Where to get 1/8" sheet mild steel laser/water jet cut?

[HankMcSpank]

Magnetism....it's well esoteric! (likewise Ross, I actually know very little about the science of magnetism...hence the trial & error aspect of making a good driver is my only option! I did find one magnetism forum, but didn't get much help there!)

OK, at the risk of straying well off all things CNC/Metalworking etc, for those that might not know, a guitar pickup typically has 'slugs' (mild steel 'cylinders') directly underneath each string with a ceramic magnet attached to the bottom. My (good) sustainer, emulates such a setup...the magnetism travels from the magnet attached to the bottom of the slug through the 'slug' & makes an appearance at the top (I don't yet have a gauss meter to measure the strength, but intend making my own gaussmeter with a PIC & a hall effect transistor soon).

The problem with a 'slug' design of sustainer is that a lot of guitars have different string spacings ....so for all this style performs well, if selling these eventually it's going to be a complete hassle establishing the guitar's string spacing & then having to make a custom bobbin to suit. (& Ross, since you ask....sting fade is not a problem when the string is bent between 'slugs')

The reason for wanting to now pursue a blade design is that it circumvents having to worry about the string spacing!

[Robin Hewitt]

Only a suggestion, but how about glueing a load of 1/8" x 1/16" iron bars side by side and then cutting the part as slices off that. A sort of large format zebra strip.

The strings might not line up with any particular bar, but they will line up with some of them :naughty:

Edit: Typo :whistling:
Edit: So why isn't it showing the post as edited
Edit: How many goes do I get? Need answers .

[irving2008]

Robin - it only shows as edited if it has been viewed before you changed it... back on topic now...

[irving2008]

I see your logic Hank, but the blade wont generate the same magnetic field as a slug unless it was treated to localise the magnetic permeability. Otherwise the field lines from the magentic poles will travel horziontally through the steel and back round to the free pole. None of the field will escape the steel vertically and around the string other then a relatively small feild from the coil itself. The main purpose of the coil as I see it is to modulate the magnetic field from the slug/magnet to return energy to the string. But this can't happen if the field never leaves the blade. I'm no expert, but I did do some transformer design in the very distant past...

[Ross77]

Or ultimatly you could just follow the pickup trend and offer only two sizes; Gibson (ish) spacing/raduis and a Fender (ish) spacing/radius, if there is no loss between the poles then I can see it matters.

I 've just looked at a few of my guitars and there dosnt seem to be a difference in pole spacing from bridge to neck pickup so its not an exact science anyway (I think they are only sold as neck or bridge based on the resistance/power output)