First Prototype Of My New Mod...

[Robert Irizarry]

Bit of a huge bump here, I've been working on some other projects (stomp boxes and in-guitar LEDs) and have neglected my poor pickups.

Just came across this thread - interesting idea. I don't think I have the courage for something like this. I'd probably go with the stacked humbucker and fake coil that was suggested. I'm curious to hear how this sounds as I'm sure are others on the thread. Hope you can post an mp3 at some point.

[psw]

I found this stuff on eBay, while looking for psw's suggestion of a steel impregnated putty, I was wondering if itd do the trick?

http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Service/qu...epoxy_putty.htm

Cheers guys.

Yes...that was the type of stuff I was talking about. You can buy it in the hardware stores down here...I think Selley's make it...I even found some cheap import stuff in a A$2 store here. Car accessory/parts shops often sell it too.

It's interesting stuff, as is the pure plastic putty version. It is a two part epoxy with a filler (in this case steel powder). There is an outer layer on one part and an inner core of another, so you just pull a bit off of both and knead it together and it sets pretty fast and if you have the right mix of both parts really is tough stuff. Great for modelling parts, but don't get any ideas for molding bridges or anything, it wears no better than plastic really...hence you can file it and sand it, etc!! Generally dries a slightly metalic grey. It has some glue qualities (wont come out if pushed into a hole for instance as a filler) and it wont rust!

Being plastic it is non-conductive (it wont short out as the steel powder is insulated by the epoxy) but it is ferromagnetic. It is not, however, as magnetic as a solid piece of steel. I did use it with added iron powder, or made my own more ferromagnetic versions.

I don't think it would make a good total replacement for the pole slugs, especially since with an LED in it, it will have little mass anyway. However, if you could get some steel tube of the right size, or modify steel rivets to make such hollow poles, you could fill it with this stuff behind the LED which would hold them in, insulate their leads and increase the ferromagnetic mass of your poles.

Good stuff...I just know I wouldn't be able to drill those slugs as well as you (probably come out the side somewhere)...but this stuff is interesting for making one off epoxy parts...just like playdoh but dries rock solid...hard to get off your fingers though so beware! enjoy... pete

[AG...]

You don't half rock.

I bought a massive length of 5mm steel yesterday so I'm gonna try cutting/drilling my own slugs.

The did 5mm tubing in every other metal than I wanted, lol. Couldn't find rivets either.

Aliminuim tubing (with a diameter of half a millemeter) filled with putty wouldn't really be good enough would it?

[psw]

Aliminuim tubing (with a diameter of half a millemeter) filled with putty wouldn't really be good enough would it?

NO!!!

In actual fact, aluminium, aluminum or even "Aliminuim" is slightly "anti-magnetic"!!!

No, you'd really need to have steel or something similar (iron, ferrite, that sort of thing).

Finding suitable hollow steel is going to be a problem, I've always kept an eye out but nothing suitable seems to be anywhere that I've looked. I did make some very magnetic things by drilling a hole, filling it with pure iron filings then soaking it in super glue...unfortunately I couldn't get the bugger out of the hole as it was glued in, wasn't it!!! So, I made another "thing" with putty, then removed the putty afterwards...but the thing was very fragile as it was mostly iron, not enough glue. A lot of time can be wasted do this kind of thing....hehehe.

I know you'll ask anyway..."where do you get pure iron filings?"...well, it is sold at magnet shops so teachers can show students the effects of magnetic fields...looks like a greay powder and isn't very cheap really....

Keep drilling... pete