Something Different... Alnico V perhaps??

[SZjammin83]

My main squeeze is a 2012 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60's. I love Alnico II pickups, especially humbuckers (though single coil Alnico II's sound great as well), and for a good while now I have been playing a Pearly Gates set in my LP. I couldn't be happier with them, and it's not that they are letting me down or anything, but it's just time to try something new, and I am trying to figure out which direction to go. I am thinking about trying out an Alnico V set. Actually, I'm just about certain that's what I'm going to try next. That being said, I am hoping to get some suggestions as to what some great options would be. If you happen to use Alnico V pickups, and you would recommend them, I'd appreciate it if any such person(s) would take a second to let me know what set it is that they like, and a short bit about why, and what type of music do you mostly play. I will be putting them in my LP as I said, and I play a little bit of everything, but mostly classic rock, alternative, a bit of metal, and some blues.

Just for good measure... The main amp I use most as of now is my Peavey Invective 120 into the matching Invective 212 cab, but I plug into my Marshall DSL40CR (run through either my Invective 212 cab, or my Mesa Recto 212) and my Fender SuperSonic 60 still from time to time. I am currently working on a pedalboard build that I intend to use as an option to open up the possibilities for covering even more ground with my Invective.

Thanks for checking out the post, and thanks in advance for any replies/suggestions

[skelt101]

The first thing that comes to mind for me would be either a set of Whole Lotta Humbuckers or a 59 and 59/Custom Hybrid combo.

[gsammo79]

A '59 set would rock. It's different than the PG-- more low end and more scooped. The WLH set is brighter than I expected it to be. As bright or brighter than a '59. I heard more mids from it than the '59. Both are good A5 pickups.

If you wanna go hotter then try the Perpetual Burn or the Custom/59 Hybrid

[zizyphus]

If you play use a broad range of vintagey rock tones all the way up through metal, I'd say that the SD Perpetual Burn bridge pickup is a fantastic pickup to try, and its alnico 5

On that note, why do you want an A5 pickup in particular? A5 is probably the most common magnet in aftermarket pickups – no source to cite here, please don't troll me – and as a result, you have an enormous set of options. They won't all have a specific "A5 tone" or anything, because a pickup can be voiced very differently by altering its design

Now, you've likely heard all kinds of stuff on these forums about the tonal attributes of different mags (e.g., A5 is scooped with a big bottom and lots of treble bite, A4 is sweeter and has a fairly balanced EQ, etc.). However, that doesn't mean ALL A5 pups are scooped, or all A4 pups are balanced, as the different ingredients in the recipe will have just as much of an effect as the magnet. What the relationship between tone and magnet grade tells you is how a magnet swap might affect your tone, e.g., swapping an A5 for an A4 will give you more mids than you had before (but a little less bass and less treble bite).

Just my 2 cents

[Blille]

You could also just swap the magnet in you A2PROs for an A5 - it's a Jazz. Don't be misled by the name. Super easy and cheap. Based on how you like that we could recommend others.

[beaubrummels]

Yeah, Jazz set. But I would have some alternate bridges on deck to swap out, like a Slash, PB, Whole Lotta, Custom or Custom 5,

FWIW - I did the same round robin on pickup swaps and in my LP what has stayed the longest so far is a Bare Knuckle Black Dog bridge and a 59n with an A4 mag in the neck. The latter was my neck for several bridge swaps, Once it went in, I've never taken it back out as it beat all the other necks I tried (59 stock, Jazz, Seth, Burstbucker [not Pro], Whole Lotta neck, A2P and Skinnerburst). The nearest Duncan to the Bare Knuckle Black Dog would be either a Whole Lotta Humbucker (rough cast A5), or a 59 with a RCUOA5 (rough cast unoriented A5)

Now that I've typed through it, what I might recommend is Whole Lotta Humbucker bridge with a Pearly Gates neck, or maybe just the WLH set. (Don't worry about what magnets are in, go by the sound.)

[chadd]

SNS set, A4 instead of A5 but really versatile.

[Benjy_26]

I dislike the 59n in a LP. It's deficiencies are actually what led me to the PGn. I find it too scooped and boomy, with not enough mids to push through.

I have no suggestions for an Alnico V neck pickup. As far as the bridge, I've really enjoyed the Screamin Demon in the bridge of Gibson style instruments and I absolutely adore what the S Deco V does in my Hamer.

[Demanic]

I'm going to mention the Sentient Pegasus set. More modern sounding but very versatile.

