Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

[Rex_Rocker]

So I got myself a SH-1B/SH-2N combo for my PRS SE Nick Catanese (mahogany body and neck, ebony board). I like the Jazz overall, but I wouldn't mind it having a bit less prominent pick attack but also being very slightly less bassy and/or scooped. I wonder if I swapped the magnet to Alnico 3 or 4 I'd get this result. I'm leaning more towards Alnico 4 because I don't want to lose too much output. What do you guys think? Thanks.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

A4's give a flatter EQ, so less treble and bass than an A5, but with a little more mids. A3's are bright but have a rounded high end (compared to the sharp high end of an A5); they have a lot of midrange and not much low end. A3's are low output, but so are A2's, and they're used in a low PU's, even bridge PU's. Both magnets work well in the neck, just depends on what you want.

A2P's are a Jazz with an A2. That could be a bit warm for some people, so using an UOA5 would give a little more treble than the stock A2.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

I vote for the A4. I have one in a 59n in the neck position and I love it. I can't imagine it being bad in a Jazzn.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

A4 or A2.

You won't notice a loss in output going to an A2 but it will give you softer/smoother highs, more mids (less scooped) and less bass.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

I only use an A5 in a very mid-heavy guitar I have. Otherwise, it is always A2. I don't like open glassiness in my neck pickups, though.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

I only use an A5 in a very mid-heavy guitar I have. Otherwise, it is always A2. I don't like open glassiness in my neck pickups, though.

My tastes exactly.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

Thanks for the replies, dudes!

I love the Alnico 5 in the '59 in the bridge, but then again, this is a thick mahogany guitar without a maple top tuned to Drop C with thick strings, so I don't think it's overly bright at all.

I don't think the Jazz is too bright, really, just too attacky. If I can tame that down along with reducing a little bit of boom that I get from playing lower down the fretboard, that'd be ace.

I'm leaning towards Alnico 4 ATM... but how much of a drop in output will I notice compared to Alnico 5? Will it be extreme or subtle?

I mostly use the neck pickup for liquidy leads usually with tons of gain, so I don't want to weaken the Jazz a bit too much either.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

I have put an A3 in a Jazz neck. Here are clips of the A3 Jazz vs the stock A5: https://soundcloud.com/user675188333. This was done with a Strat but it will at least let you hear the difference.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

Hi,
I must say, in my Jazz neck, I tried A2, A3, A4, A5 long oriented,
The A4 - to my ears was the winner hands down. I like it bright but all the boominess and top end with a scoop was awful with the A5, in my case. I can make it work, but the amount of work that I needed to do (to fix it w/the A5) is a long story and too much work. The A4 was it. The A3 seemed too much like the A2.
This was done and settled on years ago when I did my initial mag swapping experiments. So if you are interested in how I fixed it W/out an A4 pm me as it is a long story, or I'll give you my # and just tell you.
Steven B.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

Hey,
Forgot to mention I do have a few other neck humbuckers that work great that I use now, but I still use one of The Jazz A4's
In the neck, in one of my best guitars, an old 60's LP Custom. With a Seth Lover bridge also with an A4.
On some other Seth bridges I have been very happy with an A5 Short RC oriented I got from ThroBak.
In case you've seen some of my other pickup posts, so I don't sound like I am making stuff up. have 6 stage ready guitars but only use two as they are light weight and my back won't tolerate anything over 6.5 pounds.
Steve B.

 

[Southbound Suarez]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

I vote for the A4. I have one in a 59n in the neck position and I love it. I can't imagine it being bad in a Jazzn.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Does the 59' A4 neck have a vocal woody tone that can double for lead or rhythm? How about hollow mids or boominess? Reason I ask is because I just swapped out the A5 mags in my 59' set for UOA5 RC's and haven't really played with the neck that much so, the UOA5 RC mag may still be too boomy for the 59' neck position.

Just swapped out a SL neck humbucker mag for a polished long A3 and love it because the bass is not overbearing and balanced with the UOA5 RC 59 bridge humbucker, it has good mids (not too much) and a rounded top end which now makes all three toggle positions of the SG very usable.

 

[Southbound Suarez]

Re: Jazz Neck with Alnico 3 or 4 magnet... who has tried it?

Thanks for the replies, dudes!

I love the Alnico 5 in the '59 in the bridge, but then again, this is a thick mahogany guitar without a maple top tuned to Drop C with thick strings, so I don't think it's overly bright at all.

I don't think the Jazz is too bright, really, just too attacky. If I can tame that down along with reducing a little bit of boom that I get from playing lower down the fretboard, that'd be ace.

I'm leaning towards Alnico 4 ATM... but how much of a drop in output will I notice compared to Alnico 5? Will it be extreme or subtle?

I mostly use the neck pickup for liquidy leads usually with tons of gain, so I don't want to weaken the Jazz a bit too much either.

Subtle if anything. Whether you go with the stock SD A5 polished long magnet, A5 RC short mag, or even UOA5 RC long magnet bridge 59' humbucker, the A4 in the neck will now provide you with a usable neck and middle position which doesn't always happen with stock humbucker sets.