APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

[rocker5000]

Hello everyone. I'm new as of 5 minutes ago. I'm a semi-pro guitarist of right around 14 years now, and I'm still on that never-ending quest of the perfect tone! Well, I'm quite convinced that it doesn't exist, but I do love Seymour Duncan pups, and I think they are quite close.

Anyway, I play a 2003 Gibson LP Standard Goldtop as my main axe, and right now I have a matched set of Bareknuckle "The Crawler" humbuckers installed in it, and they do sound quite good...just not what I'm looking for. I've been kicking around a few pickup options for a few months now, and I'm probably going to install an SD APH-1 Alnico II bridge pickup in the neck, and an SH-14 Custom 5 in the bridge. I plan on running coil splits on each pickup.

I'm just wondering if any of you have tried this pickup combo, and if you have, what are your thoughts on it?? One concern that I have is that I'm not sure if the string spacing is greater on the APH bridge than on the APH neck or not. If anyone could shed some light on this, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance to any and all replies!

Rocker5000

 

[Travis]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

Welcome.

A lot of guys around here love the Custom-Custom/APH-1 combo (I'm one of them). It sounds great in a Les Paul type guitar. As far as the Cusotm 5, it will be a bit more scooped with more bass than the Custom/Custom. The CC has a bigger mid spike and looser lows than the C5. This is due to the A2 magnet in the CC as opposed to the A5 mag in the C5. Otherwise the construction is identical.

As far as whether or not that combo will sound good in your guitar, that's something only you can decide. They will match up very nicely together, that's for sure.

As far as spacing, the neck pickups are available in regular spacing only. The bridge pickups are available in regular and tremspacing. You would be fine with either one in the bridge. It's more of a cosmetic thing than a functional thing. Although there can be a very slight dropoff in the signal while bending strings if they're not lined up over the poles. However, with a pickup as hot as the Custom series, I doubt you would notice. I think I've heard that the current Gibson bridges are set up with tremspacing. But don't quote me on that.

 

[89strat]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I just installed a APH in the Neck and a Custom Custom in the bridge of my Les Paul and they sound incredible and a noticiable difference over the Burstbucker pros that were in there before. Very articulate and musical sounding.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I think steve stevens live stuff nails the CC tone if you want to know what it sounds like in an LP. I find it a tad too buttery.

I love the C5/Aph1 combo. It is beautiful. The only thing is you have to prepared for that "mid scoop" sound and like it. It should sound great in your LP. My only thing is I find the APH1 a tad muddy in the neck of my LP, so if you want great clarity, not your number one choice.

 

[rocker5000]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

Hey guys! Thanks alot for your posts. I used to have an SH-14 Custom 5 in a Les Paul that I used to have, and it was great! I had it set up for coil splitting, and it sound so much like a Telecaster that it wasn't even funny! Which is why I'm opting to go with the C5 in the bridge position in my LP. I had the CC in a Hamer Monaco Elite that I used to have. It sounded good, but not really to my liking. Too much of something or other.....just wouldn't shimmer and sparkle like the C5 would in my Les paul, which I have to assume is because the C5 has an Alnico V mag, where the CC has a Alnico II bar.....am I right on this??? Anyway, I have alot of experience with the C5, and I've decided it to be my new bridge pickup in my Goldtop LP.

The APH Alnico II is a pup that I have no experience with, however. The neck pickup that I had matched up with the C5 that I used to have was a '59. I liked it alot, but it had a touch too much brightness for my ears. I want a velvet smooth neck pickup tone for blues and classic rock solos, and I'm thinking that the APH might be just what I'm looking for. I'll have to see!! Thanks again for you posts.....I'm really liking it here at the Forum!

Rocker5000

 

[Artie]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I used to have an SH-14 Custom 5 in a Les Paul that I used to have, and it was great! I had it set up for coil splitting, and it sound so much like a Telecaster that it wasn't even funny!

Funny you should say that. I have a cheap-ish Peavey Tele clone thats set up for a humbucker bridge. I've been messing with different pup combo's in it. The Custom 5 is one of the best sounding pups I've tried in it. Great Tele "twang" and top end without being brittle.

I think the C5 is a greatly under-rated Tele bridge pup.

Artie

 

[Travis]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I want a velvet smooth neck pickup tone for blues and classic rock solos, and I'm thinking that the APH might be just what I'm looking for. Rocker5000

That sounds like the APH-1 to me.

