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Theoretically, the differences between A5 and A6 are 2% more nickel and 2% less iron in A6, with the related effect in terms of coercitive force: 780 Oersteds with A6, 640 with A6 if memory serves me.
So, an A6 should be slightly less inductive and a wee bit more powerful magnetically, all other parms being equal.
Practically, "other parms" vary:
2% less or more of nickel or iron in a mag matter way less if the mass differs (reason why a guy in my country was absurdly measuring a higher inductance with an A5 than with an A2, for example: his A5 had in fact 11% more mass than his A2) .
Magnetism changes according to the origin and "personal" history of a magnet. The lab Teslameter used here has virtually NEVER measured two mags exhibiting exactly the same charge and shape of magnetic field, for instance. Especially with rough cast mags.
That's why each magnet is potentially "its own thing". I wish I could find a video in which a guy tried various mags in a Gibson PAT: some mags didn't change the tone while they were meant to be of different alloys. Some supposedly made of the same alloy altered the sound in an unexpected way. Expected differences could be noticed too, but only for 1/3 of the sample or something like that.
So, iI find risky to say that "AlNi(Co) this does this and AlNi(Co) that does that". There's certainly tendencies due to the objective properties of each alloy BUT if things were so clear, other winders wouldn't evoke different tones from a "same" alloy:
Which bring me back to my own mantra : I prefer to try various mags in a pickup, without expecting stable results from the alloys or indivdual magnets involved. YMMV. :-)
So, an A6 should be slightly less inductive and a wee bit more powerful magnetically, all other parms being equal.
Practically, "other parms" vary:
2% less or more of nickel or iron in a mag matter way less if the mass differs (reason why a guy in my country was absurdly measuring a higher inductance with an A5 than with an A2, for example: his A5 had in fact 11% more mass than his A2) .
Magnetism changes according to the origin and "personal" history of a magnet. The lab Teslameter used here has virtually NEVER measured two mags exhibiting exactly the same charge and shape of magnetic field, for instance. Especially with rough cast mags.
That's why each magnet is potentially "its own thing". I wish I could find a video in which a guy tried various mags in a Gibson PAT: some mags didn't change the tone while they were meant to be of different alloys. Some supposedly made of the same alloy altered the sound in an unexpected way. Expected differences could be noticed too, but only for 1/3 of the sample or something like that.
So, iI find risky to say that "AlNi(Co) this does this and AlNi(Co) that does that". There's certainly tendencies due to the objective properties of each alloy BUT if things were so clear, other winders wouldn't evoke different tones from a "same" alloy:
Which bring me back to my own mantra : I prefer to try various mags in a pickup, without expecting stable results from the alloys or indivdual magnets involved. YMMV. :-)
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