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Post subject: is it just me or do alnico 3 strat pickups suck?
Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:57 pm
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is it just me or do alnico 3 strat pickups suck?
what do you think?

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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:52 pm
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I have an '07 HWY 1 Stratocaster SSS. I love the ones in my neck and middle position. I am starting to want to change my bridge pup for something a little more crunchier, like a Dimarzio Super Distortion or even a Fender Diamondback Humbucker. Overall I do like the sound of the AlNico 3 pups.

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:23 am
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I cannot unilaterally say they suck. Rather, they are part of the individual player's technique and equipment equation which determines their appropriateness.

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:12 am
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I think they serve their purpose quite well. I get a rick neck pu sound, and the bridge give me that classic rock sound with some gain applied. I think they sound very natural and good overall. No they don't suck at all, quite the opposite imho. Is there better? Probably, but this is what fender decided to put in the top of the line Fender Standard, so this is what fender decided a strat should sound like, and I tend to agree

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:50 pm
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Martian wrote:
I cannot unilaterally say they suck.


I agree with Martian.

However, I don't know for sure which of pickups have Alnico III or Alnico V or whatever !!! So there's a good chance I've never had ANY firsthand experience with Alnico III. :lol:

Are the IIIs supposed to be stronger than the Vs?

I don't know if I care ...

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:54 pm
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i think the higher the number alnico the better quality magnet is so theoretically alnico 5 is better.
from my depths of madness of brain calculations influenced by an empty stocmach, chistmas and beer so i could be worng but... mex 70 ri strat has anlico 3 and usa 70s ri strat has alnico 5

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:20 pm
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excess wrote:
i think the higher the number alnico the better quality magnet is so theoretically alnico 5 is better.
from my depths of madness of brain calculations influenced by an empty stocmach, chistmas and beer so i could be worng but... mex 70 ri strat has anlico 3 and usa 70s ri strat has alnico 5


Actually, it's not a quality thing at all. The higher the number, the stronger the magnetic charge is. And yes, the charge does shape the tonality. For example, using the exact same Stratocaster pickup coil, an Alnico III will have a spongier bass, more midrange and sweeter highs vs. say, an Alnico V which will have a tight, crisp bass, dipped mids and to some, an ice picky high end. A good example by comparison would be the Fender Fat 50s pickup vs. the Fender 69 pickup.

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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:46 pm
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Martian wrote:
excess wrote:
i think the higher the number alnico the better quality magnet is so theoretically alnico 5 is better.
from my depths of madness of brain calculations influenced by an empty stocmach, chistmas and beer so i could be worng but... mex 70 ri strat has anlico 3 and usa 70s ri strat has alnico 5


Actually, it's not a quality thing at all. The higher the number, the stronger the magnetic charge is. And yes, the charge does shape the tonality. For example, using the exact same Stratocaster pickup coil, an Alnico III will have a spongier bass, more midrange and sweeter highs vs. say, an Alnico V which will have a tight, crisp bass, dipped mids and to some, an ice picky high end. A good example by comparison would be the Fender Fat 50s pickup vs. the Fender 69 pickup.


Exactly: alnico II magnet are mellower and they have less signal, Alnico V is brilliant and has more output, ceramic is alike Alnico V but with more intense magnetic field and therefore higher output.

You can clearly hear the difference in the Seymour Duncan Custom Custom, Custom and Custom V, the same pickup with alnico II, ceramic and Alnico V.


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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:24 pm
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Alnico III were used a lot in Telecasters like the 62 and Vintage Tele's
most of your Strat pickups from the Custom Shop like the CS69's and Fat 50's, Texas Specials and CS 54's are all Alnico V's. There is a diference Alnico V and VIII's are more powerful because they are magnetic in one preferd direction were as a III's can be cast and magnetize in any direction the more powerful the magnet the the more dynamic the reponse.
I think the Samarium pickup are a combination of a alnico with samarium colbalt added to it to make them even more powerful.

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Post subject: Re: is it just me or do alnico 3 strat pickups suck?
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:59 pm
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excess wrote:
is it just me or do alnico 3 strat pickups suck?
what do you think?

Hmmm ... I am going wayyyy out on a limb here, and guess that you are looking for metal. I have an SSS MIM with Fender Tex Mex pups (almico 5s, btw). That guitar is a tone monster. I love that thing. It is so fun to solo on. But it does not go crunch with anything near the magnitude of my Gibson SG w/ 496R/500T humbuckers. Every time this topic comes up, someone will reply with "No way - I do metal with my single coils". The reply to that is "yeah, but there is a reason why every famous metal guitar player you can name (except Yngwie) uses humbuckers for metal". It is not just some big coincidence ... single coils, whether they are alnico 2, 3, 5, or 82, do not do metal well.

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Post subject: alnico 3s
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:29 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Martian wrote:
I cannot unilaterally say they suck.


I agree with Martian.

However, I don't know for sure which of pickups have Alnico III or Alnico V or whatever !!! So there's a good chance I've never had ANY firsthand experience with Alnico III. :lol:

Are the IIIs supposed to be stronger than the Vs?

I don't know if I care ...


hey orville, am standards have alnico 5, hwy 1s have alnico 3s, mim have ceramic magnets.

i love both, try adjusting your pickup heights, they are hotter than standard p/us . i love the sound i get from them.


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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 7:40 am
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I love the sound of the alnico III's on my HWY 1. Sounds like a strat to me.

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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:09 am
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The HWY1 Alnico III's are nice pickups and they do make a tube amp play some nice distorton. They are not as warm sounding as a old school Strat's though the greasebucket circut does help by cutting back some of the high's on the HWY's but they don't sound like a traditional Strat clean.

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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:44 am
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cvilleira wrote:
The HWY1 Alnico III's are nice pickups and they do make a tube amp play some nice distorton.


My HWY1 HSS is pre-2006 upgrade, so I believe the single coils on it have Alnico V, and are supposed to be a little lower output than the newer Alnico IIIs.

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