A4 VS A3

[Lewguitar]

Re: A4 VS A3

then again, you could break out of the mold and try that A2P set you've been talking about. Shake it up a bit Lew.

I liked the APH-1 set that I put in a friends Les Paul a couple of years ago a lot.

Never heard the APH-2 set but I'd like to.

I've liked pretty much every A2 Duncan pickup I've owned or tried.

Antiquity, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates (both with covers and without), APH-1.

The Custom Custom wasn't right for me. To smooth and buttery. That's the only one I wasn't crazy about.

 

[If6Was9]

Re: A4 VS A3

2 in fact.

The BKP Apache singlecoils, which are REALLY nice, and my Sigil Bluesman Roots set (NOS wire version) which are A3.

I got a set of Guitar Force Rebel II pickups. The neck PU came stock with a A3 mag. I've loved the sound of this PU so much that I wound up over the last 5 years replacing magnets in four other neck PU's with A3's.

 

[blueman335]

Re: A4 VS A3

The Custom Custom wasn't right for me. To smooth and buttery. That's the only one I wasn't crazy about.

Agree. It's wound pretty hot for an A2 magnet. I think A2's work best in PU's that are brighter, whether due to a vintage wind (PAF's) or unbalanced coils.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: A4 VS A3

Agree. It's wound pretty hot for an A2 magnet. I think A2's work best in PU's that are brighter, whether due to a vintage wind (PAF's) or unbalanced coils.

What pickups have you measured and found to have unbalanced coils?

When I measured coils in a PG set they were pretty much balanced - although the rumor here on the forum was that they were unbalanced and that was the cause of their supposed excess treble.

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

Re: A4 VS A3

The A4 shows off the quality of the wind more than any other mag, it being flatter in eq...

I have found UOA5 is the better recipe when travelling away from A4. It has the mids alright, but the softened top-end can give a nice vocal note.

+1 I found UOA5 to sound better in an antiquity bridge rather than the A4. The A4 increased the output when compared to the original aged A2, but it was rather transparent with a strong bass response.

A4's have a flatter EQ, which some players don't like. Most of us are used to an EQ bump, whether it's mids, highs or lows, which can be called a 'sweeter' tone.

+1 I still think the antiquity bridge should be shipped with A4 stock. It'll remedy the complaint of most that it's weak.

I'm intrigued by the idea of A3's in the bridge slot, the Bonamassa set got me thinking. I don't like the sharp high end and scooped mids of the A5's of most PU's (in the bridge slot), hence my frequent use of 250K's there and/or warmer magnets. A3's would soften the top and fatten the mids, both desirable qualities. I need to play around with this.

I think you'd like a seth bridge with an A3. The Bonnamassa set (1st run), which I just installed in a 336 (had antiquities) is money. The bridge (A3) specifically has a lot of what you mentioned for the characteristics. Key differences between the antiquity bridge (stock) and Joe's is the fat, juicy, and singing quality to notes. It's not weak nor shy. Notes actually take on some compression and the harmonic quality to them is crazy. I can see why Joe and AlexR are fans of A3 when paired with a killer wind.

 

[blueman335]

Re: A4 VS A3

What pickups have you measured and found to have unbalanced coils?

When I measured coils in a PG set they were pretty much balanced - although the rumor here on the forum was that they were unbalanced and that was the cause of their supposed excess treble.

Almost all Duncan HB's have closely balanced coils, unfortunately.

There's a few intentionally unbalanced, like Gibson BB's, Duncan Brobucker, DiMarzio Fred, & StewMac's Parsons Street. I've made some hybrids myself, most of them for the neck slot. I combine a coil from a bridge PAF with a coil from a neck PAF ('59B + '59N, '59B + SethN, etc). Unbalanced coils have more treble, clarity, and less midrange, reversing part of the 'HB effect' (which reduces treble and adds midrange). With a 5% difference in the coil's resistance you get some single coil sound coming thru. At 10%, you can use a warm magnet and still get a combination of a sharp high end, clarity, reduced mids, and that great vintage texture of an A2 or UOA5. This is my goal, as I don't like rounded, muddy neck HB's.

 

[marcello252]

Re: A4 VS A3

APH-1 are the thing, I know it's not a real PAF design but they sound so PAF...

 

[astrozombie]

Re: A4 VS A3

Would it be worth it to experiment with the a3 in the neck position, since I'm told in the bridge it's just too weak?

I can't really see any other magnet doing a better job in my guitar than the a4, though I am interested in the UOA5.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: A4 VS A3

A4's have a flatter EQ, which some players don't like. Most of us are used to an EQ bump, whether it's mids, highs or lows, which can be called a 'sweeter' tone. I think A4's are a great choice for neck HB's, as that slot already has a lot of meds and lows.

