Custom 8 paradise!

[BloodRose]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

I love the Crazy 8 (and PATB's in general) so much that I have my doubts as to whether or not I'd like a Custom8, even after hearing some sound clips people have made...but I'm sure it's a great PU though...

The Custom8 is smoother and less aggresive sounding.

[BloodRose]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Ok, here is todays installment of Alnico 8 madness!!

I copied this from a reply I put in another thread so I dont have to repeat:
My findings with my 59b8!

I got it dialed in on my Kramer Baretta and its a keeper! When I plugged into the Marshall for the "blast" test, I was concerned cuz the bottom end is huge...But NEVER does it get muddy . And my marshall is modded and has extra bottom too. I lowered the bass end of the pup down a turn and now the lows are chunky but no longer boomy. The pup doesnt sound scooped, its fat and full. What I love about this and a Custom 8 is the high strings. I have a hearing loss and with that, my ears are sensitive to high/bright sounds. That, and I just dont like plinky highs or brittle highs. (I dont like alot of vintage type pups or single coils cuz of the brightness) When I solo up on the high strings/high frets, there is a warmth and fullness to the notes.
It may not be for everyone, and I havent tested in a band sitch to see if it is gonna stand out in the mix, but so far, its a keeper!

Now: Next project was the neck pickup of my Washburn MG104.


I just changed the bridge CC into a C8. I wanted to see how the neck 59 would be with an alnico 8.

Ok. the verdict...... Not for everyone.. It sounds great as a lead pickup!
It would be better on a guitar with a pickup ring where you can adjust the height. On this direct mount, I cant lower it enough.
Cleans are nice and warm, with the volume knob turned WAY down.. The good thing is, you can use your clean channel as a 2 channel.. Volume knob down, Im playing cleans, dial it up and its Ac/DC. Then switch to lead channel and rip!!
Tonally, it makes a nice pair with the C8, but at the same height, it overpowers the bridge alittle.

Im not going to hurry and pull it. It isnt a failure, and on a guitar with rings it may just work.

But Custom8 in the bridge for sure! My Washburn MG104, MG130 and Kramer Focus all sound amazing with it! My Explorer will next few days!

And my Kramer Baretta is sporting a 59b8.
This has a similar tonality to the Custom 8, just more vintage sag/squish/openess or whatever term you prefer..

Its a beautiful thing!!

[Uk Ant]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Custom 8's are great pups.
If I can get hold of another custom I may well put one in my Kramer instead of the JB, or I could go for a JB 8

[Quicksilver689]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

After being hung up for the last week or so on trying to get another Crazy 8 and PATB-pimp my Schecter C-1 Classic, but then reading several great Alnico8-related forum posts around here, and listening to various sound clips from you fellow forum bros (thanks again so much for those!), I decided to take the plunge and try something new...just bought a zebra Custom 8 Trembucker from CaughtLikeFire last night (it started life as a TB-11 Custom Custom)! Should be here hopefully Monday or Tuesday! I can't wait to get in installed, it should be a real monster. Hopefully within the next day or so I'll find a 4-conductor zebra '59 Neck to match and I should be good to go...I'll let you all know how it pans out.

[Tor]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Okay, if you don't mind me asking, how does the C8 compare to the C5?

[BloodRose]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Okay, if you don't mind me asking, how does the C8 compare to the C5?

Have you ever played a Custom?? To me, the C8 has the eq curve similar to a Custom but has a warmer sound. So, to answer your question if you are not familiar with the Custom, the C8 is not a big in the lows and highs as the C5 and just a tad more aggressive. The C5 is a little Scooped in the Eq curve, the C8 is more even accross. I LOVE the C5, but the C8 has such an amazing singing lead voice, but still chunks rhythyms like a custom

[Tor]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Thanks! I might have to try it out sometime.

[Karmadog777]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

got an a8 pearly gates.... best bridge pickup ever(imo of course) alnico 8 is very underrated outside of the circles of this online community i believe.

thats a Pearly G8s
I was wondering when someone would try this,
I love my Crazy8 and and I have a"few" CCs around here so Im pretty sure a custom 8 is in my future
but, yeh I just wanted to type Pearly G8s ok there I did it twice
Peace!

