Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

[rocket_X]

I have a Gibson faded SG with a Distortion/b and jazz/n that I had installed a few weeks ago. The jazz is fine but the Distortion is to hot. The sg had some hand wound P90's from BG pups that were pretty sweet but I couldn't deal with the hum when playing with my band. I'm in a original style hard rock band. I guess I'm looking for a tonal range from AC/DC Angus and Malcolm HTH & BIB, early Tony Iommi I know he used P90's and maybe some 80's Judas Priest tone. I guess if I had to narrow it down a tonal range from Malcolm and Tony.

I like the tones I get from my 2000 Epiphone Tony Iommi Signature. I believe there are the 1st generation of the Iommi pickup. The P90's sounded good except for the hum at band volume really sucked when not playing for breaks within the songs.

Is the Custom 5 going to be that much lower of a output than the Distortion or would a 59 maybe work? I'd like to keep the Jazz/n. Other options are fine too. I hear the custom 5 and 59/n are a good combo in a sg.

I have the original 490t and 490r that I've never tried also. Anyone like these?

Amp Peavey Valveking Heads with JJ power tube and a mix of tungsol and JJ preamp

Marshall MG cab with 2 80 watt WGS Celestion Classic 80 clones

IbanezTS9 tube screamer

X2 digital wireless

Thanks,
TK

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

If you really like your Distortion, then get a JB. This is the same wind with an A5. If you want to bring it nearer to the Distortion, you can swap in a normal sized ceramic magnet. I did this with a Duncan design HB 102B (the korean version of the JB) and an old JB - this is kind of Distortion light. I like it.

 

[supernosher]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

Why is the DDb too hot??

 

[supernosher]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

If you really like your Distortion, then get a JB. This is the same wind with an A5. If you want to bring it nearer to the Distortion, you can swap in a normal sized ceramic magnet. I did this with a Duncan design HB 102B (the korean version of the JB) and an old JB - this is kind of Distortion light. I like it.

... I am totally confused by your post.:headache: he said the DD was too hot.

... so the DD is the same wind as a JB but with an A5 magnet?

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

For that general direction, I'd probably end up going with either a '59, Custom 5, or JB. Which one would depend on what I wanted to get out of the guitar and how I wanted the guitar to respond. How do you feel about the Distortion's tone other than the hotness / compression?

... I am totally confused by your post.:headache: he said the DD was too hot.

... so the DD is the same wind as a JB but with an A5 magnet?

The JB isn't as hot as the DD, and it's less compressed. The DD is the same wind as the JB, but with a normal sized A5 bar magnet rather than a double thickness ceramic magnet. Compared to the DD, the JB is smoother, more sensitive, and brighter, with richer harmonics. Where the DD emphasizes lower-mids, the JB emphasizes upper-mids.

 

[supernosher]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

Cool thx... I was considering the idea of trying A5 in my DDn as I was reading hamerfan's post and I still might.

sorry to 'jack the thread!

I personally would say, try a 5751 tube in V1 so it's not so hot. It shouldn't affect the gain of the distortion channel much. Might even make the amp more usable possibly. That is IF you like the tone of the DDb... I did this in my amp and I love it. Makes the gain knobs much more usable, even compared to before I put hi-output pickups in.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

A 5751 has less gain, but it also cuts the ability to get distortion in V1. It also has a warmer sound (surely the RCA Black plates i use)- that means lesser high frequ content. Better try the 5751 in v2.
If you try the 5751 in V3 it would effect the overall volume of your amp. A nice mod to make it better suited for home use.

 

[supernosher]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

A 5751 has less gain, but it also cuts the ability to get distortion in V1. It also has a warmer sound (surely the RCA Black plates i use)- that means lesser high frequ content. Better try the 5751 in v2.
If you try the 5751 in V3 it would effect the overall volume of your amp. A nice mod to make it better suited for home use.

That's not entirely true. It depends on the amp. V6 is the phase inverter in my amp... V3 is the final Lead gain stage / and the FX loop buffer... So V3 would not be good for the 5751 in this case.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

Perhaps a '59/Custom5 hybrid is what you want?

 

[rocket_X]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

I guess it's to hot for me in the respect of output and tone. I've rolled my gain way down to 3.5 to 4 with other EQ adjustments and it's still way to metal sounding. I walked out infront of the PA at our last show and just didn't like the tone . It wasn't so bad on low string power cords but was way to shrill and trebly sounding on high string cords. I guess I need a pickup that gets in the Malcolm Young Tony Iommi range and can ad some metal edge with my Tube screamer on songs that need some extra punch. With a standard PAF from BG pups probably around 8 k bridge seemed to work pretty good. I really liked the P90 tone but want a HB. I like the Tony Iommi pickups in my other sg but I'm not paying that price. Plus I think I have the 1st generation of that pickup which seems to be a little different than the new one's. Whats the output of the Iommi's? I can't find any info on them.

