Mosrite Magnets

[oipunkguy]

Does anyone know the reason why Semie choose to use the segmented magnets found in mosrite pickups? do we know for sure that they are indeed alnico V, or do we just assume that they are? there's very little information you can find on the net about these magnets, other then it sounds like they were produced for some type of machiney or motors???? Gibson got magnets made for them from GE, i wonder why semie didn't use regular bar magnets like other guitar companies. can anyone chime in on this topic?

[Mr. Bill]

Search for this topic, cause I know we talked about this before. My recollection was that the segmented magnets were a commonly available hardware item back in the day, so they were used due to availability. I think that Bob Shade still has some of these NOS magnets that he uses for repro work.

[raygun85]

Tony Hunt told me they were Alnico V. The next time I talk to him I'll ask him again to make sure I didn't misunderstand him. Another time, he said Semie used 'refrigerator magnets' and 44 gauge wire in his earliest pickups. Hope this helps.

[oipunkguy]

i spoke to Dana about this last night. she said it was something Semie was able to get a good deal on, but he could no longer get ahold of them after 1983. as to what semie used after that, i don't know and dana didn't tell me. anybody knows what semie used afterwards? thanks for everyones input. if this topic has been covered before someone please add the direct link, I have yet to read it.
@raygun- one reason I wonder if these magnets were actually alnico V's is because the ones I have at least tend to be quite weak. which makes me think maybe they're an alnico II. the alnico V magnets I have tend to be stronger. It could be from age too, but still it just seems we all just assume the magnets are V's without actually questioning.

[Mr. Bill]

Try this
http://www.mosriteforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4319

[raygun85]

Aaron, magnets can (and often do) lose strength over time. We've had a lot of restoration jobs where customers complained that their pickups had lost "volume" (output) over time, or sounded "weaker", "quieter", or "muddy." Since there is no break in the wire, the only culprit could be the magnets. We've recharged the magnets for a lot of pickups with happy customers reporting they were "back to normal."

This is not necessarily to say that they are not Alnico II's or Alnico V's. It'd be good to put a gauss meter on them and see what they're registering. (Alnico V should be around 12KG.) I've also been planning to do a magnet shootout some time - use the same pickup and change between the vintage breakaway magnets, Alnico V, Alnico II, and ceramic. It'd be great for comparisons.

[raygun85]

I should've mentioned that they should be charged before testing them with a gauss meter.

[oipunkguy]

that makes sense. something Les Paul said was everytime you change the strings on your instrument you are losing some of the magnet strength. Matt, when you recharge your magnets do you do it while the magnet is still inside the pickup, or out?

[Bob Shade]

Out

[raygun85]

What Bob said.