Alnico 4 swap

[5F6-A]

We all know Tim loves his alnico IV magnets for vintage sounding humbuckers.

Also I managed to talk to another fellow winder and  he shared some interesting facts about Alnico IV....

He told me that he would NOT use it for any of his off-the-shelf current designs; in his experience if you swap the AV magnet out of a regular pickup for a AIV magnet it'd sound a bit flat. BUT if you rewind it and tweak the pickup slightly you can use that "flatness" to your benefit and make it sound preety good, letting the wind breath through a little bit more.

What do you guys think? Tim?

[HTH AMPS]

ever heard BKP Mules? - that should end the discussion. 

[Fourth Feline]

ever heard BKP Mules? - that should end the discussion. 

I have a set of AIV Stormy Mondays - and I feel that they sound  even better than the AII version  ( and that takes some doing ! ).

Forget any previously written 'rules' ;  we are in B.K.P land now, where all facets of the wind and magnet are scrupilously matched. If a magnet would not suit the windings, I am sure that Tim would certainly tell you.

[Philly Q]

He told me that he would NOT use it for any of his off-the-shelf current designs; in his experience if you swap the AV magnet out of a regular pickup for a AIV magnet it'd sound a bit flat.

But isn't that because this chap has based his design around an AV magnet? 

If he'd started with AIV, wound it to his satifaction then put in an AV, he might think it was a bit too bright or scooped (or something).

It doesn't really seem a big deal to me - it's just a different approach.

[Elliot]

Sounds like bollox to me, AIV mules rock with definition and sweetness - not flat at all.

[PhilKing]

I have Mules with AII, AIV & AV magnets and Stormy Mondays with AII & AIV.  I would have to go back and check to see if the DC resistance is different (though the time they were made and temperature could cause a difference anyway).  I don't know if BK has a different wind for each, but I suspect not, as the sound difference is what people want anyway.  I think that the only way to get a real answer on this would be for one of the guys from BK to let us know what happens.

[Tim]

The Mule humbuckers use Alnico IV because they sound the best powered by that magnet-use Alnico V and the highs get over compressed and definition is compromised. You select magnet type based on the voicing and output of the pickup.
Alnico IV, as I've said on many occasions is a true grade of Alnico not a poor version of Alnico V or undercharged Alnico V.  The way it helps a pickup reproduce frequencies is totally different to any of the other Alnico grades.That doesn't mean it will be suitable in every pickup in the same way Alnico V or Alnico II etc isn't suitable for every pickup.