of both magnets. Do it correctly and get a magnet polarity tester. Correct information can be found here. www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
Isn't the N/S oriented on the length of the bar magnet not on the narrow ends? The coil with slugs should have the opposite magnetic orientation as the coil with screws for noise cancellation. Screws are next to S of magnet and slugs on the N of the magnet.
Yes, that should be right. N to non adjustable slugs and S to adjustable screws. My way to know directions is when i keep magnet on pickup. If i it repels side to side it should be right. If it stays middle it's wrong.
I didn't had any way to know the orientation so i try'd to figure out how to know when new magnet goes right way in, so i get an idea that if i hold new magnet on to the pickup when old magnet is still in. If new magnet goes right and left on the pickup then it goes in right way. When testing the sound seems to be right, not out-of-phase. Can you confirm is this right or wrong way because sounds seems to be okay when i play with new magnet? EDIT: I try your way and it seems to be okay.
So you inspired me to swap my magnets. The only problem: now one of my strings (the A) is waaaay quiet compared to the rest. Almost inaudible. Do you or anyone else have an idea why that is so?
Thanks, very helpful and understandable... I have ceramic, I want something softer for the picking and dynamics, any suggestions? I like mess around with the pic attack,
I've heard Seymour Duncans and Dimarzio can't mix because they'd be out of phase, that you have to switch the magnet of one of them. If so, do you switch it north to south AND top to bottom or just north/south? Thanks!
I have to say, your video is very informative. You explained everything just so. I thought you could swoop out magnets in the pickups. Is it basically the same for single coils magnet swaps? I would assume it changes the resistance of the pickup correct? Thank you for sharing this with us.
Most quality single coils don’t have bar magnets like humbuckers. The slugs (pole pieces) are the actual magnets on most quality single coils. A lot of cheap single coils (like the ones found in a lot of squire’s) use cheap ceramic bar magnets. Along with that cheap pink copper they use to wind around the bobbins
I was swapping ceramic for A5 magnets from two Seymour Duncan pickups. I was VERY careful to pull them both out and lay them down the same way they came out. They were the same way on the sides of the magnets. I assume south to the screw side. But they were definitely flipped too to bottom from each other. Meaning while they stuck side to side, top to bottom, they repelled. Why would two pickups from the same company have the magnets flipped like that? And does it really make that big of a difference as long as the magnet is installed on the coils properly? Thanks for any help.
I realize this is late, but this video is wrong. You don't want the magnets to attract as shown, (opposites attract). I seen this in several videos. I get the feeling this method came from chain of misinformation typical of what happens on the internet. You were smart enough to question the issue. As long as you install both pickup magnets in reverse, you won't see a problem unless you decide to replace one. Then you'll have a phasing issue.
Does it need to be wax potted again after changing the magnet or will it be OK to use as is? Sorry, I'm new to this so this may qualify as a dumb question.
Anyone have an idea if taking the magnet out of a Seymour Duncan SH 12 Screamin Demon and installing it in a Gibson 500T would be an improvement ? I like the EQ curve and output of the 500T , but it's definitely not as clear and defined as most SD pickups.
Great job, and very well explained. I've heard that in Ibanez V7 and V8, an usual mod is swap them with each other magnets (one is ceramic and the other alnico) and revert their polarities. Which benefit could come from that polarity change?
yes, but, its easy to use magnets that are too powerful, and basically pull down on the strings, which affects the sustain. and, you may or may not like the tone it gives. if you're just doing it for fun, then do it. if you're looking for a specific sound for recording purposes, i don't know that it would give you any specific sound that you're looking for. but.. at least 1 company does use neodymium magnets in their pickups.... ... . .. . one...
+Cashew Walnut better way is a create some similar to Dimarzio X2N and his evolution tree --- put bar magnet into the each bobbin (remove screws and slags)
This explains just how to replace the type of magnet. If you have coil split in your guitar probably what you need is to turn around it also, this video is right. Hope it helps.
