Replacement pups for Custom 5/Jazz in LTD EC-1000

[Juanhanglo]

I thought, from another thread on here, that the Norton design was intended to get close to the 'broken' JB EVH liked in for the EVH line of guitars? Or something like that.

For the OP scooped C5, the Custom or even Custom Custom, or possibly Black Winter would do. For the bright Jazz, a Whole Lotta Humbucker neck might do. Previous suggestions are very good, just offering an alternative option.

The norton was one of the original choices for satriani when his Fred signature came out.
Fred and barney (Flintstones)
Ralph cramdon and ed norton. (The honeymooners)

Much like the tonezone being released after Eddie picked his evh bridge pickup, the norton was released as a new model after Satch made his choice.

[Bogner]

Black Winter

[JOLLY]

I'd swap the magnets in both and turn it into a Custom/Alnico II Pro combination.

[weepingminotaur]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Like I said earlier, I'm not skilled enough to do mag swaps or any of that stuff, so I'll just stick with replacing the pups themselves. I might throw the Custom 5 and the Jazz into another guitar at some point, though.

[Mincer]

A Distortion set is a great idea, followed by a Black Winter neck, Custom bridge. Either of those 2 should work.

[JOLLY]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Like I said earlier, I'm not skilled enough to do mag swaps or any of that stuff.

Me neither, but there's videos showing how to do it that make it look pretty damn easy.

[ehdwuld]

it is easier than swapping pickups
no soldering required

remove pickup
flip pickup over
remove four screws
lift base plate to expose magnet

replace magnet

reverse process

check to be sure of magnet polarity
preferably before change

compass to either edge to determine north and south of each replacement magnet

if you are doing both pickups then polarity is only important to the two going in
as long as both pickups in the same guitar have the same polarity then it will work fine

if one is reversed it will sound strange in the middle position

if both are reversed it wont be noticeable

[beaubrummels]

The norton was one of the original choices for satriani when his Fred signature came out.
Fred and barney (Flintstones)
Ralph cramdon and ed norton. (The honeymooners)

Much like the tonezone being released after Eddie picked his evh bridge pickup, the norton was released as a new model after Satch made his choice.

Ah, that thread popped up again. Looks like it was the ToneZone/AirZone I was thinking of. I got mixed up with the Norton/AirNorton

[AdrianSD]

Magnet swap is really easy, the only challenging part for a beginner IME is dislodging the existing magnet, both C5 and Jazz are potted and the wax holds it tight in place. I'm not removing the 4 screws, only loosen them by exactly 4 turns, enough to then squeeze a thin flathead screwdriver between the bobbin and the base plate to pull both apart slightly at both ends. Then I start pushing the magnet carefully from the wired end, firm but careful.

[ehdwuld]

a flat head screwdriver will destroy the coil if it slip
if you remove the plate the first time
you can easily remove the magnet

[Aceman]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Like I said earlier, I'm not skilled enough to do mag swaps or any of that stuff, so I'll just stick with replacing the pups themselves. I might throw the Custom 5 and the Jazz into another guitar at some point, though.

If you can play guitar you can do a mag swap.

That's ok. Just say I want to spend the money and have someone else do it. That's ok.

[weepingminotaur]

If you can play guitar you can do a mag swap.

That's ok. Just say I want to spend the money and have someone else do it. That's ok.

Tthe two are related: I have no skill, which is why I would rather spend the money and have someone else do it.

[weepingminotaur]

Sorry to necro this thread, but I'm coming back to the question of which pickups to swap and I'm giving serious thought to the following pairings:

Custom bridge / '59 neck
Distortion bridge / Whole Lotta Humbucker neck

Thing is, I have zero experience with any of these pickups. Can you good folks provide me with some intel on how they sound? I'm particularly interested in how the Custom and Distortion stack up against the Nazgul and Black Winter bridge, on the one hand, and how the '59 and WLH stack up against the Sentient and Black Winter neck, on the other (these are the pickups I have in my other guitars).

[Mincer]

Custom and Distortion is more 90s sounding, while the Nazgul and Black Winter is more modern, if that helps. All are pretty much 'distortion only' pickups, in that neither set is particularly dynamic, or known for the clean sound.

[weepingminotaur]

Custom and Distortion is more 90s sounding, while the Nazgul and Black Winter is more modern, if that helps. All are pretty much 'distortion only' pickups, in that neither set is particularly dynamic, or known for the clean sound.

OK, so to drill down a bit, how do the Custom and Distortion stack up against each other?