Custom Custom + LP?

[stm113]

Hey tone Wizards!

I have an Epiphone 1960 50th Anniversary Tribute LP Standard (V3). I’ve never really liked the Bridge pup in the guitar, if I am correct it’s one of the Gibby BB’s. I’ve thought for years about changing, I have a SD Custom Custom laying around and am curious what that combo may be. I’m not a soldering wiz so I wanted to get some opinions before I dig in.

this is my 4th LP and I wanna go for a different vibe with each, my 96 studio I am happy with the Stock 498, my 2012 Classic (which is my primary guitar) I can’t stand the 500t so I am pretty sure a JB is going in there. I have a 95 studio that I am thinking of putting HB sized P90’s in, so with the Epi I wanna kind of shoot for a late 70’s classic/hard rock vibe.

Do y’all think that the custom custom can help or nah?

[ErikH]

Do it. It may be the ticket. I have a Gibson Les Paul with a CC in the bridge and a '57 Classic in the neck. Love the combo. The stock pickup in yours is a BB2. The stock pickup in mine was a BB3. The CC can do a lot.

[Gtrjunior]

I’ll second what Eric said.
As a matter of fact he put one in his LP and was kind enough to post a clip for me to hear the results. I thought it sounded so good that I put one in my LP too. I’m loving it!
Mine is paired with a Dimarzio Bluesbucker in the neck, wired for series/parallel.

[stm113]

Thanks guys, I think I shall try it!

[beaubrummels]

Late 70's vibe I'd say Whole Lotta Humbucker, Slash, or Saturday Night Special. But Custom Custom would be perfectly fine, just not my first choice for that.

[formula73]

Dig

[stm113]

The Saturday night special was something I was drawn towards but if I can find a use for a pup I'm already have evern better. If not I'm gonna try that one.


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[Mincer]

I say if you already have the CC, do it. You are out some time, but you'll know quickly if you will like it or not (I think you'd like it). If for some reason you don't, you will have a good idea where you want to go (brighter? more/less power?). That clarity alone makes it worth it.

[LesStrat]

Just do it!

[jeremy]

at worst youll know what you like and the wind on that pup takes mag swaps magnificently

[Aceman]

I'll say do it, and break this whole thing down.

I have an Epiphone 1960 50th Anniversary Tribute LP Standard (V3). I’ve never really liked the Bridge pup in the guitar, if I am correct it’s one of the Gibby BB’s. I’ve thought for years about changing, I have a SD Custom Custom laying around and am curious what that combo may be. I’m not a soldering wiz so I wanted to get some opinions before I dig in.

I say go ahead and give it a try. Can't speak to the sonic characteristics of the specific Epi. I did have an Epiphone classic ~1996 that I had a CC in I really liked it. You may or may not. I got this specific guitar and pickup for playing classic/southern/blues rock. What I loved: #1 the highs were super fat. Just big and round and smooth and buttery. If you were going for Clapton Woman tone, or sweet Allmans leads this was excellent! Also, the thing had mids for days. Massive giagantic wide down the middle of mids mids. It cut through great. It gave an excellent slide snarl. The bottom was not very tight. For looser goose Stones/Aerosmith riffing it was awesome. Additionally, if you wanted, because of the mids, it could crunch pretty good - just not that Uber-tight bass crunch. I wouldn't call it a first rate metal pickup. The output was hotter than you think, but it didn't feel like a distortion level sort of humbucker. So that's what I think you'll get.

This is my 4th LP and I wanna go for a different vibe with each, my 96 studio I am happy with the Stock 498

The Duncan pickup closest to this would be the Custom 5. Bass, Treble, and very very scooped mids. It is tighter in bass, sharper in highs, and feels a little hotter than a CC. Probably about the same output though. Think of it as the exact opposite of the CC on EQ. remember, the Les Paul is a very middy guitar so, it isn't like death metal scooped. Incidentally, if you mag swap the A2 in a CC for an A5, you get a Duncan Custom 5. Just food for thought. If you dig the 498, cool. Roll with it. I'd get a Custom 5. Maybe. However - great all around pickup. I could play whatever with that and not be sad.

my 2012 Classic (which is my primary guitar) I can’t stand the 500t so I am pretty sure a JB is going in there.

Too bad - because a 500t is pretty much exactly a Duncan Distortion! I LOVE that pickup. But that's me. That would be a great Metal Les Paul. You may hate it. The JB is historically hit/miss by people in Les Pauls. Some love it, some hate it. Best I can tell is bedroom shredders don't like it, while people playing in bands love it because it cuts through. It will have tighter bass, more upper mid punch and sharp highs compared to a CC. Les Paul plus JB if you like it is a great rock guitar. Can handle blues and metal too. You might also consider a Duncan Custom. It will be a rock, hard rock , metal pickup with super tight thumping bass, decent mids, and a cutting screaming ceramic high end that can rock as hard as you want. And guess what? You are a Ceramic mag swap from the Custom to an A5 to get a Custom five, and an A2 away from a CC

I have a 95 studio that I am thinking of putting HB sized P90’s in, so with the Epi I wanna kind of shoot for a late 70’s classic/hard rock vibe.

- Sticking with Duncan, a Phat Cat would handle classic, vintage, cleaners, grittier styles of all things blues jazz and rock. There are a bunch of other humbucker sized P90's people dig though. Ask about and see what they say.

So I say get the CC - and also learn how to swap mags. Way easier than a full pickup swap.
If you had Guitars with a CC, a C5, a Custom, and a P90-ish guitar you would have four very different Les Pauls

My Les Pauls have A Distortion, A SuperDistortion, Another SuperDistortion, and a Duncan Custom P-90 (loud ceramic RAWK P90) But I have Dean Cadillacs and other things with: Distortions, Customs, JB's, PG's, 59/Custom Hybrids...at the moment.

[stm113]

Thank you very much for all of that! I will take it all under advisement.

[BeKindRewind]

The CC is one of the best bridge pickups Duncan makes in terms of being able to do a wide range from clean to distorted and sound great on every spot on your volume control. It has a beautiful character to it, too.

I had one in my Les Paul and later transplanted it to my SG. It's an excellent match for mahogany/maple combo of a Les Paul! It was so good for running the range from sharp clean chords and leads to Kenny Wayne Shepherd covers to van Halen. I would say my favorite thing about it is how much you can change it just with the volume knob. The only thing it can't do very well IMO is metal. The low end is just too lacking in output to get satisfying power chord chunk. The great thing about the custom though is you can magnet swap it to make slight differences if it's not exactly to your liking . I think between the 3 custom models there's something for everybody.

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[stm113]

I
Too bad - because a 500t is pretty much exactly a Duncan Distortion!

Firstly you have THE BEST user name and Avatar!

I mean I wanted the best but you got it lol


So my thing with the 500t is that it’s slightly dirtier than I want but (which isn’t that big of a deal when I back the height down) but what I fight with is the honky midrange, if I could somehow get that midrange dialed back a bit I’d probably keep the 500 in the LP.

Oh and your user name/avatar rocks!


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[Aceman]

The way to fight the Honky midrange is a Full Shred. Sort of. Maybe...Or a Custom. But I covered that.