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Magnet in Humbucker

Mats A

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2008
Messages
799
I’ve searched but can’t find an expanation i understand. How does the poles (North& South) work on a humbucker magnet? I’ve always thought one half and short end was N and one S. But to get the out of phase tone you rotate the magnet 180 degrees wich would still make the short ends face the same direction. Is N and S on the long flat sides and not the short ends on a humbucker bar magnet? Please an easy explanation!
 

Tim

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,860
Lay the magnet flat on a sponge or saucer and let it float in water. It will turn and the south pole will point north and north pole will point south.
 

GotTheSilver

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Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
2,433
Lay the magnet flat on a sponge or saucer and let it float in water. It will turn and the south pole will point north and north pole will point south.

But, is that left or right? :spabout
 

Big Al

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Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Mats, as Tim posted, the long edge of the magnet are the poles. You'll notice one edge will lie against the polepieces of one coil and the opposite edge charges the other coil, so one coil is North and the other coil is South.

The magnetic field is concentrated between the two coils polepieces and that wider sensing area gives the characteristic full, powerful humbucking tone.
 

latestarter

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Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
I’ve searched but can’t find an expanation i understand. How does the poles (North& South) work on a humbucker magnet? I’ve always thought one half and short end was N and one S. But to get the out of phase tone you rotate the magnet 180 degrees wich would still make the short ends face the same direction. Is N and S on the long flat sides and not the short ends on a humbucker bar magnet? Please an easy explanation!

Not sure if I'm understanding, but rotate the magnet while its lying flat on the table as if you were turning the hands of a big clock....not rotate it on its short end axis so the two small ends stay in the same place? "Flipping" is a confusing term. Really it's swapping the magnet end for end.

That's how I read your query....might just be the coffee kicking in.
 

Don

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Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
5,732
When I want to change the polarity of a humbucking pickup, I slide the magnet out of the pickup then rotate the magnet on it's long axis like an axle or a hotdog on the grill. This changes the polarity of the poles and the slugs to be opposite of what they were.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Not sure if I'm understanding, but rotate the magnet while its lying flat on the table as if you were turning the hands of a big clock....not rotate it on its short end axis so the two small ends stay in the same place? "Flipping" is a confusing term. Really it's swapping the magnet end for end.

That's how I read your query....might just be the coffee kicking in.

Samething either way. Rotating the magnet by its short end flips the magnet so that the long edges are opposite/reversed/flipped whatever you call it. Don describes my preferable way of doing it.
 
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