Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

[King IzzO)))]

Magnets. Anyone have any idea what tonal differences are?

[dr. ad]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

well, i've heard that dimarzios tend to use ceramic 8 but i haven't read anything official about this; i have read that the gibson 500T uses ceramic 5 on the gibson page.

good luck in this, it's a good question but i don't know how much info you'll come across.

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

there are different types of ceramic mags? i didnt know that.....i though a ceramic was just a ceramic

[Filipe Marquez]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

Kingizzo, maybe you mean alnico 5 and 8?

[IanBallard]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

There are differing alloys of "ceramic". Actually, they are mostly ferrous or iron-based. Many have copper, nickel and other metals in them. They are certainly NOT "ceramic" as in stone or mineral-based like ceramic tiles or sinks. In fact, I think the term is nonsense and not really applicable to the materials used.

Heck some "AlNiCo" magnets like the 3, have no cobalt in them at all.

Hartley Peavey had a primer on pickup history and technology and goes into detail about various alloys of "ceramic" mags and the myths associated with "ceramic vs. alnico" in terms of tone. I'm not sure where to find it but I read it some years ago online.

[shawnlanefan]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

i know there is different strengths of ceramics. i think 8 is a stronger pull than 5, but not positive.

[LtKojak]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

There are almost as much types of Ceramic mags as they're Alnico.

However, to only ones I've seen used for guitar p'up making have been C5 and C8.

I don't think I can hear a tonal difference between them, but I hate ceramic mags with a passion, so don't mind me.

They're used because they're cheap, and it's bright nature permits to also use brass baseplates and cheapest alloys for screws and slugs.

I'm no saying you can't build an excellent sounding p'up with those materials, but I yet have to hear one. To my ears, all ceramic p'ups have a "brittle" quality that makes me instantly think of "cheap", and I don't think I can go pass that.

I do like ceramic p'ups in a bass, though. My Peavey Cirrus BXP 5 has them and I think it sounds like a million dollars! Not bad for the $ 250.00 I've paid for it.

YMMV.

[IanBallard]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

Both Wolfgang guitars kick butt on many levels and they are ceramic mags. Jems are certainly not "cheap"-sounding... brittle? I dunno. They are bright and powerful but hardly brittle. I also have a partiality to the DiMarzio Super Distortion. I certainly would not consider Al DiMeola's classic tones or Jerry Garcia's tone "brittle".

I think the amp plays a role in that. Just like Les Pauls can sound awful on some amps, so too can hot ceramic pup guitars. I've played an Jem through an old bassman and it was killer.

[aneyekay1]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

there are different types of ceramic mags? i didnt know that.....i though a ceramic was just a ceramic

same here dude

[formula73]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

Both Wolfgang guitars kick butt on many levels and they are ceramic mags. Jems are certainly not "cheap"-sounding... brittle? I dunno. They are bright and powerful but hardly brittle. I also have a partiality to the DiMarzio Super Distortion. I certainly would not consider Al DiMeola's classic tones or Jerry Garcia's tone "brittle".

I think the amp plays a role in that. Just like Les Pauls can sound awful on some amps, so too can hot ceramic pup guitars. I've played an Jem through an old bassman and it was killer.

+1. I'd never call a Super D bright. I had one, once, that was. It had a dead coil.

[crguti]

Re: Ceramic 5 vs Ceramic 8

I don't think I can hear a tonal difference between them, but I hate ceramic mags with a passion, so don't mind me.