Jump to content

Alnico or Ceramic pickups? Which is best and why?


GrantsV5

Recommended Posts

  • Members
Originally posted by GrantsV5

Hi,


Thanks for your replies. Just curious how much of an impact the material of magnet itself has on the sound and sustain?


Any more information?


Thanks,

GrantsV

Well alnico has more magnetic pull than ceramic. This could cut sustain. Ceramic tends to boost trebles. And ceramic is more powerful. So it should send more milivolts into your amp. As far as alnico versus ceramic goes. I've heard it said that you can use either one to make a pickup. And there wouldn't be a huge difference in tone. It just comes down to how many wire turns and what gauge of wire is used etc.. Anyway I like both magnet types. My three favorite pickups are: DiMarzio super distortion (ceramic), Duncan JB (alnico 5), and the EMG-81 (ceramic).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

In my experience, ceramics tend to be weaker and brighter...much easier for me to shape the tone by raising and lowering polepieces. More clarity when playing clean. Alnicos tend to be stronger and midrangey and hotter sounding.

 

I've had good results with both. I think it is easier to make an etremely bad or extremely good pickup with ceramics. Alnicos have less range in that area...maybe because the stronger magnetic field doesn't allow for such extremes to occur because it's able to dominate and control things more?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
  • Members

Ceramic are the stronger magnets compared to AlNiCo. Different magnets make a dramatic difference. An obvious example is the Seymour Duncan Custom series. There are 3 production models. They come with the same windings but different magnets. Those magnets are AlNiCo II, AlNiCo V, and Ceramic. Check out the Seymour Duncan forums to get an idea about the differences. Briefly A2 has lots of mids and some highs. A5 has less mids. Ceramic has lots of bass and treble. If you take an A5 and degauss it to be the same strength as an A2 then in the same pickup they will sound different. The charactersitics of the magnets will come through.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

alnico also = super old school vintage vibe (all the "classic" fender and gibson pickups were alnico)

 

i've always thought ceramic was better for higher gain stuff :idk: .... but the opinions so far seem to be that alnico sounds better for that.... :confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

If I put a blindfold on 100 guitar players and played a Les Paul with P90's through a Marshall 18 watter and then played a Les Paul with humbuckers though the same amp, 95 of them would not be able to identify the pickups.

 

I think even fewer players would be able to identify a ceramic pickup, an Alnico II, or an Alnico V pickup.

 

The difference is more apparent when you actually play guitars with different pickups because of the way that they react to picking attack and playing techniques--pinch harmonics, pull ons, etc.

 

That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

There are examples of each that are spectacular.

 

 

Exactly,theres more to making great sounding pickup than what magnet is used.

Ceramics are as great as alnico when used in the right formula.

People refer to ceramic pickups as cheap because most bottom feeder pickups use ceramic because they cost pennies to the dollar compared to alnico.

But when applied properly ceramic pickups have awesome tones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • Members

One important point people seem to overlook is that Ceramics don't distort in the same way as alnicos do.

 

Ceramics typically add a much higher resistance rating, and typically don't sound as pleasant when reaching their point of breakup. Which doesn't really matter anyway as 95% of ceramic pups are winded heavily enough that no amount of usable gain would ever distort them.

 

For the latter, alnico distorts at later gain too, but the breakup is much more musical and less percussive compared to ceramic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...