Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

[timothycoyle]

Hey everyone I was just wondering this. When choosing what pickups to use in a guitar should a single coil pickup magnet be the same as the humbucker magnet when using both in the same guitar?

For example
If you have a humbucker in the bridge and neck with an Alnico 5 should the middle single coil also have an alnico 5 magnet or can it be have an alnico 2 and still match well with the humbuckers. Thanks for the help

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

They will be fine together. Any magnet can go with any magnet.

In my guitars right now I've got...
A5, Ceramic, Ceramic
A5, A5
A2, A5
A5, A5, A5

and I got one more hopeful guitar that will be A5, A5.

Wow, I just realized how many A5s I have...

But anyway, you can mix and match however you want.

 

[timothycoyle]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

Thanks for the advice. Im planning on a Jazz/59 Hybrid with alnico 5 in the neck some sort of stacked single coil in the middle(Either a Dimarzio area 58 with an alnico II or a Seymour Duncan Classic stack plus with alnico 5) and a Jb/Custom hybrid with alnico 5 magnet. Do you have any advice on which stacked single coil would be more balanced with the two humbuckers?

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

I guess I would probably go with a warmer middle pup. It would give you better clean tones and make the guitar a bit more verstile if you've got 2 A5 buckers on the sides.

EDIT: the warmer pup being the 58'

 

[timothycoyle]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

Thanks that clears things up for me

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

No problem.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

It's all a matter of touch and taste. FWIW, my taste would be to keep the middle pu A5 so it's not dull.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

It's all a matter of touch and taste. FWIW, my taste would be to keep the middle pu A5 so it's not dull.

True.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

I'm for keeping the middle position bright, low output - when combined with other pickups it gives the best sound in my very humble opinion. Warm and/or fat should be left for the other positions.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Should Single Coil magnets be the same as Humbuckers?

They will be fine together. Any magnet can go with any magnet.

+1. And in P-90's you can put two different magents in the same PU.

The idea is to get each PU's EQ & output what you want it to be. There's no extra points awarded for having all your magnets match.