C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

[Guitarist]

I've read lots of reviews on these things...some hate it, others praise it. What's the deal? What would turn some people off about these pickups? Tell me the +'s and -'s along with the style you believe it best meets. This is pretty important, because I'm still looking for the perfect bridge pickup for my new Gibson LP Standard I should be buying fairly soon. Thanks a lot in advance!

[Surgeon]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

I've read lots of reviews on these things...some hate it, others praise it. What's the deal? What would turn some people off about these pickups? Tell me the +'s and -'s along with the style you believe it best meets. This is pretty important, because I'm still looking for the perfect bridge pickup for my new Gibson LP Standard I should be buying fairly soon. Thanks a lot in advance!

Well, I had it in an all mahogany ltd ec-300... It had a good bottom end, but lacked mids and highs critically... couldn't cut through for soloing... I was always switching to the '59 in the neck to get to cut through even with my marshall which is fairly bright... so I'm in the not satisfied group...

[Benjy_26]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

I had the same problem. the lows are great, but it had no mids. I am much happier with the CC in my Carvin and a Custom in my Yamaha. I think it makes a great rythm pickup, but it doesn't have the beef of the CC or the grind of the Custom.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

Think of it as a beefier 59 bridge. I really like it, mostly because the lows are tight and percussive, the mids let the amp and wood dictate the sound, and the highs are nice and present without being icey. I have C-5's in all my LP's. I like it because it's the only high output pickup that still sounds like a medium output pickup, meaning it sounds nice on clean tones, midgain tones, and highgain. That pickup does require that you have a guitar with nice mids, like a Paul, and an amp with full mids.
I'm still experimenting with neck pickups, although I usually use 59's or Seth Lover.
I think a great combo for your Standard would be Custom 5/Pearly Gates neck in nickel covered. That's Robert S's favorite. I like my 59 necks, but may move over to a PG neck, next time. Or a Jazz neck.

[BloodRose]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

There are lots of pickups cuz there are lots of tastes. The C5 is filet mignon to me.. I have a bud that swears by the CC cuz he cuts thru. To me, I find the CC to focused on one tone. I find such versatility in the C5. Plus, the C5 to me seems to not color the tone of the guitar, but bring out the guitar's tone. Example. Whatever guitar I put my Tone Zone in, sounded like the tone zone. I now have the C5 in my strat, RG570, and Explorer and each guitar has its own voice but I get the common feel with each. I can switch to any of them and play with the same touch, dynamic and get the same art harmonics etc. Used to be I had to alter my style for each axe.. Im considering putting one in my LP too.. And my Carvin.
Plus, I can eq up the mids in my amp and get a tone similar to the CC. I couldnt get c5 tone with a CC. Everyone that plays my axes love the tone.
May not be for everyone, but is a very versatile place to start..

[Stevo]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

This is what made me really like the C5: with the adjustable pole pieces on the bridge side, I raised the middle poles about 1/8" or so. I raised the pickup as high as it would go without touching the strings. Then I raised the height of the A and the B strings, slightly less that the middle strings.
This gave it a natural midrange tone along with the smoothness that is inherent in this pickup.

[sonnyblu]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

This C5 is a very unusual pickup. It is very open and airy (nice) but the Mids are really cut, which accentuates the highs. It will make your guitar very versitile for any rythm playing or Jazz and country soloing. I play all styles, but when It's time to rock I really need some mids. With both PU's on, it sounds great in a Les Paul. But... Damn! I miss those mids. If it had just a touch more mids it would be the Ultimate! Basicly I have been treating my Les Paul Smartwood Banara (through an Evil Twin) as though it where a Telecaster with a QP in it! Yes! Exaclly, It's Love and Hate. I love the rythm but the leads are way to thin. What am I looking for?!! I really apprecate this disscussion.

[papersoul]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

The mids aere what caused me to remove the pickup and go to the Rio Grande BBQ. I also tried the Custom but found it sounded too hard although thick. Now I am back tot he Burstbucker Pros in my LP and they appear to be a tad more aggressive than the C-5 and have more mids which was kind of a surprise to me since the C-5 is hotter technically.

[BloodRose]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

SonnyBlu,
Something else I find appealing about the C5 is it's responsiveness to adjustment. Changing the height at either end or the height of the poles can really make a difference. Have you tried dialing up the middle poles to bring out more mids? I know the tone curve for that pup is a slight scoop on the mids, but I dont find it to be weak in the middle. Try twisting those poles up and see if that gives you what you seek. If not, well, no harm done..

[rspst14]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

Not a fan of the C5. I found it to be too bright and too bassy, with scooped mids and too much treble. Now to be fair, I was using it in a guitar that was a little brighter than a Les Paul, without the natural midrange from the wood. I much prefer the Rio Grande BBQ to the C5.

Ryan

[sonnyblu]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

Hey thanks...... and to guitarist for asking! I am a little bummed, so I will try your suguesstion BloodRose

[Guitarist]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

Oooh, I'm not a huge fan of the scooped mids reviews. I guess the tone chart really does show that...

With a Rectifier, I have the mids up at about 11:00 so I'm cutting through just great with my other pups, especially the Custom, but I don't know if a C-5 would really help that at all. Any other suggestions for a nice versatile but heavy tone. Something that will stay in the range of Hard Rock but will be daring enough to venture out some very nice cleans. Power. Aggression. Sweetness. All in one?

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

SonnyBlu,
Have you tried dialing up the middle poles to bring out more mids?

Does it actually work that way? How does bringing up the middle poes bring up mids? Mids aren't limited to the middle straings which are what is affected when bringing up the middle poles. I don't think the poles act as an EQ in their shape, do they?

[BloodRose]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

Carrot,
Not an eq, but it does allow the mid strings to ring thru alittle bolder. So the E strings arent so booming.. Apologies to anyone if I wasnt clear there. It may not be the cure, but if you have the pup, try everything to make sure before writing it off. Sometimes an adjustment does the trick..

[sonnyblu]

Re: C-5, Hate/Love Relationships?

I have moved this sucker around every which way but loose! But thanks BloodRose I apreciate. I have a beautiful acousticly sounding mahogany Les Paul, this doesn't make since. Here's another one: How differant would the JB from the Gibson 490 that I am trying to replace? I am trying to find specs, they don't offer at Gibson (of course) Do they give spec's on your Burstbucker Pro, Papersoul?