Custom Custom help: How do you like it best?

[unleashthejay]

Hey everyone. I just got a custom custom and it sounds good but I'll admit it's different from my other SD pickups.

I have it in the bridge of a Strat copy so it's a trembucker. In the neck I have a Alnico ii which sings so I know it's not the guitar. Also, I've been playing the alnico ii in the neck for over ten years so I know how to make it sing both from a gear perspective and also guitar perspective.

The closet pick up that I've had to the CC is a 78 SD in the bridge of a LP copy I own which sounds great. I also own a Lil 78 in a Strat which is my favorite pickup of all time. My question is, how do you like to use the CC best? Gear wise and also maybe guitar wise? Years ago I played a CC my friend owned through his gear and it rocked! So I'm trying to determine if I wired it wrong or something else I'm not thinking about. It sounds good and I just started playing it so keep that in mind that perhaps I need to figure it out (when I got the lil 78 I was on the fence and today it's my go to).

I love EVHs (Van Halen) live without a net tour tone and I think I read somewhere that he used a CC so that's why I got it. I'd love for any suggestions. Thank you.

- A guy that's maybe over thinking it

 

[Aceman]

Well...I put mine in the bridge of a Les Paul at first.

How did I use it? Cranked for some gnarly slide tones - fat singing leads a crunchy rhythm tones.

These days it is in a Dean Super Strat with a Floyd. I use it for a great all-around rock pickup.

 

[Demanic]

CC isn't as bright as a 78. Raise the screws and lower the pickup. Then see what you think.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

I love the CC with an Alnico II Pro in the neck. With a 5 way switch in a Strat, it is my favorite pickup combination as is.

 

[GuitarDoc]

The CC should be a perfect fit with the A2P in the neck.
However, as Demanic said, you can make either of your pups sound a bit brighter by lowering the pup and raising the pole screws. Also, changing the screws to 1022 alloy will make it sound brighter/crisper/cleaner.

 

[jeremy]

what are you not getting out of it that you were expecting? it should be warmer and have more push than the 78

 

[beaubrummels]

You might need to add a little Presence or Treble on your amp, if it's sounding dark compared to pickups you are used to. If you are missing some bass/thump out of it, you might need to add a little Bass on the amp.

 

[Gstring]

I love the CC with an Alnico II Pro in the neck. With a 5 way switch in a Strat, it is my favorite pickup combination as is.

I have mine in a set neck arch top Great all round pups especially with a couple of Push pulls

 

[Napthol]

I love the CC with an Alnico II Pro in the neck. With a 5 way switch in a Strat, it is my favorite pickup combination as is.

When I had my Gibson Les Paul Standard many years ago I put an Alnico II Pro in both the bridge and the neck. From what I recall the bridge sounded good but that pickup in the neck was too bassy. The guy I sold the guitar to also thought the same thing.

 

[krovatron]

what are you not getting out of it that you were expecting? it should be warmer and have more push than the 78

I am with you...read his post multiple times wondering if I missed what he was missing or expecting.

unleashthejay , what are you not getting from your setup that is different from your friends? Do you have a multimeter to confirm that it is wired in series and not getting shorted out somewhere? Most of the time when people bring 'weak' bridge pickup problems to me there is either a bad ground or the red/white is not properly insulated and is shutting down a coil 'tapping'. You should have a measure of 13.x - 14.x.. if its in the 7s...it might be getting tapped from what I described above. Hope that helps! Otherwise the CC should be thick/brown goodness. Swap to UOA5 if you want a bit more bite.

 

[Mincer]

When I had my Gibson Les Paul Standard many years ago I put an Alnico II Pro in both the bridge and the neck. From what I recall the bridge sounded good but that pickup in the neck was too bassy. The guy I sold the guitar to also thought the same thing.

I hear it as mids, not bass, and that's generally what I dig out of a neck pickup. I want it to sound like a tub of butter.

 

[jeremy]

i hear the aph1 as having pretty good bass, not like a 59, but its there for sure. the a2 mag helps give it a great, sweet voice imo

 

[Napthol]

The EQ guide for the APH-1 does show more bass than mids though. The mids look kinda scooped a little. I got my Les Paul back a few days ago and there is an APH-1 in the bridge. But I have not tried it yet. I had a steroid injection in my right wrist to relieve some arthritis and my doctor told me to take it easy for a day or two.

 

[Mincer]

The EQ guide for the APH-1 does show more bass than mids though. The mids look kinda scooped a little. I got my Les Paul back a few days ago and there is an APH-1 in the bridge. But I have not tried it yet. I had a steroid injection in my right wrist to relieve some arthritis and my doctor told me to take it easy for a day or two.

Yeah, I don't think the EQ graph is correct. I'd go with my ears.

 

[jeremy]

the graphs or numbers or whatever companies use to show eq usually seem off to me, but we all hear things differently and since our rigs can vary so much, what i hear from an aph through my stuff might be so very different to what someone else hears through theirs, even with similar guitars. its part of the fun of pup swapping! finding what kicks ass for you

 

[Napthol]

Well tonight I picked up my new Goldtop Les Paul and plugged it into my X3 and the APH-1 sounds pretty good so far. I didn't try it with all my presets but so far it's performing quite well. Either the pickup or the guitar appears to sound brighter than my Explorer. I had to bring down the highs on my best sounding preset but that was easy enough. I like the sweet, warm and buttery sound of those A2 magnets.

 

[unleashthejay]

what are you not getting out of it that you were expecting? it should be warmer and have more push than the 78

Here is a video of me playing three SD pickups: Lil 78, 78 model, Custom Custom

https://youtu.be/rLybQw3IEGQ

I raised the screws and lowered the pickup on the CC as Demanic suggested and I think that did the trick! So thank you.

I'm still open to any suggestions ( I love the way the 78 model sounds spongey if that makes sense).

I'm playing through a tube amp with reverb, I didn't change a thing between guitars.

PS: I'm wearing a EMG shirt ironically (I got it free). I love SD pickups!