[Quicksilver689]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

OK...got the 59N (stock, 4-cond., w/regular A5) and Custom 8 (TB-11 w/A8 mag swap) bridge pu's installed and dialed in late last night in my Schecter C-1 Classic...wow....all I can say is wow...man these two pups in particular balance so well together...they must be content in their mutual PAFiness! LOL...I think I just coined a new term...special thanks to Ascension, dd12939, and others who have provided sound clips for both of these pickups so that I'd have a good idea of what I was getting into before I plunked down the money on these pickups! You guys rock!

Man...The Custom 8 is just incredible! I have to say - it's so worth it to make and take the time to be sure you've got the height properly set...do your bridge pickup first and then the neck: dial them in until your ears hear that sweet spot and it's just pure magic! It makes high-gain leads and power chords alike sound violin-like in tone and sustain. Just HUGE! Leads just friggin' SING in this guitar, and power chords have never sounded more, er, powerful. Regular full chords sound monstrous yet balanced too. You know how if you play a 7th position E5 power chord on all strings, as in 079900, from low to high strings, and all too often the open treble strings get drowned out by either the bass or the mids from the other strings? NOT HERE BABY! Same whether you're playing whatever chord, wherever on the neck too. The A8 mag in this pickup to me is like taking a pickup you already like for the most part and being able to tweak the EQ for B/M/T just right where you want it, and cranking up the balls once you've got the pickup EQ'd. One element of the EQ NEVER overpowers the others either, and that's the fascination with the A8 mojo for me. The amazing thing to me is how it'll do BOTH distorted tones AND clean tones equally well, without compromising either of them. Clean, chords are just the right amount of jangly without being too screechy or bright, and have just the right amount of presence and sparkle while never becoming brittle. Split combinations with the '59N as shown on this wiring diagram also sound wonderfully musical in all positions.

+1000 to A8 mags being the bomb in bridge pu's...

I'm an absolute die-hard believer in A8 mags in bridge pickups now. Last year I had a Crazy 8 in the bridge of an Ed Roman Quicksilver with korina body and maple/ebony neck, and it too did anything BUT disappoint - another tremendous pickup! Some people have said that the Custom 8 is like the ultimate JB on steroids tone that gets rid of the harshness and adds warmth, balls, and sweetness, and I agree 100% with that observation. To me, the Custom 8 sounds like what the JB wishes it could be.

On a side note...59N in the neck of this guitar is warm, fat, and full, yet also smooth and just bright enough for definition for both single notes and chords alike...works very well for those "molten lava-type shred neck pu" leads because there's just enough brightness in it to lend great definition to the notes for those neck pu solos - that in combination with just the right amount of output keeps it from sounding like mud (I originally had a stock Jazz neck w/gold-plated nickel cover, but it wasn't ballsy enough and had too much treble detail, IMHO). It's also great on cleans too, in all combinations on this wiring diagram - warm and full when it needs to be, but also defined too...remember this is just a stock 59N (4-cond) with the stock A5 mag...good match with the C-1 Classic, and IMHO, should be the stock neck pu instead of the Jazz neck...

I hope this helps anyone who's curious about trying a Custom 8...JUST DO IT! I also highly recommend using it with a 4-cond. '59N in the neck, especially with this 5-way megaswitch wiring - it's a great match and together they make a great pair!

P.S. I tried and heard all this playing through nothing more than my church's Pod XT on headphones! Imagine what it'd be like through a Mesa Boogie half-stack or <insert your fav amp here>!

[C8rockin]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

That's a perfect discription of the C8.

[Tor]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Sweet review.. How does the C5 compare to the C8 volume-wise?

[super rad stuff]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Sweet review.. How does the C5 compare to the C8 volume-wise?

probably like night and day, since the a5 has much less mids than the a8, and more mids have a good bit more volume(imo) than scooped mids in similar settings.

[alex1fly]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

thats a Pearly G8s
I was wondering when someone would try this,
I love my Crazy8 and and I have a"few" CCs around here so Im pretty sure a custom 8 is in my future
but, yeh I just wanted to type Pearly G8s ok there I did it twice
Peace!

I have an old review of a Pearly G8 here

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=124146

[BloodRose]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Sweet review.. How does the C5 compare to the C8 volume-wise?

I dont think Night and day. Ill try to do a back to back tommorrow. I dont recall having to do much volume tweaking. I know the C8 has a more even eq spread and the C5 is bigger in the lows. but otherwise..

[BloodRose]

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

I will say this.. Im spoiled to the C8s now.. I always liked the tone of my Explorer with the Custom in it. Since Ive been playing so many C8s lately, the Explorer sounded alittle harsh to me today.. I have one more A8 magnet.. I know what must be done....