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Thread: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

  1. #1
    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I have recently played a couple guitars with these pickups in them and I must say, I'm mighty impressed. These pickups have magnet rods in them instead of a bar magnet under the coils. This seems to give them a sparkling clarity that far surpasses standard bar magnet humbuckers.

    Anyone have any experience with these? I got to try 2 and both were Tele neck pickups of unknown origin.

    Would the alnico v be too bright for a bridge pickup?

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Those are the magnets that most of us here are most familliar with with in Fender style single coil pickups.

    Typically, Fender style single coil pickups with bar magnets across that bottom have ceramic magnets and are in cheaper guitars.

    This is not the same as the bar magnet in a Gibson humbucker ot P-90 where the magnet is often alnico.

    Alnico V is fine in the bridge position and is the most often used type followed by alnico II and alnico III. Some pickups combine magnet types to fine tune the balance between strings.

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    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that these were rod magnet humbuckers. It's a very different sound from typical bar magnet humbuckers.

    They're brighter sounding. That's why I was curious if anyone had experience with bridge position alnico v rod magnet pickups as opposed to alnico II.

  4. #4
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I've seen those but haven't tried them.

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    could you post a pic custom5? i'd be interested in seeing those.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  6. #6
    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Here's one example: http://www.seymourduncan.com/product.../sh3_stag_mag/

    I think one of the ones I played was out of an Anderson guitar.

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    Forum Member FrankJohnson's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Maybe because they are rods, and nto bars, there are no sharp edges.....and the sound is more "round".....

    Sorry....I will go back to my coffee....
    (Once again...Frank had provided no useful information and was a detriment to the good of the order)
    Kenny Belmont
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  8. #8
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    irish coffees this morning frank?

    seriously though, i know what you're talking about, but i have no experience with them.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

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    Forum Member Gris's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Like my old Fender wide-range buckers, eh? Sssssshhhhhh!

  10. #10
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    except they aren't cunife.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  11. #11
    Forum Member Fedora's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Nice! Those look like a perfect fit for an HSS application.
    I wouldn't think brightness would be an issue. That can always be tamed.

  12. #12
    Forum Member thegeezer's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Rio Grande pups a great too.

  13. #13
    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I was extremely impressed with the way the low end holds together on these rod magnet humbuckers. The neck pickup doesn't get mushy at all. Those old Fender humbuckers have a cool sound too like a rod magnet humbucker but they're getting obscenely expensive. Even some of the aftermarket options are real expensive but the clips I've heard do sound real good. I dunno if I'd want to open up a hole that big in my guitar though. One cool side effect of these rod magnet humbuckers is that the split coil sound is superior to that of a bar magnet humbucker.

  14. #14
    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    Quote Originally Posted by chuckocaster View Post
    except they aren't cunife.
    cunife doesn't matter. alnico will sound exactly the same if you can make it mimic the magnetic field strength of cunife, which is pretty weak.

    there's a guy out there, offshore angler tried his pickups, that modifies Fender's re-issue wide range humbuckers to sound exactly like the originals from the 70's. I've heard several sound clips and was very impressed. can't remember where I saw it though.

  15. #15
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    interesting, i've only really read about the wide ranges, never played them. i'm sure you know about the whole hoodoo/voodoo around cunife. if you can find those clips i'd love to hear them. i always want to like HB's, but never really care for their sound. maybe this is what will do it for me?
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  16. #16
    Forum Member Gris's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I've had MANY of the old CUNIFE WRHBs. They are by far the best HB I've played, more headroom & harmonics and clean up better than most HB (i.e., SOME attributes of a SC) - but I still went back to single coils as even the WRHB have a degree of squish. Closest I came to loving them full-time was in a rosewood 'Collins' Tele I built with one in neck and a trad SC in bridge. Seems, like all HB ,the WR match up best with a cleanish Fenderish amp. Everyone has their sound and ever since I 'discovered' what a slightly hot single coil can do through an amp that's genuinely capable of getting down and dirty, I've left them behind. Sold my last one a month ago - for $350! But they will always have a place in my heart. I've never heard another HB that sound exactly like them, including those clips from the cloner guy. And if you think using diff magnet material doesnt make them sound diff... well, nevermind, LOL.

  17. #17
    Forum Member Custom 5's Avatar
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    Re: Alnico V and Alnico II rod magnet pickups

    I'm very impressed with the tones of these modified reissue wrhbs on this little clip. the guy did it through a Bronco amp with no effects and I can't tell the difference between his modified pickups and the actual vintage ones. the guy says he uses alnico 5 magnets.

    http://www.offsetguitars.com/persona...telebronco.mp3

    these humbuckers sound like the fattest single coils I've ever heard. real Fenderery sounding.

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