Alnico II Pro for my '57 RI Strat?

[deanzat]

Acting on great advice from this forum, I put an Alnico II Pro humbucker in the neck of my Agile LP doublecut-style guitar, and a pearly gates in the bridge. For the way I play, I really love the neck alone and both pickups together.

Now I'm wishing my '57 RI strat sounded more full. Is this silly, since I'm basically comparing two completely different guitar designs? I've got Gold Lace Sensors in there now, and they don't sound bad, but I'm craving something more.

Will a set of Alnico II Pros for the strat get me a rounder, more full tone? Any other suggestions? Thanks, DZ

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Alnico II Pro for my '57 RI Strat?

Acting on great advice from this forum, I put an Alnico II Pro humbucker in the neck of my Agile LP doublecut-style guitar, and a pearly gates in the bridge. For the way I play, I really love the neck alone and both pickups together.

Now I'm wishing my '57 RI strat sounded more full. Is this silly, since I'm basically comparing two completely different guitar designs? I've got Gold Lace Sensors in there now, and they don't sound bad, but I'm craving something more.

Will a set of Alnico II Pros for the strat get me a rounder, more full tone? Any other suggestions? Thanks, DZ

Compared to most vintage alnico 5 pickups, the Alnico 2 Pro will probably have a little more output and a thicker, chunkier, slightly less glassy tone...especially the flat poled APS-2.

They also have a softer magnetic field so it seems to me that the APS pickups can be moved just a little closer to the strings without the strings being pulled out of tune by the magnetic field. That'll make them sound a little fuller too.

I dunno about the gold Lace Sensors...I had two Eric Clapton Strats with those but I couldn't get into those pickups at all and sold the guitars pretty fast. I would think that the APH pickups would be a little more soulful.