Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

R

Reverberocket2

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Curious if anyone has tried any of the following in a Slash set:

Roughcast Alnico 2

Degaused Alnico 2

Alnico 3

Alnico 4


Overall, I am interested in pushing the set toward a more vintage tone. Thinking pickup covers might help with that as well.

Guessing the A3 would sound nice in the Slash neck. An "Antiquity Slash" with degaused A2 also has me interested.

Let me know what you have tried.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

Well, A2 is a pretty vintage type magnet in the first place.

The wind is most likely the reason for the more modern sound, and I'm not thinking anything magnet is going to do too much to change the type of sound.
Might be worth a try of an A3 just for giggles......
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

I haven't even tried the Slash set, so this is just guesses based on typical magnet interactions... Some pickups do surprising things with particular magnets. And what works best for feel and output depends on the player, guitar and rest of rig. Only way to know for sure is to try!

I'd probably try Unoriented A5, for a bit more output but not too dissimilar character in a Slash set. Slightly lower mids, more low & high, but still that chewy unoriented magnet feel.

A3 is like A2, but lower output and brighter. Might be good if you need a bit more brightness out of the neck slot, and are comfortable with neck pickup closer to strings.

I've heard A4 is bland in the Alnico 2 Pro (Slash is a variation on that, a bit hotter and beefier to make one of his guitars sound like the original with A2Pros did). But that may have been someone not liking the change in feel, more than tone... Still may be worth a try, if you want more output, with an oriented magnet feel, while keeping a fairly even EQ on the magnet.

Roughcast is typically a bit darker tone than polished magnet, with a touch of midrange grain. Handy option if the pickup is a bit too bright in that guitar.

Degaussed A2 in the bridge, A3 in neck might work nicely, if you want a bit lower output than stock Slash set.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

I don't think you're going to hear a difference with the other A2 type mags in it. possibly even the A3 except that you may notice less output and it'd be a bit brighter. You will probably adjust your pup closer to the strings to compensate and then the subtle difference will be lost anyway. But these are very subtle changes which you won't notice at all when playing in a band.

Like was said, if you're after a "vintage" tone, A2 is about as "vintage" as you can get. So how about some different terminology so we know what you really want....do you want it "brighter", less "mids", more "articulate", more "output", "tighter bass", etc.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

I have the regular A2P set, which is a Jazz with A2's (A2P's are one of my favorite PU's). The only change to that I'd consider is an UOA5 in the neck for a bit more high end and clarity. For me, the Slash set being wound hotter would need that extra treble, either via magnet, spin-a-split, or both.
 
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Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

These are sitting in my parts drawer. The neck pickup is damaged. Only one coil working. I fried the other coil trying to solder on pickup covers. I will be sending it back to Duncan for a rewind.
It has been a while since I had these in my Les Paul, but from what I remember the neck was full/dark and the bridge was thin/bright. Almost sounded more like an A5 pickup than the typical A2 sound.

Since I am sending the neck to the Custom Shop for a rewind figured I might as well switch the magnet too.

I would like a little more brightness and less output in the neck - thinking A3 or degaussed A2
I would like a little less brightness in the bridge - thinking roughcast A2 or degaused A2

The Les Paul in question is from the mid 80's and originally had Shaw pickups in it (SPN wire, 7.5k, UOA5 or A2). Thinking the Slash with similar wire but higher wind might sound closer to the original pickups with a weaker magnet A3 or degaused A2
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

7.5k a3 sounds like a great neck pup. is the bridge pup shot too?
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

I think the bridge still works. Need to borrow my friends multimeter to check.

Slash neck is listed as poly wire 8.3k so, thinking an A3 or degaused A2 might bring a slightly brighter sound with less output (better balance with the bridge)
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

I'm not sure a degaused A2 is gonna give you more brightness. You'd be better of with A3 or A4 for the neck.

Most A2 mags are already rough cast.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

i dont think most a2 are roughcast. almost all of mine are polished.

i agree a3 or a4 would be better to get more high end than degaussed a2
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

i think i have one rc a2, the rest are polished. dunno
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

If you're getting the neck rewound anyway I'd suggest a bit of coil offset and an A3 mag. You could have one coil wound to Slash spec and the other to regular A2P spec - it'd be just about 5% underwound compared to the other.

Two of my all-time favorite neck humbuckers are A3 - a custom 8.3K from ReWind and a 7.4K pure handwound "Pagey 2" from Zhangbucker.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

FWIW A3 doesn’t guarantee brightness. I have an 8.33k Skinnerburst neck and it sounds like a darker, dull, quieter Seth in a Les Paul and an SG. It has a little chime, but less than a Seth. I think the base wind has more to do with the resulting top end.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

GuitarDoc said:
That's interesting. Most if not all of my A2s are rough cast.
Click to expand...


I've opened up many HB's over the years and all of the A2's have been polished. With the exception of Addiction FX, all of the aftermarket A2's I've seen have been polished also. Being a warm and unoriented magnet to begin with, I wouldn't think roughcast versions would be in much demand.
 
Re: Anyone ever mag swap an APH-2 Slash set?

blueman335 said:
I've opened up many HB's over the years and all of the A2's have been polished. With the exception of Addiction FX, all of the aftermarket A2's I've seen have been polished also. Being a warm and unoriented magnet to begin with, I wouldn't think roughcast versions would be in much demand.
Click to expand...

I asked the guy at Throbak pickups awhile ago (sorry his name eludes me at the moment) about why he didnt sell rough cast A2's he told me its cause rough cast A2's are unstable dont gauss so consistently and degauss fairly easily. He said this was why the magnet market in the 40's and 50's went away from them.

Side note he claimed this was part of the reason for the inconsistency of old PAF's (the wide variety of magnets they could come with) but to him the long and short mags were more important than smooth/roughcast.

Dunno if its true but its the info he gave out.
 
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