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Pole piece magnets??

jamisonlps

New member
Joined
May 30, 2005
Messages
1,608
I know with all of the humbucker talk, PAFs, magnets, output, etc., etc. that "magnet type" be it A2, A3, A4 or A5 us usually referring to the bar magnet under the coils.

But....what about the pole pieces themselves? How much variation is there in humbucker pole coils (as opposed to the slug coils). The pole magnets define single coil pickups (tele, strat, etc.) mainly A2/3/5's. Just wondered if anyone has thought much about this or has looked into it.

On a side note: How common are A3 bar mags for PAF winds? A3 (and some A2) seems to be the most common poles for tele's and strats these days when looking at some of the best vintage wound stuff available, at least that's what I am noticing.
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
The slugs in the slug coil are just slugs & not magnets. They do see a magnetic field when there is a magnet present. But on their own, the slugs would not see much, if anything. The material is different from what's in a Fender (or similar) pickup. If I remember right, they're a set of steel slugs.. Some of the early P-90 types had a row of slugs and a pair of magnets under the bobbin.
 

jamisonlps

New member
Joined
May 30, 2005
Messages
1,608
Ah ok...I knew the screw coil wasn't but I thought the slug poles were alnico rods. So every component in a humbucker is magnetized by the bar magnet only?
 
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