Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Joe61

Joe61

New member
Hey, y'all! This is my first post here-been lurking for a while, and I'm very impressed with the level of knowlege in evidence. I have an ESP LTD Viper 100 Fm with a Duncan Distortion set of buckers. How would it affect the tone if I replaced the ceramic mags with an A5 in the neck pup and an A2 in the bridge? looking for a rounder tone, but I'm on a budget. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance!
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

I think it would sound a lot better, good choices of mags. I think DD's have double thick ceramic mags, so to get a standard size mag to fit, you'd have to either turn the spacers on their sides, or use normal height spacers. Do you have a cheap import PU you could take the spacers off of? I've done that conversion to a few PU's, works well.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

I don't have any other buckers laying around at the moment, but Stew-Mac has bucker parts-that's where I'm getting my mags. Thanks for your input, Blueman335!
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Cermics generally give you a sharp and cutting sound. It's great for metal, but can be too abrasive for classic rock, country, or blues. Alnico V has a smoother high and bit of scoop in the mids. A5 is still crisp, but a little sweeter and less obnoxious than ceramics. Alinco II has a softer, smoother top and a squisher bottom end. A2 is pretty mellow, but can get muddy if you're not careful.

I would put an A2 in the bridge and an A5 in the neck. I did that to a ceramic Duncan Designed HB103 set; the guitar absolutely came alive! Try it with your Distortion set - you'll be pleasantly surprised.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Thanks, dotsdad! That was the combination I was planning on. Gonna be a week or 2 before I can order what I need, but once the deed's done, I'll let y'all know what my findings were.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Despite the opinion of the low gain types around here those mags in DD's are going to neuter alot of what makes the DD a DD. In the bridge the lows are going to become loose and soft and the attack off the strings will feel squishy. This works for 70's and 80's type sounds but more modern and it gets lost in the mush. The highs will have a harder time cutting through and wont sing as much. In the neck the bass could get boomy and will lack the mids to fill the sound out. Like I said its a matter of perspective but if your doing high gain work I think its a step backwards.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

I've heard a DD with an a5 is a JB... And I've heard otherwise. That being said I think an a2 dimebucker would be amazing in theory. Tame the bass, treble and gain while filling in the mids a chunk. Crazy harmonics still there, better cleans. meh.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

SD has neither confirmed or denied if they are the same, My own hybrid experiments say they are close but not the same. Keep in mind hes not putting the A5 into a bridge DD but a neck DD which is 12.7k and a different wind all together.


Wouldn't it be so cool if the theory would actually match what works in reality?
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Falloffthebonetone said:
I've heard a DD with an a5 is a JB... And I've heard otherwise. That being said I think an a2 dimebucker would be amazing in theory. Tame the bass, treble and gain while filling in the mids a chunk. Crazy harmonics still there, better cleans. meh.
Click to expand...

Try a Diablo bro!
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Joe61 said:
looking for a rounder tone, but I'm on a budget. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

If I may, I think that a better suited magnet combination is A3 for the neck; UOA5 for the bridge.

This would bring the set into "Vintage-y" territory and then some.

HTH,
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Falloffthebonetone said:
I've heard a DD with an a5 is a JB... And I've heard otherwise. That being said I think an a2 dimebucker would be amazing in theory. Tame the bass, treble and gain while filling in the mids a chunk. Crazy harmonics still there, better cleans. meh.
Click to expand...

Both Frank and MJ herself have confirmed that the DD and the JB are different winds.....yes, here on this forum. Best to update this news to new members.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

AlexR said:
Both Frank and MJ herself have confirmed that the DD and the JB are different winds.....yes, here on this forum. Best to update this news to new members.
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The last time frank was asked he wouldnt confirm this. Do you have the post where either of them say this explicitly? Many people have taken Franks non-committal answers to mean confirmation.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Really, he seemed quite forthcoming in the thread I was thinking about. Not sure what it was about though so no idea about the title. Was in the last year to be sure.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

AlexR said:
Both Frank and MJ herself have confirmed that the DD and the JB are different winds.....yes, here on this forum. Best to update this news to new members.
Click to expand...

I must be from Missouri....

Show me.

On the old forum AND when this one started, prior to the first two or three forum flushes, SD was open that the DD, JB, and Invader were all the same wind and the magnetic circuit was the difference. As has been proven time and time again the magnetic circuit is just as important to overall tone as the wire winds. Using a great wind with more magnets doesn't make SD the man any less of a winder, in fact it makes him MORE of a winder because his designs are GOOD enough to do that with!

Luke
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Edgecrusher said:
Despite the opinion of the low gain types around here those mags in DD's are going to neuter alot of what makes the DD a DD. In the bridge the lows are going to become loose and soft and the attack off the strings will feel squishy. This works for 70's and 80's type sounds but more modern and it gets lost in the mush. The highs will have a harder time cutting through and wont sing as much. In the neck the bass could get boomy and will lack the mids to fill the sound out. Like I said its a matter of perspective but if your doing high gain work I think its a step backwards.
Click to expand...

I wound up with the DD set after installing a Dream 90/Dream 180 combo in my best bud's frankenstrat. I didn't like the pups that came stock in the viper, so I swapped 'em out. I don't do the high-gain thing-my preference runs to Robin Trower/ Frank Marino territory. As I said earlier, I'm on a budget(a really tight one), so I thought a magnet switch would tame the beasties a bit. They are some really hot pups!
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

MJ for sure said they are different winds, Frank I thought confirmed something last time and he replied saying I was incorrect about him. He was right, but MJ still said they are similar, but different.

Try any mag swap, and what may sound "mushy" to someone else's ears aren't going to sound the same type of "mushy" in your ears at all. Just try things with your own ears.

What you can do though that would be interesting is keep the tall spacers with a normal thickness mag, and fill the gap between the top of the magnet and bottom of the bobbins with something like wax or paper etc. which is essentially the "air mod".
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Myaccount876 said:
MJ for sure said they are different winds, Frank I thought confirmed something last time and he replied saying I was incorrect about him. He was right, but MJ still said they are similar, but different.

Try any mag swap, and what may sound "mushy" to someone else's ears aren't going to sound the same type of "mushy" in your ears at all. Just try things with your own ears.

What you can do though that would be interesting is keep the tall spacers with a normal thickness mag, and fill the gap between the top of the magnet and bottom of the bobbins with something like wax or paper etc. which is essentially the "air mod".
Click to expand...

I had considered doing the "air mod" with the A5 in the neck pup to balance it better with the A2 in the bridge. It's surprising how many options are available, even on a tight budget.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

AlexR said:
Both Frank and MJ herself have confirmed that the DD and the JB are different winds.....yes, here on this forum. Best to update this news to new members.
Click to expand...

+1

MJ told me to my face that the JB and the DD are not the same winds.



Edgecrusher said:
The last time frank was asked he wouldnt confirm this.
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since Frank is no longer a SD employee, I'd imagine a few scenarios...one being that he's not in an official position to comment as an official authority.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

All this hear say but no one can produce a post so the mystery will linger.
 
Re: Replacing ceramic magnets in DD set with A2/A5

Edgecrusher said:
All this hear say but no one can produce a post so the mystery will linger.
Click to expand...

There's NO mystery.

This rumor was started by a comment of a user, then changed to a fact by faulty parroting of others.

They're different, they've always been and they always will.
 
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