Several of the comments that showed up say that the new magnet is installed wrong. Many guys do NOT care about polarity, etc.... they want the new magnet to be put in right to replace the old, and theory be damned! So tell us if the video is correct or not. Tell us if the new magnet has to repel or attract the old one along the LONG edge and repel or attract along the short edge as well. OK? small steel screws will magnetize and stick to the screwdriver tip when re-installing them. Very small screwdriver tip will be good to gently push the ribbon outside the brass bottom plate.
Because he is wrong in describing how to swap a magnet. He installed it wrong, you will end up with the Peter Green type sound when both pickups are selected (neck pickup is magnetically out-of-phase). Just another RUclips video with incorrect information.
I believe the magnet information your are showing is wrong. What matters is the north and south of the magnet. This is along the narrow edge, not end to end longways. The north side generally goes against the slug coil and the south side goes against the adjustable pole pieces.
Bruh take your video down with the inaccurate info on pole orientation. Poles are only on each side of the long axis of the mag. Not the way you're illustrating.
WRONG..!!! Putting the magnets in this way will put your guitar OUT OF PHASE in the middle position. The magnets should in fact repel on all planes except the thinnest edges which should ATTRACT. These are the relevant poles on guitar bar magnets. The theory here is somewhat correct but essentially misleading but it’s not the only video online getting this part wrong.!! Also loosening the pole pieces when dismantled the pick-up will make the job much easier. If you wind them all the way out of the back plate in a covered humbucker, the rest of the pick-up can stay intact. This video should be taken down imo.
defininately my favorite channel for this kind of learning. Thank you so much for sharing.
Bar magnets in humbuckers are magnetized with the poles along the longer edge (like in the second paper strip demonstration). So when you put your new magnet in just make sure the north and south orientation is the same as the original.
I watched this video and it inspired me to try a ceramic magnet I had in an old pickup and put it in a Seymour Duncan JB that I wished had a tighter low end. Mission accomplished! Thanks!
I’ve been wanting to swap magnets but afraid of ruining the pickups until now. Thanks for sharing this method.
I was looking to replace the pickups in an Epiphone Les Paul Special because the ones in it are muddy and mids are too strong. Fortunately, I came across your excellent How-To videos! You, sir, are an awesome teacher and I appreciate the hard work you put in making these videos. You have a dedicated follower in me. I'm going to try the magnet swap out and see what I get. I just need to find out where to purchase them. Thank you again.
The first video I’ve seen that simply explains the magnetism aspect . Thanks
Thank you so much for posting this, you saved me from buying a whole new set of pickups!
Clear , consider, well done. I have a buttload of pickups I'm now gonna be have fun with. You Rock
Great video! Always wondered about the details. Looks easy, thanks!
WARNING: your indications to get the right orientation of polarity are WRONG. I followed your tutorial and ended up with out of phase tones after swapping the magnet of one of my humbuckers. The previous comments are right: the magnet is polarized as per the second set of paper stripes you showed, so to get the correct placement the new magnet must attract "long side to long side" with the old one, and it must repel both if placed over the old one and along the short side.
what do you mean, exactly? I read it and do not know what you mean about long side and short side.
Doug H. in VA the magnets must attract along their thin long side, not their flat surface. In other words, magnets are polarized so that one pole is towards the bridge of the guitar, the other pole is towards the neck of the guitar. Is it clear now?
This part is not clear to me... can you explain ? " and it must repel both if placed over the old one and along the short side. "
Yup. I followed this video and it ended up out of phase. When you slide out the old magnet and place the new one on top of it, they must REPEL, not attract.
True.. This magnet replacement advice is WRONG..!!
