Custom 8

[playas]

Swapped out the mag in my sh-11 for an RCA8 tonight.
It's in a strat copy. So far just had about 5 mins to plug it in and try it out. It hasn't had enough time to properly settle in yet but sounded better than before to my ears.

So far the mids sound a bit stronger than before. Even so I think it sounds too scooped for my tastes but should do for now. I have an Stk-s4 in the neck so for now the custom is about level with the scratchplate but will adjust it tomorrow.

The Sh-11 is the custom with an A2, right?

 

[Mincer]

The Sh-11 is the custom with an A2, right?

Yup, and one of my favorite pickups, ever.

 

[playas]

Thanks Mincer.

I had a few minutes to play more this morning and it doesn't drive me wild but I like it more than with A2.

The most striking observation is that the power is very noticeable. Much more so than other higher output pickups I've played. This setup is specifically for hard rock / metal so no worries there, although I am slowly coming to the conclusion that I am happiest with low output pickups in general.

It has more mids than before but it seems to be more focused in the upper mids to my ear, like it has lots of bass, a decent amount of highs and upper mids but not much by way of lower mids.
Anyway an interesting experiment and I'll probably leave it as is for a while.

 

[formula73]

I immediately came to the same conclusion. I found the C8 to just be...too much. 10yrs later and I’m pretty comfortable with PAFish winds with A8s for balls.

 

[JB6464]

I immediately came to the same conclusion. I found the C8 to just be...too much. 10yrs later and I’m pretty comfortable with PAFish winds with A8s for balls.

A 59B with an A8 sounds glorious . :headbang:

 

[formula73]

My favorite so far is the Ibanez ‘Super 70s’ but the oversized A8 they used is unobtanium.

 

[hamerfan]

A 59B with an A8 sounds glorious . :headbang:

I like my PGB with an A8, but a C8 is too much.

 

[playas]

I like my PGB with an A8, but a C8 is too much.

Actually had that pickup in the same guitar too.

 

[Demanic]

One of my favorites is the Alternative 8. But then, that could be because it was wound with the A8 in mind.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Ace Flibble]

A8 is a perfectly fine mag, but yeah, you really need to wind a pickup specifically for it, I feel. It doesn't lend itself to simple swaps like A2-5 do. The Custom 8 is one of the few 'normal' winds I think sounds good with an A8 and even then, evidentially it's not something that is going to suit everyone, unlike the standard Custom models which are all pretty versatile.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Reading posts here convince me from time to time to swap an A8 back into a pickup, but I always prefer an A2. It gives me more organic feel, better cleans, and nothing I feel is missing that I can't fix at the amp. As was said above, though, the Crazy 8 sounds great just the way it is.

 

[Mincer]

The only time a CC didn't work was in an extremely mid-heavy guitar. I made it into a C5 and it cured that.

 

[EmiAba]

Almost the totality of my guitars have one of the custom family pickups in the bridge position. That wind is simply the best IMO. Powerful but not so compressed and it takes gracefully any kind of magnet you want. In my experience it's impossible to have a guitar that doesn't sound good with it. The C8 is in my number one Les Paul for years now and I think it never will go out. The CC in my PRS is almost perfect. In truth I don't like so much the C5 but I think I don't find the right guitar yet. The C8 is too much of everything? Yes it's, but when you want tight low hand, ceramic like highs, midrange and the warmth of the Alnico you need a C8.