Magnets vs new pickups

[alex1fly]

Those who have done magnet swaps, did you keep them in long term or eventually swap back to the original magnet?

I realize this is a forum full of tinkerers, but I'm quite curious to survey folks about magnet swaps. I did several back in my heyday of pickup tinkering, but didn't keep any in. Granted back then I was interested in trying as many things as possible and didn't have much budget to keep extra gear around but still... do magnet swaps hold up as a viable way to improve your sound or is it more of a "try it because it's cheap and easily reversible" thing? There's probably no right answer, just curious to hear folks' experiences.

 

[Clint 55]

I believe none of my humbuckers have the stock magnet in. For rock in the neck I prefer UOA5 or A9 for max bite. For jazz you can put an A2 or A3 in anything and you're golden. For the bridge I use double thick magnets because they raise the output and I can use lower wound humbuckers for less compression but still get the heat I need.

 

[beaubrummels]

The A4 in my 59 neck hasn't come out yet.
The A2 in a Custom hasn't come out yet.
The RCUOA5 in a 59 bridge I had came out pretty quick. Had good tone generally, but a bit too much 'texture' making it murky for a bridge. Need to try polished / just UOA5 instead next time.

More mag swaps are in my future (I bought the kitchen sink from AddFX, everything from A2-A8, rough and polished), but I also have 10-15 stock pickups I haven't even tried yet just as they are.

 

[jeremy]

some swaps i keep and some go. i tend to leave any swap in for a few months at minimum to really give it a try before i swap anything.

 

[Artie]

I forgot that I had swapped an A5 into a Distortion to convert it to a JB many years ago. I must've left it like that because the big thick ceramic is still stuck to the side of my file cabinet.

 

[idsnowdog]

I would suggest trying a few magnet swaps before replacing any quality pickup.

 

[Lewguitar]

some swaps i keep and some go. i tend to leave any swap in for a few months at minimum to really give it a try before i swap anything.

That's the way it is for me. Sometimes I nail it the first time. Sometimes it takes a few swaps til I'm happy with the results. Only times I've gone back to the originals were with a couple of sets of Antiquitys that I returned to stock.

I'm still trying to get a set of Seth Lovers to sound the way I'd like them too. Right now they have roughcast A4 and I've tried A2, A3 and A5. Just not ballsy enough.

I think I'm going to pull them and put a set of EVH humbuckers in that I've been trying to decide what guitar I want to put them in.

 

[dystrust]

I swapped magnets between my C5 & A2P to make a CC and Jazz. I didn't care for either of the "original" pickups and would've sold both of them if I hadn't known about the different models that share coils.

 

[Mincer]

An A5 into a Custom Custom in a very mid-heavy guitar was the right choice that stuck. It is a good example of going with what the guitar needs rather than imposing my own will on the pickups.

 

[Clint 55]

That's the way it is for me. Sometimes I nail it the first time. Sometimes it takes a few swaps til I'm happy with the results. Only times I've gone back to the originals were with a couple of sets of Antiquitys that I returned to stock.

I'm still trying to get a set of Seth Lovers to sound the way I'd like them too. Right now they have roughcast A4 and I've tried A2, A3 and A5. Just not ballsy enough.

I think I'm going to pull them and put a set of EVH humbuckers in that I've been trying to decide what guitar I want to put them in.

Give a double thick mag a go in the bridge if you want the vintage wind to hit harder and be more 'ballsy'. If you want more aggression from the neck as well, A9 will do that without screwing up the character of the pup like A8 would.

 

[BluesIsBlood12]

I have swapped magnets in 59s several times, depending on what the guitar is or what sound I'm trying to get from it, but for sure I am not going back to the stock A5 magnets. I like A4 and A2 much better.

 

[JB6464]

I pretty much love the 59 set in all my guitars that I am chasing vintage tones with , the only mod I need it swap out the magnets to roughcast A5's .
I've swapped out so many different mags I keep coming back to the A5's after the honeymoon is over so that's where I stay now .
If I want a hot bridge for 80's rock it's an Ant JB , game over . :headbang: