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Topic: Old horshoe PU's, do they need re-mag? |
Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2018 8:12 pm |
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I have a '36 lap with horseshoe p'up. Do these loose charge over time and benefit from re-mag?  |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 21 Sep 2018 6:25 am
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| We really need more info. How long have you had the guitar? Is the pickup working acceptably? How well? Magnets can lose their strength, due to age or other factors, but low output can also be due to a pickup coil problem. Or, it can be due to a problem with the pot(s) or the wiring. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 6:08 pm
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I have never encountered he problem with guitars I own or have serviced.
But I'll add another question - *IF* something seems wrong, have you 1) had a qualified guitar tech measure the pickup's DC resistance and electronic output compared to known good ones as standards; Output also needs to be checked at the jack, as vintage pots sometimes go bad and cause a drop in output (this is not usually DIY fix with fader treatment - and never with "contact cleaner")
if so has the magnet been physically hit hard (especially by a metallic object) or been next to another magnetic object - a strong magnet, a transformer etc?
They DO lose some magnetism over time but it's audibly inconsequential. If the pickup is weak sounding the cause is usually a short somewhere in the wire coil or bad solder joint. It's rare for a loss of magnetism to be the cause.
So if something is wrong, take it to a tech.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 22 Sep 2018 8:12 pm
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My ‘36 B6 Ricky bakelite lap steel seems to have changed a bit in the last 10 years or so. The tone has gotten a bit more weak and trebly. What else could it be?
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Sep 2018 7:30 am
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| Tom Wolverton wrote: |
| My ‘36 B6 Ricky bakelite lap steel seems to have changed a bit in the last 10 years or so. The tone has gotten a bit more weak and trebly. What else could it be? |
While it could be the magnet, it could also be a shorted or open pickup, or a wiring issue. You need to check the resistance of the pickup with an ohmmeter, and it should read a few thousand ohms. |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
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Posted 23 Sep 2018 1:19 pm
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| Cartwright-- Very informative link. From what Rick Aiello and Lollar have to say, sounds like the answer to the posted question is a definite 'yes'. Goin on 80 yrs now with these prewar p'ups. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 24 Sep 2018 2:22 am
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Thanks for posting that, Cartwright. Saved me having to search for it.
There are answers and there are answers. |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 24 Sep 2018 4:04 am
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| Quote: |
They will remain functional ... i.e. still put out a usable signal ... all the way down to the 30 gauss (midgap) range ...
But thats like having a Maserati runnin' on 3 cylinders w/ two flat tires ... |
I love it!  |
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