I'd like to try a custom five but being around 6k higher than a 59 I'm not to sure if I'm setting myself up for the same disappointment with the DD. Is the much difference in the DD and Custom 5. It only shows about a 2k difference between the two. But 1 is ceramic and 1 is alnico 5.

I need a good hard rock tone that I can ad dirt to with pedals when needed. But it's hard to start out with a full on metal tone and try to get the dirt out for cleaner rock tones. I've tried rolling off the volume and and tone too. But didn't like the results. Although it helped.

Thanks,
TK

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

I'd say the Custom 5 is a great bet. The 59 does AC/DC well, and the Custom does 80's Priest bang on, so a mix (kinda) of the two would be pretty nice. Therefore, the Custom 5. Give it a shot.

 

[rocket_X]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

How much tamer is the C5 compared to the DD? The DD just screams at band volumes. Just to much with the band. I play rhythm and our lead guitarist is pretty bright. The 2 guitar didn't mix very good IMO.

Side note: The DD's sounded good at bedroom volumes:9:

Thanks TK

 

[rocket_X]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

From Jay 77 post I might want a 59 then. And ad more Dirt with a pedal or 2 when needed?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

I guess it's to hot for me in the respect of output and tone. I've rolled my gain way down to 3.5 to 4 with other EQ adjustments and it's still way to metal sounding. I walked out infront of the PA at our last show and just didn't like the tone . It wasn't so bad on low string power cords but was way to shrill and trebly sounding on high string cords.

If you don't want a shrill tone, don't get a JB. That "ice pick" spike could be worse than what you have now. There's a lot of guitars it doesn't sound good in, and why gamble?

It sounds like you really want a PAF-type bridge. I think a '59B is much closer to what you want than any high output PU.

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

The DD is a very punchy pickup, but it's definitely darker than the '59, Custom 5, and JB....

Also, saying that the JB is "ice pick" compared to the C5 and '59 is kind of silly. I play clean most of the time (not mildly overdriven -- Fender tube amp cleans), and much of the time with the bridge pickup. The '59 can get more ice picky than the JB, actually (the '59 has more actual treble). The JB will come off as sounding a bit brighter, warmer, and glassier. But they also play differently, and the JB is a much more sensitive pickup. So if you bang on the strings, the JB will make it sound like you're banging on the strings.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

The C5/Jazz N set is just about the perfect A5 LP set. Even though it's 14.4K, it really doesn't sound like a hot pickup. It's right on the edge, where it still retains a lot of vintageness, but also has some balls.

To me the DD is sorta harsh, and the C5 is like a ballsy 59B or Jazz B.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

If you don't want a shrill tone, don't get a JB. That "ice pick" spike could be worse than what you have now. There's a lot of guitars it doesn't sound good in, and why gamble?

It sounds like you really want a PAF-type bridge. I think a '59B is much closer to what you want than any high output PU.

+1, and also what gearjoneser says above.

The C5 or the 59 would work well, w/the C5 being a bit bigger of a sound, that is, a bit more low end, and overall output.

A nice thing about the Custom 5 is that the only diff btw it and the Custom, and the Custom Custom, is the magnet, so that gives you some easy to change tonal options.

 

[rocket_X]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

I ended up putting my 490r and 490t because the local shops didn't have a 59/b or custom 5. Note that I never got to try the 490's because I bought the guitar with different pickups. We have 2 big shows on 10-23 and 10-25 so I wanted the DD out quick so I can work out my amp's EQ at our next few practices with the new pups.

I had them installed yesterday Saturday afternoon. On my one hour drive back home at 5pm our bass player calls and said were playing a last minute gig tonight with another local band at 10pm. At home I couldn't crank my amp to really test them but I new right away I liked them better than the DD. So I played these at the gig for the 1st time a band volumes, which or pretty loud and they just killed it for the tones I was looking for. And my tones mixed very good with the band.

I know there's a love hate with these pups, but I think all pups are like that for the most part. Since I like these pups would a 59/b be somewhat comparable to the 490t? I have 2 epiphone sg's and 1 of them I was thinking about a 59/b and jazz neck that I already own. I guess I'm more into the vintage PAF vibe that you can beef up with a little gain and pedals when needed. Maybe a alnico 2?

My 490's were 7.77k bridge and 7.43 neck with Alnico 2 magnets I think.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Custom 5/B or 59/B or?

I ended up putting my 490r and 490t because the local shops didn't have a 59/b or custom 5...I know there's a love hate with these pups, but I think all pups are like that for the most part. Since I like these pups would a 59/b be somewhat comparable to the 490t? I have 2 epiphone sg's and 1 of them I was thinking about a 59/b and jazz neck that I already own. I guess I'm more into the vintage PAF vibe that you can beef up with a little gain and pedals when needed. Maybe a alnico 2? My 490's were 7.77k bridge and 7.43 neck with Alnico 2 magnets I think.

I put A5 magnets in my 490T/490R PU's and it's a big improvement. Gets them closer to a '59 sound. I think the 490R is just too dull & muddy with it's stock A2. Try different magnets before you buy new PU's.