APS-3 single coils?

[Thomas_Desch]

I have just been reading a bit about the MusicMan Albert Lee model with single coils. I always thought there were APS-2 pickups in it, but it turns there is an APS-2 with a backplate in the bridge, an APS-3 RWRP in the middle and an APS-3 in the neck. What kind of magnets are used in the APS-3s? Alnico 3? Are these commercially available from SD?

 

[Thomas_Desch]

Re: APS-3 single coils?

Anyone?

 

[LReese]

Re: APS-3 single coils?

Not much info but...

http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-guitars/38435-availability-albert-lee-pickups.html

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: APS-3 single coils?

Thanks for the under pickguard photograph.

As you may know, some Fender single coil pickups are constructed using a plastic bobbin rather than traditional vulcanised fibreboard plates. On the plastic bobbins, the rod magnets sit in discreet tubes, physically separate from the copper coil. It is possible to push out the magnets with no fear of damaging the coil.

I once exploited this feature to change the rod magnets in some Fender American Standard single coils from A5 to A3. The result was that the pickups were unacceptably low in output. Whenever Fender uses A3 magnets, it tends to be in conjunction with a pretty hot coil. (e.g. Highway1 Stratocaster.) I would expect the special Albert Lee pickups to be hotter than vintage Fender designs.