Swap ceramic pickups for Alnico in MM SR5

magic papa · #1 03-24-2011, 07:20 AM

As per subject. I know SD and Nordstrand make ones, but how do I figure out which type I need to install? I mean 2 coil, 3 coil etc?

I'm prepared to swap both the pickup and preamp to sound like a classic SR (it doesn't now) and I need advice on what would be the best combination. I have a 3-band EQ and a volume knob.

TIA
MP.

LDonnie · #2 03-24-2011, 07:27 AM

Doesn't Ernie Ball swap pickups 1 for 1? You can check with customer service, it might just save you some bucks.

walterw · #3 03-24-2011, 08:15 AM

I don't think they will. The most you could get from them is an identical replacement if the original died.

eastcoasteddie · #4 03-24-2011, 09:29 PM

^^right, they will not swap one for the other, only a defect replacement.

The SR5 has the 3-position switch, but I'm not sure when they went with the 3-coil version. What year is your bass? To be sure, can you pull the pickup and take a look at it? According to the SD site, anything after '96 will have a 3-coil pickup.

magic papa · #5 03-25-2011, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

I don't think they will. The most you could get from them is an identical replacement if the original died.

Can somebody sell me a dead alnico pickup than?

magic papa · #6 03-25-2011, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoasteddie

^^right, they will not swap one for the other, only a defect replacement.

The SR5 has the 3-position switch, but I'm not sure when they went with the 3-coil version. What year is your bass? To be sure, can you pull the pickup and take a look at it? According to the SD site, anything after '96 will have a 3-coil pickup.

I believe the bass was made in 2006, that's what the serial number search yielded.

I can pull the pickup out, but that's a bit of messing about. Is there a way to tell alnico from ceramic once it's pulled out? Will the coils be visible or it's all potted?

LDonnie · #7 03-25-2011, 04:37 AM

I believe one is a bit shinier than the other

. Can't really say much more about it

magic papa · #8 03-25-2011, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDonnie

I believe one is a bit shinier than the other

. Can't really say much more about it

How do you say which one is shinier if you only have one pickup?

. I would need another one to compare.

ricknote · #9 03-25-2011, 01:04 PM

I had the same question about my SR5.
I called Ernie Ball, gave them the ser# and they
Told me mine was ceramic.
I'm not changing a thing. I love the punch the ceramic PU
Has on the low B.

eastcoasteddie · #10 03-25-2011, 05:50 PM

usually, EB pickups are not potted, you can pull the coils out of the cases like older Jazz pickups. Ceramic pickups will usually have a long bar magnet across the bottom of the poles like this:

top of same pickup:

Alnico pickups will not have the bar magnet, as each of the poles is a magnet itself:

top of alnico

not sure if you can see any difference in the "shinyness" of the pole pieces...

walterw · #11 03-25-2011, 05:57 PM

yep, the ceramic version has chrome-plated steel polepieces, while the alnico has actual alnico magnet polepieces, which look duller and greyer.

magic papa · #12 03-25-2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoasteddie

usually, EB pickups are not potted, you can pull the coils out of the cases like older Jazz pickups. Ceramic pickups will usually have a long bar magnet across the bottom of the poles like this:

Top stuff, thanks a lot for the images. Not sure I can see the difference in shinyness, but I'll pull one out. Should be easy to tell then.

Sorry for asking perhaps a silly question - but how can I determine how many coils it has? I mean - how does the phantom coil look like? Is it in these pictures somewhere?

eastcoasteddie · #13 03-25-2011, 06:53 PM

Check the Duncan site, they have a profile shot of the 3-coil pickup. There's a third coil under the pickup.

depalm · #14 03-25-2011, 07:26 PM

How do I pick a Music Man style pickup for my bass?
nordstrand pickups > faq

tylerwylie · #15 03-25-2011, 07:33 PM

I do think you're on a wild goose chase(from his other thread), but hey keep both pickups and find out which works better for you. I have a Sterling by Music Man Ray35(Stingray 5 based) model that has distinctly different voices than a Stingray in Series and Series(Filter) mode but when in Parallel I can definitely hear the Stingray vibe.