Magnet Swap Question

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Texas Slim

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i have a set of Duncan Distortion pickups, and am considering changing the magnet in the neck pickup to A5 from the ceramic.
Since the prevailing wisdom says that this operation on a distortion bridge model almost replicates a JB, would changing the neck pickup magnet put it into Jazz territory?
Second question-
Will mixing ceramic and alnico have a detrimental effect on the sound of the two pickups together?
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

I've never done a magnet swap on either of the Distortion models, but it is my understanding that the magnet (in the bridge model at least) is thicker than a regular bar magnet. There are a dozen threads about the magnet swap in the bridge model, and I think the consensus is that it does not exactly equal a JB. Sorry I can't be more help.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

No, the Distortion neck shouldn't sound much like a Jazz. It is my understanding that the DDn used to be marketed as a bridge pickup completey independent of the Distortion. Eventually Duncan started matching them as a set.

There won't be issues between the two pickups with different mags in them. People mix and match all the time.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

No - what you will have, IMHO, is an actual NECK version of the JB, in a much more sensible output zone than a real JB when in that spot. Which is a very cool thing.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

Aceman said:
No - what you will have, IMHO, is an actual NECK version of the JB, in a much more sensible output zone than a real JB when in that spot. Which is a very cool thing.
Click to expand...

Which makes me wonder, how about an A8 in an SH-6n? Would it be too muddy in the neck or would it pair well with an Alternative 8 in the bridge?
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

Demanic said:
Which makes me wonder, how about an A8 in an SH-6n? Would it be too muddy in the neck or would it pair well with an Alternative 8 in the bridge?
Click to expand...

*I* wouldn't use an A8 mag for the neck position.

Any PAFish wind, modded with an A4 mag will pair-up nicely with an Alt8 in the bridge.

The SH-6n is a very nice bridge p'up with an A8. Kinda a bodybuilder in steroids without the rage. ;)

HTH,
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

Texas Slim said:
i have a set of Duncan Distortion pickups, and am considering changing the magnet in the neck pickup to A5 from the ceramic.
Since the prevailing wisdom says that this operation on a distortion bridge model almost replicates a JB, would changing the neck pickup magnet put it into Jazz territory?
Second question-
Will mixing ceramic and alnico have a detrimental effect on the sound of the two pickups together?
Click to expand...

I registered just to answer you. I just swapped magnets in a Distortion neck because I wanted something as hot as a JB in the neck of my Floyd Rose Fender Strat. They are right you will need to buy a maple spacer along with your magnet. That is the only issue your ceramic magnet and spacer are thicker. I used an AlNiCo 2 magnet in mine and a maple spacer. I paired it with a JB Trembucker. Have you changed magnets before in a Humbucker?
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

LtKojak said:
*I* wouldn't use an A8 mag for the neck position.

Any PAFish wind, modded with an A4 mag will pair-up nicely with an Alt8 in the bridge.

The SH-6n is a very nice bridge p'up with an A8. Kinda a bodybuilder in steroids without the rage. ;)

HTH,
Click to expand...
I have the Alt 8 in the bridge and love it there. I like the SH-6n in the neck, but sometimes the highs are a bit brittle. What about a slighty degaussed double thick ceramic? Would it keep most of the tightness, but just relaxed a bit?
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

watchin this thread made me pull the trigger on mags as well. I had this humbucker that came stock in one of my shred stick. in it the DCR is quiet low (8.7k) with a ceramic (normal sized) magnet. quiet surprisingly it is not as harsh as some other ceramic humbuckers i ve checked out (could be because of the basswood bodied guitar it is in), it is retains clarity with high gain and is somewhat fat sounding too. nontheless i m not at all pleased with my mildly over driven tones being thrashed, which i blame on the ceramic magnet.

so i ordered a set of A2/A5/A4/UOA5 magnets. i m not expecting to run into a tonal genie (might endup just being mush with any alnico, since it was quiet soft with a ceramic). i m day dreaming though that it ll endup somethin like '78 model, WLH, A2PS :rolleyes: this would also be my first magnet swap job.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

No,, i haven't changed any yet, this will be my first.
i have wood for making spacers, and i have magnets.
Will it make any difference which way the replacement magnet's polarity is facing, as in, toward the screws, or toward the slugs?
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

I don't recommend changing magnets when the magnets in the game have different height. That easily leaves an ugly pickup.

A DD is more valuable than a JB anyway (used prices), so I'd just sell and buy or trade.

Also, JB with A2 rocks if you have a guitar with some steam behind it.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

uOpt said:
I don't recommend changing magnets when the magnets in the game have different height. That easily leaves an ugly pickup.
Click to expand...

?? Not sure what you mean.

I've changed mags in the DD from the thick ceramic to several different standard-sized alnico mags. No problems. Didn't affect the looks of the pup at all.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

You don't need a spacer under the magnet. The Duncans that have the thick magnets in them are done one of two ways, either a normal spacer is flipped on it's side so that it's oriented vertically, or they glue two normal spacers together. When swapping to a normal sized magnet all you need to do is either flip the spacer so that it lies flat (just like it does in any other Seymour Duncan pickup) or pull the two glued spacers apart and use one of them. Either way, no need to do any dorkyness. The one issue you may have is that the tape is wider, so it will protrude past the edge of the baseplate a bit, no big whoop.

A5 DDn is pretty cool, still a little more A5 scoop than I prefer, but that'e me. I wouldn't really call it a JBn either.
 
Re: Magnet Swap Question

^ +1.

I just used the spacers that came with the DD and flipped them on their flat side. Worked perfectly.
 
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