SensMag Prices

[Alberto]

With the exception of A3, all the other grades charge too high for my taste, making'em sound darker by default, unless when you make "hot" p'ups for Metal and such

I've used them in low wind humbuckers (7,5k-8,5k) and they didn't sound dark at all to me, but I suppose it depends on the design of the pickup as well.

[LtKojak]

Thanks Pepe.
As they say here: "tú no tienes ni un pelo de tonto" which can be translated literally as "you donīt have any "foolīs hair" (in your head) meaning "you donīt have the tiniest bit of foolishness"

Although the literal translation also applies

Muchas gracias, Juan Manuel!

[LtKojak]

I buy from Cermag, in Sheffield, from time to time, I really like their bar magnets. I never tried their rod magnets, too expensive. Anyway, prices have gone up by 30%-40% during the last year.

Really? I've tried'em too, and comparing'em with Sensmag's, to me they're tone-wise not even close, speaking about the same alnico grades of both foundries, not to mention that Cermag's roughcasts don't look "vintage" at all. With the exception of A3, all the other grades charge too high for my taste, making'em sound darker by default, unless when you make "hot" p'ups for Metal and such, which it might even be a good thing.

The positive side is that they're pretty affordable, even buying few at the time, and as they're in the EU, the burden of the administrative side of dealing with Customs and such, it's non-existent.

[Alberto]

I failed to notice the 200 piece orders in the OP's quotes above. Yes 500 or 1000 piece per size orders are more or less the minimums for reasonable pricing.

Back in the day there were excellent Alnico foundries in the UK centered around Sheffield. I'd be interested to hear if any are still extant and if anyone is still using their magnets.

Tim, no worries about offending anyone around here, especially not a distant giant factory.

I buy from Cermag, in Sheffield, from time to time, I really like their bar magnets. I never tried their rod magnets, too expensive. Anyway, prices have gone up by 30%-40% during the last year.

[David King]

I failed to notice the 200 piece orders in the OP's quotes above. Yes 500 or 1000 piece per size orders are more or less the minimums for reasonable pricing.

Back in the day there were excellent Alnico foundries in the UK centered around Sheffield. I'd be interested to hear if any are still extant and if anyone is still using their magnets.

Tim, no worries about offending anyone around here, especially not a distant giant factory.

[J M Fahey]

Thanks Pepe.
As they say here: "tú no tienes ni un pelo de tonto" which can be translated literally as "you donīt have any "foolīs hair" (in your head) meaning "you donīt have the tiniest bit of foolishness"

Although the literal translation also applies

[LtKojak]

I noticed the big differences on prices that SensMag sells now, 50% up

SensMag today is NOT the same company it was in 2012. They've upgraded everything, got ISO9000 compliant and now they're one of the best foundries in the world for consistency of their grades, even on custom ones. They can perfectly repro vintage mags without even destructive analisys of the sample!

For the record, you can still have 2012 prices if you're willing to buy bigger quantities. (500 pieces and up of each type/grade)

[timdaalman]

Hello Juan,
I think that you have misunderstood what I said.


*
The reason that I strarted this thread was because I noticed the big differences on prices that SensMag sells now, 50% up.
I started to use Sens almost a year ago and I really like their magnets. Their quality is perfect.
You mentioned me that the Cobalt price, labor costs etc increases the prices of the Alnico's. I believe you, I don't disagree.

I'm not a professional pickup maker and I don't know if I will be someday but when I told you "we have a lot of duties, taxes, shipping costs" it was because I must pay almost 2 times up the price for everything to get them.
If I were in the USA I will pay the price + cheaper shipping costs.
Anyway, maybe it was my fault to start the thread, SensMag has great quality magnets, I suggest them to anyone who wants to try them.
I wanted only to share my experience.

If the admins believe that this thread is offensive for SensMag you can delete it.

Thank you guys for your opinions!
Tim

[J M Fahey]

With due respect: ... so?
Different Countries different realities .... and if I were in the Netherlands I would not complain, quite the contrary.

You are outside USA which has a very special Economy: "expensive money" (so a small amount of US Dollars will buy a lot of stuff in China) - low to zero tariff - exceptionally low freight cost which makes Chinese products extremely cheap and inexpensive ... if bought in the USA and paid for in Dollars .
Problem is *everything* Chinese (or from Korea - Taiwan - Malaysia - Singapore -Vietnam - India) is inexpensive, including fully assembled stuff, so they become unfair competition.

From what you say pickup components pay too much

duties, taxes, shipping costs

Ok, fully assembled ready to install Asian pickups also do .... I hope.

If so, they leave you a window or niche where you can work.
If no tax no duty cheap freight were available in the Netherlands, you would not be able to sell *anything* you make.

[timdaalman]

You are right David, I agree with you but we are living outside of the USA and we have a lot of duties, taxes, shipping costs to get the first raw materials from China and USA.
We don't have the same margins than an American semi pro pickup maker.

[David King]

I have some sense that a lot of these Chinese companies were losing money on those alnico orders at 6Ē and 7Ē per magnet. Either they hadn't analyzed their actual expenses or they were doing their best to knock out the competition. After all we aren't building pickups to sell for $4 a pop so even if we were to source American magnets we could still have substantial margins for a top shelf product at a competitive price-point.
I don't see a lot of locals installing the $10 strat pickups in their custom built axes.

[timdaalman]

Thank you David, I will send them an email.

This is what i was told when I asked about the price increase
"The material cost, labor, the environmental protecting cost in China, everything going up.
Might will be higher in next year. "

Copperheadrods, yes these reasons are maybe will increase the final cost but something is strange now.
Please look what I mean.

In 2012 I contacted with a company in China and they gave me these prices:

AL5 LNG44 200 pcs - 0.187" x 0.630" = $0.050 each
AL5 LNG44 10 pcs - 2.444" x 0.492" x 0.125" =$0.80 each

Please look how the prices changed in the same company

AL5 LNG44 200 pcs - 0.187" x 0.630" = $0.432 each
AL5 LNG44 10 pcs - 2.444" x 0.492" x 0.125" =$3.24 each

It's not very logical.

I have contacted with many companies now in China and the biggest different between them are in the Alnico bars prices (same grade, same qty, same dimensions).
They start from $1.70 each until $5.00 each.

[copperheadroads]

This is what i was told when I asked about the price increase
"The material cost, labor, the environmental protecting cost in China, everything going up.
Might will be higher in next year. "

[David King]

Google search "China alnico foundry" and "China alnico supplier" and see what you can dig up.
Alibaba.com is another obvious place to search.
https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search...+guitar+magnet
These guys email me from time to time: Neodymium Magnets|jaw crusher|Custom Magnets|super magnets |pandora silver charms|stone crusher|rare earth magnets

[timdaalman]

Cobalt is skyrocketing, about doubling its price per year since 2016:

That's make sense.
Another one reason may be that China has the biggest field in the Magnets market. As I know in the US you will find only 2 or 3 companies that manufacture Alnico.

Does anyone know other factory in China with resonable prices?