Alnico stands for aluminum nickel and cobalt.
Ceramic magnet pickups vs alnico.
Whereas ceramic is used in metal as it sounds tight loud and cool.
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.
Most magnets used in pickup production are either alnico v ii and ceramic however you will also see alnico iii.
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.
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.
Just remember that this is only one factor that goes into designing the tonal characteristics of a pickup.
Alnico 3 sounds sweet and even but little punch.
Alnico is nice and warm and great for blues.
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.
The important factor is the design of a magnetic circuit which establishes what magnet to use.
Ceramic can get a bit plastic or sterile.
Ceramic magnets have a lower inductance since they are not metallic.
Provides some bite and sparkle.
You often hear that the sound of a pickup is dominated by the choice of magnet used in its construction.
Alnico vs ceramic magnets.
But it all depends on the pickup.
Ceramic magnets are made from ferrites often iron oxides.
Alnico seems to be the popular favorite but on the other hand there is no shortage of popular recordings that feature ceramic.
A lot of people automatically say that alnico is superior to ceramic in pickups.
Alnico 5 has more punch but can be too crispy.
Alnico tends to produce a very musical pickup in most.
Alnico ii this provides the warmest tone as well as decreased dynamic range.
Neo is punchy but a little too hot and tough to control.
So we often hear.
Ceramic magnet pickups generally have a hotter output level as well often with a lower resistance rating.
Alnico v has more scooped mids and tighter in the low end.
Magnetically speaking ceramic magnets produce a stronger field than alnico.
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.
Alnico vii is in some pickups but this is rare.
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.
There are harsh sounding pickups with alnico magnets and sweet sounding pickups with ceramic magnets and vice versa.
