Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

[Chistopher]

Given how long the CS has been around and how many pickups they have made, their have to be a few models that can only be referred to in hushed tones. I got to thinking about this after I got to play one of my buddies Flying V's that he forgot about in his basement and it has a set of Custom Shop "Eclair" pickups. All the research I did only brought up the Tyler Landau humbucker and that the '78s wind use to be a secret.

 

[chadd]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

To me, the point of custom is to get exactly what you want, not to have another line of stock pickups. That said, having the most common requests available as essentially a limited production series does makes, but only if it's promoted to some degree.

That said, I have one of the original El Diablos. Lots of discussion on them here, but not a widely known product outside the fraternity of the coil and magnet.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

Most every custom shop PU is a secret because the models are just a base. You tell them what sound you want and they come up with a tweaked recipe to make it happen. No one really knows that recipe but the shop.

 

[esandes]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

Apparently parchment colored pickups from the CS is a big secret.

 

[JamesPaul]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

I ran into someone in the mid 90's who claimed to have Custom Shop variants on the Allan Holdsworth pickups. They sounded d@#n good to me, so I just let it go for what it was.

 

[EDX]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

lol, iirc on the custom shop page you can see most common custom pickups, the allan holdsworth pickup is called the "AH Metal Fatigue"

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

Sorry if I didn't clarify, but what I am refering to is pickups custom wound for big named artists that haven't recieved the promotion that the other custom shop pickups have. And y'all are right, having something no one else has is the point of a custom shop.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

I think these days the big "secret" is how to get them in an humanly reasonable time...

But no "custom shop" generally goes around advertising everything they do. Some things are just not notable. Others are kept secret (EVH?). And being custom work, you just don't have time.

This one has quite a number identified and available. And...being a "custom shop" I think the point is for you to order your own.

Me...I'd be getting some 9 to 9.5k PG's!!!!!

Are the RTM's all signed?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

I knew James Hetfield has an EMG set after him, but I've never known about any Duncans.

 

[EDX]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

james made the change to EMGs for and justice for all, the one who used EMGs for master of puppets was kirk, james started using invaders in his v to thicken up his sound, as on that time their best gear was stolen and the pickups he had on his v at the time sounded thin through the gear they had left

the ones with dirty fingers were his explorers, his v is a copy, before the invaders he used distortions and custom pickups, till today you can order the same set james asked, but it has no real name nor public specs, the bridge pickup has double row of screws

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

I never really cared for Metallica's music much, but I have always liked Hetfield and his tone. I might have to look into those if I ever come across any surplus money.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

It's no secret (especially around here), but I had to say it again: the BroBucker totally rules.

 

[Davii]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

james made the change to EMGs for and justice for all, the one who used EMGs for master of puppets was kirk, james started using invaders in his v to thicken up his sound, as on that time their best gear was stolen and the pickups he had on his v at the time sounded thin through the gear they had left

the ones with dirty fingers were his explorers, his v is a copy, before the invaders he used distortions and custom pickups, till today you can order the same set james asked, but it has no real name nor public specs, the bridge pickup has double row of screws

That sounds like the closest to secret, in terms of how you'd ask for it.

 

[EDX]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

well, there are tons of custom pickups made by the SD custom shop for some artists, but the pickups have no names, you have to ask for the pickup made for X artist, it also has happened that those custom pickups then became popular so other artists adopted them and they were given a name, like the duncan el diablo, it started it's life as the tony iommy signature

 

[Mincer]

Re: Any Secret Custom Shop Pickups?

lol, iirc on the custom shop page you can see most common custom pickups, the allan holdsworth pickup is called the "AH Metal Fatigue"

Funny, he may have used this pickup around '85 when 'Metal Fatigue' came out, but he used a double screw neck 59 in the bridge for the longest time after. Now he has signature Kiesels. He used very low output pickups for my favorite tones- the 90s until his signature headless came out.