Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

[TremoloKing]

Comparing my PRS with Alnico II Antiquity Humbuckers against my old Ibanez with Alnico V Super 70s it occured to me that someday I may want more output out of those pickups.

I had read that people had replaced the Alnico II magnets with Alnico V.

How does one obtain the Alnico V magnets if one wants to do that?

(BTW, I'm a Fender Certified tech, not working in the business right now, so I'm not afraid of this type of work)

Thanks for any info.

 

[Artie]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

This is one of the more popular sources:

http://www.ampge.com/

 

[koolkat]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

I'm not sure if going from Alcino II to Alcino V will give you more output. If you look at the Duncan Custom series, they're all the exact same pickup except they have different magnets (Alcino II, V, and ceramic). Their output is pretty similar, although they all sound very different. In general, an Alcino V pickup will give you a tighter sound with more pick attack, bass, and treble.

I may be wrong, but I believe the output has more to do with the number of windings and wire gauge than the type of magnet.

 

[rspst14]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

I'm not sure if going from Alcino II to Alcino V will give you more output. If you look at the Duncan Custom series, they're all the exact same pickup except they have different magnets (Alcino II, V, and ceramic). Their output is pretty similar, although they all sound very different. In general, an Alcino V pickup will give you a tighter sound with more pick attack, bass, and treble.

I may be wrong, but I believe the output has more to do with the number of windings and wire gauge than the type of magnet.

This is correct. A different magnet will change the tone of the pickup, but it won't change the output. Sometimes when people do magnet swaps, they'll hear more bass or more treble, and assume that they're hearing more output when in fact they're just hearing a shift in the EQ of the pickup. If you're looking for A5 magnets, Blackrose Customs and Allparts both sell them. AMPGE sells A2, A3, and A5, and Allstar Magnetics sells every type available.

Ryan

 

[jeremy]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

alnico 5 will increase the output of a pup, its a stonger magnetic field so you will get more output, not a huge increase but noticable. frequency responce has alot to do with how hard the amp is being pushed, alnico II has a more middy tone where alnico V has more of a scooped tone so to my ear alnico II breaks up earlier on a tube amp.

if you want more output with a similar tone, youll probably need a new pup. if you want a little more output, raise the pups closer to the strings. if you want something with more output and a little meaty-er tone try the s-deco custom shop pups

 

[TremoloKing]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

Good point. I think you're right on. I was over simplifying what I was on about.

But I think a more intense magnetic field would (theoretically) increase the efficiency of the transducing effect (converting string motion into a voltage). Right? Two ways of doing that are increase coil turns use a stronger magnetic to intensify the field. Not saying the effects are identical, but probably not entirely different either. I think anyway.

It's my sense that when a pickup's parameters change it's produces a different sound usually because the midrange increases or decreases relative to the lower and upper frequencies. So although the average signal energy may not be dramatically different, stronger mid frequencies I think makes the pickup sounds louder to me.

That said, most all of my pickup experience is with Alvnico V single coils. I've only been playing with humbuckers for a couple years. So that's 2 years compared to 40. I'm a humbucker newbie.

Anyway, I'm hearing the difference between the Antiquities and the Super 70s -- which are just nice straight ahead Alnico V humbuckers ala Gibson late 60s/70s era -- and thinking that I might want to push the Antiquities farther in that direction.

That's really what this is about.

BTW, the winding (in as far as the DC coil resistance goes) of the Antiquities and the Super 70s is similar. Just the difference in magnet types and I LIKE the Super 70s a LOT.

Thanks for the advice, fellas!

 

[TremoloKing]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

alnico 5 will increase the output of a pup, its a stonger magnetic field so you will get more output, not a huge increase but noticable. frequency responce has alot to do with how hard the amp is being pushed, alnico II has a more middy tone where alnico V has more of a scooped tone so to my ear alnico II breaks up earlier on a tube amp.

Seems right to me.

if you want more output with a similar tone, youll probably need a new pup. if you want a little more output, raise the pups closer to the strings. if you want something with more output and a little meaty-er tone try the s-deco custom shop pups

I like the Antiqities a lot but I'm hearing some of the personality that I'm after in the Super 70s.

And they are way close to the strings now. Much closer than the Super 70s and in fact as close as they can be without insterfering with the string.

But given that they are VERY similar pickups except for the magnets, I think that the most sensible thing to do is change the magnets. I can always change them back.

 

[TremoloKing]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

Oh, one more question:

Are two magnets are required for each pup?

(I thought I had seen an exploded view of a humbucker somewhere but I can't find one.)


Ooops, just found this. Is it accurate? So one magnet per pup?

 

[tone4days]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

yes, one magnet per pup for a standard double coil humbucker ...

cool picture! ... good luck with your search

t4d

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

I'll trade you some some authentic Duncan Alnico 5 magnets for some authentic Duncan Alinico 2 magnets!

 

[frankencat]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

FWIW, I just stuck an A5 in an APH and it has a little more beef, a little less mids, and a touch more output. Very nice actually, somewhere between a Jazz and a '59.

 

[TremoloKing]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

I'll trade you some some authentic Duncan Alnico 5 magnets for some authentic Duncan Alinico 2 magnets!

I'd take you up on that but I might want to go backwards.

 

[hans-jürgen]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

Swapping the Alnico II magnets in an Antiquity with an Alnico V is one of the "recommended by Big Al" changes over at the Les Paul Forum for the bridge position, especially taking one from a Gibson Shaw PAF (first introduced in the Heritage series), because it's unorientated and thus a little weaker than a standard Alnico V magnet. So I guess you're on the right track.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Replacing Alnico II magnets with Alnico V

Very often, I find myself prefering A5 humbuckers to A2 hums. They just sound tighter, more focused, and clearer on higher gain settings. Right now, my beefiest set is an overwound 15.3K Custom 5 and 59N. After hearing it, it's harder to pick up my other guitars with various A5 or A2 Duncans.