Ceramic Magnet Pickups Vs Alnico

Alnico 5 has more punch but can be too crispy.

Ceramic magnet pickups vs alnico.

Alnico v has more scooped mids and tighter in the low end. Most magnets used in pickup production are either alnico v ii and ceramic however you will also see alnico iii. The magnet selection most definitely has an effect on tone. But it all depends on the pickup.

Neo is punchy but a little too hot and tough to control. Alnico is nice and warm and great for blues. Pickups with alnico v magnets that are voiced more aggressively than pickups with ceramic magnets and alnico ii pickups that sound totally different from other alnico ii pickups definitely exist. To crown a winner in our alnico vs ceramic magnets shootout we would need a way to accurately compare the two which is not an easy task.

Alnico ii is a lower output magnet that is smooth and usually has just a bit of warmth. There s always a trade off even between different types of alnico. Alnico vii is in some pickups but this is rare. A magnet by itself has no sound and as a part of a pickup the magnet is simply the source to provide the magnetic field for the strings.

A lot of people automatically say that alnico is superior to ceramic in pickups. Alnico has a higher inductance due to the iron content technically ferrite magnets are made from iron oxide so to generalize alnico will increase the inductance a bit and sound a bit warmer than a ceramic in the same pickup. Ceramic can get a bit plastic or sterile. Alnico 3 sounds sweet and even but little punch.

You often hear that the sound of a pickup is dominated by the choice of magnet used in its construction. Whereas ceramic is used in metal as it sounds tight loud and cool. Ceramic magnet pickups generally have a hotter output level as well often with a lower resistance rating. The result is a slightly hotter sounding pickup with more treble response.

So we often hear. The important factor is the design of a magnetic circuit which establishes what magnet to use. Alnico viii is generally between ceramic and alnico v with quite a bit of magnetic pull punchy with upper mids but a little more warmth than ceramic. Provides some bite and sparkle.

Ceramic magnets have a lower inductance since they are not metallic. Alnico stands for aluminum nickel and cobalt. Alnico seems to be the popular favorite but on the other hand there is no shortage of popular recordings that feature ceramic. There are harsh sounding pickups with alnico magnets and sweet sounding pickups with ceramic magnets and vice versa.

Pickups made with alnico magnets do sound different from those made with ceramic the fact that the magnets are made with dissimilar materials u is u a variable that makes an audible difference. Magnetically speaking ceramic magnets produce a stronger field than alnico. Alnico tends to produce a very musical pickup in most. Alnico ii this provides the warmest tone as well as decreased dynamic range.