Newest Pickup Adventures CstmCstm vs PG

[Brett Valentine]

I picked up a Custom Custom and a Classic Stack this afternoon as part of my "general guitar facelift" project. I tried dropping the CstmCstm in the bridge position of the Brian Moore (in place of a Pearly Gates), and I took it back out in about 2 minutes! It was just too close to the neck APH-1 to my ears. It was definitely warm sounding. It beared a family resemblance to the Alnico 2 Pro. When I ran it through some heavier overdrive, I really couldn't discern much difference between the neck pickup and the bridge. The differences in the highs weren't apparent to my ears.

In single coil mode, the tones were also warm and round with subtle highs, but didn't do it for me.

I got so used to the brighter, more "aggressive" Pearly Gates tone, both in humbucker mode and single coil, I really missed it when it wasn't there! In fact, the wide difference in tone (that seemed a little bit much to me) didn't bother me at all. Oh well, I guess the only way to know if you realy like what you have is to try something else from time to time.

The other change was replacing the neck Hot Rails on my TexMex Strat with a Classic Stack. I use a push/pull pot aqnd wire the "down" position for single coil (which I use more) and the pulled position for humbucking. Definitely more of a characteristic single coil tone in single coil mode if just a hair darker than the stock TexMex neck, but to my ears, just as powerful. In humbucking mode, it get's just a but quieter to my ears with a quieter top end. The same character, but more subdued. Definitely a change from the Hot Rails in humbucker mode (which, by the way, is now freed up to try out in my Bari Electric - a converted Fander Bass VI).


Now I need a neck pickup (crisper than the APH-1) to contrast with the CustomCustom. . .

Brett

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Newest Pickup Adventures CstmCstm vs PG

The CC is a pickup I really want to like, but it just falls a bit short in the clarity and treble dept. Get an Alnico 5 magnet and turn it into a C-5, or trade it for a C-5.
I'm sure you'll like the improvement. I recently put a CC/Seth in one of my pauls, to see if I'd like it better than my regular C-5/59 combo, and I think I'll stick with what I know. I'm turning that CC into a C-3 shortly, to see how that fares.

[Scott_F]

Re: Newest Pickup Adventures CstmCstm vs PG

I really love the CC because of the way they tamed the highs. No icepicks through my forehead. It's my favorite bridge pup.

Some like chocolate, some like vanilla.

[Benjy_26]

Re: Newest Pickup Adventures CstmCstm vs PG

The CC is one of my faveorit bridge pickups. I had it paired with an APH for a LONG time, but last week I paired it with a Jazz and it sounds very good. The Jazz and the CC compliment and balance each other surprisingly well.

[Brett Valentine]

Re: Newest Pickup Adventures CstmCstm vs PG

Gearjoneser,

I might try changing the magnets. Let me know how things turn out with the A3 mag.

In general, what I was looking for was something just a bit warmer than the PG. I'm thinking about adding a small cap to a DPDT mini toggle just to allow me to better match the p/u's when I need it and switch it out for that high end clarity. Any ideas on a good cap value (I already have a TBX master tone control with a .047µf cap so this would only be for the PG)?

Back to the CC, It's definitely going on my Carvin DC400T. That guitar is missing midrange to my ears, just too flat. I have a feeling I'm going to need a neck p/u that has a clear top end (and at least some bass end) but is not sterile sounding and is different from the CC. The active/passive preamp can make up what I need on either end.

Brett