I've got a custom made "LP style" guitar with a five piece laminated neck. Three laminations are maple, two are mahogany. Body wings are mahogany with maple cap. The neck is neck-through and the body is thinner than a normal LP but thicker than an SG. I'm about ready to buy a Custom for the bridge and a '59 for the neck. My other LP has the SD Alnico II Pros installed in both positions. I was looking for something a little hotter than the A2P to satisfy my '80s hair metal rock star fantasies but I don't want something that is full on high-gain modern metal. Just wanted some reassurance this combo is a little hotter than the A2Ps I already have. Any advice or comments would be appreciated! Thanks!
Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
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Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
Well, the 59 is clearer than the Alnico II Pro with more bass & treble, which we may hear as 'hotter', although numbers-wise, it isn't really much more powerful. Also, check out the Jazz, as it is great with all kinds of gain, and it remains tight- you still get a clear, percussive low end. The Custom is a great choice for the bridge.
Well, the 59 is clearer than the Alnico II Pro with more bass & treble, which we may hear as 'hotter', although numbers-wise, it isn't really much more powerful. Also, check out the Jazz, as it is great with all kinds of gain, and it remains tight- you still get a clear, percussive low end. The Custom is a great choice for the bridge.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
Being a mostly-maple neck-through, it's likely to be somewhat bright tonewise and a bit stiff in feel. I think a Custom bridge ought to be great for you. 59 neck is one of my favorites. Great all-around neck pickup- more cut and more beef than an A2Pro, without going high output.
Mincer's point is well taken, though- if the guitar's to be used mostly for high gain stuff a Jazz neck would be a bit more contained in the lows.
Being a mostly-maple neck-through, it's likely to be somewhat bright tonewise and a bit stiff in feel. I think a Custom bridge ought to be great for you. 59 neck is one of my favorites. Great all-around neck pickup- more cut and more beef than an A2Pro, without going high output.
Mincer's point is well taken, though- if the guitar's to be used mostly for high gain stuff a Jazz neck would be a bit more contained in the lows.
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
Um - I think the custom is full on high gain ceramic molten metal.
Did you guys read the OP????
It is not a little hotter than an A2P it is a lot hotter than an A2P. I'm thinking a 59/Custom Hybrid might be more in your zone if that's what you are worried about.
Distortion, Custom, and Invader = Hot Hot Hot.
Um - I think the custom is full on high gain ceramic molten metal.
Did you guys read the OP????
It is not a little hotter than an A2P it is a lot hotter than an A2P. I'm thinking a 59/Custom Hybrid might be more in your zone if that's what you are worried about.
Distortion, Custom, and Invader = Hot Hot Hot.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
Custom + Jazz will do AC/DC but you may have to roll the tone/treble off a couple notches and turn the volume on the guitar back to 6-7.
If you want a little hotter than AIIP and doing AC/DC and only sometimes touching 80's hair metal, some other options might be (going from hotter to mid-gain):
59/Custom hybrid + Jazz
Whole Lotta Humbuckers
Satruday Night Specials (I don't have personal experience with these)
'78 Model + Jazz
Pearly Gates set (Pearly bridge with Jazz neck is a quintessential Gibson guitar sound, a touch on the bright side but just roll the tones back if too much, I have this in my SG now and gigged with it this weekend. I actually had several strangers, like more than 4 people, come up to me excited to tell me how great the tone sounded. This was through an Orange amp into a Randall/Celestion cab.)
Custom + Jazz will do AC/DC but you may have to roll the tone/treble off a couple notches and turn the volume on the guitar back to 6-7.
If you want a little hotter than AIIP and doing AC/DC and only sometimes touching 80's hair metal, some other options might be (going from hotter to mid-gain):
59/Custom hybrid + Jazz
Whole Lotta Humbuckers
Satruday Night Specials (I don't have personal experience with these)
'78 Model + Jazz
Pearly Gates set (Pearly bridge with Jazz neck is a quintessential Gibson guitar sound, a touch on the bright side but just roll the tones back if too much, I have this in my SG now and gigged with it this weekend. I actually had several strangers, like more than 4 people, come up to me excited to tell me how great the tone sounded. This was through an Orange amp into a Randall/Celestion cab.)
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
My point is, the Custom can easily be tailored to suit the guitar and your own personal tastes.
As for being hot-hot-hot, I don't have experience with the Distortion or the Invader like Aceman does, but I've found the Custom easier to control than the hottest pickup I own, a Gibson 500T (which is a lighter wind than the Distortion). I find the Custom far less over-the-top than the 500T, and I feel it interacts better in terms of being able to clean up using the guitar's volume knob, and also min terms of coaxing different textures out of it with pick dynamics and fingertouch. Does it sparkle & chime and behave like a nice airy low output PAF when you roll it back? No. But it sure cleans up better than the 500T. Or my JBs. Or my BK HolyDiver bridge which is more responsive than those others yet still rather hot.
