what do you think of samarium cobalt?

[shogunlegend]

i have had these for quite a while and have been dying to switch them with some duncans. maybe a stack plus or something. i personally think they suck. i don't mean the samarium cobalt, i just mean the bill lawrence/fender pickups. i don't know of any pickups besides them that use it. the only good things about those pickups are that they're very quiet for single coils, the tone is true, and they don't muddy up. other than that, they pretty much suck in my book. i wonder how they would sound if duncan made some.

 

[Mephis]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

My rickenbacker's pickups use samarium cobalt magnets.

They sound pretty good to me...

 

[loudriver23]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I'm a little confused by parts of your post.
You say the pickups tone is true, which i assume to mean stratty, quiet, and doesn't mud up. Yet you say they suck?
What do you wish they could do better to unsuck, or suck less?
I'm not trying to be a smart ass honestly, I'm interested in a new Fender Strat myself and any insight to the stock lawrence pups they come with now would be helpful.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I have no personal opinion, however Chris Kinman did a great write-up on magnet material on his website:

http://www.kinman.com/html/toneWorkshop/perfectGuitar.htm#magnets

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

i say they suck because i think they could be so much better. i don't think fender pickups are that great. maybe for blues and classic rock, but they should stick to just making guitars. if seymour duncan made samarium cobalt pickups, i'm sure they would be a lot better. the sound is lackluster at best. honestly i don't care if you're a smart ass or not, but if you're considering a strat (american that is) don't hessitate. they're the best guitars to me. the pickups just don't do it for me.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I have no personal opinion, however Chris Kinman did a great write-up on magnet material on his website:

http://www.kinman.com/html/toneWorkshop/perfectGuitar.htm#magnets

great article man. thanks a lot for sharing that

 

[loudriver23]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I hear ya, I love my fenders, but have replaced the stockers in all of them for the same reasons you mentioned, not BAD per say, but just missing that certain something. Duncans have always improved every axe i've owned.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I've got a set in an American Deluxe (SCn), I have thought about changing them, but they work well enough for me - I just may wire the neck pup to the no-load tone that bridge uses. They sound very good to me, but I am not a strat purist by any means.

But I know what you mean by "they lack that certain something..." - maybe it is that magical little bit of sparkle?

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

i don't know about that because the american strat pickups are pretty cool. they seem to have that authentic strat tone. in any case, that authentic strat tone isn't what i'm looking for. i'm looking for the strat tone from hell. maybe 15 years ago i would have wanted that strat tone, now it's just kind of squealy to me.

 

[ErikH]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

The thing about those SCN pickups is they are very sensitive to adjustments. You have to get them set just right but once you do, they sound incredible. They're not a pickup that can be cranked up to the strings. Back them off some and use your ears.

Another thing that I feel sort of robs them some is the S1 switching system. I've played and heard them with the stock wiring and with traditional Strat wiring and they sound a little different with the stock wiring. To me, the difference was for the better.

If I was to land a Deluxe Strat, or Tele, I'd leave those pickups in there and just swap out the S1 for a traditional tone control or bridge/neck blender.

BTW, Fender was making pickups well before SD. Just thought I'd throw that out there for your "stick to just making guitars" comment.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

The thing about those SCN pickups is they are very sensitive to adjustments. You have to get them set just right but once you do, they sound incredible. They're not a pickup that can be cranked up to the strings. Back them off some and use your ears.

+1 - very good point, the SCn pups really respond a differently at different heights, more so than other pups I have worked with.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

Fender does make some good pu's. The Fat 50's are actually very nice. The bridge could use a little more heat in my opinion, but overall a terrific blues set for Strats.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

i don't know about that because the american strat pickups are pretty cool. they seem to have that authentic strat tone.

The American Deluxe has the SCn pups, and the American Standard has A5 singles - there is a noticable difference (not better or worse) between the two - I A/B'ed them when I got the Deluxe.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

my guitar is setup perfect, and i never like the pickups too close to the strings. they are good pickups, i'm just not a fan of their sound. although using the s1 switch to aggregate the bridge and middle gave some cool tones, i'm not convinced. i would like to hear a humbucker version though. that might be cool.

 

[firebirdphil]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

I tried Samarium Cobalt pickups in all positions and didn't like them. No twang, no quack, no bite, just clean sterile tone. Bill Lawrence was already an old man when he designed these pickups and they were probably voiced for his old ears, haha! No, go for the DiMarzio Virtual 54 Pro pickups if you like true strat sounds with soul and without the hum.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

Necro thread! Even the OP quit and isn't around here anymore.

I met Bill and talked to him. He is a great and knowledgeable guy, and not deaf...by no means.:lame:

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: what do you think of samarium cobalt?

The original DiMarzio X2N pickups had samarium cobalt magnets - very strong magnetic pull. They had one sound - loud and angry! It was not a great sound IMO.

I never heard of Bill Lawrence units having samarium cobalt magnets, and never heard a bad sounding Bill Lawrence.