JB w/ Alnico II ?

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SQUAREHEAD

SQUAREHEAD

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Just gathering thoughts on whether I should try an A2 magnet in one of my alder body guitars which is extremely bright with the JB pick up,
What I am hoping to achieve is a little bit softer, smoother upper frequency and ‘bigger bass’ Without losing tightness…Maybe this is not possible…
Anyone with experience, I would appreciate what changes you experience when you switch from A5 to A2 in the JB
I’d appreciate any thoughts, before I go and order magnets, maybe it’s not worth it…
 
I’ve made the swap in other pickups, but not in a JB. From my experience it will soften and smoothen things a little, the highs will be rounder and sweeter, but definitely not give a bigger bass (if anything a bit less bottom) and it was a little looser and softer attack. But again haven’t tried it in a JB and some pickups react differently to various magnets than others. There are some where I much preferred them with Ceramic, some much preferred with Alnico 5, etc

If the JB is too bright in your guitar I would just switch to a pickup that’s darker by nature than switching to an Alnico II magnet. The Jim Wagner Iron Man sounds like a good fit for what you’re describing
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
Just gathering thoughts on whether I should try an A2 magnet in one of my alder body guitars which is extremely bright with the JB pick up,
What I am hoping to achieve is a little bit softer, smoother upper frequency and ‘bigger bass’ Without losing tightness…Maybe this is not possible…
Anyone with experience, I would appreciate what changes you experience when you switch from A5 to A2 in the JB
I’d appreciate any thoughts, before I go and order magnets, maybe it’s not worth it…
Click to expand...
That’s basically what the custom shop RTM pickup. I’ve done the swap and it tamed the highs. I like the chewy bottom end of an A2 pickup.
 
scottosan said:
That’s basically what the custom shop RTM pickup. I’ve done the swap and it tamed the highs. I like the chewy bottom end of an A2 pickup.
Click to expand...

Hey Bro,
“Chewy”??
Ok, was the ‘amount’ of bass less? Or does it have the same amount of bass, but not as tight?
 
@SQUAREHEAD try a Duncan SH-14 Custom 5.

I replaced the JB in my ESP Horizon NT with that and it gave me:
-bigger, but tighter lows. Quite hefty, but never mushy or wooly.
-balanced mids. You will lose some of the JB's harmonics though
-way less stringent/piercing highs, but still bright enough for good definition.
-bonus: it splits beautifully, maybe even better than the JB.

I don't know how well you know your speakers, but suppose a JB is a 70's blackback G12M-25 that has been reconed with those aluminium dome crap-units), then the Custom 5 will be yer G12-K85/K100.
Big and bold, but balanced.
I found that in the wrong guitar, a JB's low-end can be quite loose. Not syrupy like an Alnico II would deliver though.

Option #2, if you can live with maybe a tad less, but way tighter low-end: DiMarzio Norton.
-better highs than the JB; bright and in your face, but never screechy, stringent or piercing
-still those awesome harmonics in the mids and high-mids.
-bonus: it also splits beautifully, maybe even better than the JB.

I use the Norton in 2 totally different guitars; Charvel So-Cal Pro Mod, and a Burny Les Paul Standard.
Funny thing is, the Burny LP with the Norton is one of my most EVH-sounding guitars.

So, do you want more 80's metal? =Norton. 90's/00's or more allround? =Custom 5.
 
I've got one that I bought off a forumite here years ago. It sounds amazing. The highs are under control, there is a sponginess there but it still has that JB bite. I love it and in my opinion a hot Alnico II is tops followed by the alnico 5/ hot paf sort of deals. Do you have a tone pot in that bright guitar? Start with that if not. I believe Duncan originally preferred it with a 250K VOL pot.

If you really want to kill the highs, try a duncan SH-11 custom custom. FAT and gainy. Didn't cut enough for me. I don't know how this was considered to be the VH pickup at one point. The Custom makes more sense if anything.
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
Hey Bro,
“Chewy”??
Ok, was the ‘amount’ of bass less? Or does it have the same amount of bass, but not as tight?
Click to expand...
Not more or less, just not as rigid. To me it’s more saturated bass. Sorry I can’t describe
 
Thank you guys, I appreciate your advice! I’m going to try the A2 magnet, maybe it will have a bit softer attack and solve most or some of my issues?
Have a great weekend everyone!
 
Having played my whole life, I only recently discovered the rabbit hole of magnet swapping. Mags are so comparatively cheap and the swap is so easy that it can be a lot of fun to see how the different magnet characteristics affect different winds - and of course the body wood and bridge add their own special sauce to the final flavor.

I found the unoriented rough cast A5 to be my absolute ‘go to’ magnet. It sounds good in any pickup / guitar I’ve swapped it into. To my ears, the UOA5 is somewhere in between the A2 and the Ceramic - kind of the best qualities of each. The unoriented version is less bright on top and boomy on the bottom than the traditional oriented A5. And the rough cast adds that ‘chewy’ ‘organic’ quality that so many players are after. I tried a UOA5 in a ‘Custom’ wind and I think its my favorite pickup. FWIW, I absolutely love the ‘Whole Lotta Humbucker’ right out of the box and it has a rough cast A5 from the factory.
 
Last edited:
PDC said:
Having played my whole life, I only recently discovered the rabbit hole of magnet swapping. Mags are so comparatively cheap and the swap is so easy that it can be a lot of fun to see how the different magnet characteristics affect different winds - and of course the body wood and bridge add their own special sauce to the final flavor.

I found the unoriented rough cast A5 to be my absolute ‘go to’ magnet. It sounds good in any pickup / guitar I’ve swapped it into. To my ears, the UOA5 is somewhere in between the A2 and the Ceramic - kind of the best qualities of each. The unoriented version is less bright on top and boomy on the bottom than the traditional oriented A5. And the rough cast adds that ‘chewy’ ‘organic’ quality that so many players are after. I tried a UOA5 in a ‘Custom’ wind and I think its my favorite pickup. FWIW, I absolutely love the ‘Whole Lotta Humbucker’ right out of the box and it has a rough cast A5 form the factory.
Click to expand...

Yeah the UOA5 is a very cool magnet in the JB . Im not using that magnet/pickup combo at the moment but I did for years and I've still got three JBs with RC UOA5 magnets here at at home if I ever wanna go back . I've never tried the JB with an A2 and FWIW I've never had a overly bright issue wit the JB
 
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Magnets and pups in guitars is akin to rolling tubes for amps.
Wouldn't have ever thought how big a difference if could make. There's a guy that has a really good demo of magnet changes in same guitar, amp, riff, etc. only change is magnets. Crazy the difference in tone between them.
 
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