1957 vs 1959 PAF or Alnico II vs Alnico V Humbucker Pickups

A 22-minute romp through the difference of an Alnico2 (ie: 1957 PAF) vs Alnico5 (1959 PAF) pickup.

[@chazzer56]

This one of the best, if not the best video of this kind, that I've seen on KZbin. I learned some important stuff, got a very clear impression of the sound and was entertained. No complaints about your playing either.

[@charleshoernemann8661]

Best explanation about pickups (not only PAFs) on the internet so far! Thanks Vaughn! Very insightful video!

[@VaughnSkow]

Thanks for the kudos ... and you're welcome :-)

[@charlie-obrien]

Nearly 33,000 views, but only 4.7 thousand subs is criminal. Your videos are always informative, entertaining and done with expertise and good humour. Thanks for the PAF info and the great demo.

[@skoorb1]

This may be the first demonstration video I've ever watched that was plainly informative from beginning to end. Even your sound examples were very distinct. Thanks!

[@maekong2010]

I just got every remaining question I had concerning my pup considerations answered. I can't thank you enough for your diligence. New subscriber and the bell has been rung.

[@analogblues9606]

I watched tons of videos to try to answer all my questions on this subject. Vaughn, you got a thumbs up from me (Liked). You did an amazing job! All my questions answered without even asking!!! Thank you!!! BTW, you do an amazing job with the Warehouse speaker videos too that I've seen over the years!!!!

[@markn4526]

Very interesting video. My impressions: A2 - meatier, thicker, slightly darker and more aggressive A5 - more nasal-sounding, brighter, more jangly. I think I would prefer an A2 for the bridge position and an A5 for the neck position. By the way...you play just fine!

[@maekong2010]

There are things about my neck pickup that I don't want to lose. If I can get an alnico 5 magnet, I will swap out the Alnico 2 and may have (basically, using your idea) resolved my pickup quest. I was all-in on Seth Lover, except for the "if it works, don't fix it" principle. I think boosting the mids on the neck might push my otherwise more-than-satisfactory pickup scheme over the top. I'm in SE Asia, so not sure how easy/difficult acquiring the correct. already charged magnet is going to be. I have a guitar being refretted w/steel. When it's ready for retrieval, I'll ask my guy about them.

[@markn4526]

@@maekong2010 FYI, Throbak offers a variety of charged magnets. Also keep in mind that the magnet type is just one variable that influences a pickup's tone/output, but it's a good starting point.

[@maekong2010]

@@markn4526 Thanks, Mark. The difference l am looking for is not really so much about tone. Hell, what l am looking for is often not detectable to me. It is more about changing the balance and possibly gaining additional traction during coil-splits at the neck. The bridge is fine - but I’m not averse to playing with that either. I am actually chasing more vibrant cleans in the neck and middle positions.

[@markn4526]

@@maekong2010 Something you might want to consider is reversing the neck pickup commonly referred to as the Peter Green mod. It maintains the qualities of the bridge pickup, but changes the neck and especially the middle positions. There are plenty of demos of this on KZbin and would suggest listening to some of them before undertaking that mod to see if you'd like it.

[@maekong2010]

@@markn4526 I have a phase shift already. I’m a huge fan of having as many configurations/variants available at the guitar as possible. Are there advantages to your suggestion that are above and beyond what l already have? I will read your response in the morning. It is well past bedtime here. I do appreciate your help. Thank you.

[@zAvAvAz]

Can you give millivolts output on those tested iSo happy you put inductance on there great thank you. Thank you so much for your information and know how.

[@MarkMerrick]

Great and thorough explanation and the sound demos really helped me understand the difference.

[@alexpurcell2012]

Really good video. I’ve just learned more about pickups in 20 minutes, than I have in 30 years playing with them 😁👍

[@chocolatecookie8571]

Now I know why Alnico 5 pickups sounds so trebly and penetrating bright. I hate it. Thanks for this great video.

[@richards5387]

With all due respect to the many great educators, engineers, and players that I have been blessed to have worked with over the years: 1) I have experienced many teachers that might have struggled to present this material as well as Vaughn Skow. 2) I have known many degreed engineers who could not have constructed a test as robustly as this video. 3) I would take Vaughn Skow to a gig or studio session in a heartbeat. Though Vaughn may not be a Paganini on guitar, he plays well rhythmically and makes good structural choices that emphasize the intended purpose of the video. He is not a prima donna. We would not have to spend a day or a week in rehearsal to prepare for a gig or studio session. I would have no qualms with hitting a gig or studio session cold with Vaughn. Thanks for the good video.

