Higain/toaster conversion how to questions

[loverickbass]

OK, I'm doing my bass neck position higain and I've got the E and G pole pieces out; how do you get the A and D ones out? I can't get up under them with the channel locks. Is the magnet glued on the back?

Cole

[rickcrazy]

Yes, it is.
Sorry, but I can't figure out why removing the A and D polepieces should be harder than removing the E and G ones. Care to tell me what the problem is?

[jwr2]

I have removed the pole pieces from several high gains ... usually the center ones come out easier ... you need the right touch of pull and twist ...

[sloop_john_b]

So it's completley safe to simply pull out the slugs from the higains if I want it to look like a toaster? Does it change the tone significantly to remove the slugs?

[rickcrazy]

Well, you must replace them with some other kind of polepieces (flush with the top of the pickup bobbin), otherwise the pickup will have almost no output at all.

[loverickbass]

The center pole pieces are raised up a bit where I can grab 'um with the plyers. The two outside ones are flush with the plastic. I guess if you damage the plastic in the middle it really doesn't matter since I'm going to cover it up anyways.

Cole

[BobKat]

Here's how I do this.

I remove the magnet and unsolder the wires. Then I put the bobbin on top of a padded vise with the jaws set so the center of the pickup just clears the gap. Using a dull punch, I carefully drive the polepieces out from the back. Then I cut off the buttons from the stock polepieces with a Dremel tool and cutoff wheel. Then they get driven back in with the same dull punch. Keep the pickup far away while cutting to keep metal shavings from sticking to everything.

Then I reattach the wires and glue the magnet back on with a thin film of glue. I use "Automotive Goop" and just spread a very thin paste.

[loverickbass]

Bob, how do you remove the magnet?

[BobKat]

I just gently pop it off. It's only glued in place.

[loverickbass]

Got it. Thanks!