SR5: Alnico vs. Ceramic

[Addison]

I'm really sorry if this has already been covered, but... I did do a search and wasn't able to come up with any general answers.

I'm looking for comments from people who own and/or owned an SR5 with the older ceramic style pickups and electronics, who also own and/or owned an SR5 with the newer Alnico pickups and newer electronics, who can comment on the differences between the two... what they like or don't like, etc.

Backstory:

I own a '96 SR4 and used to have a '98 SR5 that I sold because it didn't sound enough like the SR4 I had.

I understand that no two basses sound a like, and a 5'er will naturally sound different than a 4-banger, but... they sounded REALLY different... so different, that I didn't like my 5'er all that much.

Anyway, I've been thinking about getting another 5'er, but... it's impossible to try one (no dealers within a couple hundred miles AND I'm a lefty anyway), so I was hoping for some useful information from "those in the know."

If the current SR5's sound MORE like the SR4's, well... I'll be a happy dude.

Thanks!

 

[Movielife]

Yes, the 08 onward Ray 5s sound more like Ray 4s.

However, I appreciate both, so I've ordered a Sterling 5 HS as well

 

[rizzo9247]

I'm somewhat of a bass-addict and I've owned an early 2007 SR5H (ceramic), 2008 Sterling 5HH (ceramic), 2009 SR5HH (alnico) and currently a 2010 SR5HH (alnico) and the rear bucker sounds different between the C and A pickups, but neither sounded better/worse.

Off the top of my head I recall the Sterling 5HH in position 4 (inner coils) sounded the best to me

 

[b-unit]

I own one of each, a 2006 SR5 Single H ceramic and a 2010 SR5 single H Alnico. They sound quite different but not so much that you need to re eq your rig in my opinion. My Ceramic equipped SR5 in the parallel mode is brighter, a bit thinner, more aggressive and snarly and has a very glassy top end sheen to the tone. The series position is louder, deeper, thicker with less low end and is a very different tone from the parallel mode.

My Alnico SR5 really does sound like my SR4's. The tone in parallel mode has less extreme high end sheen, more thump and sounds a bit fatter. When switching to series mode, I find it doesn't sound a dramatically different then the parallel mode like the Ceramic bass. I actually find the series mode on the Alnico bass sounds nicer to my ears and is more pleasing.

I would have a very hard time choosing one over the other. I love the Alnico tone but there is magic in the ceramic tone as well as its more aggressive, brighter and has more growl. They are two different flavors of "Win" and I am really glad to have them both on tap!