[@johnszetela1358]

Great video Vaughn, thanks for all of the useful info! I love this stuff. My Vaughn Skow pickups are still kicking ass! Keep up the amazing work Vaughn.

[@BillyE5150]

Great video! I am so glad I found your channel. I’m pretty deep into learning about all this stuff. They both sound so great, sir… you are making FINE PICKUPS!!! I would be happy to have any of them. Thanks!

[@douglasmayhall8279]

vaughn.. i first stumbled on to you several years ago when you were demoing the bugera 22 and the blackhawk in your foyer.. looks like you have become a music industry unto yourself.. i listened intently back then, and am still listening intently now.. your love of all things tone came through back then, and is being amplified today through your wares.. congrats on the businesses bro.. you are one very cool cat

[@toneseeker87]

I love the work and effort you put here.. Very informative! Thanks.

[@Muzerino434]

What a great video! I’m only just starting to get into swapping pickups and such, and this video just explained so much so easily! Thanks.

[@randyschock7374]

Thank you for a thorough explanation. I've been in the dark for awhile. Great video. Also I saw all your equipment in the back and that kinda made me subscribe....

[@IgnisIban]

Alnico 2 are mid focused, less hi end sparkle, less extended bottom, smoother attack, creamier gnarlier saturation, Alnico V is chimier, brighter with extended low and high and sharper attacks and cleaner more defined sound, I like the Alnico 2 for classic leads with British amps like a marshall, vox or oranges and tweeds, basically for vintage gain and the Alnico 5 works well for cleans like blackfaces and modern high gain like mesa and engl and so on, great comparison and educational video, tech parameters well explain

[@gregoryallen6376]

I really appreciated you hard work in our behalf. Awesome Demo! I play 335s and sometimes need really good jazz tones. As such I prefer Alnico 2 in the neck and Alnico 5 bridge. Now I know why. Thank you again.

[@stephengray670]

Very seldom do I leave comments but Vaughn you knocked this one out of the park. I got a lot of great info out of this video!!! Thanks

[@rpfujwara]

Great video but it’s Henrys not Hernys and it’s a unit for inductance not induction, which is the unit of measurement that describes an inductor’s ability to store an electromagnetic charge thereby resisting a change in current flow, as apposed to capacitor which apposes a change in voltage

[@larrybethune3909]

Thanks Ryan.

[@npet6842]

Truly brilliant effort undertaken here . Well done indeed !

[@alfredozamora6077]

Great video! Thanks a lot! Very good explanation of the differences between alnico II and V. And the easy way of changing bars... Awsome!

[@mikepj1025]

I put A2 in the bridge and A5 in the neck on my guitar and found it to be A perfect combo. This video helped me out with that decision. Thanks

[@gib412]

A good in-depth discussion on magnetic properties and pickup anatomy in general. In this particular comparison I prefer the A2 magnet as it seems to give a bit more "muscle' to the tone as well as kind of rounding off the edges of the highs so to speak...to my ears anyway.

[@Guitarslinger72001]

Don't sell yourself too short Re: your playing. You have a nice solid right hand that sounds really good and is great for hearing the tonal differences of the pickups (which is something lacking in a lot of players I see on the 'Tube demoing gear - they don't whack it like it needs to be whacked!)

[@robertbaldwin177]

Great content and information, thanks for sharing, and your guitar playing is far better than mine! Just ordered some Alnico 2 PAF drop ins to replace my stock humbuckers, looking forward to hearing the differences.

[@KozmykJ]

Most informative. Thank you for making the effort.

[@lone-wolf-1]

Great explanation!👍🏼 (hate to be that guy, but it‘s Henrys, not Hernies)😌

[@NozmoKing]

Excellent video. Most of what you covered was new information for me.

[@rtogcastle2305]

Hi there, thanks for such of great video. Very informative and awesome way to explain truly appreciated, keep up the good work! Cheers from the west coast👍🏻

[@svajesz]

Thanks man!!! Awesome video! That was i need it. I got the answers to my questions, so now i know i was right. Take care bud! God bless you! 🤘

[@JWCFB]

I loved this video, it was very educational and I appreciate the time you put into it.

[@alexkazhdan]

Excellent comparison that clearly shows the difference between the two magnets.

