Magnets for Wide Range Humbuckers

[Telenator]

Does anyone know if the special magnets are available anywhere for the old Fender Wide Range Humbuckers? My tech winds up some awesome pickups and I'd like to have him wind up a set for me. I'm thinking he can dismantle a set that comes in the MIM '72 Re-issue and use the correct magnets to get it all working.

I owned a '72 Thinline that I bought brand new many years ago but had to sell it in the late 70's. The choice was simple. Pay the rent and eat, or play guitar.

The new '72 Thinlines are real nice and would sound quite amazing with the right p'ups in there.

Anyone know if these magnets are available and where I might get my hands on a set?

[GUITARmole]

Originally Posted by Telenator

Does anyone know if the special magnets are available anywhere for the old Fender Wide Range Humbuckers? My tech winds up some awesome pickups and I'd like to have him wind up a set for me. I'm thinking he can dismantle a set that comes in the MIM '72 Re-issue and use the correct magnets to get it all working.

I owned a '72 Thinline that I bought brand new many years ago but had to sell it in the late 70's. The choice was simple. Pay the rent and eat, or play guitar.

The new '72 Thinlines are real nice and would sound quite amazing with the right p'ups in there.

Anyone know if these magnets are available and where I might get my hands on a set?

You can get them here:
CuNiFe Magnets

Or here:
More CuNiFe Magnets

Seriously...that's your only option. The magnets aren't available and if they were you could bet there would be countless custom winders making reissue WRs! Also, the new pickups aren't made the same as the old ones so it wouldn't be as simple as finding a set of threaded and magnetized CuNiFe polepieces that were out of an original WR (as if that would be simple) and popping them in. Your best bet is to go with the reissues and change out the pots to 500K or 1M like everyone recommends or suck it up and pay as much as the MIM Thinline and buy two original WRs.

[geoffreysnow]

Originally Posted by GUITARmole

You can get them here:
CuNiFe Magnets

Or here:
More CuNiFe Magnets

Seriously...that's your only option. The magnets aren't available and if they were you could bet there would be countless custom winders making reissue WRs! Also, the new pickups aren't made the same as the old ones so it wouldn't be as simple as finding a set of threaded and magnetized CuNiFe polepieces that were out of an original WR (as if that would be simple) and popping them in. Your best bet is to go with the reissues and change out the pots to 500K or 1M like everyone recommends or suck it up and pay as much as the MIM Thinline and buy two original WRs.

+1

this should be made a sticky. i don't know how many threads i've come across where someone gets a reissue with wide range humbuckers, says they want to upgrade, finds out different magnets, then asks where to get them.

riogrande has a pickup that's the right size but uses alnico rods instead of the bar that the reissue uses.

other than that ponying up for the old ones is the only other alternative.

[Telenator]

Thanks.

I was hoping to find just the magnets though. I'm hoping I can disassemble the stock '72 RI p'ups and have my tech wind me up a set using the new CuNiFe magnets.

[GUITARmole]

Originally Posted by Telenator

Thanks.

I was hoping to find just the magnets though. I'm hoping I can disassemble the stock '72 RI p'ups and have my tech wind me up a set using the new CuNiFe magnets.

WHAT new CuNiFe magnets? Even if you could find the raw bar-stock CuNiFe in the right size you'd have to have it cut and threaded. You'd also be looking at just as much (more) than the price of an original as you'd probably have to buy the magnets in bulk.

The new WRs are A3 and A5 magnets and I 'believe' they're constructed like a standard humbucker (the poles themselves aren't the magnet).

Supposedly A3 sounds close to CuNiFe...why not buy an extra neck pickup (the A3 one) sell the A5 bridge, convert the pots, and be happy!?

If you HAVE to get the original sound BUY the originals...they're only getting more expensive as time goes by.



Above you can see the original WR on the bottom with the MIM on top. The bobbins aren't even the same size so it isn't like you could even wind them the same if you HAD the magnets.

-Tell you what! I'll trade you my Tele Custom with original WR neck pickup straight across for your 55 LP Custom and you can use the magnets out of it...deal?