bluezguy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hey ... if one is unhappy with a certain pickup which comes with a ceramic magnet, is it possible to swap out that magnet for an alnico replacement? If so, and if done very 'surgically', will one achieve the desired effect ? No thanks to purchasing a designer or boutique pickup from one of the many names out there ... I'd like to stay within the Gibson realm. Yupp ... you guessed it ... it's my FirebirdV again. It's quite amazing how some days I get up and I love the stock pups - other days I just wanna sledge-hammer them. So, I'd like to embark on this experiment. Anybody done it successfully??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I was about to say "yes" because it is possible to change the tone and output of a pickup by swapping magnets but then I noticed that the guitar in question was a FireBird. Mini humbuchers respond to the same laws of physics as any other pickupbut they are not easy to work on. Do you have a picture of the guitar so I can be sure I know when pickup I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluezguy Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I was about to say "yes" because it is possible to change the tone and output of a pickup by swapping magnets but then I noticed that the guitar in question was a FireBird. Mini humbuchers respond to the same laws of physics as any other pickupbut they are not easy to work on. Do you have a picture of the guitar so I can be sure I know when pickup I'm talking about. It's exactly the same size as your minihumbucker .. that is the only similarity. The guts are completely different on a Firebird pickup as in the bar magnets sit opposite that of the minihumbuckers. I had Gibson LP minihums in 'er at one time ... didn't like them in the 'bird' after awhile either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 If it's a regular Fire Bird pickup it has two magnets. One in each bobbin. I thik most of them are Alnico 5. Switching them out to Alnico 2 might mellow the sound out a bit. Going up to Alnico 8 might make it a good bit brighter. But like I said they are a little bit tricky to swap and they are an odd size making it rough to find the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I have a '77 Gretsch Country Club. It came with ceramic magnets and I found them to be too ragged and harsh. I swapped them out with alnicos and it warmed it up a bit. Not a day/night difference but a notable change for the better. Can't recall where I got them, it may have bee directly from Seymour Duncan or TV Jones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluezguy Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 If it's a regular Fire Bird pickup it has two magnets. One in each bobbin. I thik most of them are Alnico 5. Switching them out to Alnico 2 might mellow the sound out a bit. Going up to Alnico 8 might make it a good bit brighter. But like I said they are a little bit tricky to swap and they are an odd size making it rough to find the right one. Hey Searcy ... FYI , they are ceramics and have been for over a decade if not longer. Thanks for yer input though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluezguy Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I have a '77 Gretsch Country Club. It came with ceramic magnets and I found them to be too ragged and harsh. I swapped them out with alnicos and it warmed it up a bit. Not a day/night difference but a notable change for the better. Can't recall where I got them, it may have bee directly from Seymour Duncan or TV Jones. Yeah ... there's a dozen or so pickup makers out there but I just wanna stay with Gibson. My '76 FirebirdV Bi-centennial may have been the last year for ALNICO in this particular instrument's body. I have a bunch of ALNICO bar magnets just waiting to be cut and shaped so I'm up for the job. Here's my love hate relationship with these things ... when the 'bird is used through my Fender DeVille 4x10, it sounds incredible ... no icepick - no nothing but beatiful breakup and/or clarity ... whatever I want at ANY volume. The nightmare begins with my outdoor events and 100 watt Marshall 2466. Icepick extrordinaire!!! And that goes for the neck position also ... just too sharp. When I had the '76, it didn't matter what amp it was given, it was the reason I replaced it with the 2004 back when it went disappearing. Did not know pups were changed to ceramic ... didn't matter I still needed the 'bird ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hey Searcy ... FYI , they are ceramics and have been for over a decade if not longer. Thanks for yer input though. You may be right. I don't think I have worked on anything newer than 1976 when it cones to Firebirds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluezguy Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 You may be right. I don't think I have worked on anything newer than 1976 when it cones to Firebirds. Hey Searcy, I noticed where ya live - you lucky .... In 1991, I moved slightly above Nashville to Old Hickory. Rented a house there for a year so I could pound the pavement on Music Row with my original works. I never met so many incredible players before in my life!!! It was really a humbling experience. My audition tape of 3 tunes got me a chance to perform at the 'Bluebird' but I became a no show cancellation when my wife called me and said she was leaving me the morning of my big chance. To generate income, I got a day gig at the Gibson plant. I was glueing the wings onto LP headstocks on an assembly line. Only lasted a couple weeks ... couldn't do the assembly line thing. What a life !!!!! I sure hope to move there someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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