[The Dark Wolf]

Depends.

It won't matter for the individual pickup, but if you use 2 pickups together, and the magnet is flipped out-of-phase relative to the other magnet, then the tone will be real thin and nasally. It's a DRAMATIC difference, so you would tell right away.

But if only 1 pickup is active, then no.


The difference between A5 and A8 isn't night and day. It's something for us uber-tweakers (nerds), and it pretty subtle. That said, my finicky ass can hear those subtle difference relatively dramatically. Especially at home on my headphones.

[Zepp88]

* Zepp88 gives Boober a beer

Thanks dude. Looks like I still haven't found the "right stuff"

[The Dark Wolf]

NP. :truckin:

[ibznorange]

Originally Posted by The Dark Wolf

subtle difference relatively dramatically.

that just sounds amusing. i just put a standard sized a8 i just picked up in my evolution 6, cause thats not nearly as squealy as everyone seems to think, but it could have used a touch of warmth. it got it, along with some good extra grit. it really is noticeable imo, but i think i hear a lot more subtle details, in everything, not just music. glad i picked these up. they'll be going straight in the evo 7's when they come

[The Dark Wolf]

I'm an amusing kinda guy.

[scott from _actual time_]

Originally Posted by Zepp88

Well, tried the Alnico 8 at practice today and I really wasn't blown away with it in my JB...
Plus, since I didn't repot it, it's slightly microphonic.
Is there a quick fix for microphonics? Like, it I were to pad the cavity with foam to keep it from vibrating too much?

sorry it didn't change your world. i can totally hear the difference--the alnicos have more sag, more thick chewiness in the midrange, kinda like the difference between a solid state power amp and a tube one. but that sound, actually no one sound, works for everybody. and JBs are already alnico 5, so going to teh A8 is a more subtle change than ceramic to any alnico. i bet you'd be able to sell those magnets here if you wanted to go back to the originals and recoup your investment.


microphonics--there are two kinds, vibrations of things inside the pickup and vibrations of the whole pickup in its mount. potting stops the first kind, by soaking inside the pickup; foam padding stops the second kind by holding the pickup still in the mount. to see which kind you have, get the pickup feeding back, then grab it tightly with your fingers. if the feedback stops, the pickup is moving in the mount, and foam will help. if the feedback doesn't stop, the problem is internal.

for the record, i have not had any new microphonics problems after swapping magnets. but i go real slow when i take the pickups apart ('cos i'm paranoid i'm going to break them), so nothing in there ends up jarred loose.

[eaeolian]

Originally Posted by The Dark Wolf

Possible...

Surprised. I think the A8 SLAYS for metal rhythm. True, the A5 is nice, but the A8 is just bettah!


You could always try foam. I think Mike the Mod did that for awhile. Heh. Man, I can put my guitar RIGHT NEXT to a blasting amp now, and besides pleasant feedback, there's no squeal. It's awesome.

I still do it - for some reason, ALL of my guitars except the Washburn have this issue (the pickups vibrate in their mounts), so I had to foam the bejeezus out of them.

[darren]

My A8 magnet arrived on Christmas eve... thanks, Scott! Now i just have to decide whether to put an A5 or A8 in my Custom 7.

[ibznorange]

Originally Posted by eaeolian

I still do it - for some reason, ALL of my guitars except the Washburn have this issue (the pickups vibrate in their mounts), so I had to foam the bejeezus out of them.

the fred in my neck is noticable unplugged. you can hear it ring out as loud or louder than my playing

[noodles]

Originally Posted by eaeolian

I still do it - for some reason, ALL of my guitars except the Washburn have this issue (the pickups vibrate in their mounts), so I had to foam the bejeezus out of them.

There is so much foam in your Soloist that it actually added a couple of pounds to the weight of the instrument.