Alnico 3 Love or Hate

[voodoochild]

Hello,

I just wind pickups for guitars I build and not really for selling by themselves so maybe this is why, I have been winding my favorite pickups with alnico 3 magnets. I like alnico 2 but its a little dull compared to alnico 3. Alnico 5 sounds good for bridge pickups but lifeless for the neck. I am just curious what others think. Seems like everyone uses A5 or A2 and I hear little about people's results with A3. To me A3 are the best for open chimey tones with plenty of output.

[Chadheckler1]

I have used A3 multiple times for singles and a few people that I have made them for seem to really like them. Personally I prefer A2 but each player and each guitar responds differently to each type... Nothing wrong with A3 IMO...

[soundmasterg]

I really love A3 in bridge pickups personally.

Greg

[Possum]

...

you can't really characterize alnico 3 in a general way. WHO made it is whats important. I have some alnico 3 that is dark and syprupy, but I also have some that is bright and clear sounding. Both are alnico 3 but from different companies. Its the same with every alnico, every manufacturer uses different ingredients, different recipes. I"ve found the same thing with all the alnicos, they all sound radically different depending on who made them with what recipe.

[kevinT]

I use A3 in 2 of my neck models. I like it. Believe it or not, I have not tried it in the bridge. A3 is the weakest of the Alnicos and the alloy mix, from what I've read, is known to be more suseptable to losing gauss...that is why i'm afraid to put it in a bridge pickup...it would lose power over time.

[Possum]

..

I have some that are dark and they will make a really crappy shrill humbucker bridge sound pretty good. but I also have some rough cast A3 that are bright in the bridge but sound great. The darker one I don't like that much because it covers any kind of quality up and covers up your playing mistakes. You should try it, you might like it. I don't think there is any evidence they were used in PAFs, so I stay away from them in humbuckers altogether with what I make...

[Spence]

I use it and they did use it in PAFs but who cares? What I would ask is can we have threads like this where there's an 'It's alright option' rather than just the black and white options.

[greenfingers]

If a famous les paul was found to have A3's in it, would that would give them the seal of approval ? I bet people would be grabbing A3's with both hands if it turned out that Clapton's Lester was loaded with them. Peter Florance makes nice pickups with A3. I quite like them. especially in the neck. Like Spence said, its alright to like them. Give a A3 in the neck and a 5 in the bridge a go and see what you think.

[madialex]

I use it and they did use it in PAFs but who cares? What I would ask is can we have threads like this where there's an 'It's alright option' rather than just the black and white options.

+1million

I have had good luck with them in bridge and neck humbuckers, also I really like them in P90's

[kevinT]

I'll have to try it in the bridge position.

[Possum]

....

Hey its fine with me if you like A3, but who's A3? They don't all sound the same. I've seen no proof that they existed in any PAF, all the published reliable information is that A4, A2, and A5 were used. Lindy says A3 was used but offers no proof. He is probably making that judgement by a gaussmeter, or more likely a magnetometer reading. The other sources are from Gibson itself via Tim Shaw's work. I have older books that only mention A4 and A2. If you want a bright sounding A3 use Magnetic Hold, want a dark syrupy A3 use Earth Panda, somewhere in between use AllStar. Rough cast A3 sounds different again and tends to be on the bright side. Personally I love A3 in P90s, real vintage sounding....

[Mark Norwine]

I was so ready to jump in & say "I love A3".....but now? Not so sure.

{side note: 'twas I that started the thread about identifying AlNiCo magnets...}

My story: I have an ES-345 with an old Dimarzio PAF (advertised as A5)in the neck and a Duncan 59 (advertised as A5) in the bridge. Too bright, too "in-yer-face". [does that make sense?]

Anyway, a "known P/U maker" {left un-named} told me "why not change the magnets?" Long story short, he sold me some "A3's". Hey, what do I know, right?.....but this guitar was "cured" instantly.

So...yeah! ------>I love A3!<------

Except....

The more I read, the more I realize that I (and perhaps others?) don't know what's fact & what's folly! If I read what I've read properly "Strong" A3 could have more pull than "weak A5", no?

Stated differently, a "Porsche with bad ball joints" could "feel" {to a blindfolded driver} just like a "brand new Yugo".....

ok, bad analogy, but maybe you get my drift.

Yes, I like the tone from the *specific* magnets that I put into my 345 better than the tone from the *specific* magnets that I removed. But without knowing so many, many more parameters, it almost seems to me that, lacking a lot of empirical test & measurement equipment (up to & including spectrum analysis & metallurgical assay abilities), the whole "magnet type" discussion is a "pig in a poke"....no?

Possum, you name three different makers and the fact that they yield three different tonalities. Wow!

So now I wonder "what did I put into my 345?" I suppose the correct answer needs to be "who cares", as long as I like the results.

But with so many variables and so few constants, how is a "civilian" really supposed to spec a pickup? [EDIT: without going broke by buying 'one of everything', that is!]

[voodoochild]

Awesome. Its good to hear others like em too. I have only gotten magnets from Magnet Hold, Allstar, and Mojo. They all sound about the same so I wonder if they don't come from the same place in China. A3 for p-90's are the ticket for sure and I like to use A3 on the neck for humbuckers and A2, A4 or A5 for the bridge depending on how hot I wind them. Tele pickups for A3 too for that chime and snap. I wouldn't use them for higher output pickups though but I don't even wind those much anyway because I hate them. One trick pony's. That's my opinion of course. Anyway that's good stuff to hear finally.

[Possum]

...

Well in general A3 does have the lowest strength of all. That usually for sure. But then I have some A2 thats not very strong. Magnetic Hold's magnets are noticeably brighter than AllStar's, but I haven't bought from Allstar in quite awhile so things may have changed, they may have changed suppliers, there's alot of magnet companies in china. I haven't bought from Earth Panda in a long time either so they may have changed. Arnold is another one and their magnets tend to be darker and duller sounding than all of them. I think chinese manget manufacturers may still be evolving their quality issues so may become more standardized and homegeneous sounding. I think its probably a good idea to shop around and and try alot of different sources..