 

[rocker5000]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

Thank you everyone for your posts. It's settled then.....it will be the APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo in my Gibson LP Goldtop. I can't wait!!! Thanks again.

Rocker5000

 

[Travis]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

Let us know when you put it in. I think we would all like to hear your impression of the combo in that guitar.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I think this combo is sweet! I think the neck model gives you the spongy but tasty round classic tone, with a soft winding that makes it twang and not overly fat. The C5 in the bridge is chunky and has great lows and a sweetness to match the APH1.

HOWEVER, I do feel the lack of mids and rudeness in the C5 will prevent you from slicing and dicing thru a band if you are in loud rock situations. The boost in the mids is always nice when you leave the studio and have to take over a stage for effortlessly aheived power on leads.

If you want polite with a nice attitude and a lot of class go C5. If you want RUDE, look elsewhere.

 

[rocker5000]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

OlinMusic wrote:

HOWEVER, I do feel the lack of mids and rudeness in the C5 will prevent you from slicing and dicing thru a band if you are in loud rock situations. The boost in the mids is always nice when you leave the studio and have to take over a stage for effortlessly aheived power on leads.

I'm playing mostly blues-rock type stuff....Black Crowes, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Pearl Jam, etc.....so I think this combo will do just fine. However, say I did want a bit more "octane" as far as mids are concerned on the bridge pup, what would you recommend?? I've had only a small bit of experience with the SH-4 JB humbucker in a USA Dean Hardtail that I used to own, and I really did not like it at all.....almost like there was too much midrange. The only other Duncan pickups that have my eye right now concerning my Les Paul are the Pearly Gates. I've played a Dean EVO Premium in my local music store a couple years back, and this guitar featured Pearly Gates. I thought the sound was great, but I'm just too stuck on having an Alnico V in the bridge position, as I understand that the Pearly Gates are Alnico II's in both positions. That's just me, though.

Anyway, before I get anymore sidetracked here.....I'm just wondering about another bridge pup that you might recommend for the bridge position. Thanks so much in advance!

Rocker5000

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I love the C-5 and have kept it in my LP Goldtop along with a 59N, and both of them split via pullup tone pots. To satisfy my curiosity, I've heard a 59, Custom, CC, C-4, and even an overwound 15.3 Custom 5 in that gold top.

Even after all that, I put the regular nickel C-5 back in the guitar.

It get's described as scooped, but it's only because the bass and treble are strong. I use EL-34 amps with complex mids, not to mention mahogany, so I definitely don't hear a "scooped nu-metal" thing going on at all. It just sounds like a 59 that hits the amp harder, and has better bass.

 

[papersoul]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

Interesting.......you had the Crawlers which are hand wound boutique pickups and you are coming back to standard Duncans. That is pretty inspiring actually. The C-5 works fine in a Les paul and DOES NOT lack mids in a good Les Paul which is a mid heavy guitar. The C-5 should do you fine bro.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

I love the C-5...


It get's described as scooped, but it's only because the bass and treble are strong.

That's exactly right. My experience with the C5 though is that although I liked it at high volumes I didn't like it so much at low volumes. It did seem a little lacking in mids. But Joe is right: it has a lot treble and bass and that makes it seem like it could use more mids.

At high volumes the C5 rocks and sings like a great paf but with alot more output...at low volumes it sounds a little dry and trebley to me and like it could use more midrange. The same could be said for the 59B too I guess...but somehow that pickup seems a little more natural and comfortable to my ears, although it lacks the increased output of the C5.

I like the Custom Custom or Custom better than the C5: more mids. :laugh2:

As for the AIIPro HB: it, the Seth Lover and the Pearly Gates are my three favorite neck pickups in the Duncan line. It would be a great choice for a neck pickup.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

At this point, I have a C5 at the bridge and a Pearly Gates at the neck of my LP. If you play loud blues based rock that goes from sparkling clean to heavy distortion, it doesn't get much better than this.

In a LP, the only pickups I like better is the full Pearly Gates set. It's big sounding with gain and has exceptional clarity. In fact, if I manage to pick up yet another PGb, I'll probably go back to a full PG set in my LP std.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

does the seth neck have more output than the A2pro?
or the pearly gates at least?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: APH-1 Alnico II / SH-14 Custom 5 combo....opinions???

My PGn is hotter than the Seth I had. Not by much, but enough of a difference to notice.