P90 - Alnico II, III, or V?

[mowcheeba]

Sorry if this have been discussed, anyway......
I heard somewhere that the early P90 had Alnico III and that they switched to Alnico V later. How did that change the sound of the P90? Also I´ve seen some winders also use Alnico II. So my questions are......
What magnet type do you prefer in P90 and why? I am buying new pickups for my PRS Soapbar SE (Best bang for the buck ever!)which have a light mahogany
body. My idea was to get a Alnico II for the bridge and maybe a Alnico V for the neck. What do you think?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: P90 - Alnico II, III, or V?

Yeah, this would work if the bridge is wound considerably hotter than the neck, imho. I like this combo with humbuckers.

 

[RockStarNick]

Re: P90 - Alnico II, III, or V?

Just my 2 cents..

I'd be carfeul with alnico 2's in a P90. Alnico 2 magnets are rich in midrange, with subdued bass and treble. And P90s are, by nature, VERY midrange-y. So in my opinion, the A5 adds some needed clarity and bass to the pickup.

 

[WGTP]

Re: P90 - Alnico II, III, or V?

Has anyone tried using one of each?

 

[gripweed]

Re: P90 - Alnico II, III, or V?

My understanding is, that at one time or another P-90s used all of those magnets. For the most part, they were either a2 or a5.

I don't think you have to be that careful with an a2 P-90. The Phat Cat is a humbucker sized p-90 with a2. Although an a4 neck and a5 bridge P-90 might be a better choice, especially if you want to cut some bass from the neck pickup. I don't believe that a5 P-90s are as boomy in the neck as an a5 humbucker.