Great video. Clear and precise instructions. Helped me out a lot . Thanks
VERY IMPORTANT - if you are looking to swap magnets in certain years of Gibson BB (burst bucker) pickups YOU MUST REMOVE THE THREADED POLE SCREWS. You cannot remove the backing plate until you back the POLE screws out of the backing plate AND out of a slender piece of metal with machined holes that is attached to the side of the magnet via magnetism. That thin strip of metal sits on top of the backing plate along side of the magnet. The threaded pole screws thread through it and then thread into the backing plate. I just replaced the BB Pro short A5 magnet with a standard sized A2 which brings up another issue. The A5 magnets in BB's are a bit shorter length wise. I was able to get the A2 mag in there and reassemble it. Not sure how much of a difference in sound there is between a shorter magnet and a longer one but I have read there is a slight difference. Swapping the magnet with an A2 definitely helped sweeten the sound of the BB by removing some of the ice picky characteristics of the A5 but I'm probably going to replace the entire pickup with a PG (Pearly Gates) anyway. The BB is a good pickup but isn't quite hot enough for what I want. The PG is a clever design because of the wire itself used for the windings and the way it is wound, as well as the other pickup components including an A2 magnet. Put together, it gives you a slightly hotter version of a standard PAF.with the sweetness and transparency of a 59 PAF. I have a PG in the bridge in another Gibson and the difference is night and day. It's why one PG cost $149 brand new and not much less than that used. It is a proven pickup.
I don't see why anyone would remove the backing plate. Just loosen the screws and pull the magnet with pliers, (opposite the lead end). In this video he installed the magnet backwards as well. The long edges facing the pole pieces are the N-S poles. When stacked in the same orientation, the should repel each other.
@qua7771 I think you are right about magnet orientation. Other than that he is a good and accurate coach😊
New magnet is horizontally backwards. They didn't repel, so the top and bottom halves would have to have been oriented in opposite directions.
OMG What a great and useful video!! Totally excellent.
Thx for making this great vid. While I’d flipped the mag in the neck p90 in my Goldtop, the humbucker swap was a lil’ more difficult and hands-on especially with cover removal and dealing with all that wax. Proved ever so worth-it though and the 57 and 57 plus in my SG gots great facelift - polished A4 in the neck (sounds super fat and cleans up to classic PAF tone perfectly) and a rough cast A8 in the Bridge... crazy bite and lots of crunch there. After experimenting with heights the middle position is exactly what I was looking for and very unique, which was the goal. Thanks again!
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for that awesome video. I will try it .
You are an excellent teacher---well prepared with demo 'pickups'. Thank you.
Very talented...Great teacher..I finally understand the importance of polarity top to bottom too. I always wondered about that. Thanks
Very comprehensive! Excellent video!
I removed the magnets from some old crappy pickups I had out of curiosity. Then I put them on my refrigerator. 😊
What kind of tone are you getting from the refrigerator now?
At least you have now the warmer refrigetator in town, cheers! ✌😎🎸
@@DetVen A very cold tone I'm afraid...
I watched this yesterday - and this morning woke up with an afterthought. At 10:18 or so, when you have the new magnet laying on top of the existing magnet, you slide it into place. But, if it's laying so nicely on the old magnet, wouldn't that mean that the N and S of the new magnet are at the opposite sides of the old magnet? In other words, instead of sliding the magnet in like you did, wouldn't you need to flip the magnet (the sideways direction) so the N and S are going the same direction as the magnet you are replacing?
You’re right Dave.. The magnet info in this video is WRONG.
Well done. Clear and concise.
This video worked for me! (I wanted out of phase pickup)
This was a great lesson, but what about single coil p/ups?
I found something about magnets I wanted to share. First off, get polarity tester. There are many available online and they all do the same thing, tell you whether you are on the magnetic north or south side of the magnet. Also humbucker magnets are only magnetic along their long edges. That way the magnet's north and south side corresponds with the pole pieces. So there is no magnetism top to bottom. This makes your life easier than this video indicates. All you have to do is test which edge is north and which south and make sure the magnet you put in oriented the same way. There is a diagram and more information at this link. www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
polarity tester AKA a compass!
Thanks for that, awesome info!
