Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

[Stevo]

Yesterday I put an A2 magnet in my Custom, therefore it's now a CC.

In my Les Paul, the CC bottom end is more loose that the Custom. The Custom has a tighter, brighter bottom end. The Custom also has low mids that seem to be a lot more pronounced than the CC. The Custom has a great snarl when you play big chords under distortion.

In my Les Paul, the CC is very articulate in general. I like the way you can play full chords under distortion and hear every note. I'd say that the CC has a smoother top end than the Custom also. It has more "honk" in the higher notes too. It does not sound "high output" like the Custom. To my ears, it sounds more PAF than the Custom.

I had a CC in a tele for a while. In that guitar, the CC bottom end was tighter, and when soloing on high notes, it had more of an 80s metal snarl. I am pretty sure that this pickup is very cool in a strat.

I also had a Custom in a tele for a while. I liked it, but it seemed to have a boxy tone and the higher notes were a bit harsh. The clean tone was articulate with style though.

In a Les Paul, I'd say that the Custom is better for metal-ish tone and the CC is more articulate and smoother, for classic rock tones. Both have nice clean tone, but I'd say that the CC has more character when clean.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Nice little review there Steve, thanks for posting that.

I haven't owned a CC but I'd agree based on the one I messed around with in someone elses paula

CC=smooth
C=Crunchy

Just like peanut butter everyone has their pref

Now if someone could make a pup thats has the low mids and crunch of the custom with the articulation and lower output manners of the CC, I'd have the perfect bridge pup for a Les Paul.

 

[Stevo]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Now if someone could make a pup thats has the low mids and crunch of the custom with the articulation and lower output manners of the CC, I'd have the perfect bridge pup for a Les Paul.

Yes! I wonder if Seymour could design a double magnet pickup, with ceramic for the low notes and A2 for the high notes

 

[JeffB]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Yes! I wonder if Seymour could design a double magnet pickup, with ceramic for the low notes and A2 for the high notes

Sounds like a project for the next UGD wind your own pup session

Really I think a 59 with just a bit more output (9-9.5K) and ever so slightly boosted mids would do it...I don't know enough about pups to know how to make that pup...but the 59 is pretty tight..it just needs a little more beef around each note like the Custom has.

 

[Stevo]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

but the 59 is pretty tight..it just needs a little more beef around each note like the Custom has.

I think the custom shop "Deco" pickup might be a possibility. I had a Deco 2 neck version for a while, and MJ told me that the bridge version, with an A5 magnet, might get a hotter 59 tone.. hmmm.. forgot about that one :laugh2: Always searching!

 

[SemperRhythm]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

I have a S-Deco-5 wound to 11.5k. It's very clean and clear but slightly brighter than a '59 bridge. I got it for that "hot '59" tone and it's there, just brighter on the top end IMO. It's slightly mis-matched coils too (5.5k and 5.8k). Very, very clear pup...

Edit: For my personal style, I'd prefer the S-Deco be less bright so I'm changing it to A2 sometime soon. Sometimes it's almost too clear to really smooth up and round off a bit.

Nathan

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Nice little review there Steve, thanks for posting that.

I haven't owned a CC but I'd agree based on the one I messed around with in someone elses paula

CC=smooth
C=Crunchy

Just like peanut butter everyone has their pref

Now if someone could make a pup thats has the low mids and crunch of the custom with the articulation and lower output manners of the CC, I'd have the perfect bridge pup for a Les Paul.

Actually, the CC is smooth as peanut butter! Sounds really great in my Strat and in my Hamer Monoco, but differant in each guitar.

Adjusting the CC as close as possible to the strings in both guitars brought out the treble quite a bit.

Also, adjusting the middle four polepieces in an arch and closer to the strings helped bring out the treble too.

I think those who have complained about the CC lacking treble probably have it to far from the strings.

Thanks for the review Stevo...I agree with your review and my CC's do sound a bit differant in my Hamer Monoco vs. my Strat. Definately a little more steely and biting in my Strat, and in a very good way. Kinda EVH-like.

Lew

 

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

now we all have to write seymour and ask him to Just make a update on the CC... tighting the bass a Little more and it will be the perfect bridge pickups
Yeah, cause i like it a ****ing lot.
Q
My only problem with it is that bass is not tight enough. i have to work Doubled to make the riffage on the LOW E string to sound tight
ahahahahaha

 

[ErikH]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Good review, Stevo. CC is my fav bridge pickup. It's perfect for my Kramer and makes my Epi LP sound fantastic. I could put another one in my homemade Strat but I'm planning on going with a 59 instead. My mind might change again though...lol.

I say leave the CC alone. It is perfect the way it is. Of course, we all have our own opinions but to me that little bit of looseness in the lows is great.

 

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

Hummmmm so, i´ll have to stick with a CUSTOM SHOP CC. ahahahaha
a neck and a bridge one
Q

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Custom Custom Contrasted With CC - Les Paul and Tele

I've always been interested in finding the perfect Custom for a Les Paul.
So far, I've tried all the magnets, except for the A8, which I should try at some point.

Custom - punchy bottom, crunchy top
CC (A2) looser bottom, nice low mids, buttery high mids and highs.
C3 like a bright C-5, probably a better magnet for neck pickups
C4 very well balanced across all frequencies, but harder feeling and articulate, like a Jazz bridge.
C-5 tight focused bottom, neutral mids, airy and vintage highs like 59
Overwound 15.3 C-5, like a C-5 with better mids and compressed highs like CC

I have another idea, which I think might be perfection. Cut an A5 and A2 magnet in half, superglue them together in the middle (making sure of the direction), and have a Custom 5-2, with the 5 on the wound strings and 2 on the high strings. If I'm ever really bored, I might put those magnets in a vice and cut them in half with a saw, then make 2 Custom 5-2's. Wouldn't it be cool if an awesome new hybrid pickup were created?!