Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

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Gunner4Life

New member
I've been playing around with the guitar I have my Custom 8 in, and something is just not right. The pickup doesn't sound bad, but the bass sounds almost too tight, and too focused. It's loud, has sustain, but doesn't seem to have a lot of dirt. Could it be the strings? It's in a Frankenstrat project I just finished, and for some reason the strings are very tight, it first had a Schaller Floyd Rose for about a week, now it's had a Schaller made OFR, again for about a week, and the strings just get really tight, no clue why.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

what tuning are you in and what gauge strings are you using?

the C8 is quite tight, but it normally has a big fat low-mid growl that tends to add some bloom around the tightly-tracked lows
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

Hybrid 9's, previously 10's, tuned Eb, I typically use 10's when tuned down, but left it at Eb with the hybrids.

I've lowered and raised the screw pieces, nothing really changed. Like I said, it still sounds great, but if I could change something it would be to loosen up the bottom just a tad.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

get your new floyd set up properly for a lighter feel, and maybe that growl will come back, cuz tighter strings generally mean less vibration/tighter lows.

of course it could just be the new floyd itself.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

It was the old Schaller also. Gotta ask the tech who does my repairs and installs what the deal is with it.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

Brass block is stock for the OFR and the Schaller.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

I don't find the C8 to be right or focused at all. That would for the description I think of for the Alt-8 more than any other alnico 8 model that I've heard so far.


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Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

I switched out a Custom 8 for a Crazy 8 tonight in hopes of tightening things up just a hair and improving string separation. I don't hear what you're complaining about.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

Gunner4Life said:
I've lowered and raised the screw pieces
Click to expand...

what about the 2 pickup height screws? have you tried moving it away from the strings? IME the custom 8 can be relatively far away and still send plenty of signal through, and from what you're describing, that could be your fix
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

It's all relative. An A8 is going to sound a lot tighter and more focused than an A2, A3, or UOA5. Compared to a ceramic, an A8 isn't going to stand out as tight.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

Need an amp with a resonance control. Lower the basee, raise the resonance. I'm actually being serious, I just went through this with a new guitar. Some amps just dont sound right with some guitars/pickups. JSX ftw.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

misterwhizzy said:
I switched out a Custom 8 for a Crazy 8 tonight in hopes of tightening things up just a hair and improving string separation. I don't hear what you're complaining about.
Click to expand...

let us know how you like it after you spend some time..


Gunner,
not sure what to tell you... <<scratches head>>>>> put aside my bias that the C8 is like a chorus of singing angels, haha Ive never heard the result you are getting... hmmmm

I dont find em to be tight or focused. One of the great appeal of them to me is that they are not real focused. Not loose or flubby at all, but having a nice open tonality.
 
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Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

In a guitar with a spongy bottom end, the C8 sounds very tight. In a guitar with an already strong bottom end, the C8 can be too boomy.
 
Re: Custom 8... Can It Be Too Tight? Too Focused?

Problem fixed!:arms:

It was the bridge, the string tension was too great, causing the pickup to sound like crap. Pickup sounds awesome, the lows growl like I wanted... When I said there was no dirt, I meant growl, whatever. Great pickup, sounds like I expected it to.
 
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