Custom 8 paradise!

Re: Custom 8 paradise!

here is my sound clip of the C8, did it all today.
sorry its a little sloppy, i worked on it for along time, still battling tone issues with this darn DSL100.
but you can hear the pickup quite well in detail, it has a good crunch nothing too aggressive like a JB. shines great for power chords id say better than JB, also does leads a little softer than the JB which is a total +10 in my book.

i now understand something new about pickup dynamics: if it has an aggressive palm mute attack (JB) the open chords will lean towards shrill, if the palm mutes are softer and compress a little then it will leaves more room for the chords to shine through better, clearer with more depth (C8).

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8DSL100.mp3
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Thanks for posting a clip- nice & pretty even-EQ tone. Sounds like a Custom 5 with a bit of a mid push. Not as crunchy as a SH5, but still pretty decent.

I can see that pickup sounding really nice in a Les Paul, or one of the maple capped PRS 25" scale instruments (SC250, C22/24, etc)

EDIT- Nice playing too bro!
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

so i did some more eqing on the DSL to even further bring out the tone.
in this clip the tone is WAY better imo.
im always reserved about using the presence knob on tube amps, i always fear they create too much tube hiss, but without it it sounded too dull.
this really shows how aggressive the C8 can be with an aggressive amp.

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8-2.mp3
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

ok im even more hungry to get this amp and pickup to work as a team.
i took a old nevermore riff and tried to make the beef and tone as close as possible,
the C8 excepts anything you throw at it and stays clear, without the JB hiss.

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8-Nevermore.mp3

for a side by side comparision of the C8 and JB8 using the same guitar riff for real accuracy. imo the C8 crunch is pushed back a little which tells me it doesnt want to be defined as metal, but rock metal hybrid.

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/JB8DSL100.mp3
https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8-SameriffJB8.mp3
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

First time C8 user here now too and I have to admit I haven't got the result I was expecting. BUT I'm putting that down to my limited knowledge and lack of patience for tweaking. So first of all I fitted the magnet and it was the wrong way so the middle postiton was out of phase and I also think I adjusted the pick up to close ton the strings? What sort of gap should I have on a Les Paul? It was late.. very late when I finished last night and to be fair although I was tired when I switched on to check the magnet orientation and just to see if it was still working (lol) it sounded better even though I hadn't actually set the pick up height. I just threw it in and it was about 4mm from the strings. So, what measurememnt are you guys using?
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

First time C8 user here now too and I have to admit I haven't got the result I was expecting. BUT I'm putting that down to my limited knowledge and lack of patience for tweaking. So first of all I fitted the magnet and it was the wrong way so the middle postiton was out of phase and I also think I adjusted the pick up to close ton the strings? What sort of gap should I have on a Les Paul? It was late.. very late when I finished last night and to be fair although I was tired when I switched on to check the magnet orientation and just to see if it was still working (lol) it sounded better even though I hadn't actually set the pick up height. I just threw it in and it was about 4mm from the strings. So, what measurememnt are you guys using?


Height makes a big difference.. Spend some time dialing it in and it'll pay off big! Height settings depend on your rig, style and the guitar itself.
keep us posted!
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Ok, come on then guys... help this idiot out. What is your formula to dialing a pick up in. I've never been a tweaker.. no patience you see. I like my main amp for the very reason I can plug in and play and it sounds real good BUT am I missing out? What are you listening for as a starting point of getting close? I know it may sound ridiculous but I want to understand if that makes sense?So, please run me through your set up proceedure for pick ups. Cheers.
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

I agree! The C8 is more open. Plenty of power, but sweet vintage vibe.. JB8 is balls to the wall

i think i like the chords better with the C8, it seems there more freqz in there.
even with power chords theres more upwards range coming out.
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Ok, come on then guys... help this idiot out. What is your formula to dialing a pick up in. I've never been a tweaker.. no patience you see. I like my main amp for the very reason I can plug in and play and it sounds real good BUT am I missing out? What are you listening for as a starting point of getting close? I know it may sound ridiculous but I want to understand if that makes sense?So, please run me through your set up proceedure for pick ups. Cheers.

Unfortunately it really is something that you need to sit down and do yourself, there's no alternative to patience in this case.

With the C8 you can expect to have it set a little lower than the regular old custom. It has a lot more subtle little overtones and harmonics that can be extremely musical and interesting but if it's too high they can get a little overwhelming and can muddy up your sound a little.

There's two ways to do it, really. If you remember what height you had it set at previously then you can use that as a starting point and adjust it to taste from there. If it sounds thinner then bring it up a little, if it's muddy or there's too much noise then lower it a little.

The second way and what I normally do is to set it as low as possible, either flat with or lower than the mounting ring and raise it from there until it sounds how you like. Plug in your guitar and turn the screws about half-way at a time before strumming a few chords. I always get the bass side right first because I play more chords than solos and it's more important to get those strings sounding perfect. Then you bring the treble side up until those high notes sound nice and thick. Don't forget that you can fine-tune with the pole-pieces too.

Also, don't put too much emphasis on the height. Adjusting your amps EQ will still have a massive effect on your sound. I found that when I moved from the Custom to the C8 that I had to lower almost all the settings, especially the mids. As far as I remember I backed off the bass a little more than the treble too.

It really is a different animal to most other magnets and it can take a while to dial in but in my experiance it's always been worth it.

Best of luck, dude.

:fing2:

EDIT: My guitar with a C8 has the pickup set at 4mm from the bottom of the string on the bass side and about 3mm on the treble side. Though that's on an alder-bodied strat copy with pretty high action and 10-guage strings. It sounds like it's still set a little high on that guitar but I like it there for that particular instrument. It's more aggressive and it sounds like it's just on the verge of losing control which is exactly what I want from that guitar. I wouldn't be surprised at all if your settings end up completely different from mine.
 
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Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Ok, come on then guys... help this idiot out. What is your formula to dialing a pick up in. I've never been a tweaker.. no patience you see. I like my main amp for the very reason I can plug in and play and it sounds real good BUT am I missing out? What are you listening for as a starting point of getting close? I know it may sound ridiculous but I want to understand if that makes sense?So, please run me through your set up proceedure for pick ups. Cheers.

Usually with a LP, Ill start with the pup even with the top of the ring and work up until I get more break up then I want, then adjust to taste..

If you have no patience, you may find it easier to start with the pup high near the strings and back down a turn on each end at a time until you start getting clear chords under gain.. Then adjust to taste on the highs and lows. The c8 crunches great, but also has a good note clarity.
I dont have a C8 guitar at my house right now, so I cant give you measurements.. Sorry
Like I said, try to be patient and youll know when it gets sweet. when you feel its good over all, experiment with half turn increments on each end until you get it just right.. youll be glad you did
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

Cheers fella's, I'll set a couple of hours aside tomorrow with the Cornford as this is the clearest sounding amp even under heavy gain, it should be fun as I have a gig on Saturday.
 
Re: Custom 8 paradise!

ok im even more hungry to get this amp and pickup to work as a team.
i took a old nevermore riff and tried to make the beef and tone as close as possible,
the C8 excepts anything you throw at it and stays clear, without the JB hiss.

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8-Nevermore.mp3

for a side by side comparision of the C8 and JB8 using the same guitar riff for real accuracy. imo the C8 crunch is pushed back a little which tells me it doesnt want to be defined as metal, but rock metal hybrid.

https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/JB8DSL100.mp3
https://home.comcast.net/~musicalsx/sounds/C8-SameriffJB8.mp3

Great...now that I've heard these clips I realize I have to try both the C8 and the JB8 now...:cussing: :lol:
 
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