Alnico Music Man 5 String Pickup

[Musicman Nut]

Hey Kids here ya go, On ebay someone is selling a looks like to be a 1992 Alnico 5 Pickup.
I get 10 emails a month people dying to score one. This could be your chance. One never knows maybe one Day Big Poppa Will blow us away one day with a Sterling and a Stingray 5 Alnico version for i get so many request for that.

Anyway One is on Ebay as of today. DJ

 

[oldbluebassman]

I understand that the current SR5s have Ceramic magnets, so when was the change made from Alnico to Ceramic?

 

[Mr Light]

Hmmm...

Why was there a change?

 

[Musicman Nut]

I understand that the current SR5s have Ceramic magnets, so when was the change made from Alnico to Ceramic?

Somewhere around the 1992ish, Ceramic last longer then Alnico and much cheaper to build yet sound very good, 70% of all pickups today are pretty much Ceramic magnets.

Some of us who grew up on Old Fender basses Love the warmth from an Alnico, and most guys I know who have only played active basses don't even really know the difference.

If you grew up with just active then Alnico orver Ceramic won't really matter, it becomes taste i think, to me its like Vinyl over CD's, Records sound warmer to me over CD's but a CD is like being in the control room, Both sound great just different. DJ.

 

[Musicman Nut]

Hmmm...

Why was there a change?

Cost, Anytime you can cut Cost without Changing Quality it all helps. This is why I Love and Respect Big Poppa and His Daddy/Family, They refuse too make Junk or drop quality to save money like so many other companies. One more reason to buy a Music Man, First because nothing else sounds as Good. DJ

 

[tkarter]

Is it okay to say after discovering the Bongo it doesn't matter what pup is on a Ray here?


tk

 

[TheDirtyMoocher]

only if you order a bongo right now

 

[oldbluebassman]

Is there an obvious way to tell the difference between a ceramic and alnico pick-up?

 

[dlloyd]

Is there an obvious way to tell the difference between a ceramic and alnico pick-up?

I'm not 100% on this but, if I remember correctly, the older alnico SR5 pickups didn't have the phantom coil.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

The SR5 pickups changed to ceramic at the same time the dummy coil was added (1992). If there's no dummy coil underneath, then the poles are alnico.

The alnico's also have a tendency to tarnish after a time where as the ceramic have a shiney appearance.

Also, undernaeth the pickup, the alnico poles have sharp edges. The ceramic's have bevelled edges. I say underneath because I think the alnicos are bevelled at the top (like they did the the SR4 alnicos in 2003).

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

If you don't want to remove the pickup for underneath inspection, then an indirect way is to look at the pre-amp IC chip.

The alnico pickups (without the dummy coil) used virtually the same pre-amp as the 3EQ's found on the SR4's with a "TL062" chip.

With the intro of the ceramic, a new pre-amp was featured with a "LF444CN" chip.

 

[oldbluebassman]

Thanks guys. So the early SR5s didn't have coil switching?


Anyway I've bought it .We'll see how it compares to the MM ceramic and the N*r**t***d that I have.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

>>>So the early SR5s didn't have coil switching?

My understanding is that they've always had coil switching???

From 1988-1990 the pre-amp was the same as the 3EQ Ray with a rectangular board and TL062 chip. But the board was adapted to take the pickup switching.

From 1990-1992 they changed the board to a crescent moon shape but still with the TL062 chip. It still had switching. Actually they used the new crescent moon board for the Sabre Bass at the same time. But the swithcing to the board for the Sabre was adapted to take the two pickups.

Then from 1992 came the newer crescent moon board and new chip which is current today.

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

>>>Anyway I've bought it .We'll see how it compares to the MM ceramic....

Just occured to me Dave!

You can't put an alnico (with no dummy coil) pickup into the newer SR5 pre-amp. I don't know what pre-amp your Bass has. If it has the newer pre-amp and chip, you have to do slight moderations. I have the schematic for conversion if you need it.

 

[todd4ta]

So, if the earlier SR5's with the Alnico pickup had coil switching, but no phantom coil, was the single-coil mode noisier than the later ones with the dummy coil? I would assume that's the reason for adding the additional coil.

 

[Musicman Nut]

So, if the earlier SR5's with the Alnico pickup had coil switching, but no phantom coil, was the single-coil mode noisier than the later ones with the dummy coil? I would assume that's the reason for adding the additional coil.

Yes that is 1 big reason for sure, plus as much messing around and coil switching myself in my own shop, i haven't found a way yet to have a 3 coil Alnico to sound as quite as a 3 coil Ceramic, This is where Dudley & Sterling should come in. They are masters at this stuff so if it can be done they'll be able to do it. DJ