[@stewartcohen7683]

I think this is fascinating. Thank you so much. Having virtually identical pups with different magnets....wow. No favorite here for me, but I imagine the choice of guitar can make either sound more or less perfect, in a 335, 355, LP, SG, etc. Different woods, tops, fretboards. One technical query though is that if the gauss is in fact different, I would imagine the sweet spot for pickup height might change a bit, and that might also alter the final tonal output at the sweet spot. I have some Alnico 5 pickups, and have found the sweet spot is somewhere between 1 and 1.5 mm lower than with 2's, and your analysis helps me understand why.

[@tomdrouhard3781]

Also thanks for the info on the magnets and how to change them and the polarity.

[@wallbanger3918]

Great explanation on the detailed difference

[@gustavoloebel]

Amazing explanation and comparison! Thanks to this master of pickups! I've decided my main doubt here, Alnico II on my ES335!!

[@alexstrums]

Replaced the BB’s in my Les Paul for another set of A2’s. Vast improvement overall in the bridge but the neck went from super bright to rather dark and compressed. Next stop is to try an A5 in the neck. This might solve my issue. Thanks for the awesome video

[@wannapg3750]

Good stuff! I DID learn something. Both the sound samples and the explanation gave me the whole picture. Thank you Vaughn. I also subscribed.

[@VaughnSkow]

Awesome, thanks!!

[@markgrimm3564]

wow thanks so much for sharing your knowledge can ya share where we can purchase a gouse meter like your using

[@WelderRiffer]

Very useful and interesting video, thank you for sharing this !

[@BrooksShepherd]

Very appreciative! Lots of good info, thanks a million!

[@paulkielt9301]

Great and complete review. People that talk about resistance don't even know what it is. Inductance and capacitance are also factors that need to be considered.

[@gerardoromano3436]

Man, this vido has invaluable information, this guy knows what he´s talking about

[@fredchatham6680]

Thanks for an honest comparison, and most of all the idea to cut pickup pocket thru to back for easier pickup install and test. (APPLAUSE, STANDING OVATION).

[@VaughnSkow]

Blushing ... you are most welcome! :-)

[@darnright]

Learned a lot and truly enjoyed your video. Then I subscribed. Thank you for a great video!!

[@ronboff3461]

excellent work sir..imo

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

Much of this video contains info I already knew, but the lesson on inductance was illuminating. I realize indicators are low pass filters, I've used them in speaker crossovers for that purpose, but somehow hadn't made the connection with pickups and the frequencies they tend to emphasise. Hey I enjoy speakers, amp building and pickup winding myself. If you lived nearby I'd say we should have a guitar jam session. I could probably learn amp riffs and chords from you. Keep up the good work.

[@VaughnSkow]

In the Nashville area? Sure :-)

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

@@VaughnSkow LOL, I live in the Alaska area. Long winters and all got me into fooling around on guitar, which over the years has led me to build pedals, amps, pickups, and to put together Franken guitars etc. Anyway, I've enjoyed many of your videos. I used to watch your WGS speaker demos. I never bought WGS since shipping them to where I live cost as much as the speaker, but they sound good.

[@charlesadams9929]

Great video and info! Thank you so much! Now I know the real difference! Amazing what a magnet change can do!

[@VaughnSkow]

You're welcome, thanks for the love! :-)

[@markclark4795]

thanks for the tutorial. I am going through a couple of LP's and wanted some vintage tone. thanks doc.

[@markn4526]

I just revisited your video because it's such an excellent reference source and I have a question. I was wondering what would happen by throwing an alnico 3 into the comparison. All else being equal, how would the inductance be effected compared to the alnico 2 and alnico 5 magnets? Using Gibson pickups as an example, the '57 Classic pickup which uses alnico 2 and the CustomBucker pickup which uses alnico 3 sound so much different from each other both in output and tone. I'm also wondering why Gibson wouldn't use alnico 5 in the CustomBuckers.

[@AtlanticPetrochemicals]

Vielen Dank ! Das beste Video !!!

[@srinip]

First of all, nothing wrong with your playing. More importantly, I can definitely hear the difference, more so on the clean channel. The IIs are distinctly rounder and warmer. Even the OD channel is not that hard to tell, but the difference is a lot more obvious in the clean channel. The IIs are my definite favorite. I have another question that you may have addressed in a different video. Does the baseplate material (metal vs fiber) affect the tone significantly, and what about the depth/shallowness of the bobbins? Thanks for the video - love it.