What A3's bring to the party is a bright, but rounded high end (as opposed to an A5's sharp high end). A3's have fat mids and a little less low end than an A2. They work well where you want those characteristics, which can be the bridge or neck. The output difference between an A3 and A2 is minimal.

BTW, A4, A3, and A2 are all unoriented.

would you say that the a3 is similar to the A2 without the mud? I remember the a2 being way too muddy in my guitar, it steered far from the clear bell like tones I wanted to hear from my les paul... why do I feel like the alnico 4 is the right magnet for what I'm describing :laughing:

 

[Demanic]

Re: A4 VS A3

Maybe because it is?
I tried an A4 in my 59n in the neck of my Shecter Blackjack. It was polished and I thought it was a little bright. Then I tried a UOA5 that was roughcast. Left it in for a year and just didn't gel with it. Lots of mids but too little attack and the bass seemed too spongy for my taste. Split, the pickup lost a lot of power, and combined with the prominent mids it sounded like it was coming through a soda straw. So I put the A4 back in about a month and a half ago, and it's not coming out. To me, it sounds like how a 59n is supposed to sound, not boomy or overly bright. The mids are just right.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[LtKojak]

Re: A4 VS A3

would you say that the a3 is similar to the A2 without the mud?:

Expressed in an brutally oversimplified way, yes.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: A4 VS A3

Lot of mids but too little attack and the bass seemed too spongy for my taste.

You can get the attack back by cutting the screws flush with the baseplate, the spongy quality is inherent of the UOA5 in the neck position. You can get by by slanting the p'up, although an A3 is a better choice to pair up an UOA5 in the bridge to start with, I'd say.

HTH,

 

[blueman335]

Re: A4 VS A3

would you say that the a3 is similar to the A2 without the mud? I remember the a2 being way too muddy in my guitar, it steered far from the clear bell like tones I wanted to hear from my les paul... why do I feel like the alnico 4 is the right magnet for what I'm describing :laughing:

In some PU's, yes. A2's and A3's both have a lot of midrange, but A2's have more low end, which is loose, and also don't have much treble. In spite of that, they can work very well in the right PU. Seymour knows how to wind to bring out the best in A2's. To me, '57 Classics are an example of the an A2 with the wrong wind: dull and muddy.

A3's have more high end, which helps with definition and clarity. They have slightly less output than an A2, which is nothing to lose sleep over. They're a good choice when an A2 is too warm or muddy, or when an A5 is too bright or bassy. Considering how many great bridge PU's have A2's, A3's should be used in that slot a lot more often.

For a long time most alnicos in HB's were the extremes of A5's and A2's. But there's a middle ground of very useable magnets that are finally starting to get some recognition.

 

[blueman335]

Re: A4 VS A3

I tried an A4 in my 59n in the neck of my Schecter Blackjack. It was polished and I thought it was a little bright. Then I tried a UOA5 that was roughcast. Left it in for a year and just didn't gel with it. Lots of mids but too little attack and the bass seemed too spongy for my taste.

Whether an UOA5 works in the neck slot depends on a number of factors: PU, guitar, wood, genre, etc. With A2's used in so many PAF's, UOA5's are worth a try if the A2 is too warm, too middy, or too loose. Not going to be the ideal magnet all the time, but it's a viable option in some situations.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: A4 VS A3

Whether an UOA5 works in the neck slot depends on a number of factors: PU, guitar, wood, genre, etc. With A2's used in so many PAF's, UOA5's are worth a try if the A2 is too warm, too middy, or too loose. Not going to be the ideal magnet all the time, but it's a viable option in some situations.

I'm sorry, I think I phrased my question wrong.

I love the sound of my A4 burstbuckers.

Is there a magnet that would sound like the a4, but prettier​?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: A4 VS A3

I'm sorry, I think I phrased my question wrong.

I love the sound of my A4 burstbuckers.

Is there a magnet that would sound like the a4, but prettier​?

Well...I think that would be A2.

The PG's sure sound prettier to me than the A4 Tom Holmes pickups I had in the same guitar.

BTW, I've decided to move my CS Pearly Gates to my PRS Custom 22.

Ordered a set of APH-2's yesterday but I want to put them in the PRS Singlecut that I currently have the CS PG's in.

That should give me a nice assortment of sounds:

ES-335: A4 Tom Holmes
CU-22 #1: A5 Dragon II's
CU-22 #2: A2 Custom Shop PG's
Singlecut #1: A2 PG's
Singlecut #2: A2 APH-2's