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Hey, I've got some pickup magnets lying around, but I don't know which are Alnico 2's and which are Alnico 5's. Is it possible to tell the difference, even if I don't have access to a gaussmeter? Of course, I could just try them all one-by-one in a humbucker, but that takes too long...

Thanks!

there are a couple threads i found about this before. Usually the alnico 2's and 5's are visually hard to tell the difference. i know the ceramic is black in color but that really doesn't help does it?

As a rule of thumb, the stronger magnet is Alnico 5 but not always -- you can have an quot;agedquot; Alnico 5 that will be about the same strength as an Alnico 2.

Regardless of strength, they have very different tones, though. Alnico 2 is pretty much flat on the EQ curve, with a slight roll-off on the low-mids/bass. Alnico 5 is like if you take an Alnico 2 and give a strong boost to the bass and treble (and some upper mids) but leave the mids alone.

In a word, Alnico 5 is quot;hardquot; and Alnico 2 is quot;sweetquot;. At least that's how these ears hear it.

Okay, I asked SD's support-section direlctly, and got the answer pretty fast: quot;Alnico V magents are darker in color than Alnico II. II's tend to have a silvery finish.quot;

I did have a magnet, which was dark like a ceramic, but I was convinsed that it was an A2, so I didn't bother trying it out. But as soon as I got the message from Seymour, and installed it in my Gibson pickup, there was no doubt it was an A5. But what's strange, is that the A5 magnet in a SD JB is silvery in finish, which then should make it an A2...? I don't know.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts, guys. Take care...

When i did a magnet swap with some Duncans , i found out that the A2 mags are marked blue and the A5 mags are marked black.


Originally Posted by jakeDKHey, I've got some pickup magnets lying around, but I don't know which are Alnico 2's and which are Alnico 5's. Is it possible to tell the difference, even if I don't have access to a gaussmeter?

When I remove a magnet from a pickup I usually write down the name of the pu on it, but at this point that is water under the barn door...

Here is some information on building your own gaussmeter:

from : localhost/it is easy to tell which magnets are ceramic since they show no continuity on a digital multimeter.

^^ they dont conduct! good tip - hadnt thought of that one blue

Well if you somehow had access to a mass spectrometer you could take a sample of the magnets and find out the chemical composition of the magnet.

dude, theres like 5 of those in the UK hehe - you did A2 chemistry?


Originally Posted by APB_4Well if you somehow had access to a mass spectrometer you could take a sample of the magnets and find out the chemical composition of the magnet.

I actually do! My company sells them... But I don't think my boss would appreciate it if I put a magnet in it... I might ruin a $60.000 instrument...