I just inserted a ceramic mag into a 59/09...

[Deleted member 7139]

.. and I regretted it!
The tone went from 'full, bold and rich' to 'dry, soulless and shrill'
I was expecting to hear some similarities with the tremonti treble, but the result was clearly not on par with them.
Harmonics really didn't jump out the fretboard like the tremonti, and the single notes were really weak and thin.

I reverted immediately to the original A5 magnet.
I'm confident enough to say that to my ears, it sounds more TIGHT and ballsy with the a5 magnet!

Unfortunately, during the process I forgot to take clips for comparisons. Sorry!

For anyone that thinks their 59/09 has no balls.. think twice!

And now, for more thinkering...
is there any chance that the \m/ pickup is a 59/09 with a ceramic mag,? Because if that's the case, I'd be disappointed and I'd rather stick with an hfs/tremonti for my metal purposes.

 

[Carlos Rivera]

Very interesting experiment. Thanx for sharing your results.

 

[John Beef]

Are you sure a 59/09 is running an A5 magnet? I only ask because I can't help but want to swap out for a roughcast unoriented A5 or maybe an A2 magnet to warm it up a touch.

 

[Deleted member 7139]

I'm almost sure it was an A5, the color of the magnet was the typical light grey-ish that you find on A5.
Do you find your 59/09 a bit too edgy? Ever thought about trying a 53/10 ? Those seems to be very low-winds and warm sounding alternatives

 

[John Beef]

Yeah, I think the 59/09 is a little bright. High notes seem to compress a bit and drown out the lows... but then, this is a $300 guitar and I don't expect it to perform like a core model no matter what pickups are in there. And yes, I've played with heights and such.

My favorite bridge pickup in most guitars is a DGT which I have been told is A2. The 59/09 is in the bridge of my Santana SE and it's just a touch bright when I A/B the two in the same guitar.

I have swapped out magnets on a few occasions but don't have the experience to know one alnico from another based on color. I want to say there's a UOA5 at home somewhere, which I have found to greatly prefer to straight A5 for the high end roll off and smoother mids for bridge pickups. I have found straight A4 or A5 are my favs in the neck position, where A2 just won't do and UOA5 is still a bit too rounded in the highs.

 

[VHTStark]

The \m/ pickup is absolutely not a 59/09 with a ceramic magnet. Completely different gauge wire and wind patterns. An overwound PAF vs. A modern high output design.

If you are looking for more juice from your 59/09 but don't want it so bright, you could try an alnico 8 magnet. Highs will be similar to an alnico 5, but you will get more midrange girth and output.

 

[Proxmax]

did anyone get a A5 in the HFS?
this could be interesting...

 

[Deleted member 7139]

The \m/ pickup is absolutely not a 59/09 with a ceramic magnet. Completely different gauge wire and wind patterns. An overwound PAF vs. A modern high output design.

If you are looking for more juice from your 59/09 but don't want it so bright, you could try an alnico 8 magnet. Highs will be similar to an alnico 5, but you will get more midrange girth and output.

Thanks buddy, I was worried as I remember reading Raven's review where he basically said that the \m/ was a 57/08 on steroids, and being the 59/09 an overwound version of the 57/08 I had this kind of fear.

 

[VHTStark]

Well, tonally that may very well be what the \m/ is doing! But from an actual construction standpoint : very different. You can actually only fit approximately the equivalent of 10kohms worth of 42AWG wire on a standard humbucker bobbin setup. That would be a hot PAF amd with a fully gaussed magnet....would be a hot pickup period. The metal, HFS, Tremonti and Dragon are all using 43 or 44 gauge wire.

As for the HFS.....I think it could benefit from an A5 for sure! I find it to be brittle and too sharp. I know PRS designed this to drive the long signal chain popular in the 80's and early 90's but man....the original Dragon was such a better overall pickup.

 

[Deleted member 7139]

Do you have anything to say about the \m/ neck? Or would you pair a \m/ bridge with a 59/09 neck?

 

[VHTStark]

Hey man,

I have played the 59/09 neck but not the \m/ neck. From specs.....the 59/09 is of course an overwound PAF with an alnico (from playing them....I am betting A5) magnet. The metal, from is resistance values, is likely using the same gauge of wire but it may be a different kind of wire. Also of note, it uses a ceramic magnet. You could easily pair a 59/09 with a \m/ bridge without any problems balancing them.

Do you currently have a 59/09 neck? If so, give it a shot.

 

[Brad737]

I'm almost sure it was an A5, the color of the magnet was the typical light grey-ish that you find on A5.
Do you find your 59/09 a bit too edgy? Ever thought about trying a 53/10 ? Those seems to be very low-winds and warm sounding alternatives

You absolutely cannot tell if a magnet is A2 or A5 by looking at the color. :rofl:

 

[Proxmax]

i'm pretty sure it is an A5 magnet.
A2 don't punch that much in the deeper tones.

 

[Deleted member 7139]

You absolutely cannot tell if a magnet is A2 or A5 by looking at the color. :rofl:

Sorry, I was referring to the color of AlNiCo magnets , not specifically the A5.