How to tell A2 from A5..

[Klark]

I screwed up. I took apart some pickups and I the magnets mixed up. I know one is a A2 from a brand-new TB-11. And the other is a A5 from an old SH-4.

Any scientific way to tell them apart??

[Curly]

are they different colors?

[Klark]

are they different colors?

No, they look almost identical. One has some blue on the end that would have been up by the low E string, the other one has the blue on the end that was near the high E string.

[B2D]

The A5 will have a noticeably stronger pull on metal objects... thats about the only way I could tell the difference w/out tools.

I mark magnets with a sharpie as soon as I remove them to prevent this, btw.

[cakire82]

I have just heard about the concept of pickup replacement today but do you think it might work if you would be able to put one of the magnets in TB11 and measure the DC resistance and Resonance Peak? It should be 14.4 k, 5.2 KHz respectively according to tone chart in bridge position.

[mrturtle_91]

I have just heard about the concept of pickup replacement today but do you think it might work if you would be able to put one of the magnets in TB11 and measure the DC resistance and Resonance Peak? It should be 14.4 k, 5.2 KHz respectively according to tone chart in bridge position.

the magnet won't change the resistance I don't think...the resistance comes from the wire in the pickup itself, not from the magnet.

[Klark]

the magnet won't change the resistance I don't think...the resistance comes from the wire in the pickup itself, not from the magnet.

You're right, I just tried it. No change with either magnet. Darn it..

[jake_xms3_punk]

just try one and see what it sounds like

[Klark]

The A5 was definitely stronger. The A2 barely had any pull at all.

Now onto the new problem, which is I have a single 500K volume control, with single coils in the neck & middle. I have great mids & highs from the TB-14 in the bridge, but when I switch the neck & middle, they're too bright. Is there a resistor or capacitor I could put in-line with my single coils to simulate them being hooked up to a 250K pot??

[ACH91332]

Well just put those two in a pickup and compare the two. If one mag sounds more scooped then its prolly the A5 where as it would be a lot more rounded and warm with the A2 magnet.

[jake_xms3_punk]

Is there a resistor or capacitor I could put in-line with my single coils to simulate them being hooked up to a 250K pot??

hmm good question, im all ears on this one! i just run my hss strats off 250k pots. theres more of a difference in single coils with 500k pots then humbuckers with 250k pots

[MattPete]

If they are magnets from SD's, there should be a magic-marker mark on them. The rule is:

Blue = A2
Black = A5 (ok, it this one doesn't rhyme).

[Klark]

If they are magnets from SD's, there should be a magic-marker mark on them. The rule is:

Blue = A2
Black = A5 (ok, it this one doesn't rhyme).

Are you sure about this? Because if what you say is true, then the SH-4 that I bought many many years ago had an A2 magnet in it.

Are there any actual SD employees that read/post on this forum? Hopefully one will chime in..

[dr. ad]

^ it'd be good to clarify when that started; i've found that to be the case in newer SDs

[hamerfan]

Are you sure about this? Because if what you say is true, then the SH-4 that I bought many many years ago had an A2 magnet in it.

Are there any actual SD employees that read/post on this forum? Hopefully one will chime in..

Its definitly true.

[Klark]

Its definitly true.

Yes, it's true now, but when did they start doing this?? The SH-4 that I took apart was probably bought somewhere between '91 to '93.

Or if SD has always done this, why did my SH-4 ship from the factory with an A2 magnet installed in it??