Alnico II Pro humbuckers, anybody uses them?

[fabien]

Hi all,

I start to dislike the JB I got in my custom made axe (no tele sorry). Good singing overdrive but too nasal to my taste, too cold. I'm thinking about Alnico II (partly because I love them in my tele). Looking for a warmer creamier and 'throaty' tone.
I'm not a high gain type of guy but I want more than just crunch, a nice warm singing overdrive.

Anyone uses them and could advice me? Perhaps a comparison with the JB.

Other pups in the guitar are Jazz neck (love it) and a Hausel (german) blues strat middle.
Axe is cedar body with maple top, maple neck rosewood board.

Fabien

[e-merlin]

It's probably my favorite humbucker. That or the DiMarzio PAF Pro. Both do the early Van Halen sound very well. I like my humbuckers with a close to vintage output. To me they sound fuller and better balanced. The Alnico II Pro is a sweet pickup. Of course it doesn't sound very good split for single coil sounds, but then, that's why I primarily play Teles!

[Jakedog]

I had one in the neck position of a tele for awhile, sounds like what you are looking for, very smooth and creamy, and well balanced. Warm without being muddy. IMO one of the best buckers they make. Plus, Slash likes them!


Jake

[tone4days]

i love my AIIP in the neck (with a JB bridge) ... the Seth Lovers or '59s are very sweet sounding for what it sounds like you are after

good luck - have fun
cheers,
t4d

[Teleologist]

Haven't tried the normal A-II buckers, but I have a pair of the A-II Pearly Gates buckers in an LP-DC and love 'em. According to the SD tone charts, the PG neck is a little brighter than a normal AII, while the bridge is a little darker, but nothing like a JB. In my case the bridge PUP can twang pretty good with the tone full up, but backing it down a bit gets a nice warm PAF-type sound - plenty full enough to do Santana sounds thru the Boogie. FWIW, Fender uses the F-spaced bridge version in some Strats...

[fabien]

Thanks to all.

Hey Tone4days, you have both in one guitar and, though the APII is a neck one, am I right to believe that the JB is much more 'nasal' (if you see what I mean) than the APII. Probably lots of high mids (to cut through and it works fine) and few low mids, what I would translate as colder.

Fabien