Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

THE DUG

New member
I have Ants in both my LP's.
Im wondering what putting an A5 in them would sound like?
I tried another pup in my LP today that is a "paf clone" it had A5 mag in it and man it made the guitar/amp rig Im using just flat out sing!
I love my ants but Im thinking just a bit more bite would be perfect for what style music Im playing nowadays,and instead of buying more pups just swapping mags?
Im also wondering about the degaussing and such if that would have to be done to the A5 mag?
Maybe I should try a A4?
If anyones ever messed around with different mags in their ant pups let me know what your findings were.
Thanks
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

A this may be good for you. But have you checked a 59er SH-1.
this what may get, Mag swap is not and easy job to do if a nickel cap is there.
good luck. I was selling the Ant B Paf rather then messing around.
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

First i got my Ants from fleabay without cover. They look great this way. I swapped in different mags.
I didnt like the A5 in the bridge (i have a 59B too and use A5 in nearly all neck pups). There is something round and airy about the Ants which do not go with the A5 very well. I had an A4 (better than a5), A3 (very near to the stock deguassed A2) and a degaussed A5. I ended with a full A2 (from a Seth Lover neck - remember that i use only A5 in neck pups). With that u get a smooth but full mids pup.
I never tried the A5 in the neck since i liked the neck with the stock mag: woody, reedy and clear.
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

The Lollar Imperial is a similar humbucker with an adjusted A5 (not just raw A5).

It sounds more delicate, not as sweet and airy as the Ant.
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

I think the Antiquities are some of the best humbuckers you can buy, regardless of price. They're incredible in their stock form, but I have tried out other magnets in them with great results.

I've tried both A4 and A5 in my Antiquities.

A5's are great. I love the sound of them, as is, but it's a bit softer, warmer and more mid-focused.

The A5's add some punch, sparkle, and power to the Antiquities. They make the bridge have some of that classic sparkle that some PAF's with A5's have; you can get a great old-school country or rockbilly tone.
But with the extra power, they sound awesome for classic rock and blues.
The sound is more "immediate" if that makes sense. There's an instant translation from pick/string to sound out of the amp.

It definitely adds a bit more clarity, and responsive dynamics, (which the Ant.s already have.)

I like the A4 even more though. It adds a lot of the characteristics of the A5, but not as pronounced.
Even better, it retains a lot of that A2 magic and softness.

BTW, You can get very high-quality A4 magnets for a couple bucks from RS Guitar Works. While you're at it, check out their Super Pots, and caps. There's a reason so many legendary guitarists, (Allman Bros, Aerosmith, Ken. Headhunters, Slash, etc.) are using their stuff!
http://www.rsguitarworks.net/cms2/

I haven't tried an A3 in the Ants. yet, but I like the A4's so much, I don't think i will.

As long as you're comfortable with the mod. i highly recommend trying it.
When you're dealing with a high-quality, high-end piece of equipment like the Antiquities, the really respond well to these subtle changes.
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

"Nickel cap?" What does that mean? I've done dozens of mag swaps & never had a problem, except when the magnet's glued to the baseplate.


Nickel cap = nickel cover on the pickup. They can be a bit annoying to get off.

-Austin
 
Re: Anyone put A5 in their Ant Buckers?

If you have a soldering iron, a solder sucker, and either a Dremel with a saw attachment, or take your time with a fine file or knife, it's not that difficult.

The problem some people have is forcing the pickup cover off before they've completely broken the solder's seal.
This could potentially damage the pickup, but will most definitely damage the cover.


If you want to experiment with different magnets, I'd leave the cover off for a few days while you test to see which you like best.
Then you can put everything back on once you've decided.

Good luck, and have fun with it!
 
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