ALL THE MAGNETS

Z

zizyphus

New member
I have humbuckers with every magnet type! A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, A9, and ceramic

Please don't burst my bubble and tell me there's an A1 and an A7... lol

If I specify a magnet after the pickup, there was a swap; otherwise, the pickup is stock:

Gibson Les Paul, Zhangbucker Crushbucker A6 bridge, Duncan Alnico II Pro neck
Gibson SG special, Lead Mini A6, Rhythm mini A4
Strat HSS, SD Pearly Gates Double Thick A6 bridge Duncan SSL6s middle/neck
Strat HSS hardtail, SD Perpetual Burn Double Thick A6, Duncan SSL6s middle/neck
Tele, SD Quarter Pound Tele bridge, Duncan Hot for Tele neck
Tele, DMZ Transition A6 bridge, Duncan Seth Lover A4 neck
Jackson V, Gibson 500T bridge, Gibson 498T A2 neck
RG, DMZ EVO2 A9 bridge, DMZ Fred Neck
Mini Travel Axe HSS: DMZ Air Norton Double Thick A8 bridge, Duncan SSL6s middle, GFS Mean 90 neck
Partscaster HSH: Burstbucker 3 Double thick A6 bridge, SD SSL6 middle, Duncan '59 A3 neck

Takeaways from the excessive amount of pickup swapping / magnet swapping I've done:
- I often prefer pickups that are slightly hotter than vintage, but with stronger magnets swapped in, rather than having a high DCR
- I love the way an A6 magnet thickens up the bridge position
- as guys like Clint have pointed out, double thick / extra thick magnets can really thicken up your sound
- I have a problem. I'm a gear-a-holic
- despite the above, I still need more guitars
- Swapping pot values, and/or adding resistors to the pickup switch so different pickups "see" different pot values, can really sculpt your tone
 
Sorry. This will be a vague answer, but it's along the lines of why they didn't have a channel 1 on old TV's. Somewhere around here I have a PDF document from the "magnet" society. The number comes from the date it was developed. Not it's magnet strength. Number #1, might have been a formulation that failed, or fell out of favor.

Again, sorry. Late night explanation. I'll see if I can find that PDF. ;)

Ooop. There is an A1. Almost the same as an A2. I can't upload the PDF. It's too big. Maybe I can find it online.

It's "Magnetic Materials Producers Association (MMPA Standard) No. 0100-00"

https://allianceorg.com/pdfs/MMPA_0100-00.pdf
 
Last edited:
ArtieToo said:
Sorry. This will be a vague answer, but it's along the lines of why they didn't have a channel 1 on old TV's. Somewhere around here I have a PDF document from the "magnet" society. The number comes from the date it was developed. Not it's magnet strength. Number #1, might have been a formulation that failed, or fell out of favor.

Again, sorry. Late night explanation. I'll see if I can find that PDF. ;)

Ooop. There is an A1. Almost the same as an A2. I can't upload the PDF. It's too big. Maybe I can find it online.

It's "Magnetic Materials Producers Association (MMPA Standard) No. 0100-00"

https://allianceorg.com/pdfs/MMPA_0100-00.pdf
Click to expand...

The below paragraph in itself opens previously unidentified rabbit holes of gear snobbery.... :D :D :D

"1.0 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION Alnico alloys basically consist of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron and titanium. In some grades cobalt and/or titanium are omitted. Also these alloys may contain additions of silicon, columbium, zirconium or other elements which enhance heat treatment response of one of the magnetic characteristics."

"Dude! That pup has an A2 with silicone in it? Don't even bother looking at it, the silicone in the mag makes it sound dull lifeless and cheap!" :D:D:D:D:D:D
 
I agree very much about one thing. Adding stronger magnets to a lower wind pickup is a "better" way to get a hotter pickup than is a heavier wind. Tone gets too congested and you lose your high end a lot of the time, with a heavier wind. But take the same coils, and just drive them harder into the amp by using a stronger magnet, and you can get the extra boost you want without getting that blocked up tone.

G&L's MFDs use this philosophy. They aren't wound very heavily at all...but they are powered by strong ceramic magnets, with steel poles. The result is a pickup that is strong, yet extremely clear.
 
Last edited:
nexion218 said:
The below paragraph in itself opens previously unidentified rabbit holes of gear snobbery.... :D :D :D

"1.0 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION Alnico alloys basically consist of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron and titanium. In some grades cobalt and/or titanium are omitted. Also these alloys may contain additions of silicon, columbium, zirconium or other elements which enhance heat treatment response of one of the magnetic characteristics."

"Dude! That pup has an A2 with silicone in it? Don't even bother looking at it, the silicone in the mag makes it sound dull lifeless and cheap!" :D:D:D:D:D:D
Click to expand...

But I wonder if the "columbium" will give better "highs." :D
 
ArtieToo said:
Sorry. This will be a vague answer, but it's along the lines of why they didn't have a channel 1 on old TV's. Somewhere around here I have a PDF document from the "magnet" society. The number comes from the date it was developed. Not it's magnet strength. Number #1, might have been a formulation that failed, or fell out of favor.

Again, sorry. Late night explanation. I'll see if I can find that PDF. ;)

Ooop. There is an A1. Almost the same as an A2. I can't upload the PDF. It's too big. Maybe I can find it online.

It's "Magnetic Materials Producers Association (MMPA Standard) No. 0100-00"

https://allianceorg.com/pdfs/MMPA_0100-00.pdf
Click to expand...

Now we know why pickups are so expensive... magnet building is a union job.
 
You left out UOA5! I've tried em all and my favz are A2, A3, A6, A5, and UOA5. A6 is underrated as eff. It's as viable as the best of em. A9 is pretty bad ass too.
 
nexion218 said:
"Dude! That pup has an A2 with silicone in it? Don't even bother looking at it, the silicone in the mag makes it sound dull lifeless and cheap!" :D:D:D:D:D:D
Click to expand...

Silicon. No e ;)

Seriously though, the deal with magnets is the strength more than the alloy.

Magnets don’t have a tone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A4, A5, UOA5, and A6 all have similar strength but drastically different tones.

An A2 spacer, degaussed A2, full strength A2, and double thick A2 have drastically different strengths but the same tone.

So no, you're incorrect.
 
Last edited:
DavidRavenMoon said:
Magnets don’t have a tone.
Click to expand...

This is so true. And amps don't have tone either. Niether do speakers. They are just a bunch of physical, electronic parts put together. Heck, I sat all day long one day with my ear pressed tightly to my amp and I didn't hear a thing. No matter which tubes I put into it.

But seriously, we all know that magnets don't in-and-of-themselves have a tone. But it's convenient to refer to them as having a tonal characteristic when used in a pup. They do, in fact, each impart a unique quality to the tone that a pup is capable of producing.
 
ArtieToo said:
Sorry. This will be a vague answer, but it's along the lines of why they didn't have a channel 1 on old TV's. Somewhere around here I have a PDF document from the "magnet" society. The number comes from the date it was developed. Not it's magnet strength. Number #1, might have been a formulation that failed, or fell out of favor.

Again, sorry. Late night explanation. I'll see if I can find that PDF. ;)

Ooop. There is an A1. Almost the same as an A2. I can't upload the PDF. It's too big. Maybe I can find it online.

It's "Magnetic Materials Producers Association (MMPA Standard) No. 0100-00"

https://allianceorg.com/pdfs/MMPA_0100-00.pdf
Click to expand...

Great reference! Thanks for posting that, Artie.
 
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