The new guitar came with a Custom 5 in the bridge. The M400 has a bright top and with the scooped mids of the Custom 5, the guitar sounded shrill on top and empty in the mids. So I put an old favorite, an Evolution in the bridge. Very articulate, very up front solo notes. Sounds great on top end, but its missing some thickness and it doesnt breathe much.
After watching tons of youtube videos to find a better replacement (Crunch Lab? Dreamcatcher? Distortion?) I decided, "what do I have to lose" what not try a magnet swap? I took a ceramic magnet out of an old INF1 stock pickup and swapped it into the Custom 5.
This is a whole new ballgame. The anemic mids of the 5 now have some heft and the harmonics sound huge, not screechy. Its not so hot so it breathes some, and the bottom is bigger. Just sounds fuller and better harmonics than with the 5. I've only played with it about ten minuets, but I like what I hear.
Its really kind of brilliant for them to ship guitars with a pickup that the magnet can be swapped to several things for different types of players.
...
Played another 15 minutes, and the Duncan Custom is HUGE! It reminds me of the Dimarzio Norton, except this has ceramic character and really wails.
This might be my new favorite pickup.
After watching tons of youtube videos to find a better replacement (Crunch Lab? Dreamcatcher? Distortion?) I decided, "what do I have to lose" what not try a magnet swap? I took a ceramic magnet out of an old INF1 stock pickup and swapped it into the Custom 5.
This is a whole new ballgame. The anemic mids of the 5 now have some heft and the harmonics sound huge, not screechy. Its not so hot so it breathes some, and the bottom is bigger. Just sounds fuller and better harmonics than with the 5. I've only played with it about ten minuets, but I like what I hear.
Its really kind of brilliant for them to ship guitars with a pickup that the magnet can be swapped to several things for different types of players.
...
Played another 15 minutes, and the Duncan Custom is HUGE! It reminds me of the Dimarzio Norton, except this has ceramic character and really wails.
This might be my new favorite pickup.
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