Mojotone vs. Philadelphia Luthier Tools magnets

[jeremy]

I find the difference between A2 , A4 & A5 to be subtle at best

Even between ceramic and alnico is very slight

In a mix all of the differences disappear

Or an adjustment to the tone control will do that

i very much disagree. i hear a quite noticeable difference between say a2 and a5. even uoa5 and a2. does the difference matter to an audience? of course not, but its enough for me to swap back to what i like.

 

[Mincer]

Although it isn't a night and day difference between an A2 and A5 JB to me.

 

[AdrianSD]

Although it isn't a night and day difference between an !2 and A5 JB to me.

The difference between the regular A5 and UOA5 in the same JB pickup is VERY noticeable for me under gain, UOA5 basically lacks the bite and balls. RCA5 is very close to regular A5.

 

[Masta' C]

We need not look any further than the Custom, the Custom 5, and the Custom Custom to understand how much a simple magnet change can influence a pickup's overall sound and feel...

 

[Mincer]

We need not look any further than the Custom, the Custom 5, and the Custom Custom to understand how much a simple magnet change can influence a pickup's overall sound and feel...

Right, and it just so happens that the Custom wind can change wildly depending on magnet. I didn't find that with the JB, though, but I am not the target audience for a JB.

 

[GilmourD]

The only supplier I would stay away from is Stewmac. They have a great selection, but their prices only make sense if you're buying 100 of something. They also screw you by overcharging for shipping.

I've been taking advantage of the promo they do where they throw in StewMAX for free if you buy enough stuff (which I'd be getting anyway) and then I have free shipping for one I need to buy one screw or something. LOL

 

[Masta' C]

I've been taking advantage of the promo they do where they throw in StewMAX for free if you buy enough stuff (which I'd be getting anyway) and then I have free shipping for one I need to buy one screw or something. LOL

That's actually a solid plan! Probably saves way more over the course of a year than any single "sale".

 

[simply rod]

I would shoot a message to both vendors and just ask about their QC for magnetized bars...do they buy them pre-charged or do they magnetize them in-house? Do they have a way to double-check the gauss/charge before shipping? Hint: I know Mojotone does.

As for magnet "quality" from a materials/construction standpoint, I genuinely don't think one is going to be better than the other.

I emailed Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supply a few weeks ago. They never replied, but today I did find a mass promo email from them in my spam folder. Seems they got my email, didn't reply, but then added me to their mass emailing list.

I did hear right back from Mojotone. I didn't want to hound them with more questions just yet, though, since I was leaning towards Philly and would likely order from them as long as nobody in this thread scared me away from them.

I also contacted Montreux in Japan (where I live) about their sourcing, and they replied relatively quickly with "Manufacturing management is often done in the United States, and raw materials are often in China." (translated)

So at this point, I've got a bunch of magnets in my Philly cart. I guess I'll go ahead and pull the trigger despite my reservations. Thanks everyone for the input.