59/Custom with Alnico 8, or Custom 8?

[nikosteph]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum (though reading posts was incredibly helpful before joining...), and was wondering what you all thought would sound better: a 59/Custom with an Alnico 8 magnet, or the Custom 8?

I have a Les Paul Studio and play through a Blackstar HT-1. I play mostly classic/hard rock (Zeppelin, AC/DC, GNR, Aerosmith, etc.), and initially swapped out the neck pickup for a Custom. Although I loved the thick chunk and 'roided-out-PAF tone of the Custom, I found it a bit too dry/cold/sterile (I often had to roll back the tone knob a bit, but even then it still lacked the "juiciness" of Alnico mag pickups, if that makes sense...), and didn't much like the cleans. I don't play much metal, so I don't need anything quite that aggressive.

I swapped it out for the 59/Custom, and overall like that better, with more complex and musical tones, and a truly wonderful clean sound. The distorted sound is great too, definitely more crunch than a typical PAF-style pickup. However, it's just a tad too loose and grainy, and I'd love it if I could get all the benefits of the pickup with just a bit more crunch and edge, especially to tighten up the lows and the highs.

So, I'm wondering, would you recommend an Alnico 8 for this pickup, or would that completely ruin it? What is everyone's experience with that? I've also read raves about the Custom 8, so would that be a better option, and would that sacrifice what I like so much about the Hybrid?

Does anyone have sound clips of these pickups I could listen to?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

[CTN]

Re: 59/Custom with Alnico 8, or Custom 8?

try it out. only way to know for sure if you like it.

I've used an A8 in a '59 and in a Custom and it's a winner in both pickups, but I've not tried it in a '59/C hybrid. Logic would follow that it should sound fine in the '59/C as well, but like I said, the only way to know for sure is if you try it for yourself.

The C8 is pretty high output. It's usable for lower-medium gain stuff, but I'd think the lower output of the '59/C wind would be better suited to what you're playing.

[nikosteph]

Re: 59/Custom with Alnico 8, or Custom 8?

Thanks for the info! I'm definitely leaning towards trying it out, but I don't have any experience swapping magnets or even changing pickups myself, so I'm a bit hesitant to just dive into it, or have to pay someone to do it, if there's a good chance it will sound like crap...

But if enough people think the tone is good, and would not obviously ruin the good thing I already have going in the 59/C, then I'll definitely give it a shot.

From what I've read on this forum, it seems like the consensus is that the A8 tames the harshness of the Custom, a pickup that I did like for many reasons, so my logic was that the A8 in the 59/C would be the perfect "sweet spot" between the 59/C and the C8 (though I haven't heard the latter...). But I'm a newbie at this, so I could be totally off base...

[CTN]

Re: 59/Custom with Alnico 8, or Custom 8?

It's pretty easy to do, but just be aware that if you do a mag swap, you are voiding the warranty on the pickup. If you're uncomfortable doing that yourself, you could probably send your pickup in to SD for a magnet swap (which would likely keep the warranty in tact), or you could order a "shop floor custom" ie a base model with a small tweak, like a different magnet from stock.

Here's a vid tutorial I did on swapping magnets:

[nikosteph]

Re: 59/Custom with Alnico 8, or Custom 8?

That's great, thanks! My pickup is covered, so it might be a little more involved to remove that (and it'll be coated in more wax I suppose), but I'm definitely quite tempted...