WRONG. New magnet is installed incorrectly in this video.
Also, you should never let the magnets you are going to use stick to another magnet, it changes the charge of both magnets. Do it correctly and get a magnet polarity tester.
Correct information can be found here. www.1728.org/guitar1b.htm
Yes, you agree
True.. Great link to the correct information.
Thus this apply to Jazz Bass pickups?
Just throw a set of refrigerator magnets under them puppies.... AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😜 lols
Isn't the N/S oriented on the length of the bar magnet not on the narrow ends? The coil with slugs should have the opposite magnetic orientation as the coil with screws for noise cancellation. Screws are next to S of magnet and slugs on the N of the magnet.
Yes, that should be right. N to non adjustable slugs and S to adjustable screws. My way to know directions is when i keep magnet on pickup. If i it repels side to side it should be right. If it stays middle it's wrong.
Excellent advice
I think that was great . Thanks for the useful information.
I didn't had any way to know the orientation so i try'd to figure out how to know when new magnet goes right way in, so i get an idea that if i hold new magnet on to the pickup when old magnet is still in. If new magnet goes right and left on the pickup then it goes in right way. When testing the sound seems to be right, not out-of-phase. Can you confirm is this right or wrong way because sounds seems to be okay when i play with new magnet? EDIT: I try your way and it seems to be okay.
It seems the original magnet is thicker than the A5, does thickness makes a difference in tone ?
What is better magnetized or demagnetized?
Is it okay to remove and/or cut the adjustable pole pieces to make them shorter if they are too long preventing proper mounting in the guitar?
So you inspired me to swap my magnets.
The only problem: now one of my strings (the A) is waaaay quiet compared to the rest. Almost inaudible.
Do you or anyone else have an idea why that is so?
Thanks, very helpful and understandable... I have ceramic, I want something softer for the picking and dynamics, any suggestions? I like mess around with the pic attack,
I've heard Seymour Duncans and Dimarzio can't mix because they'd be out of phase, that you have to switch the magnet of one of them. If so, do you switch it north to south AND top to bottom or just north/south? Thanks!
Does this apply to the super distortion and to the 59/jazz model? Or is either built differently?
so can a ceramic bar be replaced on a Telecaster bridge pickup by an alnico one easily?
Great video, two questions, how long the magnet will stand? and when do we change the magnet? Thank you.
I have to say, your video is very informative. You explained everything just so. I thought you could swoop out magnets in the pickups. Is it basically the same for single coils magnet swaps? I would assume it changes the resistance of the pickup correct? Thank you for sharing this with us.
Most quality single coils don’t have bar magnets like humbuckers. The slugs (pole pieces) are the actual magnets on most quality single coils. A lot of cheap single coils (like the ones found in a lot of squire’s) use cheap ceramic bar magnets. Along with that cheap pink copper they use to wind around the bobbins
Fantastic video! Thank you!
fine...but where can i find these bar magnets?
Excellent video, thanks a ton
I was swapping ceramic for A5 magnets from two Seymour Duncan pickups. I was VERY careful to pull them both out and lay them down the same way they came out. They were the same way on the sides of the magnets. I assume south to the screw side. But they were definitely flipped too to bottom from each other. Meaning while they stuck side to side, top to bottom, they repelled. Why would two pickups from the same company have the magnets flipped like that? And does it really make that big of a difference as long as the magnet is installed on the coils properly? Thanks for any help.
I realize this is late, but this video is wrong. You don't want the magnets to attract as shown, (opposites attract). I seen this in several videos. I get the feeling this method came from chain of misinformation typical of what happens on the internet.
You were smart enough to question the issue. As long as you install both pickup magnets in reverse, you won't see a problem unless you decide to replace one. Then you'll have a phasing issue.
Is it a good idea to add a second bar magnet or ceramic or even neodymium to the existing bar for xtra output ?
@@daveweston9336 bar neos??
