alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

[Darg1911]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

Although there are some personal preferences/opinions added, I think Romain has a pretty good summary. Albeit, not a chart.

http://www.romainpickups.com/alnico-magnets-explained/

[Maggot]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

Addressing Alnico 4, since it's one of the less familiar magnets, I recently had an A4 Humbucker wound for me br Buddha pickups at around 9k. The main differences that I could hear between A4 and A5 is that A4 is less scooped and more compressed. Clean, it sounds more like the unplugged guitar than any pickup I've ever tried. If you've ever played unplugged and heard a warm, stringy sound and then plugged in and heard nothing but attack, you may want an A4. It also has a ton of punch compared to an equally loud A5 pickup, although any given wind will be quieter.

I find that it really excels at Pete Townshend, Malcolm Young sounds.

Here's an awful vid I made, but you can see how it responds to an aggressive right hand:

Buddha Alnico IV 8.5K bridge humbucker: https://youtu.be/wEzRcMwgiJ0

[blueman335]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

I had a pair of classic HB's, with an a3 neck, and a UOA5…man, smooth vintage awesome.

Great use of mags in those slots.

[ItsaBass]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

A5: very strong output. Lots of low end. Breaks up an amp earlier than other magnets in the same pickup.

A4: less output and less bass than A5. IMO, A4 "corrects" the problems with A5's, making for a more refined, easy to control, and versatile pickup...but without losing the gist of A5.

A3: low output, thus cleaner and clearer. Very evenly balanced e.q.-wise.

A2: low strength magnet as well, but huge midrange makes it sound bigger than A3.

[jtougas]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

A8?

[Maggot]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

One thing I will say about A4 vs. A5, which I think you can hear a bit of in the sample video, is that A5 seems to prettify the leads - you hear a little less pick and less string noise and more complex harmonics. A4 has a more "just the facts" vibe. This is more apparent, obviously, the cleaner you play.

[Demanic]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

A2 - Lots of mids, not much treble, loose low end, low output, and lots of vintage dynamics. Used in the bridge and neck.

A3 - Like an A2 but with more treble and less mids. Pretty much used in the neck slot.

A4 - Flat EQ, and for that reason some consider it bland. Lets the natural EQ of the guitar and PU come thru. Moderate output. Good in the neck or bridge.

A5 - Most popular alnico. Fairly high output, lots of treble and bass, scooped mids. Great in the neck slot, and can be thin in the bridge.

All of these can be found as 'roughcast' too (lumpy pitted surfaces), that smooth out the high end, probably due to a more complex magnetic field. RC's are probably used mostly in the bridge location.

A2, A3, and A4 are all unoriented. A5's are almost always oriented. Unoriented A5's (UOA5) became available recently from Addiction FX and sound like a blend of the best characteristics of A2's and A5's. They're much warmer than a typical A5, but with more treble than an A2. Lots of dynamics.

Uh, cough cough, the UOA5, which is somewhere between the A5 and the A2, and the A8 which is "Take it all and make it bigger." Or Neodymium, which makes the neighborhood dogs cringe...

[GuitarDoc]

Re: alnico 2 vs 3 vs 4 vs 5

Horrible chart, Davii (yeah I know it wasn't by you).

But the descriptions you guys have suggested are generally very good. I really like those offered by romainpickups.com posted by Darg1911.