Alternative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

[GrabtharsHammer]

Hi,
I have a Duncan Custom Trembucker in my PRS SE. I am mainly a high gain player and generally like the Custom's tight sound. However, its "ice-picky" attack in the upper midrange can get a little annoying depending on the amp sim. With Peavey 5150/6505 and Recto sims it's quite okay but with Marshall amp sims - that are a little high-mids heavy by itself - it can be a little too much. I tried to roll of the highs of the guitar and/or the amp sims, but it sounded like a blanket over the speaker while the annoying high-mids were still there. And changing the Custom's magnet from ceramic to A5 would result in a Custom 5 - but I didn't like the "hollow" sound of the Custom 5 in the youtube videos I've watched. I would really like a pickup that can match up with American AND British amp models. What do you guys think? Judging by the youtube videos I've watched I would guess, the Pegasus comes close to what I want. Quite similar to the Custom's tightness, but with a slightly smoother, tamer high-midrange.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

There are different kinds of magnets. For literally some dollars you could get different ones: ceramic 5, ceramic 8 or Alnico 8 or Alnico 9. My guess is the A8 could be the winner.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

a8 might be what you want but if you are using an amp sim, isnt there a graphic eq or something you could use to pull down the upper mid spike you find annoying?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Ugh...I hate to do a sales plug right off the bat, but I have an OEM Seymour Duncan "DBZ Custom" for sale (made exclusively for DBZ USA guitars) that sounds a LOT like what you want. It's essentially an overwound Custom with triple ceramics like an Invader. Keeps the Custom flavor, but adds more low-mid grunt and reduces the "ice pick" on the top end without sacrificing too much cut. The bobbins have light marking from storage, but it has never been installed in a guitar. I was looking to get $90 shipped for it (U.S. Only).

Now, a much less expensive option that could help would be the A8 magnet swap that Jeremy mentioned. The output would still be very similar to the stock Ceramic in your Custom, but the A8 would help warm it up and round off the top end bite, also. Not sure if it would be enough in your case, but it's definitely worth a shot since A8 magnets are so inexpensive and the swap is easy to make. The Custom wind is very responsive to magnet changes, so this would definitely be the easiest/cheapest route to at least try before you spend more money.

 

[GrabtharsHammer]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Keeps the Custom flavor, but adds more low-mid grunt and reduces the "ice pick" on the top end without sacrificing too much cut. The bobbins have light marking from storage, but it has never been installed in a guitar. I was looking to get $90 shipped for it (U.S. Only).

Yes, your description really sums up what I want from my pickup. Unfortunately I need a Trembucker version and live in Germany.

I don't know if an A8 would be the right choice for me. The Custom's output is already more than hot enough for my taste and the A8 would increase that even more. Would be more difficult to get the balance right with my neck pickup (59 with rc A4 magnet).

 

[jeremy]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

a8 is not hotter than ceramic, its about the same maybe a touch less

 

[gregory]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

If not A8, then unpolished A5. I like the unpolished unoriented A5, but if you want to keep your bass super tight, it might not work for you.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Unoriented A5.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Blackie13]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

300K volume pot

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

300K volume pot

Actually, a simple pot change might help a lot here and you wouldn't lose the general character of the Custom!

A change from 500K pots to 300K or even 250K will help reduce the intensity of the highs AND pull down that upper-mid hump you don't like.

Effectively, the whole response curve near the resonance peak gets reduced with the change in resistance, as shown in the chart example below:

 

[gregory]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

A cap was clearly not included in the equations to generate the plots in that graph.

As such it is misrepresentative.

I see some love was given to the UOA5, not the RCUOA5? It will reduce the peak even further.

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

A cap was clearly not included in the equations to generate the plots in that graph.

As such it is misrepresentative.

I see some love was given to the UOA5, not the RCUOA5? It will reduce the peak even further.

Which cap, the tone cap? It looks fairly correct to me, especially the damping produced by the loading of the tone control.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

I say "RERRUND" to switching to lower pots and trying a UOA5 or a A8.

 

[gregory]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

I guess I don't expect a 500k/500k+cap to produce the exact same curve as a 250k/Inf.

 

[gregory]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

I say "RERRUND" to switching to lower pots and trying a UOA5 or a A8.

You'd think we were talking about taming the spike on a JB, lol.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Rerrund.

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

I guess I don't expect a 500k/500k+cap to produce the exact same curve as a 250k/Inf.

It would in the range of frequencies we are interested in, and the ones displayed in the graph on the x vector, which only extends down to 100hz in that graph. The capacitor in the tone control acts essentially as a short to all frequencies above the breakpoint dictated by the capacitor, tone pot, and the source impedance that feeds it, so the tone pot is in parallel with the volume pot for all frequencies above roughly 14hz in that example making the total load 250K. Below 14hz, the pickup starts to gradually see the full 500K load presented by the volume pot as the capacitors resistance (reactance) increases into oblivion.

 

[gregory]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

I now see that the graph starts at 100 Hz. Thanks for providing the cutoff frequency to put this into perspective.

 

[GrabtharsHammer]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Interesting. It didn't come to my mind before, that a simple change in the guitar's electronics might already do the trick. Will seriously consider that.

However... any opinions on the Pegasus?

 

[GrabtharsHammer]

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Re: Alernative to Duncan Custom (similar but less "ice-picky")

Okay, I thought about it and will give the Alnico 8 a try first before spending more money on a new pickup.

BTW my typo in the thread's title is driving me nuts. Is there no way to correct it?