Does it need to be wax potted again after changing the magnet or will it be OK to use as is? Sorry, I'm new to this so this may qualify as a dumb question.
It doesn't need to be waxed
So ive tried doing the mod... my neck pick up sounds like a single coil... all the wired/connections are intact. Could it be something else?
Thanks this was a big help.
Anyone have an idea if taking the magnet out of a Seymour Duncan SH 12 Screamin Demon and installing it in a Gibson 500T would be an improvement ? I like the EQ curve and output of the 500T , but it's definitely not as clear and defined as most SD pickups.
Great job, and very well explained. I've heard that in Ibanez V7 and V8, an usual mod is swap them with each other magnets (one is ceramic and the other alnico) and revert their polarities. Which benefit could come from that polarity change?
Could I do a similar thing with neodymium discs?
yes, but, its easy to use magnets that are too powerful, and basically pull down on the strings, which affects the sustain. and, you may or may not like the tone it gives. if you're just doing it for fun, then do it. if you're looking for a specific sound for recording purposes, i don't know that it would give you any specific sound that you're looking for. but.. at least 1 company does use neodymium magnets in their pickups.... ... . .. . one...
M B yeah, I installed them a few weeks ago, they work fine but don't boost the signal enough
+Cashew Walnut
better way is a create some similar to Dimarzio X2N and his evolution tree --- put bar magnet into the each bobbin (remove screws and slags)
- - - M B
*Every* pups manufacturer has line of neodimium and samarium pups
Alex Mann thanks
I had no idea. Thanks!
this video does NOT give the right instructions. I did exactly as he does in the video and the pickups are out of phase in the in between position
This explains just how to replace the type of magnet. If you have coil split in your guitar probably what you need is to turn around it also, this video is right. Hope it helps.
Several of the comments that showed up say that the new magnet is installed wrong. Many guys do NOT care about polarity, etc.... they want the new magnet to be put in right to replace the old, and theory be damned! So tell us if the video is correct or not. Tell us if the new magnet has to repel or attract the old one along the LONG edge and repel or attract along the short edge as well. OK?
small steel screws will magnetize and stick to the screwdriver tip when re-installing them. Very small screwdriver tip will be good to gently push the ribbon outside the brass bottom plate.
What about just iron?
Great!
Would sure like to understand why 2 goofs dislikes this awesome vid?
Because he is wrong in describing how to swap a magnet. He installed it wrong, you will end up with the Peter Green type sound when both pickups are selected (neck pickup is magnetically out-of-phase).
Just another RUclips video with incorrect information.
It's wrong!
You put the magnets in backwards. They should repel using your method. The long edges are the poles, not the flats.
Grande dica!
10:10 you put magnet to reverse position compare to original --- it soooo stupid !!! after those explanation.
I'm on a forum where a guy followed the instructions exactly and now his pickups are out of phase... whoops ;-)
Twisted you agree. This video shows the wrong way. It is opposite
Super helpful
I believe the magnet information your are showing is wrong. What matters is the north and south of the magnet. This is along the narrow edge, not end to end longways. The north side generally goes against the slug coil and the south side goes against the adjustable pole pieces.
240p we meet again.....
Bruh take your video down with the inaccurate info on pole orientation. Poles are only on each side of the long axis of the mag. Not the way you're illustrating.
WRONG..!!! Putting the magnets in this way will put your guitar OUT OF PHASE in the middle position. The magnets should in fact repel on all planes except the thinnest edges which should ATTRACT. These are the relevant poles on guitar bar magnets. The theory here is somewhat correct but essentially misleading but it’s not the only video online getting this part wrong.!!
Also loosening the pole pieces when dismantled the pick-up will make the job much easier. If you wind them all the way out of the back plate in a covered humbucker, the rest of the pick-up can stay intact.
This video should be taken down imo.
#104_comment_MAR_1_2024_YaHoo_FinallyAnUnderstandableExplainationRegardingProperFieldOrientation🇺🇸✡️✝️
Take this video down bro.