Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

[thefacelessmonster]

Another one of these threads...

Custom 5 vrs Custom

What should I consider when choosing between a Custom 5 or a Custom for the bridge position?

What are the uses for either of these 2 pickups?

I've got a '59 in the neck.

Will be going into a mahogany guitar w/ rosewood fretboard. Going into a clean Roland JC120 with pedals for distortion/effects. I'll be replacing the Full Shred bridge pickup because it didn't seem to balance well with the '59 in my opinion. I found that I ended up neglecting the bridge pickup most of the time because the neck pickup was more full-sounding. The bridge pickup seems thin compared to the '59 neck pickup, hence the reason for the impending pickup change.

Obviously I'll have to decide for myself in the end, but what input do you have?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

What kind of tones are you going for?

Luke

 

[MikeS]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

What should I consider when choosing between a Custom 5 or a Custom for the bridge position?

The natural EQ of the guitar you'll be installing them in. The C5 works great in all-mahogany guitars that already have a very strong mids presence. The Custom has a slightly stronger mid range than the C5. The C5 is a little more organic than the Custom, which has more bite and a little more crunch.

A little more info on what you're looking for and other things you don't like about your set up now would be more helpful.

 

[saladin]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

The C5 matches beautifully with the 59, I've got that set in my Tele and love 'em.

 

[thefacelessmonster]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

Well the way it is now... the pair of Full Shreds in my other guitar sound cool.

This guitar, however has one Full Shred in the bridge and a '59 in the neck, and when I go between the two pickups, the bridge's Full Shred seems a lot less full and maybe even a bit bright compared to the '59.

I guess you would say I'm more into rock and hard rock... not so much "tear your face" off metal, though.

For example, right now I'm really digging the new Type O Negative album, but I won't be buying a Cannibal Corpse cd anytime soon, haha.

I basically use the bridge for distortion stuff and the neck for cleans. Looking for a thick, defined, heavy sound for a bridge pickup that matches the well with the '59. A nice versatile setup.

Thanks for the help. I'm not going to be one of those guys that's always posting for comparitive advice... because I don't want to annoy anyone.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

I've used the Custom and Custom 5 in a lot of guitars....especially the C5.
I'm not a fan of the Fullshred at all. Anytime I've tried it, I yanked it out.

The C5 is a great balance of vintage Alnico 5 PAF tone and higher output. It's got a really nice bass response, neutral mids, and open highs like a 59.
Sometimes, I think it could have been called the 59 Hot, and people would have had a good idea of what it sounds like. Think Alex Lifeson & VH.

The Custom is the best Duncan for heavy rock/metal, in my opinion. It's a tad thicker than the C-5, and sounds like it's a little hotter, even though it's not overly hot. The fullness of it's sound resembles the same fullness you hear in the 59 neck, so it's also a good match. It's a little harder to clean up the sound though, meaning you'll have to back the volume down further on the Custom than you would some other pickups. If you're playing with highgain, it's hard not to love the Custom. It sounds huge, and I'd associate it's sound more with Zakk Wylde's No More Tears.

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

I read in another post that Matthius Jabs from the Scorpions has been using the Custom for years, does anyone know if thats a true statement? If so, the lead tone on "No one like you" is one of my favorites of all time, and those crunch guitars at the start of "Rock you like a Hurricane"

 

[roadstar II]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

I read in another post that Matthius Jabs from the Scorpions has been using the Custom for years, does anyone know if thats a true statement? If so, the lead tone on "No one like you" is one of my favorites of all time, and those crunch guitars at the start of "Rock you like a Hurricane"

he has used the JB or gibson pups never a custom

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

The C5 has a more balanced tone. The Custom gives you a lot of the lower mid boosted, Boston guitar tone. It also reminds me of the tone on early Iron Maiden albums. Lots of mid, lots of crunch. Not that the C5 doesn't also crunch nicely. But you won't get that heavy, Boston-sounding lower midrange from the C5.

Either one is a good match with the 59. If you're using the bridge pickup mainly for distorted stufff and the Full shred sounds too bright there, maybe I'd lean toward trying a Custom.

 

[34029324079]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

haha what about the CC!?!?!

