Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

flipside

New member
I really like the tone of my Invader but its a little too hot, and just a touch muddy. I was thinking that an Alnico 5 magnet would cure this. Can this be done, if so, can someone give me a link to a place where i can get the procedure. Or would it be better to get a tech to do it.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

yes it can be done. Im not sure how to swap magnets, but there are alot of people here that do. Im not sure how it would sound though.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

It can be done pretty easily -- but keep in mind that the Invader bridge model has 3 magnets in it, not just one. Two skinny ones on the outside and the standard-sized main one in the middle like other humbuckers.

As for whether an Alnico 5 will make it brighter, I doubt it because ceramics are brighter than any Alnico. One thing that might help is to remove one of the skinny magnets -- the one on whichever side is facing away from the bridge and toward the neck. The harmonic node this coil sits under is beefier and removing that magnet will de-emphasize it and thus emphasize the other coil more which sits under a brighter harmonic node.

I am considering grabbing a neck model Invader and trying an Alnico 5 though, or even a 4, 3 or 2. It's only 7.2k which makes it a totally different animal from the 16.8k bridge.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

i don't want it to sound brighter, i want it to have less output, and have that "tightness" that is characteristic of the A5
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

Ceramics are tighter than A5s......it's only going to be looser in the bottom end although it will have less output.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

Ceramics are tighter in my experience.
THe distortion is tighter than the JB, and, well. we all know that story.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

flipside said:
I couldn't really understand your post. If you mean that A5's have a tighter bass end than ceramics do than you're right, which is what i'm looking for is a tight low end, which the A5 delivers.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/faqdescr.shtml#magnets



No, that's not what I meant. In all my experience with pickups and putting different ones in different guitars the ceramics have always been tighter overall and in the bottom end.

I know the FAQ there says otherwise but that's not my experience. Maybe it's the more compressed nature of the ceramics but that's what my ears have told me over the years.


However, much of it depends on the amp too. Tight pickup through loose amp is still gonna sound loose.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

yeah, as far as im concerned ceramics are tighter too
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

flipside said:
I really like the tone of my Invader but its a little too hot, and just a touch muddy.
Ceramic are tighter than A5. So if you throw an A5 in there, that thing will be looser than a Tiajuana hooker on payday. Also, the Invader has two magnets.
 
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Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

What you could do is, pull the 2 small magnets out of the invader and just run it with the big ceramic magnet in the middle. That way, it will pretty much be the duncan distortion with invader poles. It will cause it to have less output.
 
Re: Can I put an A5 in an Invader???

Or, you could just find a pickup you like better and post a trade offer in the Trader Section. Just a thought.
 
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