[Mincer]

I'm going to mention the Sentient Pegasus set. More modern sounding but very versatile.

Indeed. It does a lot more than the marketing would suggest. Same as the Black Winter.

[jeremy]

the wlh neck is a fantastic a5 pup, i like the bridge but really love the neck

[hamerfan]

Another approach: I scored an Ant set without covers some years ago on fleabay. I bought a dozen magnets over the years and swapped them in. I tried different combos like A3/A5 or A4/UnoA5 and so on for the win.

[SZjammin83]

I'm going to mention the Sentient Pegasus set. More modern sounding but very versatile.

Yea, I've been checking out the Sentient/Pegasus set and seriously taking them into consideration. I haven't been in such a hurry to do the swap as I initially was either as I had a NGD/NAD a couple times over the past few weeks (NAD was just ONE day two days ago) and my Les Paul with the Pearly Gates sounds f'n KILLER through the new Marshall DSL100HR.

The Pegasus/Sentient seems like a good idea for a change of pace, as I am typically drawn to more classic sounding pickups. I dig PAF tones. So pretty much anything that's higher output than a vintage style pickup is going to be a noticeable change from what I am used to, and it sounds like the Sentient is still a vintage-esque neck pickup just with a different voicing than my PG, and the Pegasus is a medium output and will certainly be hotter than the usual. Both are alnico 5s too, so it just seems like what I'm going for. Thanks for the replies and suggestions

[jeremy]

Another approach: I scored an Ant set without covers some years ago on fleabay. I bought a dozen magnets over the years and swapped them in. I tried different combos like A3/A5 or A4/UnoA5 and so on for the win.

what did you settle on? i have a3 neck and a2 bridge in a set in my lp and its great. a4 and uoa5 in another set and really like that too

[SZjammin83]

If you play use a broad range of vintagey rock tones all the way up through metal, I'd say that the SD Perpetual Burn bridge pickup is a fantastic pickup to try, and its alnico 5

On that note, why do you want an A5 pickup in particular? A5 is probably the most common magnet in aftermarket pickups – no source to cite here, please don't troll me – and as a result, you have an enormous set of options. They won't all have a specific "A5 tone" or anything, because a pickup can be voiced very differently by altering its design

Now, you've likely heard all kinds of stuff on these forums about the tonal attributes of different mags (e.g., A5 is scooped with a big bottom and lots of treble bite, A4 is sweeter and has a fairly balanced EQ, etc.). However, that doesn't mean ALL A5 pups are scooped, or all A4 pups are balanced, as the different ingredients in the recipe will have just as much of an effect as the magnet. What the relationship between tone and magnet grade tells you is how a magnet swap might affect your tone, e.g., swapping an A5 for an A4 will give you more mids than you had before (but a little less bass and less treble bite).

Just my 2 cents

I realized after posting this and beginning to check out the different options, that there certainly are PLENTY of different options as far as Alnico 5's go. I realize that its not exactly accurate to assume Alnico Vs will all have the same tonal characteristics. That goes for most any single ingredient that goes into anything to do with electric guitar tone really. It's an unrealistic expectation to assume that because my amp has 6L6s that it will sound similar to the next 6L6 amp. It's entirely possible for two 6L6 amps to sound worlds apart, and I'm sure there are Alnico V pickups that sound nothing like one and other as well.

How the thought entered my mind initially though, was recalling the way my #1 Les Paul sounded when I first bought it before I took the Burstbucker Pro pickups out to swap them for the 57' Classics/Classic + set that I had pre-ordered before I even bought the guitar, knowing that the pickups it had in it were coming out immediately. I did play the guitar the 1st night I had it before swapping those pickups, and I just remember a sound that was to me, particularly nasal. There were times where playing through those BB Pros that the guitar on its own was producing this half-cocked wah type of tone. It wasn't something that I particularly liked at the time, and it seemed to me that such character would in no way spell versatility in any way. However, at the same time, there were instances during that night playing my LP with those pickups where it sounded F'n awesome. Those pickups were extremely present and brighter than anything I'd experienced with any LP up to that point in time. Thinking back on it, taking them out to swap was one thing, but I kinda wish I hadn't been so convinced that selling them off was the thing to do either.

Anyway, that's what this whole idea was spawned from. The difference pickups can make has never been as obvious and apparent to me as it was that night, it definitely was kind of an "Oh S%$#" moment, but in a good really cool way.