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  • Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

    For Vault Purposes, please post your impressions, including what guitars, amps, and artist/styles work best with this pup. Thanks.


    www.CelticAmplifiers.com

    "You can't save everybody, everybody don't wanna be saved."

  • #2
    Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

    To me, the C-5 sounds great when paired with the right neck pup, but seems to lack a little bass on its own. A very open sounding pickup, but still retains it's clarity. Cuts through a mix very well on its own. The cleans can be a little bright if you hit them too hard, but are very nice with some good picking techniques.
    -Alex

    *Proud Owner and Player of Guage guitars, Warmoth guitars, and Orange amps*

    Originally posted by HamerPlyr
    I'm already wearing the costume, and Fredericks of Hollywood on the corset and also on the panties, which, of course, have the "convenience crotch".

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

      Custom: Bridge postition in my Ec-1000 (mahogany lp style). Lot of output, great clarity and articulation. Tight bass and good mids. A really aggressive pick-up, drives my JCM800 nicely but the cleans are also very useable. Sounds great for heavier rock, metal, hardcore, whatever needs some aggression and balance.

      Custom 5: Had it in the bridge position of a ltd ec-300 (lp style mahogany). I wasn't pleased with this pick-up. Too much bass, not enough mids or highs... Sounded muffled and muddy (to my ears). I couldn't get it to cut through, I often switched to the '59 in the neck for my solos to be heard. A lot of people get great results with it in les pauls so I guess I could've done something wrong, (amp settings or something) but it always sounded dead compared to my '59. I would, however think it would be great in a brighter guitar, such as a strat....

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

        Duncan Custom: Probably the most aggressive PAF-style Tone out there. Cutting highs, good harmonics, and a fat, defined bass make this the ultimate all-around pickup for heavier styles IMO, not necessarily limited to rock.

        It splits relatively well, though a bit stale compared to the JB. Not the best pickup for clean tones, but the amp settings can be tweaked a bit so they´re more usable. But there are definitely humbuckers that sound "worse" clean

        Seems to work well with almost any amp, likely due to the PAF-ish character. Quite dynamic for a high output pickup, cleans up nicely when you roll the volume off. Sounds best to me with very few effects and "saturated but not compressed" High-gain tone, where the dynamics of the pickup become more apparent as well. Works well in Les Pauls, but some find it almost too powerful on the low end. Strats on the other hand seem to benefit more from the custom, particularly alder ones.
        Last edited by Zerberus; 05-10-2004, 09:03 AM.
        Zerberus Industries: Where perfection just isn't good enough.

        Listen to my music at http://www.soundclick.com/infiniteending and www.subache.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

          Custom 5 - I put this pup into my PRS Cu22. The pickup worked wonders for my tone. think of a PAF pickup (warm full bass, crisp articulate highs, and a scooped mid) with high output. This pickup drives my rig very well and gives it a very rich vintage tone but with enough output to make pinch harmonics. It sits in my mahogony body with maple cap guitar and turned my PRS from a heavy metal machine into a vintage hard rock monster.

          The only downside that I could say I have found in this pup is its top-end. My rig tends to run a bit bright, and balancing it with the tone of the 59n in the guitar, I have to keep it set so. When I use the C5, I often turn down the tone knob on my guitar to 8 or so. If you have a really bright rig, you might consider a different pup - perhaps one with an AII magnet like a CC.
          Fender Twin w/ Weber Speakers, keeley ts-9, RMC2 wah, EB MusicMan Axis Sport w/ p-90's, Heritage Les Paul (HC150) Custom Order w/ AIIpro/Custom shop bridge, various accoustics

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          • #6
            Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

            Hails all and Hails Zerberus..... i want to KNOW..... WHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOM MIDDS? i liked the bass and the highs reviews, but you forgot to mention the mids.
            HAILS.
            i´ll post as soon as i read all the reviews... my review of teh CC.
            J.P



            Originally posted by Zerberus
            Duncan Custom: Probably the most aggressive PAF-style Tone out there. Cutting highs, good harmonics, and a fat, defined bass make this the ultimate all-around pickup for heavier styles IMO, not necessarily limited to rock.

            It splits relatively well, though a bit stale compared to the JB. Not the best pickup for clean tones, but the amp settings can be tweaked a bit so they´re more usable. But there are definitely humbuckers that sound "worse" clean

            Seems to work well with almost any amp, likely due to the PAF-ish character. Quite dynamic for a high output pickup, cleans up nicely when you roll the volume off. Sounds best to me with very few effects and "saturated but not compressed" High-gain tone, where the dynamics of the pickup become more apparent as well. Works well in Les Pauls, but some find it almost too powerful on the low end. Strats on the other hand seem to benefit more from the custom, particularly alder ones.
            Ibanez RG7420-Evo 7-Liquifire 7
            Ibanez RG7420-Blaze Custom 7-Air Norton 7
            Ibanez RG550-Nailbomb-Nailbomb
            Jackson DXMG-Juggernaut - Juggernaut
            Ibanez RGT6EX-81-60A
            Ibanez RGT42DX-BlackHawk - BlackHawk
            Fender Am Std-Holy Diver-Emerald

            Charvel Fusion DLX-81-SA
            Ibanez SR505 MIK Bass.

