thanks for the tips,
The guitar is being finished at the moment, so clips are still distant. It hadn't really occurred to me that there could be visual clues... the magnets (yup, 2 little guys and a 3rd, larger, central magnet) are 'shiny silver'ish metal' looking on the ends - nothing like the black magnet that falls off the back of cheap strat pickups. After a look on google image I'm pretty sure I'm dealing with the alnico version.
It's going into a single bridge pickup/ metal rhythm only guitar. I was a little afraid the alnco wouldn't have the 'cut/clarity/tight' I'm seeking, but from what I read it sounds like c-hawk might be a bit TOO much of 'that' in most guitars. Any thoughts there from recovering metal heads, industrial dropouts, or emg users?