Re: Identifying Humbucker, Invader?
Ok, so it looks like the "B" corresponds to two different pickups. The Invader with two rows of "button screws" and the Full Shred with two rows of "Allen Head Screws."
Those screws in your picture are surely "button screws", so it's an Invader wound by Edward Madrigal. The Invader was introduced in 1981, so your pickup could be made anywhere between 81'-2002', but I think it's the earlier part of that date range, based on the bottom plate stamp. My guess is early to mid 80's. I think by the 90's they were using the stamp with Made In America on it; but again I'm not a definitive expert on dating.
As for the "do they sound different" question, that one is loaded. There are some of us who feel like the early pickups sound different to their modern counterparts, for several reasons. The easiest one might be simple age. Some of those pickups are 35+ years old. Mostly the descriptions are a slightly mellower, sweeter tone from older pickups. However, as far as I know, ceramic magnets don't age and mellow like Alnico magnets do, but again I'm not 100% positive on that. There may be other differences such as different wire suppliers and specifically different magnet suppliers, with magnets of different composition then vs. now that lead to tone changes. Old Alnico magnets were dark and rough cast while today's magnets are smooth and polished. Another however though, I have an 80's Custom sitting right here and I can clearly see the shiny, polished end of its ceramic magnet staring at me, so who know about different magnets and when they changed? Maybe ceramic mags were always polished?
I'm in the camp that older sounds better, and I have several old pickups to reference. Hopefully someone smarter than me will chime in.