Even so, Ace has a point. While I'd consider the Custom pretty appropriate for 80s hair-band tones, the classic AC/DC tones are more like a lower output pickup into a cranked non-master-volume Marshall. Despite that, Angus' signature Gibson humbucker is right in the same ballpark as the Custom, at least in terms of DCR. I'd suspect it's probably not too far removed from a Custom 5.
The 59/Custom Hybrid is a great sounding, extremely versatile humbucker that I'd recommend without reservation to nearly anybody. A personal favorite. It's got great definition, rich overtones, and a more open feel than a Custom. Not quite as chunky though. Both can excel at classic rock. Still, for mid-to-high-gain material I stand by the recommendation of the Custom.
One great thing about the Custom id that it takes very well to various different magnets. If this guitar turns out to be quite bright and you find the stock ceramic magnet too harsh for your taste, you could smooth out the highs a little with an A8 without sacrificing much output or bass. Or tone down the overall output with an A4. Or scoop the mids a bit with an A5. Or make it warm and squishy with an A2, although for high gain work that's likely to be a bit spongey.
My point is, the Custom can easily be tailored to suit the guitar and your own personal tastes.
As for being hot-hot-hot, I don't have experience with the Distortion or the Invader like Aceman does, but I've found the Custom easier to control than the hottest pickup I own, a Gibson 500T (which is a lighter wind than the Distortion). I find the Custom far less over-the-top than the 500T, and I feel it interacts better in terms of being able to clean up using the guitar's volume knob, and also min terms of coaxing different textures out of it with pick dynamics and fingertouch. Does it sparkle & chime and behave like a nice airy low output PAF when you roll it back? No. But it sure cleans up better than the 500T. Or my JBs. Or my BK HolyDiver bridge which is more responsive than those others yet still rather hot.
Even so, Ace has a point. While I'd consider the Custom pretty appropriate for 80s hair-band tones, the classic AC/DC tones are more like a lower output pickup into a cranked non-master-volume Marshall. Despite that, Angus' signature Gibson humbucker is right in the same ballpark as the Custom, at least in terms of DCR. I'd suspect it's probably not too far removed from a Custom 5.
The 59/Custom Hybrid is a great sounding, extremely versatile humbucker that I'd recommend without reservation to nearly anybody. A personal favorite. It's got great definition, rich overtones, and a more open feel than a Custom. Not quite as chunky though. Both can excel at classic rock. Still, for mid-to-high-gain material I stand by the recommendation of the Custom.
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Re: Custom bridge and '59 neck for custom guitar
Ended up not ordering yet. Got too busy at work. My amps are as follows: ADA MP-1 into an ADA Cab Sim box to monitors and/or PA. Various amp sims such as Guitar Rig 3 high gain amps and Positive Grid Bias FX into monitors or PA.
This morning as I was getting ready to purchase I discovered the Seymour Duncan web site allows you to sort the listing of pickups by their output. This was very interesting. I notice the Custom Custom is in between the A2P and the Custom/JB. I think I'm going to stick with the Custom based on eclecticsynergy's points. I really appreciate everybody's input. The only thing I have no experience with is a guitar with a maple neck. If I were going to put these pickups in a generic Les Paul I would probably choose the Custom Custom/Jazz combo. I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and get the Custom/Jazz combo.
Edit: One thing I did not mention: I usually keep the treble rolled all the way off. With the low output of the A2P pickups into a cranked ADA preamp or amp sim, I really dig the "woman tone."
Ended up not ordering yet. Got too busy at work. My amps are as follows: ADA MP-1 into an ADA Cab Sim box to monitors and/or PA. Various amp sims such as Guitar Rig 3 high gain amps and Positive Grid Bias FX into monitors or PA.
This morning as I was getting ready to purchase I discovered the Seymour Duncan web site allows you to sort the listing of pickups by their output. This was very interesting. I notice the Custom Custom is in between the A2P and the Custom/JB. I think I'm going to stick with the Custom based on eclecticsynergy's points. I really appreciate everybody's input. The only thing I have no experience with is a guitar with a maple neck. If I were going to put these pickups in a generic Les Paul I would probably choose the Custom Custom/Jazz combo. I'm going to step out of my comfort zone and get the Custom/Jazz combo.
Edit: One thing I did not mention: I usually keep the treble rolled all the way off. With the low output of the A2P pickups into a cranked ADA preamp or amp sim, I really dig the "woman tone."
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