Metropoulos Forum

I've got some alnico 5 pickups that are pretty good but just a little too much output, not as balanced, don't let the strings breathe as much.

The strength of today's A5 magnets are a hell of a lot stronger than the A5 from back in the day, so which would be closer?

Alnico 2 or alnico 3?

Herec wrote:I've got some alnico 5 pickups that are pretty good but just a little too much output, not as balanced, don't let the strings breathe as much.

The strength of today's A5 magnets are a hell of a lot stronger than the A5 from back in the day, so which would be closer?

Alnico 2 or alnico 3?

Sounds like a question for Jim Wagner from WCR Pickups, but my understanding is that AL2 mags are supposed to emulate aged AL5 mags.

So today's alnico 2 would be the same strength that the 60's alnico 5's were back when they were new?

Herec wrote:So today's alnico 2 would be the same strength that the 60's alnico 5's were back when they were new?

No, what I meant was that an AL2 mag is supposed to sound like what an AL5 mag from the 50's or early '60's sounds like NOW. I wasnt around to remember, but I would guess that a pickup from the '50's, when it was new, sounded considerably different than it sounds today, but that has a lot to do with the coilwire insulation (formvar, I think its called) degrading, causing some change in tone, along with a weakening of the mag. (PS-Im not all that certain that '50's pickups always used AL5 mags anyway. Something makes me think that I heard that they experimented with different mag strengths, even back then).

I hope JW chimes in, but I think the mid to late 60 to early 70 pups used a cheaper alnico2 magnet hence the sound.

Another version I've heard, is that CBS Strats where losing popularity
to Gibson so the used the low output pups to get a sound intentionaly.

Was it cost shaveing excercise that turned into a sonic winfall, or a calculated marketing move?

Or none of the above?

Yeah, I know lindy fralin has those real 54's that use alnico 3's, I wonder why.

Its been kinda nerve-racking lately, I got into a car accident thursday so I've had waaaay to much free time to think about my rig, and with my only 4x12 at a friends house no chance to experiment...

Herec wrote:Yeah, I know lindy fralin has those real 54's that use alnico 3's, I wonder why.

Its been kinda nerve-racking lately, I got into a car accident thursday so I've had waaaay to much free time to think about my rig, and with my only 4x12 at a friends house no chance to experiment...

After a car accident, free time is a bonus that some people dont get...
I got in an accident about a month ago, where some kids with those Sonic Hedgehog hairdo's in a slapped down Honda Civic ran a light and slammed into the passenger side of my car, totalling it. After it was all said and done, I started getting the shakes, cause my wife coulda been REAL badly hurt. It just happens that where he hit was a strong part of the chassis, so she just ended up with some bruises on her right side, and a hurt shoulder, but it could have been MUCH worse considering the damage. Bunch of little fukkers. I wanted to strangle them.

Yeah, I was stopped on a rural highway, waiting for a guy to make a left hand turn (I was behind him) and got rear-ended by a kid I know at 60 MPH. I jammed on the breaks, saving the car in front of me, I only slid into him at around 10 mph. But my break system was gone and the back of my car was all screwed up (luckily it was my mom's SUV, so all that got ripped off was like the bumber), but the car that hit me was totaled.

Herec wrote: but the car that hit me was totaled.

Better him than you!!!

fillmore nyc wrote:

Herec wrote:So today's alnico 2 would be the same strength that the 60's alnico 5's were back when they were new?

No, what I meant was that an AL2 mag is supposed to sound like what an AL5 mag from the 50's or early '60's sounds like NOW. I wasnt around to remember, but I would guess that a pickup from the '50's, when it was new, sounded considerably different than it sounds today, but that has a lot to do with the coilwire insulation (formvar, I think its called) degrading, causing some change in tone, along with a weakening of the mag. (PS-Im not all that certain that '50's pickups always used AL5 mags anyway. Something makes me think that I heard that they experimented with different mag strengths, even back then).

Sorry I just read from a pickup builder that this idea of magnets aging in 50 years is just plain not true. That the half life of a magnet is something around 100,000 years and that 50 is not measureable. Anyway if that is true then his statement that a new A2 is like on old A5 is correct.

Ok, thank you 908ssp.

I wasn't sure if alnico 3 would be too weak, or alnico 2 too strong for what I wanted.

Sorry 908ssp I disagree

that article doesn't relate to the variables that pickup magnets go thru with normal or heavy use over the period of time. Yes if they stay in a box or a case for 50 years I agree. Heavy used guitars magnets can come in contact or brush up to material that can lessen its strength.

I hear this happening all the time with vintage gear

the Better sounding 59 PAF's, it's been noted , are the ones that lost its edge in its strength of the magnets.

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?t=15226



Well I have exhausted myself looking for and listening to samples on the net. And to me the pickups that sound the most like vintage sounding strats or should I say new strats as heard on Hendrix recordings cause the strats he used back then were new and to my ears, which I think walk on water , the Alnico3 and alnico2 magnets on a pickup wound very low (5k-5.6k) get that sound. The best ones I have heard so far are the Fralin real 54s and the Lollar tweeds. But I can tell by the sound of the real 54s that they need to come down on the resistance. I'm gonna take a stab at it soon and order a set of real 54s wound to 5.3K and 5.3K and 5.4K and use plain enamel. Gonna see where that gets me.

Some info on Claptons Blackie:
Blackie weighed 7 lbs 10 ounces
The pickup readings were
Neck 5.44k
Mid 5.51k
Bridge 5.38k

Bluesgeetar wrote:..
Some info on Claptons Blackie:
Blackie weighed 7 lbs 10 ounces
The pickup readings were
Neck 5.44k
Mid 5.51k
Bridge 5.38k

But was

[quote="MacGaden"] But was