Any way to determine magnet type?

[wasteofo2]

My SG came stock with decent pickups, but they've both been changed already. The pickups aren't brand name or anything, so they wouldn't sell for more than like $10. I was thinking of taking the magnets out and dissecting them for fun, and I was wondering if there was any way to tell what kind of magnet they used. I'm pretty sure it's an Alnico II, because the sound was rather smoothe and a bit muddy, but that could have been due to poor manufacturing too.

Anyway, is there any way to tell? I've tried contacting the company who made my guitar about several things and never got a response, so that's not an option.

[dalastcaffeine]

dude....don't ruin a pup......what brand was your sg??? i'll buy the pups off you...

[wasteofo2]

It was a Samick SG. I wouldn't consider it ruining the pickup, more like sacrificing it so I can get a first hand look at pickup anatomy and possibly use the magnet it has in a different pickup later on.

[WARRENLEELYNCH]

Originally posted by wasteofo2
It was a Samick SG. I wouldn't consider it ruining the pickup, more like sacrificing it so I can get a first hand look at pickup anatomy and possibly use the magnet it has in a different pickup later on.

samick? well if it is shiny silver it is a 5 if it is blackish it is ceramic
take a look at this photo
all ceramics look like that in color,but both alniico II,III,IV, and 5's are silvery in color.
i can swear to you that samick is not using II's III's or IV's,though so if it is silver you got a 5

[wasteofo2]

How can you be so sure that samcik doesn't use alnico II's?

[Wattage]

Most pups that are used in the import guitars are ceramic or A5 it probably sounds muddy because it isn't wound very well.

[Nightburst]

You would need a gauss meter to determine the string pull. Alnico II has a weak pull, going up in numbers the pull gets bigger and I believe ceramic magnets are the strongest. I'm shure there are some standart gauss values listed somewhere. Don't know where you can get a gauss meter though...

Taking apart humbuckers is great fun. There isn't too much to it, just 2 plastic bobbins wound with wire and kept together by some wax and a magnet. (I took apart some Ibanez Powersounds as they are useless pieces of crap)

[korovamilkdud]

Nothing wrong with dissecting crap pickups imo. Especially if you're planning on using the experience to educate yourself on pickup anatomy.

Amen to Powersound's suckiness. :P