Anybody try a Custom or Custom Custom in the neck position?

Rex_Rocker

Well-known member
I have a spare Custom that I ripped off a guitar that I got in a trade. Honestly, I didn't even give it a chance in the bridge position because I am certain I wanted a Black Winter in that particular guitar. So I don't have anything to put in the neck position of that guitar right now. I was wondering if I put the Custom in the neck position, would it yield good results? I'm certain the 'Winter will have the output to balance, but on every clip I hear of the Custom, it seems REALLY bass-heavy and somewhat scooped, which is exactly what I don't want from the neck position.

So I wonder that if slap an A2 magnet, I would be able to tame the bassiness while making it smoother (I do like pickups like the EMG 85 in the neck position). Perhaps even A3? Anyone ever tried that? Or am I better off selling the Custom and getting a BW-N or something else?

Thanks!
 
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i had a guitar with a sh5 in the neck and a sh11 in the bridge, it was very fat sounding but not bad at all
 
i had a guitar with a sh5 in the neck and a sh11 in the bridge, it was very fat sounding but not bad at all

Was that a Hamer? I owned a Hamer Monoco Super Pro with that pickup combination. Duncan Custom neck and Custom Custom bridge. Liked it a lot at first but eventually yearned for more of a paf sound. But like you said, it wasn't bad at all and it was a gorgeous guitar. I replaced it with a Gibson ES-335, which is what I wanted in the first place.
 
Was that a Hamer? I owned a Hamer Monoco Super Pro with that pickup combination. Duncan Custom neck and Custom Custom bridge. Liked it a lot at first but eventually yearned for more of a paf sound. But like you said, it wasn't bad at all and it was a gorgeous guitar. I replaced it with a Gibson ES-335, which is what I wanted in the first place.

I have a Hamer Monaco Elite which had that combination too when I bought it.

I think I probably have maybe the opposite experience of most people. I found both customs could sound really beautiful...but very much one trick ponies. I could only get each of them to sound good with one amp setting and everything else was awful.

I replaced them with a pair of seths.:naughty:
 
I have thought that a CC neck pickup would be very good for some things, with the right bridge pickup to match, so they could both do well with the same amp settings.

If nothing else, it might be really nice in parallel...or with a de-mud cap...or if you use your guitar primarily in the middle switch position.
 
I have a Hamer Monaco Elite which had that combination too when I bought it.

I think I probably have maybe the opposite experience of most people. I found both customs could sound really beautiful...but very much one trick ponies. I could only get each of them to sound good with one amp setting and everything else was awful.

I replaced them with a pair of seths.:naughty:

So did I. Replaced them with a set of Seth Lovers.

When I found a Gibson ES-335 I could afford I put the Custom and Custom Custom it came with back in and sold the Hamer.
 
Is the Custom Custom bassy like the Custom 5 or Custom or is it a bit leaner? I don't mind it being "dark", since I do like smooth neck pickups. I just don't want it being bassy.
 
the cc has good low mids but not a ton of bass. the c5 has the biggest bottom to my ears.

it was a hamer monaco elite. has a pgn and antiquity bridge in it now
 
Is the Custom Custom bassy like the Custom 5 or Custom or is it a bit leaner? I don't mind it being "dark", since I do like smooth neck pickups. I just don't want it being bassy.

The bass is gonna be ultra swampy in the neck with any alnico mag. Ceramic would probably work.
 
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I have a JB with A3 in the neck of my Ibanez RG570. It was muddy in the bridge with A5.

I have it set up with short (0.75" IIRC) hex screws under the wound strings, it's screwed in on the wound side, and the screw poles screwed out for string balance.

Set up like that, it isn't muddy at all, it sounds better than it did stock as a bridge pickup.

It isn't loud, but it has a huge midrange with a surprising amount of sparkle on top, that works better for clean or rhythm than stock, yet is fat enough for riffs and sings on lead.

An A3 Custom in the neck seems well worth trying to me!
 
The Custom Custom is one of my favorite pickups, but it would be horrific in the neck, because of the compression (lack of dynamics).
 
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