So how's this for my first Custom order?

[Rex_Rocker]

So the background: I'm having trouble finding the right pickup for my Strat. That guitar is so finicky. Ever had trouble with guitars like that? Those that your usual go-to's don't work well on.

Both the D-Activator and the Distortion have been close, but both missed the mark slightly. I wished both had more of an upper-mid aggression, honestly.

I was thinking of getting a BKP Painkiller, but for that sort of money, I might as well get me a Custom Shop Duncan and get exactly what I want.

So what I was thinking was ordering a tweaked Duncan Distortion Trembucker with a double row of black allen screws in either gloss black or zebra, and either no logo or the small Invader logo in black. I guess I could ask them to make it a bit brighter and tighter without decreasing the output too much or without straying radically from the Duncan Distortion recipee.

So what do y'all think? Or should I take my chances with the BKP Painiller? Opinions?

[Clint 55]

A9 gives you upper mid aggression while responding like A5. I know you like A5. I'd get hip to A9 if you want upper mid aggression.

[beaubrummels]

IME allen heads scoop the pickup.

You might be better off just telling them what you want it to sound like, and what guitar it's going in, and what amp(s) you use and just let them figure out the recipe. They've been doing this for 50+ years and know a hell of a lot more details of what it takes to get a specific sound out of a pickup. (Read Seymour's Q&A on archive.org to get a hint of how deep their knowledge is.)

[Rex_Rocker]

I also want it to look a certain way aesthetically, though.

But you're right. I'm going to shoot them an email, and I'm going to throw the double allen suggestion in there. If they tell me "yeah, that's not what you want sonically", then I'm open to let them tell me what might be best.

I guess I also opened the thread to see if anyone knows if there's any stock pickup that will get me what I want without paying CS prices. But at the same time, ordering a custom pickup is fun as hell.

[Rex_Rocker]

A9 gives you upper mid aggression while responding like A5. I know you like A5. I'd get hip to A9 if you want upper mid aggression.

How strong is A9? Is it as strong as A8/Ceramic?

[Clint 55]

It's below A8 and ceramic. It's similar to A5 or maybe slightly stronger.

[Rex_Rocker]

It's below A8 and ceramic. It's similar to A5 or maybe slightly stronger.

Then I'm afraid it might not be what I want since I don't want to lose the output of the DD as it is.

[beaubrummels]

I also want it to look a certain way aesthetically, though.

Yeah, so tell them what you want it to look like and how you want it to sound, they'll figure out what pole pieces, wire, wind and magnet to use.

I guess I also opened the thread to see if anyone knows if there's any stock pickup that will get me what I want without paying CS prices. But at the same time, ordering a custom pickup is fun as hell.

"Distortion have been close, but missed the mark slightly. I wished had more of an upper-mid aggression, honestly."

My first thought was a Black Winter when you said that, but I'm not exactly sure what frequency you consider 'upper-mid aggression'. I also haven't followed your pickup journey and don't know what you've ruled out already. "Upper mid" is always a JB complaint usually, but sounds like for you it could be one option, just with the right pots/wiring to tame it perfectly in a Fender type. Particularly, get the oldest one you can - those are different IME. They clean up with the volume and are smoother all-around, not peaky or spiky, they just have a prominence that works for leads when needed.

Duncan has a ton of production pickups I haven't tried yet that who knows could fit the bill - for example, RTM, Exciter, Scarlet/Scourge, Thrash Factor, Alpha/Omega. Several of those are stock matte black, black logo with allens.

[Rex_Rocker]

My first thought was a Black Winter when you said that, but I'm not exactly sure what frequency you consider 'upper-mid aggression'. I also haven't followed your pickup journey and don't know what you've ruled out already.

I basically want a Ceramic JB with some added rasp to the attack since the JB's attack is kinda round in itself.

The Black Winter was too hot for this guitar. It's surprising, because the BW has usually been super attacky to the point where it was too much for my Les Paul. Maybe the BW has a tendency to exaggerate the features of a guitar, especially in the attack. This Strat is too smooth. Too polite in the attack. It's not dark, really. It's just very laid-back in the attack. That combined with the super hot output makes me feel like I'm playing through a mid-focused Big Muff, LOL.

The D Activator has the right kind of attack, especially with the hotter coil towards the bridge, but it's missing the juiciy, aggressive, and mix-ready mid-focus of other hotter pickups. It's also kinda dry-feeling because it's not as hot as the others I tried. So having a hot output is important to me so that I don't have to completely rework my settings from plugging in my Gibson with the 500T.

The Distortion is the closest I've come to it beting "right", it's just the attack is still too smooth, even with a 1Meg pot. Like I said, it's not dark. It's just smooth.

The 500T didn't fit my Strat because of the long legs. I mean, it fit... it's just that I had to have it too close to the strings to the point where I thought it wasn't "functional" because of the long legs.

I also had the Super 2 in there very briefly, and I didn't like it. Too thin, too bland, and not hot enough.

Hardware-wise, the Strat is already running on a big steel block and block steel saddles. I'm thinking about dropping a set of Highwood saddles in there, but at the same time, I swapped the original Zinc block and flimsy bent steel saddles to brass first, and now to steel. While there was a difference, it was never night and day, so I would be afraid I would be dropping money on saddles and not getting close enough to where I want. Also, I'm running lighter strings than on my Les Paul to help with the added attack too.

[Mincer]

I say, you tell either Derek or MJ in the CS the sound you are going for, and let them figure out the formula for what would get you there.

[Rex_Rocker]

I say, you tell either Derek or MJ in the CS the sound you are going for, and let them figure out the formula for what would get you there.

I filled the form on the site. Let's see what they reply.

Last time, they didn't want to make me a Lil' Black Winter or a single coil Slug for my Esquire, LOL.

[AdrianSD]

Maybe the allen screws idea isn't too far off the mark. Try short allen screws - Full Shred length let's say - under the low E, A and D in the Distortion. Also, Dimarzio Gravity Storm screws work just fine in Duncans, tested. Worst case, you won't like them.

[beaubrummels]

I filled the form on the site. Let's see what they reply.

Last time, they didn't want to make me a Lil' Black Winter or a single coil Slug for my Esquire, LOL.

The limitation I've found with the Custom Shop is anything that requires custom tooling (like asking for a Parallel Axis Nighthawk pickup), or that is physically impossible (e.g. requires more wire than can physically fit on a bobbin) they probably won't do for a one-off request.

[Rex_Rocker]

The limitation I've found with the Custom Shop is anything that requires custom tooling (like asking for a Parallel Axis Nighthawk pickup), or that is physically impossible (e.g. requires more wire than can physically fit on a bobbin) they probably won't do for a one-off request.

Yeah, I understand. They didn't seem like unreasonable requests back then, but I guess you're right. This time, I feel it's a lot more doable, though.

[Aceman]

I say, you tell either Derek or MJ in the CS the sound you are going for, and let them figure out the formula for what would get you there.

That's what I was gonna say. Tell them what you want, let them figure it out.