[@doubled5383]

Love this kind of discussion. It’s technical but explained in English. Very well done. What about different magnets in P90s. I have only played A-V P90s. Curious what you would say about A-II P90s.

[@VanjaSpirin]

I like A2 magnet in a bridge position, because it is less nasal. But question is: PRS has A2 pickups, very expensive, boutique, with a lower amount of turns, so bridge pickup is 7.2k. Is this somehow better, and, if yes, why? Are underwound pickups less dark sounding, more focused and single coil like or what? Mr. PRS says that the best humbuckers sound like a single coils.

[@CRUNCHCOLE]

I like the ll especially in the bridge position. I want to commend you on the guitar being in tune unlike most demo videos

[@Joseph-so6td]

Very helpful demo! Thank you V.S. I personally prefer the alnico 2's, especially for the cleaner tones. But, with distortion, I hear a bit more clarity with the alnico 5s.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

Great explanation, thanks for putting this video together and sharing your knowledge, thx

[@jimnewearthblues1672]

Awesome comparison and info, thanks!👍🏼

[@hobiecat901]

I really like the 2's, 1957, WHERE and when can I get a set of them??? i am building a Tele now for Humbuckers. I will soon be needing the Humbuckers.

[@SamJosephMedia]

Really great video! I’m thinking of A5 bridge and A2 neck for a vintage sounding LP? Your thoughts please?

[@BenMcLoughlinMusic]

"Alnico 5: brighter on the top, scooped in the lower mids". Thanks for the info! Just got a "korina wood" Agile ALD-3010SE with the Alnico 5's, and having read that Slash used Seymour Duncan Alnico 2's, was trying to decide what was the difference and if I should switch out...since I'm usually cutting the EQ mid's in the mixes to make room for vocals, having Alnico 5's that already do that will make things smoother.

[@tfrost33elkhunter]

Awesome video! Thank you... SO... would it stand to reason that an Alnico 4 be slightly less bright than the Alnico 5? Or does it not work this way? Thank you again for the fantastic video!

[@sevennotes8940]

What is the difference between your 59 PAF and your 59/60 pup? I'm seriously thinking about trying a set of your two connector wiring(metal sheath and center hot). Thanks.

[@marcelpacheco7878]

Nicely done. Luv the two's!

[@roddyrobertson5393]

Great and highly informative video, I really learned a lot! Many thanks Vaughn. salutations. :-)

[@StephenCameron]

Henries, not Hernies. It's named after Joseph Henry.

[@sylvainbiensur7370]

Very good video thank for all the infos

[@adamwatson6916]

I thought paf outputs varied widely which means that not all had the same amount of turns. I also thought that not all 57 pads had A2 and not all 59 pafs had at A5. The latter ones from 60 and 61 mostly has A5 but again not always .

[@gerardoromano3436]

This shows that nice pickups in a crappy guitar sound crappy, It´s very a very educative video. it clearly shows that IF your guitar doesn´t sound wright for you don´t rush to order new pickups that cost as much as the guitar itself, check with some guitar tech if your guitar (wood, hardware) is any good for better pickups or you may waste a lot of money , perform a good setup including pickup distance from the bottom of the strings, (I know this is a test guitar for quick pickup swap so no offence to the creator of this video). Nice demo thank you

[@andreybrodianski5596]

What about parasitic capacitance of the coil? Which should be highly depended on tension

[@Sams911]

what are your thoughts on the new Gibson 59 Series I Alnico 4 limited edition pickups? $1000 for a pair... I hear they sound spot on.

[@MrBluzhound]

Subscribed, thanks for the straight up comparison Vaughn! Ps - the playing ain’t so bad, either 👍

[@richwallace6854]

Great job, very educational!

[@rickboone1090]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I got a pair of 59 Alnico two pack ups that I love today. I got a pair of vintage Alnico two , and they’re real high output. and I got a pair of Seymour Duncan green magic Alnico twos in the middle position they’re kinda harsh.

[@ivanhuanca9082]

Really liked this A/B comparison vid and ofcourse all the theory behind ... You only missed 2 things.. Not complaining but 1- Mixing A2/A5 or viceversa 2- out of serie one of those combination. I know it takes a lot of time doing these.. I apreciate your time on this

[@Nicklowend]

The difference between A2 and A5 is way noticeable... I am impressed !

[@roadkingrocks5067]

Well done!

