Starting with 'Classic Alnico', what is it?

[petemoore]

Epiphone LP HB pickups [recent stock], labeled 'Classic Alnico':
What is 'Classic' in Alnico speak? Where does 'classic' fall in terms of magnet strenth compared to A4, A2?
Anyone have tone success suggestions or 'limited returns' rewind stories?
I'm still at the 'whether to / what to do with these' mode.
Actually, I'm not even past the 'what exactly are these' stage.

[Spence]

It's just marketing bullshit. It could be any grade of alnico, who knows? I wouldn't spend any time investigating as they'll still be a poor imitation of the real thing.

[GlennW]

There's a chance that "Classic" refers to the pickup design/specs and they include "Alnico" to indicate they used the original type magnet and flash their mojo.

[petemoore]

yupp

I thought because there might be just a few of these floating around, there could be a history of working with them and some expected/achieved results may have been found.
Maybe if I knew what the magnets are, I could ferret out some interesting plan, maybe replace something or try a blind wind just to try out the new machine.

[petemoore]

..

I believe they're made of Alnico 5.
the paper stuck on the back says AL 5.

[Spence]

I believe they're made of Alnico 5.
the paper stuck on the back says AL 5.

Certainly not my idea of 'Classic' then; more 'Classless' really.

[petemoore]

..

Classic is a stupid word these days. Describes stuff without offering any real description quite often, and I guess is supposed to be some kind of 'cool' for those who don't follow descriptions...and a cure all for curiosity.
What is it? I'ts 'Classic' [man].
Anyway I've heard 'em described elsewhere with more 'descriptive terminology' like POS or crap, junk, garbage and useless.
All that said about 'em, they're really not bad, they work, buck hum, and sound just 'ok', maybe a bit limited in frequency range or something, not the smoothest or meanest, workable at the very least.
I think they've earned the 'seconds' tag because they're presented in low priced guitars. As far as good/bad/they look to be high quality, they're probably "just middlin'", or ok to pretty good...I have no idea how much price influences quality or sound, what the prices of the pieces and wire are...etc.
They just don't seem to offer anything 'special', nice middle of road HB, or..something I opt out of for personal reasons.
Anyway I was thinking of rewinding them to do something 'else', blind urge to wind...they're 'shelved, I suppose I might get 20 buxx out of them as is..I'd rather not pass them around, instead, I think figureing out whether something can be done with them to...change them...lol...might be an interesting project.
I'm just looking for more input/info..backburner project type thing, something to do on a rainy day when I feel like it might be a worthwhile venture.
They work now, I'm not even certain I could say that after an unwind...wax potted doesn't help.
Just throwing questions out there, pondering possible moves.

[soundmasterg]

I got a brand new Epiphone Dot awhile back and it had those "Classic Alnico" pickups in them. They also say they are "double wax potted" as if that is a good thing. The work, buck the hum, and sound ok, but to someone who gets to hear Possum's pickups on a regular basis, or has also heard Lollar's Imperials or Wolfe's selection, the Epiphone humbuckers have lots oflows, harsh highs, and the mids are somewhat washed out and indistinct. When you play them, you can tell that they are wax potted as there is no response or life in them. Then you find out that the covers and baseplates are brass instead of the correct materials, and the sound makes sense. Personally, I got rid of them and put some Duncans I had around in my Dot, and they sound way better than those "Classic Alnico" Epiphone pickups ever could. If I had the money, I'd get some of Possum's in my Dot, but that will have to wait. Feel free to spend your time rewinding those Epi pickups, but because they use the wrong materials, they will never sound like the older Gibson PAF's everyone shoots for.

Greg

[petemoore]

..

That's just the kind of opinion I was looking for, that or...'rewound and sounds better'.
This way at least I know what materials I have here in the Classics, I'm not too worried about it, I have some Dimarzio's and Gibson pickups, just fine, maybe I'll find or wind something else or figure the EPI's rewind another day.