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Topic: Rickenbacher Horseshoe Pickup Strength |
Tim Tweedale
From:
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Posted 5 May 2004 11:35 pm |
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There is a hollow-metal bodied Rickenbacher for sale at Not Just Another Music Shop in Vancouver. I talked to the guy who's selling it and he said that he found the horseshoe pickup had gotten weaker, but he'd never looked into figuring out why this was. I was just wondering if this is a repairable problem, what causes it and how it could be fixed?
-Tim |
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ROBERT MYERS
From:
HEDGESVILLE, W.VA. USA
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 6 May 2004 4:07 am
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Tim,
The coil windings could also be shorted out. Jason Lollar could tell you what the static DC Ohms reading between the pickup's 2 wires should be, ....and probably Rick could too. Just make another posting titled "paging Jason Lollar and Rick Aiello" and ask them there or link back to this posting of yours here. And Bob's right, Rick would darn sure be able to run down the skinny on the magnets. Magnets weakening with age and shorted coils are not uncommon. If I personally had a shoe that was weak, I'd just send it to them to rework ...after talking to them first in case there was something else in the circuit that I didn't consider!
Aloha,
Denny T~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 06 May 2004 at 05:14 AM.] |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 6 May 2004 4:38 am
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The horseshoe magnets are oriented in a Ricky in the most un-favorable way ...
(N) to (N) and (S) to (S).
You never use horseshoe magnets for repulsion experiments in physics classes. They degauss too easily.
They must be in that configuration to work though ...
But the repulsion generated starts degrading the "charge" immediately upon setting them on the mounting plate.
The situation is actually alot worse for Fender Traps/Boxcars and Supro style pups.
They have the (N)&(N) and (S)&(S) poles of the magnets physically "Yolked" together by the steel conduit covers. This facilitates an even more rapid degaussing.
Good thing they are Alnico (higher coercivity) and not hardened cobalt steel (Rickys) ... or they would all be dead.
I've re-magged alot of pickups lately ... the ones that come in the most "drained" are the Fender Traps.
The great thing about magnets is they can be restored to teir ORIGINAL state in about 3 milliseconds ... can't say that about many things 
OK, with the lesson comes the "plug" ... my new neodymium H-Shoes will never degauss in your or your great, great, great grandchilds lifetime ...
Disclaimer: As long as you don't play your steel in an environment that is above 80 C (176 F) or play inside an MRI unit. 
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www.horseshoemagnets.com |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 6 May 2004 4:41 am
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Oh, the DC resistance of Ricky bobbins run in the 1.5 to 2.5 K ohm range ...
If the coil is shorted it may still produce a usable signal .... but it will be graetly reduced ...
Either way (weak mags ... shorted coil) ... no biggie to fix. |
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Andy Zynda
From:
Wisconsin
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Posted 6 May 2004 4:48 am
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Hey Rick,
Do you know of anyone building/fabricating replacement Fender trap end-pickups? Or a source for material that might be machined? I remagged mine, but there are more than a few steels out there collecting dust because thay are missing them altogether.
-andy-
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 6 May 2004 5:49 am
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Jason and I have "re-introduced" The Boxcars ... Leo fenders original "string thru" pickup.
They are fabulous ...
I have emulated the larger bass side "trap" mag's flux density ... without the increased size.
As far as replacement magnets themselves for an actual Trap ... I can make them ... no biggie at all ... I've already made molds.
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www.horseshoemagnets.com |
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Jason Lollar
From:
Seattle area
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Posted 6 May 2004 10:29 am
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| Yes but later model 1-1/4" use a finer wire for the coil and run 6-7.5K |
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Tim Tweedale
From:
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
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Posted 6 May 2004 11:36 am
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So if I understand correctly, all they need is a remagnetization? Where does one take a pickup to have this done?
-Tim |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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