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Author
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Topic: horse shoe magnet p.u. ??
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Randy Reeves
Member From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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posted 11 May 2005 08:51 AM
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I have never held a lap steel with the horseshoe pickup.
how does it work.? is there a coil of copper wire mounted somewhere in the magnetic field?I know this is a dumb question. be kind. |
Mike Neer
Member From: NJ
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posted 11 May 2005 09:56 AM
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To me, they are the best pickups I've ever played, and I think I've owned just about every vintage pickup (well, the more well-known ones). There are dozens of threads here espousing the virtues of the Horseshoe pickup. Do a search. I have an early Frying Pan that sounds absolutely wonderful, and I previously owned a B6 that was wonderful, too, mostly due to the pickup. I've recently brought my first steel back to life after trashing it about 15 years ago (forgive me, it didn't even know what it was, I bought it at a flea market for $30). I mounted a Rickenbacher pickup in it.  |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 11 May 2005 10:07 AM
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 quote:
how does it work
The bobbin (coil and steel slug pole pieces) ... sit within the magnetic field produced by two opposing horseshoe magnets (N to N ; S to S)
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Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
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Mike D
Member From: Phx, Az
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posted 11 May 2005 10:25 AM
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Rick, it sounds like you may know a little sumpthin' about these...  ------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.
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Randy Reeves
Member From: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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posted 11 May 2005 10:37 AM
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Mike. that is an old Epiphone Electar you have.and Ric ,Mr. Horseshoe magnet, thanks for the pic. a thousand words for sure. |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 11 May 2005 03:22 PM
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Rick's REAL name is RICKenbacher Aiello !  |
Terry Farmer
Member From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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posted 11 May 2005 10:14 PM
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I think the sound of horseshoe pickups are superior to non-horseshoes. It's a subjective call, though. Opinions are like ********, everyone's got one. I can best describe the sound difference as something three dimensional compared to something two dimensional and that's pretty much meaningless unless you hear it that way yourself. You just gotta hear 'em side by side and then you'll have your own valid and valued opinion. As with most things desirable, there is a cross to bear for horseshoe excellence. If you want to pick directly over the pickup, you're out of luck. Horseshoe lovers have a solution to this problem, however. We "just don't pick there". ;o) Have fun! |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 12 May 2005 05:22 AM
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quote:
Rick's REAL name is RICKenbacher Aiello
Boy, if that don't get me in more more trouble ... these will ...  These are 5 new sets of 1.25" bass magnets ... fresh off the wheel ... ready to ship to Jason. I start off making steel guitar parts ... and end up sellin' more bass stuff ... But maybe I'm sparing some old Ricky NS from a "magectomy" ... These are weak rascals too... those bass guys like 'em real weak ... like 90 gauss (midgap). ------------------
Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
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Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 12 May 2005 06:46 AM
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So I could add horseshoes to my existing pickup...? |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 12 May 2005 07:22 AM
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I've experimented with that ...If you use hardened steel horseshoe magnets ... the alnico pole pieces from the conventional pickup would "hijack" the magnetic lines of force ... And you end up with a situation similar to the pickup found in Excel and Shobud JB Frypans. Magnets that are "backed" by steel ... exhibit flux densities significantly higher than "un-backed" magnets ... This produces a really hot single coil. If you used a conventional alnico pole piece pickup with my neodymium based horseshoes ... the alnico would be overwhelmed ... The neodymium is so much more powerful, it would saturate the alnico .. making them act like steel slugs ... basically just conduits for flux. Whether it would sound like a Ricky though ... would depend on the coil itself ... I bought an Ebay Ricky B6 ... whose bobbin was rewound ... way overwound ... and it sounded like MUD. Prewar B6, 1.5" cobalt steel horseshoes ... and it just sounded like crap. I quickly snatched out the bobbin ... and had Jason Lollar rewind it ... properly !!! Hope this answers your question ... ------------------
Aiello's House of Gauss
My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 12 May 2005 at 10:47 AM.]
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Joel Newman
Member From: Myersville, Maryland, USA
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posted 12 May 2005 07:40 AM
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Hey Rick,
That previous post got me thinkin',(in my non-scientific/music/addled way).What if someone, for some reason wanted their H-shoe pickups weaker,than the original,(especially the neodymium ones), charge say 350 gauss to 150 gauss. Could you decrease the charge in them? |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 12 May 2005 07:51 AM
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I can make them any strength ... from about 80 gauss to 850 gauss (midgap).Once they are made ... they cannot be adjusted ...
I talked to Jason last nite ... 
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Charlie McDonald
Member From: Lubbock, Texas, USA
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posted 14 May 2005 06:34 AM
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Rick,
My P-bass has steel strap added beneath the pickups, and it did improve the sound.
Interesting to note how this pertains to the discussion. Better leave the horseshoes to you. |
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