I cant decide on any of em for my next pup, wish I had a bunch of les pauls to throw all of em in.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

I've had all the Customs in Les Pauls, including the C3 and C4, and overall, I like the C-5 and Custom the most. I also really like the Seth Lover Bridge.
My favorite neck pickups for LP's are the Jazz Bridge, Pearly Gates neck, and 59 neck.

The CC is like a hot Seth Lover, so the sound is more warm and buttery, but less tight. I like it on clean to midgain, but it's a bit too loose for highgain.....some people may like that though, so it's a pickup to consider.

 

[beggar_guitar]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

I just took a C5 out of my Dean. (Mahogany body/maple top) I never could get my head around it. It didn't sound Bad, but it wasn't what I was looking for.
To me it hand a tendency to be a bit bright, and at times I was getting some very ice pick jabbing into my ear highs out of it. I adjusted it every way I could, and adjusted all my amps EQs but never fell for it.

I have no experience with the other. I now have a set of 59's in that guitar and I love it.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

Hello,

I have a CC in my all mahogony guitar with a rosewood fretboard. I found that the CC is a good choice if you want a " do it all" pickup in your bridge. I found that is was a nice alternative to the 2 other customs, because it sounded a little more aggressive in my axe. I have heard other opinions, but this is my personal opinion. The only problem I could think of would be the way it sounds combined with the 59. I have a PG in the neck.

Phil

 

[deltarider99]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

Here are some clips of the C5 and the Custom in my guitar, a Toronado GT (Mahogany body, Rosewood fretboard). I play heavier rock/metal, and while the C5 was ok, it just didn't have enough oomph for me. As you can hear, the Custom is much fuller, much crunchier....it has that depth that the C5 didn't have. Both are good pickups, but the Custom is where it's at for the heavier stuff.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=653085

(SH5 Bridge and SH14 Bridge clips...the only difference on the guitar is that on the SH14 clip, I had the stock Fender strings on, with the SH5, I had DR Coated Silver Stars)

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

Here are some clips of the C5 and the Custom in my guitar, a Toronado GT (Mahogany body, Rosewood fretboard). I play heavier rock/metal, and while the C5 was ok, it just didn't have enough oomph for me. As you can hear, the Custom is much fuller, much crunchier....it has that depth that the C5 didn't have. Both are good pickups, but the Custom is where it's at for the heavier stuff.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=653085

(SH5 Bridge and SH14 Bridge clips...the only difference on the guitar is that on the SH14 clip, I had the stock Fender strings on, with the SH5, I had DR Coated Silver Stars)

Now THAT is about as good of a comparison as one can get, and should help anyone asking the same question as the original poster to make a decision.

No doubt, if you are looking for a heavier, fuller sound the Custom blows away the C5. The C5 is the winner if you are looking for a vintage hot type of thing. I had a C5 in a Les Paul and it worked great in that application.

After hearing your clips the Custom is now the #1 candidate for the bridge position of my PRS Custom 22.

JQ

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

deltarider99 - send a letter to SD and demand commission right now! Directly due to your post, I ordered the SH5 Custom for my PRS Custom 22, it will replace the JB. I also ordered the Pearly Gates neck too, based on some forum posts......

Tone report to follow...........

JQ

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: Another "How can I decide?" thread. Custom 5 or Custom?

Ok - Custom and Pearly Gates neck installed yesterday in my PRS custom 22. While I was at it, I replaced the stock volume and tone pot which both measured in the low 400K range with an RS Superpot in the volume and a CTS audio taper in the tone - both measured slightly over 500K. I also replaced the stock ceramic disk tone cap with a Mallory 150. And the result??

Anyone on the fence about the SH5 Custom, run, dont walk to your local guitar shop and buy this thing. I was really worried about the fact that this is a ceramic p'up, but if someone told me it was an A5 I would believe them, it just sounds so full and even across the EQ spectrum - great crunch, and much to my surprise it sounds real good clean. Its way better for palm mutes than the JB that was previously in that guitar, and leads sing real nice.

And the PG neck is real nice too, again much better than the Jazz I had in there previously which was too mid scooped and spritzy for my taste. The PG is a great match for the custom and sounds great both clean and distorted - leads high up on the neck just sing nice and smooth.

I'm a happy camper.

JQ