Alnico 2 vs 3
- Thread starter Lend27
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fender4life
Friend of Leo's
I prefer 5 over both, but if i had to use 2 or 3 it would be 3 by far. A2 is soft sounding to my ears. It seems to cut the top in a way that i don't like. But it depends on your needs. I like classic rock and blues and the like, so i was a versitile sound. If you for example just like to solo with high gain all the time like so many seem to do these days, I suppose A2 may be good for that. But i find it very lacking in what i like in the top end and in percussive attack on the low strings which is something thats already lacking in a lot of guitars. So last thing i'd want is to cut out even more of that.
SPUDCASTER
Doctor of Teleocity
My favorite Seymour Duncan Tele bridge pickup is the Jerry Donahue.
It uses A2's.
It uses A2's.
ponycar
Tele-Holic
Extra Crispys, both bridge and neck, sound so good in my pinecaster that I can't bring myself to pull the neck pickup to put in the Filtertron that's burning a hole in my workbench. I'm having to put it in a 50s American Original instead. Oh the conflict.
When I listen to magnet comparisons I usually like Alnico 2. Alnico 3 and 5 are what Fender used in Tele's, so 3 may be the way to go. Although I'm not familiar with these particular pickups. I have a 10K bridge pickup that is Alnico 3 and it sounds great.
AFAIK 5 is boldest and 3 is softest with 2 in between.
Extra crispy implies a hot coil with the known weak A3 mags?
I hear extra coil as less bright just as A3 is less bright.
Too many dulling ingredients for me but maybe you like that?
A3 is nice for warming up very low wind coils, makes a nice delicate sweet tone.
If adding more coil I prefer more mag strength for a bold snap that retains more highs.
A3 Tele bridge with a medium wind is nice and warm if you want warm bridge tone.
Some call that dull though, depends on your taste.
Extra crispy implies a hot coil with the known weak A3 mags?
I hear extra coil as less bright just as A3 is less bright.
Too many dulling ingredients for me but maybe you like that?
A3 is nice for warming up very low wind coils, makes a nice delicate sweet tone.
If adding more coil I prefer more mag strength for a bold snap that retains more highs.
A3 Tele bridge with a medium wind is nice and warm if you want warm bridge tone.
Some call that dull though, depends on your taste.
gkterry
Tele-Afflicted
I can make any of them sound like crap, so it doesn't really matter that much to me.
Yes, and he pairs that with a Strat pickup which is also A2.
That combination is perhaps the best "Tele sound" I've heard.
But, we've all got our own set of ears.
mime-tele-frog
TDPRI Member
I'm not adding to the topic ... but that made me snort out my coffee this AM. Thank you for the laugh!
AJBaker
Friend of Leo's
Kind of hard to compare if the pickups aren't otherwise identical. They're by two different makers, so that's already going to change things. What are the specs?
G Stone496
Tele-Meister
I like A1
PCollen
Friend of Leo's
2...https://wgsusa.com/blog/qualaties-properties-and-tone-alnico-ii-2-musical-magnet
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PCollen
Friend of Leo's
You have to hear them to decide for yourself. This write up might help though:
https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/05/19/all-about-alnico/
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jvin248
Doctor of Teleocity
.
You can set pickup heights by ear ... and then it doesn't really matter which magnet you have.
I'll start with pickups basically flush to the pickguard/trim rings and then raise them slightly. Better tone is lower pickups, use the amp volume knob to get louder. To fix tone issues you can tip them for more/less bass or treble as each pickup needs (neck gets more treble, bridge more bass). Even old photos of Hendrix showed he individually tipped pickups as needed. Pickups with screw poles can be adjusted yet further.
Don't do all adjustments in one session, ears get fatigued, what sounds ok after adjustments today may sound spectacular tomorrow. Accept that adjustments may take a day or two or three -- still quicker than slinging solder.
Only if you hard line 'my pickups are going to be at factory spec height dagnabit!' will it matter which magnet you have in there -- because then you are using magnet strength to select pickup output not pickup height adjustments. Something about carts and horses applies.
.
You can set pickup heights by ear ... and then it doesn't really matter which magnet you have.
I'll start with pickups basically flush to the pickguard/trim rings and then raise them slightly. Better tone is lower pickups, use the amp volume knob to get louder. To fix tone issues you can tip them for more/less bass or treble as each pickup needs (neck gets more treble, bridge more bass). Even old photos of Hendrix showed he individually tipped pickups as needed. Pickups with screw poles can be adjusted yet further.
Don't do all adjustments in one session, ears get fatigued, what sounds ok after adjustments today may sound spectacular tomorrow. Accept that adjustments may take a day or two or three -- still quicker than slinging solder.
Only if you hard line 'my pickups are going to be at factory spec height dagnabit!' will it matter which magnet you have in there -- because then you are using magnet strength to select pickup output not pickup height adjustments. Something about carts and horses applies.
.
The only pickup sets I've used where Alnico 3 sounded really nice were as part of a Strat pickup set used in the neck and middle position with a low to medium output Alnico 5 in the bridge. A3's and A5's, to my ears, sound much alike with A3's being less powerful yet retaining that just north of being clean sound. Bright and crisp with an edge. Alnico 2's always have more body and a richer smoothness to their sound but can be challenged by muddiness unless the builder knows what they're doing. Well built Alnico 2's and Alnico 5's are my personal favorites. I've never favored an A3 in the bridge with the sole exception being when used in a single pickup Esquire where they are the sole source of sound to work with. In combination with other pickups and magnets I would never use an A3 in the bridge.
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