            Fender EVH 5510 III 50w Head + Custom 2X12 Cabinet W/ WGS Liberator Speakers.

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            • #7
              Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

              My review of the Duncan Custom Custom.
              i have it in my Charvel Fusion Deluxe(1990) poplar body, maple neck, rosewood 24 frets fingerboard. tuned in D
              i had an amp, a crate GX80 watts, but i sold it, and the tests where made in that amp and a marshall valvestate 80 watts 1x12.

              Well, the CC haso very agressive and cutting/crunchy Mids and Highs. a lot god for single note solos, high speed solos and Tremelo MADNESS(slayer, vader, decapitated, morbid angel, etc).
              it is good for metal and i have not tested it with another music styles but its CLEANs are great. very good definition pickups .
              The only things that should be A LITTLE IMPROVED here is the bass. the bass are a litlle bit lack, but you can rely it on the amp/pedal settings.
              so i´m not worry with its bass. on teh tone chart it says 3BASS, 7/7 MIDDS/HIGHS. but it seens that it has a vulcanic Bass force, ahahaha even with the bass eq on 3, you can feel and hear that it lookls like it has more bass than 3, but with PALM mute deathmetal riffs it lacks a bit of bass.
              Ibanez RG7420-Evo 7-Liquifire 7
              Ibanez RG7420-Blaze Custom 7-Air Norton 7
              Ibanez RG550-Nailbomb-Nailbomb
              Jackson DXMG-Juggernaut - Juggernaut
              Ibanez RGT6EX-81-60A
              Ibanez RGT42DX-BlackHawk - BlackHawk
              Fender Am Std-Holy Diver-Emerald

              Charvel Fusion DLX-81-SA
              Ibanez SR505 MIK Bass.

              Fender EVH 5510 III 50w Head + Custom 2X12 Cabinet W/ WGS Liberator Speakers.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                I use a Custom in my Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and my Epi G400 (SG model), and have nothing but positive things to say about the pickup. Both guitars are mahogany with same-wood necks.
                In the LP it's very full-sounding with good bass but better mids and just enough highs to shake the cobwebs around nicely. Works good with the Pearly Gate in the neck for both rhythm and lead work. But for solo only, I can't go wrong with the Custom alone.
                In my G400, the Custom does an excellent job of recreating Angus Young-AC/DC type tones, and also EVH tones as well. Since that guitar body is not as thick as the LP it really cranks out the highs.
                In both guitars played clean, the Custom has excellent definition and works fine for articulate finger-work. I'd really like to try one in the bridge of my Strat one day, but that's another thread....
                Last edited by midnite_man; 05-10-2004, 11:53 AM.

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                • #9
                  Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                  Tried the C5 everywhere in all my guitars (LP Studio, Redding, Arias) and I still didn't like it. It was grabby, muddy, clanky, inarticulate and nasty and, like my hair, I couldn't do a thing with it until, in total desperation and under an overdose of Mother's Ruin, I detuned my alder bodied Aria Legend to B with giant guage strings and stuck it in the bridge and it shouts, growls and clanks like a demented steam engine. Seems OK if you like that sort of thing and is finally articulate enough to receive hymns of praise from the rest of the band.
                  Consume in moderation and at your own risk.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                    Duncan Custom Custom(overall 8/10)
                    Nice pickup.Medium-high output.I liked very much the sweet treble(i never liked the fact that most pickups use more treble than i prefer).The mids are very very prominent.This is the reason that maybe i didn't like so much the sound of the CC when i was practising alone in home but when i used it for rehearsals or the occasional gig......it cuts through the mix like no other pickup.....It's the perfect pickup if you want your guitar to be heard under the most busy mix.The part of this pickup i didn't like is the bass responce.....Not enough bass.....the E and A strings never sounded the way i wanted them to....and that was the reason i changed it for the custom5.
                    Bass:4.5
                    Mids:8
                    treble:5.5
                    Duncan Custom 5(overall 6.5/10)
                    Not many things to say about this pickup.I was certainly expecting something more from this one.While i enjoyed the bass responce(which was the main reason i didn't like the CC)and while i could cope with the more prominent treble i hated the fact that there were no mids to make my guitar be heard in the mix.During rehearsals i always raised the mid controll of the amp to 7-8 and still i found my guitar was lost between the bass and drums.I must say that this is maybe not a bad pickup but not for a strat...i am sure in a les paul will be perfect.
                    Bass:7.5
                    low mids:5.5
                    hi mids:5.5
                    treble:7.5

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                    • #11
                      Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                      Originally posted by WITH FULL DISTORTION
                      ....Hails Zerberus..... i want to KNOW..... WHAT ABOUT THE CUSTOM MIDDS? ....
                      Low mids are thick and fat, higher mids are nice and present, cuts through in just about any situation, even split
                      Zerberus Industries: Where perfection just isn't good enough.

