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File down pickup pole pieces?


turtletheyertle

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I have a carvin bolt, and I am thinking about new pickups.

 

the fretboard is pretty flat. Im thinking about putting SD vintage flat strat pu's in the neck and middle position. I really want a twang banger in the bridge position, but this only comes in staggared. will fileing down the pole pieces destroy the pickup?

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Originally posted by turtletheyertle

I have a carvin bolt, and I am thinking about new pickups.


the fretboard is pretty flat. Im thinking about putting SD vintage flat strat pu's in the neck and middle position. I really want a twang banger in the bridge position, but this only comes in staggared. will fileing down the pole pieces destroy the pickup?

 

 

The staggers not just there because of the fretboard radius, it's there to bring out the character of each individual string. So filing it isn't necessary just because you have a flat board.

 

Besides, you would probably get all manner of shavings inside the pickup and screw it up permanently.

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Not a good idea- you get any shavings into the pickup and it's destroyed in most cases. The output will be wacky too. The staggering takes into account the pickup's output and filing it down will seriously kill the output of that particular string. In the end it might be cheaper to get custom ones made by Novak. This will be the case particularly if you buy the pickup and damage it by filing it down. Then you're just buying another pickup and spending more money than you would've spent doing it right the first time.

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Originally posted by turtletheyertle

dunno if theyre adjustable on the twangbanger... they dont have the screw heads like my carvin

Ah, I see. Not your typical pickups then I 'spose. Well, like the others said filing is probably a bad idea.

 

Have you considered these may be a poor choice of pickups?

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If there is no backing plate it is possible to press the pole pieces futher down in the bobbin. Put the pickup on a flat surface and push down on the pole piece with the botton handle of a small hamer.

Note: pole pieces are very hard. this would destroy the file

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Originally posted by Ryan Trevisol

The staggers not just there because of the fretboard radius, it's there to bring out the character of each individual string. So filing it isn't necessary just because you have a flat board.


Besides, you would probably get all manner of shavings inside the pickup and screw it up permanently.

 

 

Ahem. The pickups are staggered assuming that:

 

1. The string heights are adjusted for the fingerboard radius.

 

2. The fingerboard radius is fairly round. Vintage style pickups have the pole pieces staggered for vintage style radii--7.25" to 10". Anything flatter than that, and the strings will sound unbalanced with each other. This is why I'd never own a Warmoth compound radius neck--too many pickups only come with staggered poles.

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Originally posted by Burgess

Why don't you just adjust the height of the polepieces? That's kinda the point of them.

 

 

I can't think of any single coils that have pole pieces that are meant to be adjusted (aside from some single sized humbuckers). Sure, you *can* push the pole pieces in, but you're risking destroying the pickup.

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Originally posted by gaspergoo

If there is no backing plate it is possible to press the pole pieces futher down in the bobbin. Put the pickup on a flat surface and push down on the pole piece with the botton handle of a small hamer.

Note: pole pieces are very hard. this would destroy the file

 

 

Pushing down the pole pieces should work. I am looking at a pickup from a MIM Strat and the poles are held in with what appears to be an epoxy resin. You may need to cut the epoxy in order for the poles to move if your pickups are similar in construction. The poles are magnetized by two bar magnets on this pickup and you can see that the poles are staggered from underneath.

 

Some pole pieces are magnetic and require no other magnets. Like someone else mentioned it is possible for the poles to be demagnetized by filing or grinding them.

 

As for destroying the file I don't see that happening unless you are using cheap Taiwan made files or some other cheap crap files. I have yet to see a file destroyed in such a manner. Still wouldn't file the poles though.

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Originally posted by AtomHeartMother

I can't think of any single coils that have pole pieces that are meant to be adjusted (aside from some single sized humbuckers). Sure, you *can* push the pole pieces in, but you're risking destroying the pickup.

 

 

Not if you inspect them first to see how they are attached. Some poles are friction fit and some glued or epoxied. Just have to look before you start forcing things.

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Originally posted by gaspergoo

If there is no backing plate it is possible to press the pole pieces futher down in the bobbin. Put the pickup on a flat surface and push down on the pole piece with the botton handle of a small hamer.

Note: pole pieces are very hard. this would destroy the file

 

 

there is a big metal backing plate on the twangbanger

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