Those are actually "ceramic" magnets underneath the cheap pickups.

The Ceramic formulation is much more inexpensive to manufacture than the good old fashioned Alnico type. The Nickel and Cobalt in the Alnico magnet, at the right proportions, yields the generated sound that we have come to love.

Ceramic magnets are also used in cabinet door closure devices and the ubiquitous Refrigerator Magnets that can't hold the piece of paper on the refrigerator door. The wife's hangings always seemt to fall off the doggone door along with the ceramic magnet when I want a glass of milk. *grin*

Anyway, one can make a much better recording axe out of the Mex or Squire offerings by simply replacing the pickups, or better yet, ALL the electrics in these things. The pots aren't so nice and neither is the switch, IMO.

Those who aren't adept with the ins and outs of rewiring and soldering can still do the swapout rather easily because we can now purchase the entire pickguard with pickups, pots, switch, jack and wiring already put together. Changing the whole thing out is a rather simple matter of removing strings, unscrewing the original pickguard, and attaching only the ground wire to the bridge. Fasten the new plate with better pickups and all to the guitar using the same screws and you now have a much better sounding axe that can turn in a great job in the home studio.


--Mac

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