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Topic: Arched Metal Cover Over A Pickup |
Keith Hilton
From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
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Posted 2 Jun 2011 10:27 am |
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| Some of the old guitars had an arched metal piece over the pickup. Some were split in the middle so they would not touch. If my memory serves me, I think some of the old Rickenbacker guitars had this metal arch over the pickup. I know some guitars had hand rests made like this. These arches I am talking about are more than hand rests. I am certain they serve some purpose relating to the magnetic field. I am trying to make a certain guitar I have sound good, and am wondering what sound change I could expect with a metal arch over the pickup. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 2 Jun 2011 10:30 am
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| On the Rickenbacher guitars, that "arch" was part of the pickup. It was called a "horseshoe pickup". |
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Steve Waltz
From:
USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2011 9:27 am
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I believe that a plate of metal either over or under a pickup will change the shape of the magnetic field on the other end of the magnets. A sho bud permanent has a metal plate below the pickup. The magnets are individual magnets under each string. I think the metal bar spreads out the magentic field where the strings are so that the pickup is hearing a longer section of string.
So it depends on what magnets you have. A bigsby has a long bar magnet on each side of the bobbin and the magnetism goes through the bobbin by sitting on top of the bobbin which is also the metal bar going through the winding.( the bobbin is in an upsidedown T shape) The magnets on the side might be making the magnetic field larger because they are on each side of the bobbin close to the strings.
Magnets can lose power in a few ways and I would wonder if the metal cover over a Rickenbacker was a way to try to protect the magnet.
I would think the tone is more about the proper winding, magnet strength, type and size of the magnet or metal going through the coil and proximity to the strings. |
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Jason Lollar
From:
Seattle area
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Posted 14 Jun 2011 2:46 pm
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| The "arched metal cover" on a rickenbacker is the magnet. There are two horseshoe magnets, one on the right and one on the left, the coil is located inside the horseshoes. |
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Dennis Peterson
From:
Washington, USA
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