Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

Aden

Aden

New member
I'm looking for a bridge PU for my 05 LP Studio. I like the tone profile of the duncan custom but I've never had good experiences with ceramic magnets. So I was thinking maybe the custom 5 would be the thing for me. Problem is, I like me some mids. I like me some mids a lot. Is the custom 5 as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be?
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

Les pauls have a lot of mids naturally, and if you want more mids, you can always swap the magnet for either an A4, A8, or A2 depending on how you like your bass response and top end.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

If you soften up the A5 a little bit, it will be a lot more even.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

All other things being equal, yes, the Custom 5 is naturally scooped. However, in the right guitar and through the right rig, it can have enough mids. I thought it was "ok" in that department in the SG and the Les Paul. Haven't had a shot to put it in a guitar with naturally fewer mids.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

jimijames said:
Les pauls have a lot of mids naturally, and if you want more mids, you can always swap the magnet for either an A4, A8, or A2 depending on how you like your bass response and top end.
Click to expand...

what would each magnet choice give me, respectively?
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I have a C5 in my Les Paul and I don't notice any overly scooped sound, I think it balances out really nice and makes the Les Paul very tight and big/open sounding . . . . never tried the CC but my interest is peaked about it, I fear it lacks the tight bass and response of the C5
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I haven't found the C5 to be too scooped at all. It has plenty of mids, but alo a bright top end with good thump.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I love C5's, but to me they need either an A4 or 250K pots to take off the extreme highs. Once you do that, you emphasize the mids, and its great.

Tone is a combination of PU's, magnets, pots, caps, etc, and they react to wood differently. You job, Mr Phelps, is to bring them together in the right combination to make magic.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I don't care for the C5 in anything but a Gibson style guitar through a LOUD EL-34 based amp. That's when it really takes off. :burnout:
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

Benjy_26 said:
I don't care for the C5 in anything but a Gibson style guitar through a LOUD EL-34 based amp. That's when it really takes off. :burnout:
Click to expand...

I guess its obvious that I only play Gibson-style guitars. C5's are made for mahogany bodies. I probably wouldn't be as thrilled with them in a bright-toned wood.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

blueman335 said:
I guess its obvious that I only play Gibson-style guitars. C5's are made for mahogany bodies. I probably wouldn't be as thrilled with them in a bright-toned wood.
Click to expand...

Obviously, the whole world MUST revolve around you. :lame:
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I actually had it in a mahogany body, set neck Schecter - still was too scooped for me.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

The C-5 is just like a bulked up 59B, and I think it's one of the best sounding pickups for LP's, SG's, or Singlcuts.

It's one of those picups you can put in most guitars and it sounds great, but the only place it sounds scooped is in a pickguard guitar, like a strat. The C5 has big tight bass, neutral mids, and open highs, so if your guitar or amp has nice mids, you don't need it from your pickup.

They put hot Alnico 5 humbuckers in nearly all guitars made for rock. And people like scooped strat pickups, because they don't want pickup mids.

It's all relative. I think a great combo for a LP Studio is a C-5/PGn or C-5/Jazz.
 
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Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

Aden said:
what would each magnet choice give me, respectively?
Click to expand...

Sorry, just got back to the computer, but to sum it up:
A8 is very powerful, some say more powerful than ceramic, but I haven't had the chance to test it. As far as EQ is concerned, A8 is balanced in an odd way: Its almost like every frequency is overpowering; and the character seems to move from ceramic (tight bottom, great pinch harmonics) to A5-esque mids (in character, it's not 'scooped' by any strech of the imagination) and A2 highs (smooth, with an almost 'singing' quality)

I've heard A4 described as a degaussed A5, but I don't like the bottom end, it just sounds harsh to my ears. A lot of people like it in the neck, and I know there's someone here who has it in a custom in the bridge.

As for the custom custom (A2), I won't go into detail, plenty of people have it and love it, just do a search for it.

A3 is like A2 but brighter, and 'chimier' so to speak, and to my ears, has more bass, although (again, to my ears) neighter has particularly tight bass.

I'm just telling you from my experience, there are plenty of people who have a different opinion, so just take this with a grain of salt.

edit: I just read blueman335's post, so there's someone who likes A4 in the bridge, I'm sure he can tell you more about it if you're interested
 
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Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

I didn't like the c5 in either guitar I tried it in. It was too boomy for me. One was a Jackosn Randy Rhoads from 91 and the Other was a Jackson Dinky from 98. Too be fair, the Randy sounded like crap no matter what I put in it. The Dinky has a suprisingly amount of low end for an alder maple/rosewood floyde bolt on.... EMG 85 has been the best in that guitar... that and a PEAVEY wolfgang pickup. I want to try the blackouts in it or the deactivators.
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

i found the custom 5 to be really scooped......i must say though that i tried it in a strat so maybe in a les paul ti will sound better....I still think that the c5 needs more mids............In other words........do not underestimate the power of the ceramic Custom .......
 
Re: Custom 5 is it as scooped as the tone chart makes it out to be

In the same spirit, many people here like the Custom 8, a Custom (or equivalent) with an AlNiCo 8 magnet.
(You see all the custom line is essentially the same pickup with different magnets). They described it (like jimijames) as a mix between all 3.

In my Crazy 8 A8 is like a livelier ceramic, it has that very basic same character but with all frequencies bumped up, really crisp and articulate with very powerful (sometimes even overpowering) bass. The mids are a tad high but so much less than the treble and bass that they sound scooped in comparison but in truth aren't, they're above flat EQ.

If I HAD to give an EQ that would be B/M/T=8/6.5/7.5 or sth of the kind but take this with a grain of salt...
 
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