This article illustrates switching a humbucker magnet. In this case, an original Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickup is switched from the original magnet to a ceramic to an Alnico 2 to an Alnico 5 and then back. You might change a magnet because the original breaks or lacks a charge on part or all of it, or because you want a different characteristic to change your pickup tone. For each switch, I did a recording to try to capture the differences between magnets. I didn't hear anything dramatic in the room while recording or otherwise, except I thought the ceramic was a bit brighter and the Alnico II a bit mellower.

Here's the kit:

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The guitar is a Gibson 1960 Reissue G0. The burstbuckers are leaving in favor of a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover in the neck and the Pearly Gates in the bridge. The extra magnets (two of each type) are pictured, and a compass that let's me check magnet orientation to make sure I put them all in the same, and put the original back as it came.

Here's the pickup:

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The little gold screws on the bottom I loosen a bit when I'm ready to push the magnet out and then tighten them back after inserting the new one.

Here you can see the magnet beneath the bobbins (prior to this, I took off the black tape - if you have a pickup cover you'd need to remove that):

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You could probably get by without removing the tape, just pushing it out of the way, but since I was going to swap it four times I figured I'd just retape it later.

Here are the actual implements to help the magnet begin its journey from the pickup:

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Note you shouldn't need to beat the magnet out, just tap it gently or even just push with the screwdriver. It may be stuck on with wax, and if it is very stuck you may need to heat up the baseplate to help free it. In any event, here I made sure to tap on the side that had the coil wire connections so the magnet would come out the side that had no wire connections. Be careful not to break any of the wires!

Here is the magnet almost out of the pickup:

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With the magnet out, I quickly check the pole orientation and mark it with a sharpie. In this case, I note the compass points North on the side of the magnet that is under the screws rather than pole pieces. The magnets are pole oriented on the long sides rather than the end. Any method will do as long as you can remember what is what.

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First things first, I replaced the previously soldered to death original stuff with RS Guitarworks pots and caps. Good stuff.

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New pickups are in!

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How I switched them without disconnecting the pickup. Now two ways about it, it was a pain switching them. I was regretting the experiment by the third magnet.

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The magnets that were used, and pickup without any protective armor.

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Once it was over, the original magnet went back in and new tape was applied.

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Good as new:

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Here are the sound samples.

The samples are through a 66 Fender Pro Reverb, set to about 3 on the volume, so not high gain. Obviously, results can vary greatly depending on what pickup you start with and how you push the amp. This was an extremely mild application.

Each sample is comprised of just some notes first, then some blues chords, and then the blues scale at E an octave up.

Original Magnet










Ceramic Magnet










Alnico II










Alnico V












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