                      Listen to my music at http://www.soundclick.com/infiniteending and www.subache.com

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                        Duncan Custom:

                        Have it in my mahogany san daimas III charvel. as WLL said, "it's the PAF that's pissed off!". i always liked the tone of PAF's but they were always too low of output, but i dont like them with too much out put, which is why i love this one. not too hot, and not so hot that you sacrifice good tone. good balance of bass/mids/treble so nothing sticks out more than it should. not too bright, not too much mids, not too much bass, just perfect!!

                        overall i'd give it a 9.5, im sure there is something better for me out there but i just dont knwo what it is. but if it's not out there, then i give it a 10!!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                          Duncan Custom has a tight, clear, articulate sound, with output aplenty. It has a searing lead tone that can cut like a knife. Great all around sounds. It doesnt have an extreme amount of bass but what it has is very tight. Clean you can really tell its a ceramic magnet pup but thats not neccessarily a bad thing, it just sounds very slightly 'sterile', but for some styles that could be good. I love this pickup!
                          Fender Classic 60's Strat
                          Epi Les Paul - PG/SH-4
                          DSL50 w/Avatar 2x12 (V30/G12H30)
                          Vox V848 wah
                          Line 6 MM-4
                          Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer

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                          • #14
                            Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                            For the Custom 5 I've found the SD description to be very accurate. I'd also like to add that I've found it to be very sensitive to it's height relative to the strings. I've had it in a plywood Jackson ripoff and a PRS 24 and it's sounded great in both...after some tweaking. The bass can be a little too prominant and even boomy with the wrong height and amp settings, but it's very "tameable." I like that I have to back off on the bass on the amp because that's what I like to do with the neck pickup anyway.

                            I've found this with most Duncan pickups, but I do find the C5 to be warm and open sounding. The "openness" of the C5 is what really draws me to it. I had PRS Dragon II pickups in my CU24 and they were alright, but not open enough. I feel like I have more control over my tone that way.

                            I think it was Gearjonser that made a comment about the mids of the C5 and that the fact that they are less prominent allows the mids of the amplifier to really shine through. I didn't realize that was something I liked about it until he said it. I've found that to be very true as well. I think using the C5 in an amp and guitar where the mids are the strong points of their tones is where this pickup works the best.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups

                              Originally posted by kaknight
                              Custom 5 - I put this pup into my PRS Cu22. The pickup worked wonders for my tone. think of a PAF pickup (warm full bass, crisp articulate highs, and a scooped mid) with high output. This pickup drives my rig very well and gives it a very rich vintage tone but with enough output to make pinch harmonics. It sits in my mahogony body with maple cap guitar and turned my PRS from a heavy metal machine into a vintage hard rock monster.

                              The only downside that I could say I have found in this pup is its top-end. My rig tends to run a bit bright, and balancing it with the tone of the 59n in the guitar, I have to keep it set so. When I use the C5, I often turn down the tone knob on my guitar to 8 or so. If you have a really bright rig, you might consider a different pup - perhaps one with an AII magnet like a CC.
                              The weird thing is that the Dragon I is more considered the metal pickup in that it is hotter and more modern in its voicing. The PRS tone chart shows the Dragon II more on the vintage side and not as hot as the D I. I also find the C-5 does vintage well, but I notice many guys pull off modern metal with it.

                              Garublador,
                              I had the C-5 in my LP with new 500k pots and .022 caps. Before that I had the stock Gibson BB Pros. I find the C-5 to be similar to the BB Pros in that they are heavy in the bass, natural mids, and airy highs. I did however find the C-5 a little thicker and had better harmonics. I still struggled with the higher strings sounding a little thin at times. A good friend of mine swears by the Dragon IIs in his PRS because he finds them a nice mix of vintage and modern and sometimes I find the C-5 to be the same.

                              It really puzzles me how some saythe C-5 doesn't cut through the mix of a band while others swear by this pickup and gig regularly. That always threw me off.
                              Last edited by papersoul; 05-11-2004, 09:58 AM.

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