[@panipanayiotou4322]

Hey Vaughn! That was amazing man great video. Excellent demo! My opinion? The Alnico II is by far the better of the two! The AlnicoII has more Vintage warmth and mellow sound the the Alnico V which has a modern day metal sound. As for the distorted A2 it's much sweeter than the harshness of 5. With the 2, the guitar body's resonance is picked up and is well balanced where as the 5 it's the magnet overpowering the natural vibe of the guitars sound. I hope that makes sense? Thanks again man...I've bought some Alnico 2 pickups for my Dean Evo. Its gonna Rock! 😎✌

[@johnmerrill4717]

Appreciate it my friend.

[@dominikpohli2381]

whatsthe difrence between your 59 and the seymour duncan sh1 59

[@rokinrandy]

I’m inspired by your building up what looks like a small business doing what you love. I never heard of or tried your pick ups but I like EVH tone and most of my guitars have seymores. Custom custom humbuckers and some have anico 2 Seymour single coils and ive been building guitars and becoming more price conscious as I do so. So I’ll subscribe. Cheers.

[@gregdunn6040]

I drift on magnet preferences, sometimes I really dig the A2 for certain things, other times I'll use an A4 or A5, on a rare occasion I have an A3 that gets used. I wind mine with the Gibson mentality, whatever color bobbins I have handy, and whatever magnet I grab out of the box. The winding stays pretty much the same, a little under or a little over depending on my mood, lol. Good info, some of us guitar geeks get way into the minutae of vintage stuff.

[@davidbakerscuba]

Very cool Vaughn, thanks. I preferred the 5’s. They had a bit more bite and clarity to my ears.

[@gertzpalma]

THANKS, VAUGHN!

[@YoureNowOnTV]

Very much appreciated. Thank you sir 😁👍

[@marcrombouts4971]

Very helpfull! Thanks for your knowledge. Also willing to sell a 57 neck?

[@norbertexp]

No tocas tan mal, hasta diría que lo haces bastante bien. Eso si, sigues hablando mucho.... Gracias por la comparativa, fue interesante.

[@SejaSuaEssencia]

12:03 - A2 12:19 - A5 15:27 - A2 15:48 - A5 16:12 - A2 16:28 - A5

[@Alexanderstarreveldo]

Much prefer the Alnico 2’s especially into a really clean amp like a Fender.

[@johnvalencia9927]

Yeah i can't believe how much better the 2's sound. Makes me hate alnico V, seems too harsh and just flat out ugly by comparison.

[@JWCFB]

I agree but I'm a little torn because I'm 60 years old and I'm losing my hearing from years of loud music and they say the high frequencies are the first thing to go and from what I'm experiencing I believe it.

[@888jimm]

@@JWCFB - Thats what I tell my wife.... :)

[@JWCFB]

@@888jimm 🤣

[@wildbill2122]

COOL Video Bro ! I've been using a '57 Classic (A2 Magnet) in the Bridge Position and a '61R (A5 Magnet) in the neck position on my #2 SG Standard and its the best pickup combination I've come up with.....BUT, I only use GIBSON USA pickup's. I figure, If GIBSON invented the P-90 FFS.....they know what they are doing....... and there is no need to use after-market pickup's at all.

[@tomdrouhard3781]

I like the sound of the alnico II pickups

[@wesleymorris1]

I honestly prefer alnico 3, with the right wind its just amazing. Its finding that right wind that takes me many sets of pickups for a specific guitar. I wound 5 sets last time to find the wind that sounded good to me. A 3 gives you the variance also.

[@sakitakungtyan]

I have 50’s A3 magnet. What do you think would be the sweet spot DCR for an A3 mag?

[@wesleymorris1]

@@sakitakungtyan 7.5 to 8 for alnico 3 works great,

[@Nicklowend]

So hand wound humbuckers are not more quality than machine wounded ? at least not regarding that feature. right? I am in the research to get vintage humbuckers... which is difficult due to aaaaalll the different options and brands.

[@ChayBode]

Great video, sure feel educated like a pro now, lol, very detailed and well presented, as for the guitar playing, I enjoy real samples that are honest and down to earth.....thanks for the UK :)

[@VaughnSkow]

"honest and down to earth" ... that's me! :-)

[@jazzydog]

I like the sound of alnico II. Thanks for doing this.

[@steveg219]

I am amazed at how different they, completely different sounds, way more than I expected. The 57 style seem to sound better for this particular guitar and amp