Ceramic Magnet Pickups Vs Alnico

Ceramic can get a bit plastic or sterile.

Ceramic magnet pickups vs alnico.

Most magnets used in pickup production are either alnico v ii and ceramic however you will also see alnico iii. Magnetically speaking ceramic magnets produce a stronger field than alnico. Alnico seems to be the popular favorite but on the other hand there is no shortage of popular recordings that feature ceramic. The result is a slightly hotter sounding pickup with more treble response.

A lot of people automatically say that alnico is superior to ceramic in pickups. Just remember that this is only one factor that goes into designing the tonal characteristics of a pickup. 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. Alnico ii is a lower output magnet that is smooth and usually has just a bit of warmth.

Alnico vs ceramic magnets. There s always a trade off even between different types of alnico. Ceramic magnet pickups generally have a hotter output level as well often with a lower resistance rating. 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 ii this provides the warmest tone as well as decreased dynamic range. There are harsh sounding pickups with alnico magnets and sweet sounding pickups with ceramic magnets and vice versa. 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. Provides some bite and sparkle.

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. You often hear that the sound of a pickup is dominated by the choice of magnet used in its construction. Ceramic magnets are made from ferrites often iron oxides. Alnico 3 sounds sweet and even but little punch.

Alnico v has more scooped mids and tighter in the low end. Ceramic magnets have a lower inductance since they are not metallic. Alnico vii is in some pickups but this is rare. Alnico is nice and warm and great for blues.

So we often hear. Alnico tends to produce a very musical pickup in most. Whereas ceramic is used in metal as it sounds tight loud and cool. The important factor is the design of a magnetic circuit which establishes what magnet to use.

Neo is punchy but a little too hot and tough to control. Alnico stands for aluminum nickel and cobalt. But it all depends on the pickup. 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.