Post by sydsbluesky on Jun 23, 2009 11:46:51 GMT -5
Off on a tangent...
A year or so ago I discovered that different pickups have different magnets... well, not to say discovered, but became aware of to an almost painful extent, having never seemed to take notice of such a thing before.
I was researching my first set of actives at the time, and noticed on the EMG site all the models came in Ceramic, and then some had an "A" after them. P-60A(mini hums,) SA(singles,) 60A (humbies) and even PA (base pups.)
My mind having been opened to this new technical playground, I read everything I could find on the p0rn machine about magnets (see? they -can- be used for other things!) in pickups... materials, shapes, sizes, strengths... well, here's my tangent on my findings for make benifit glorious nation of GuitarNutz2.
Can google up more info on the AlNiCo magnet grades and the engineering aspects of the magnetic fields and all that dog pile someplace, but here's the quick and to the pointless of it.
ALNiCo= alloy of Aluminum Nickle and Cobalt.
Nickle and Cobalt are both magnetic in nature, while Aluminum is not, so by switching up the amounts in the mix, you get AlNiCo numbers. II, V and VII are the most common, but Duncan makes a VIII and even maybe a IV... Dunno off the top of my head.
The higher the number is, the stronger the magnet is... stronger magnet means more output.
Lower ones tend to have mellower, warmer tones, while the stronger ones tend to have crisper highs and punchier lows.
The 57's mellow, warm tone is from the AlNiCo II working in concert with the vintage pickup cover - try pulling it off for a little different sound - the wiring and the even bobbin winding... there are a TON of things at work in each and every example.
Ceramic...
Ceramic has a different magnetic field compared to AlNiCo. AlNiCo actually dampens the string vibrations, creating what I feel is a little more expressiveness. Ceramic generates the flatter sound with a little less expressive possibility... Obviosuly not all expressive Pups are AlNiCo, and not all flat ones are ceramic, but the flatter ones tend to be ceramic. (EMG 81, anyone?)
Dave Gilmour played EMG SAs in the red strat. EMGs S pup, but with AlNiCo bar instead of ceramic.
Trend that you tend to see across the board is AlNiCo in neck and Ceramic in bridge, when the two are mixed on the same guitar. This includes the dreaded 81/85 set. *cringes*
You'd have to look elswhere for more comprehensive comparing/contrasting.. Maybe tonight I'll internet it up a little and find more info for this.... I personally find it fascinating... What? don't you? *clears throat and moves on*
Other things to consider is rail magnets vs pole magnets. Rails have a steady volume with bent strings, where as pole pieces can loose some of their pull as a string moves away from the pole.
Active pups in the briefness...
Actives...use much smaller magnets (hencs the placement closer to the string and the lower resistasnce on the pots) and THUS, the magnets will tug on the string less.
In which case, the AlNiCo actives act more - in at least this one way - like ceramic.
.... also less magnetic tug means more sustain.
But theory is one thing and practice is another.
When I go shopping I tend to ignore the theory, but it's always there for food for thought.
There you go. The quick and to the pointless of pickup magnets.
A year or so ago I discovered that different pickups have different magnets... well, not to say discovered, but became aware of to an almost painful extent, having never seemed to take notice of such a thing before.
I was researching my first set of actives at the time, and noticed on the EMG site all the models came in Ceramic, and then some had an "A" after them. P-60A(mini hums,) SA(singles,) 60A (humbies) and even PA (base pups.)
My mind having been opened to this new technical playground, I read everything I could find on the p0rn machine about magnets (see? they -can- be used for other things!) in pickups... materials, shapes, sizes, strengths... well, here's my tangent on my findings for make benifit glorious nation of GuitarNutz2.
Can google up more info on the AlNiCo magnet grades and the engineering aspects of the magnetic fields and all that dog pile someplace, but here's the quick and to the pointless of it.
ALNiCo= alloy of Aluminum Nickle and Cobalt.
Nickle and Cobalt are both magnetic in nature, while Aluminum is not, so by switching up the amounts in the mix, you get AlNiCo numbers. II, V and VII are the most common, but Duncan makes a VIII and even maybe a IV... Dunno off the top of my head.
The higher the number is, the stronger the magnet is... stronger magnet means more output.
Lower ones tend to have mellower, warmer tones, while the stronger ones tend to have crisper highs and punchier lows.
The 57's mellow, warm tone is from the AlNiCo II working in concert with the vintage pickup cover - try pulling it off for a little different sound - the wiring and the even bobbin winding... there are a TON of things at work in each and every example.
Ceramic...
Ceramic has a different magnetic field compared to AlNiCo. AlNiCo actually dampens the string vibrations, creating what I feel is a little more expressiveness. Ceramic generates the flatter sound with a little less expressive possibility... Obviosuly not all expressive Pups are AlNiCo, and not all flat ones are ceramic, but the flatter ones tend to be ceramic. (EMG 81, anyone?)
Dave Gilmour played EMG SAs in the red strat. EMGs S pup, but with AlNiCo bar instead of ceramic.
Trend that you tend to see across the board is AlNiCo in neck and Ceramic in bridge, when the two are mixed on the same guitar. This includes the dreaded 81/85 set. *cringes*
You'd have to look elswhere for more comprehensive comparing/contrasting.. Maybe tonight I'll internet it up a little and find more info for this.... I personally find it fascinating... What? don't you? *clears throat and moves on*
Other things to consider is rail magnets vs pole magnets. Rails have a steady volume with bent strings, where as pole pieces can loose some of their pull as a string moves away from the pole.
Active pups in the briefness...
Actives...use much smaller magnets (hencs the placement closer to the string and the lower resistasnce on the pots) and THUS, the magnets will tug on the string less.
In which case, the AlNiCo actives act more - in at least this one way - like ceramic.
.... also less magnetic tug means more sustain.
But theory is one thing and practice is another.
When I go shopping I tend to ignore the theory, but it's always there for food for thought.
There you go. The quick and to the pointless of pickup magnets.