software

so the idea hit me one day that i could perhaps effectively combine the sound of a singlecoil alnico pickup (w/ polepieces) with the larger magnetic field of a blade/rail pup. unfortunately, i've never made or modded pups, so maybe someone out there can help.
my idea in a nutshell:
take a 2-4mm thick plate of steel or copper, cut to about 60 x 12mm. then cut out holes for the polepieces to pass through. place on top of pup cover, and the polepieces will pass THROUGH the plate. in effect this would be something between a vintage strat pup, a blade pup, and a lindy fralin-style bassplate (only on top). i am assuming that the plate would extend the magnetic field of the pup but also give more chie and mids, like the bassplate.

MY QUESTION: what do i need to do to make this work properly? does it need a ground? wax potting? space between plate and poles? NO space between plate and poles?

Sounds reasonable, but you'd want to use something ferrous, like steel, and not copper.

Adder made a pickup cover style device like that. It changed the magnetic field of the pickup. You might be able to find one.

Snowdog

mattpete: i assumed that the copper plates on old tele bridge pups and the fralin quot;bassplatequot; was some alloy of copper and a ferrous metal--or possibly steel-covered copper or something. no? if not, does that mean that the copper plates don't actually affect the magnetic field of the pup, just the tone somehow?

idsnowdog: thanks for the tip about adders. i couldn't find info on the covers. let me know if you know of info on the web. they might give me ideas concerning design, how to attach, etc.

I think the Tele copper plates reflect the magnetic field upward. In contrast, what you want is something that will conduct a magnet field, like steel. For example, the slugs and screws on humbuckers are steel and not copper.

I'm also very foggy on magnetic fields, so take my advice for what it's worth (i.e. not much).

I have built brass baseplates for my strat pickups and they make a big difference in tone. Whether someone likes it or not is up to them but they are far beefier. I haven't been able to find any of the Adder pickup covers. But they are still around. They are called the Adder Plus Corporation. They now build pickups.

Snowdog

matpete:reflecting the field upward makes since to me. of course, i'm not pickup scientist, let alone rocket. i'll go to a hobby shop and get a few different steel plates in different sizes to experiment.

idsnowdog: did you need to wax pot and ground those plates you made? i understand baseplates usually add more mids and bass, as well as general volume. i've slapped on whatever steel i had lying around so it would lie next to the polepieces and it also seems to affect tone, adding, i believe a little more quot;beefquot; as well. i'll have to experiment to find the right metal, size, etc.

i found a little info on the adder pups but not the plates. oh well, guess i'll make my own!