Matsumoku Pickup Magnet Types

Two of our pals over at the Matsumoku Forum, Mozart and GDK9, gathered some technical info on the pickups used in the Vantage line of guitars. The marketing name changes occasionally in the various Mats model lines but they are the same pickups used in Westone.

The UK distributor has got this info material from "Music Technology Inc." (the US distributor for Vantage 1980).
Peter Robinson (UK distributor 1980):

"Mr. Matsura who developed the Vantage range was very close to the Canadian distributor, Marty Golden, and Marty, together with Ernie Briefer of M.T.I., the US Sellers, had a lot of Input on design."

MMK 45 (#450PF): Isotropy Ferrite
MMK 53 (#530DS): Anisotropy Ferrite
MMK 61 (#610PF): Alnico #5
MMK 75 (#765PB ?): Anisotropy Ferrite (unconfirmed model reference)

GDK9 got a 1980 marketing manual from the former UK distributor of Vantage guitars. From this source:

#450PF
Diameter of Coil: 0.055
Number of Coil: 6.000
Magnet/Material: Isotropy Ferrite
Size: 58x6x10.5
DC Ohms: 10.97k
Inductance: 6.04 Henries
Impedance at 100Hz: 11.7k
Impedance at 1000Hz: 41.2k
Impedance at 2,500Hz: 99.3 k

#530DS
Diameter of Coil: 0.055
Number of Coil: 6.000
Magnet/Material: Anisotropy Ferrite
Size: 59x6x12.5
DC Ohms: 11.39k
Inductance: 5.77 Henries
Impedance at 100Hz: 12.0k
Impedance at 1000Hz: 39.6k
Impedance at 2,500Hz: 95.0 k

#610PF
Diameter of Coil: 0.06
Number of Coil: 5.000
Magnet/Material: Alnico #5
Size: 58x3.2x12
DC Ohms: 7.99k
Inductance: 3.90 Henries
Impedance at 100Hz: 8.4k
Impedance at 1000Hz: 27.1k
Impedance at 2,500Hz: 62.6 k

#600PB
Diameter of Coil: 0.06
Number of Coil: 10.000
Magnet/Material: Isotropy Ferrite
Size: 38x7.5x7
DC Ohms: 12.27k
Inductance: 9.08 Henries
Impedance at 50Hz: 12.6k
Impedance at 500Hz: 32.6k
Impedance at 1,000Hz: 60.0 k

#765PB
Diameter of Coil: 0.06
Number of Coil: 8.000
Magnet/Material: Anisotropy Ferrite
Size: 40x5x10
DC Ohms: 10.67k
Inductance: 7.29 Henries
Impedance at 50Hz: 11.0k
Impedance at 500Hz: 26.9k
Impedance at 1000Hz: 48.7 k

Hi Guys, thank you for an informative article. I am however a little confused having found a reference in the 82 catalogue that Thunder 1A's were fitted with HF 450's.
Are these the same as MMK 45, or 450PF which would suggest that these are ceramic magnets, or are these a different breed?
Thanks in advance.

All are marketing names for the same pickup.

Thanks for your reply Barry.

That's clarified things.

Hey Barry,

First of all, thank you for the incredibly helpful info! I'm a big Matsu fan - Owner of a Vantage VS 690 (super witch), El Degas Strat, Pan P-23 and the newest, a Vantage VSH-455.

The VSH is super-mint, but as happened too much in the 80s, some dummy went in and swapped the pickups - SD JB in the bridge, and I suspect a '59 in the neck (haven't pulled it yet). The also pulled the two push-pull tone pots which were coil taps for each pickup and replaced them with switches both going to the bridge pup; seemingly for parallel and phase (the neck pickup is a 2 conductor).

I would love to get my hands on a pair of #610PFs. Any chance you'd have a lead on a magical parts hoarder (or be one yourself?). 

Lastly, out of curiosity, does #600PB have an MMK code as well?

Thanks!

Hello Mr Dreddy and welcome. You've got a killer pair of Vantages there,eh?

I wouldn't fret too much over the pick up swap in the VSH, those should be top quality replacements, but of course if you're a stickler for originality, you'd still want the originals.

The pot wiring can easily be reversed. Not everyone is a fan of mini toggles I know.

Sorry, can't help with the 610PF (MMK61) pickup. You might try a post in the Wanted Forum. Maybe one of the members is daft enough to let one go!

I don't have any direct experience with the 600 pup but I would assume it follows the same  number format as the others and would carry an MMK60 designation.

I'll check me box might have what your after......give us a few days....

Ah, good 'ole Damian and his magic box!

Barry wrote:

Sorry, can't help with the 610PF (MMK61) pickup. You might try a post in the Wanted Forum. Maybe one of the members is daft enough to let one go!

Not one but two.... .....lot of gear in me magic box Barry....




Bridge reads 8.19
Neck 7.91
Both with coil tap

If interested send me a PM

Is there anything this man can't put his hands on?! Nice one, Damian!

Waste of time putting those pickups up on here.

Lots of talk and no action...... ....well  they don't even reply..

Maybe he's one of those guys who doesn't follow up on his posts, even though he should have received an email notifying him that there was a response on this thread.

Or maybe he's just wishful thinking out loud and not seriously looking.
Either way, good of you to step in with a solution Damian.

Hi, I'm looking for the back cover for a Pantera. Can anyone help?

Hi, and welcome.
Sorry but you're way off topic here. This thread concerns pickups.
Please make your requests in the "Wanted" Forum.

I wasn't really 'impressed' with the sound quality of the pickups my Westone DX 140B (although, after looking at photos here, they could have been 'early stock originals') came with. And as I said before (on an earlier post here) , that someone tried to Van Halen'ize them [blood vein streaking a pickup is so , 1980s].


Since then , I 'dropped' in a pair of EMG Select 'induction' pickups (and 'swapped' out the Tone Control capacitor for a 22nF Mylar cap) and now this thing 'screams' like something Gary Moore would have loved to have (still remembering his Westone on Phil Lynott's "In The Fields") Axed on.

Anything will sound better than the stock UBC crap pickups. They'er not the best by far.

Anyone know what magnets are in the Magnaflux II UBC humbuckers and Magnaflux IV single coils?
I'm not sure if they relate to the model numbers above.

You're right they don't.

I don't have any definitive info on the magnets in the single coil pups or the UBC's either, but I expect that they are ceramics.