Custom 5 tone question

G

Gforce9

New member
I'm about to pull the trigger on a C5 to replace a UOA5 '59 presently installed on my Hamer Studio bridge. I originally had a JB in the bridge, but I have grown to like a bit more of the PAF tone. The only reason that I would replace the UOA5 '59 is for a better balance with the '59 neck. From reading reviews in other places, it seems that the C5 is 'beefier' than the '59, but sort of in the same vein. I would like some input from you guys who have tried the C5, particularly with a '59 neck.
Some have said it is brighter than a '59 (which I find hard to believe), some have said darker on top. I like the idea of the bridge 'pushing' a little harder than the neck, but I certainly don't want a gain monster devoid of the nice PAF vibe. I'm all ears, fellas!
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

C5 is more scooped than the 59, IMO. If the guitar is real mid-heavy, it will act like a hotter, tighter 59, but it can kind of get lost in a mix.

I've never found the 59 set to be out of balance; could you elaborate?
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

lemonman said:
C5 is more scooped than the 59, IMO. If the guitar is real mid-heavy, it will act like a hotter, tighter 59, but it can kind of get lost in a mix.

I've never found the 59 set to be out of balance; could you elaborate?
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I really like the tone of the UOA5 '59, but it I loose some the nice 'gut punch' (lower mids/bass) when I go to the bridge. The other two positions definitely have it. Is it horrible or unusable? No, but I think my tastes are better satisfied with a slightly gutsier bridge without losing the nice '59, PAF ness. Maybe I'm asking for too much.......
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

Nope not asking for too much. You definitely want a custom series bridge pickup, that is for sure. Since you're obviously not afraid of magnet swapping you'll have your dream pickup in no time. Start with Custom 5, then decide what could be improved and we'll help you pick the right magnet. In my opinion nothing beats the Custom 8 but you lose a little of the paf vibe so you're probably going to end up loving the UOA5 Custom.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

Your Hamer's mahogany? C5's are bright & scooped, maybe not quite as bright as a '59B, but they're bright and thin. At the minimum, two 250K's and/or a RC A5 is needed to take off some of the excess treble. I've ended up converting my C5's (and Customs) to C8's and C5's with UOA5's. That way I get more mids and body, and cut out the worst of the treble. Makes a fuller, richer tone.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

blueman335 said:
Your Hamer's mahogany? C5's are bright & scooped, maybe not quite as bright as a '59B, but they're bright and thin. At the minimum, two 250K's and/or a RC A5 is needed to take off some of the excess treble. I've ended up converting my C5's (and Customs) to C8's and C5's with UOA5's. That way I get more mids and body, and cut out the worst of the treble. Makes a fuller, richer tone.
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Blueman,
Do you think it is worth a shot to try an A8 in the '59? If I go for the C% (a bit more 'girth than a '59, I presume), I still have a UOA5 mag in case the C5 was too bright and scooped.......
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

Gforce9 said:
Blueman,
Do you think it is worth a shot to try an A8 in the '59? If I go for the C% (a bit more 'girth than a '59, I presume), I still have a UOA5 mag in case the C5 was too bright and scooped.......
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Try the '59 A8. See what you think, and you still have a UOA5 to try in there too. If those two don't excite you, than try a C5, and you have two great magnets to fall back on if you need them. I always use two 250K's with C5's though.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

i have a 59n and C5b in a guitar and they pair very well ... the bridge just has more 'oomph' - i would not consider it 'thin' in any way ... perfect for a guitar with a master volume where you just want a simple flick of the pickup switch to get to the beefier tone with more cut ...
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

Thanks all you guys.....the input of the group is always helpful! I think I know where I'm headed now. I'll post what I settle and how I like it.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

I was one of those guys who helped originate the idea of the Custom 5, and used them for years. That's the reason I'm even on the forum....got attracted to this place by all the Custom 5 talk.

I still haven't tried it, but I think the Unoriented roughcast A5 Custom 5 is going to be a slam dunk. Right now, 3 of my favorite humbuckers are the Brobucker, Custom 5, and C5/59 hybrid.

For A2's, Seths, Antiquities, Burstbucker 2, and Pearly Gates neck.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

joe, which magnet do you like in the C5/59 hybrid - the ceramic or the A5? .. what are the differences in tone between the two? do you like C5 screw and 59 slug or vice versa?
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

tone4days said:
joe, which magnet do you like in the C5/59 hybrid - the ceramic or the A5? .. what are the differences in tone between the two? do you like C5 screw and 59 slug or vice versa?
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So far, I've only had the A5 C5/59 hybrid, and I'm pretty sure the screw coil is the Custom. It's my favorite strat humbucker, so I haven't messed with it.

I really need to order some roughcast unoriented Alnico 5 magnets, and get back to experimenting. The only reason I haven't is because almost all my guitars sound good to me. I'm not as much into pickup/mag swaps as a lot of guys here. Once a guitar sounds good, I tend to leave it.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

Gearjoneser said:
I'm not as much into pickup/mag swaps as a lot of guys here. Once a guitar sounds good, I tend to leave it.
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So do we, but if there's any room for possible improvement, we're tempted to try another magnet, even something subtle, like polished vs roughcast. UOA5
's are definitely worth trying; more character and dynamics than A4's or A8's.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

blueman335 said:
So do we, but if there's any room for possible improvement, we're tempted to try another magnet, even something subtle, like polished vs roughcast. UOA5
's are definitely worth trying; more character and dynamics than A4's or A8's.
Click to expand...

what difference do you hear between a 'regular' A5 and a UOA5? what is the difference in the neck? in the bridge? clean? slight dirt? overdriven crunch? high gain?
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

tone4days said:
what difference do you hear between a 'regular' A5 and a UOA5? what is the difference in the neck? in the bridge? clean? slight dirt? overdriven crunch? high gain?
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T4D,
I can speak to the difference in a '59 bridge: (UOA5) the nice bottom remained, the mids came out in a pleasing way, and the harsh treble was tamed. The added mids gave the '59 a more aggressive tone, though not harsh.
 
Re: Custom 5 tone question

tone4days said:
what difference do you hear between a 'regular' A5 and a UOA5? what is the difference in the neck? in the bridge? clean? slight dirt? overdriven crunch? high gain?
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'Regular' polished A5's are heavy on treble and bass, and mid-scooped. Sharp high-end, sometimes a boomy bass. UOA5's are very different, they have a lot of A2 warmth and dynamics. Low-end is still firm, but not as diminant; mids are boosted and treble reduced. More of an organic sound and response. Top end is smooth but not as rounded as an A2. If you didn't know ahead of time, you wouldn't think it was an A5. Since mids usually help a guitar cut thru a band mix better than highs, it projects well.

I like A8's, as do many others, but they have a bit of ceramic 'in-your-face' quality to them that you don't always want. UOA5's are what some of us were hoping an A8 would sound like. They retain a vintage sound and are also good in high outout PU's, like C5's and JB's. Being warm, I only use them on bridge PU's (HB's and P-90's). They have more character clean than a regular A5. I don't play high gain, but regular A5's may be better-suited for that.
 
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