magnet

Description

Humbucker bar magnets — Alnico 2, Alnico 5, Alnico 8, or Ceramic

Swapping the humbucker bar magnet is one of the easiest and most effective mods you can make to a pickup. No rewinding, no soldering iron heroics(unless there’s a cover installed)  — just remove the pickup, slide out the old bar magnet, slide in the new one, and you’ve changed the entire character of the pickup. It’s completely reversible, so you can experiment until you find the voice you’re after.

Which magnet should I choose?

Alnico 2 — The warm, smoky, vintage choice. An Alnico 2 humbucker magnet softens the attack and sweetens the top end, with a looser, more vocal low end. Great for taming a bright bridge pickup or dialing in old-school blues and classic rock tones.

Alnico 5 — The classic aggressive P.A.F-style magnet. Alnico 5 delivers stronger output than A2 with tighter bass, more punch, and clear, articulate highs. If you want traditional humbucker tone with definition, this is the workhorse.

Alnico 8 — The strongest of the alnicos. An Alnico 8 magnet bridges the gap between Alnico 5 and ceramic, giving you higher output, a thick midrange, and smooth highs without the harshness ceramic can bring. Excellent for Djent and heavier styles.

Ceramic — Maximum power and aggression. A ceramic humbucker magnet delivers the hottest output, tight percussive lows, and cutting highs. Built for high-gain playing where clarity under distortion matters.

Not sure which way to go? Tell us the pickup and the tone you’re chasing and we’re happy to point you in the right direction — we’ve been making pickups by hand in the USA since 1998, and magnet swaps are one of our favorite tricks.

 Be sure to watch the video below before swapping a magnet.