Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

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RACER X

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This may be a silly question but, do the Alnico 5 magnets last as long as the Ceramic magnets, just wondering.
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

They will "last" just as long, but alnico magnets will very slowly lose some of the magnetism over time (10 years or more) making them a bit less powerful, a bit warmer and more complex sounding. This is considered desireable by many players. That is why some many old vintage pickups have a slightly different sound and are worth a lot of money.

Ceramic mags stay the same and are a bit....harder and brighter sounding. They don't "mellow" with age.

Whether this is good or bad depends on your taste.
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

Is 40 years long enough for you? Like Mac said, it's a desired effect to a lot of folks, which is why Seymour ages the magnets on his Antiquities pickups.
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

what i love about ceramics is they are quieter(less hum) than alnico's. and in the custom model they have a great warmth while still being crisp!
as far as a ceramic lasting longer(deguassing) yes they do in general.
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

Mac-P said:
They will "last" just as long, but alnico magnets will very slowly lose some of the magnetism over time (10 years or more) making them a bit less powerful, a bit warmer and more complex sounding. This is considered desireable by many players. That is why some many old vintage pickups have a slightly different sound and are worth a lot of money.

Ceramic mags stay the same and are a bit....harder and brighter sounding. They don't "mellow" with age.

Whether this is good or bad depends on your taste.

Isn't that part of Dimarzio's technology behind the Air Buckers??
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

papersoul said:
Isn't that part of Dimarzio's technology behind the Air Buckers??

dimarzio's air design is to fake a alnico 5 into reacting like a very old,used
slightly weakened 5.
here read,

What are Airbuckers?



Airbuckers are full-sized humbuckers that contain a gap or space between the magnet and the polepieces. The distance is quite small, and may be filled with nothing but air or by some non-magnetic material. The purpose of the gap is to lessen the magnetic field over the pickup, which in turn lets the string vibrate more freely. This results in a purer, more open sound and improved sustain.



The other purpose of the “air” design is to reliably reproduce the performance of vintage humbuckers (1950s and 60s), many of which contain magnets weakened by age and mishandling. Weakened or "aged" magnets are inherently unstable, and therefore cause unpredictable performance. Airbuckers utilize stable, full-strength magnets, yet the magnetic field is the same as produced by an "aged" magnet, thus offering the performance advantage without the unpredictability.
 
Re: Alnico 5 vs Ceramic

Scott_F said:
Is 40 years long enough for you? Like Mac said, it's a desired effect to a lot of folks, which is why Seymour ages the magnets on his Antiquities pickups.

hm.. any idea about how he does that? sounds like it would be a cool thing to do to a '59 or seth lover or something
 
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