For a donation to b0b's Forum (whatever it is worth to you) and return postage ... I will re-mag your Rickenbacher, Fender, Gibson, etc. pickups.

I can saturate cobalt steel, alnico or ceramic (ferrite) magnets with my 40,000 ampere capacitor discharge electromagnet.

I have fixtures for horseshoe magnets, bar magnets (Gibson) and the rectangular Fenders.

I have redone all of my Rickys and my Fender traps/boxcar ... amazing results.

Remember ... when your "heros" recorded those tunes ... their magnets were SATURATED!!

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www.horseshoemagnets.com

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 21 November 2003 at 01:36 PM.]

Is it necsssarily so, that the magnets on my 1952 Fender Dual Pro. 8-string have degenerated? How can I tell? And can you describe the difference when the magnets are regenerated?

If both necks have similar outputs .. thats a good sign.

If you take an iron nail and touch it "dead center" of the cover plate ... you should get a low to moderate "pull". As you move closer to either edge (toward the magnet blocks) the pull should increase and reach its max right above the magnets.

All magnets exhibit greater pull at the corners/edges ... so keep that in mind when comparing. Be consistant when placing the nail "probe"

Since the trapazoids have a bass magnet about 2x the size of the treble side ... the bass pull should be proportionally higher.

If you notice very little pull ... especially directly over the magnet block ... she's tired.

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 21 November 2003 at 01:28 PM.]

quote:

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And can you describe the difference when the magnets are regenerated?

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Greater output ...

Richer bass/mid range...

quote:

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with my 40,000 ampere capacitor discharge electromagnet.

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I built the first one ... heavy as a truck ... 3000 winds of 12 guage Cu over 1" iron round.

Then I found a guy who made very nice DC electromagnets ... so we both got one of them.

But I just couldn't resist the allure of "more power" ... hence the capacitor discharge unit. Just my way ... much to my wifes dismay

Seriously, I have written up an instruction sheet that enables you to remove the horseshoe magnets (pre or postwar) without disturbing any of the electronics ... so folks can just "slip off their shoes" a send 'em.

The coolest thing about magnets ... 5 seconds can return them back to there ORIGINAL state ... no matter their age (alot of corrosion can lower the saturation point though).

Can't say that about many things in life

So where is this instruction sheet located?

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

Click on Tunin' and Maggin' ...

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 21 November 2003 at 07:39 PM.]

I looked on your website and saw "coming soon, direct string and boxcar pickups".

When will this be? What do you reckon they will cost? I'm sure alot of people on this forum will be very excited about this!

I'm really excited about them ... We are thinking about 3 versions.

One with the intergrated bridge, one without (to mount on various steels and slide guitars), and one with unequal magnetization (bass side being stronger ... to emulate the traps)

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 22 November 2003 at 06:00 AM.]

I have already done a couple of Fender Trap alnicos ... they were down around 40%.

They "ain't any more"

Chris S., the Fender "Boxcars" were a Rippin' success !!!! I have them on my Sierra right now .... ultra output and tone.

Send 'em whenever it is convienient for you ...

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               Bobby Lee
-b0b-   quasar@b0b.com

Very knightly gesture! Cheers to you!
-andy-

He has since taken down the photos of his "burned down" workshop ... after his homemade capacitor discharge unit got "outa-hand"

After reading that ... I decided to build a DC unit ... ha, ha