Alnico

A family of magnetic alloys of aluminium, nickel and cobalt that supply the magnetic field in most guitar pickups.

The grade number records the proportion of the ingredients, and the grades behave differently. Lower grades such as 2 and 3 are weaker and give a softer, warmer voice with more compression when the string drives them; grade 5 is stronger and brighter with a tighter low end. A maker chooses a grade together with the winding to place the pickup's resonant peak where they want it, so swapping magnets in the same coil is a real tonal change rather than a subtle one.

Example: an Alnico 2 humbucker in the neck of a set-neck guitar is a standard recipe for a smooth, vocal lead tone, where an Alnico 5 in the same slot is noticeably crisper.

Alnico

See also