Custom Custom question question

Inkstained

Inkstained

New member
I've got a 2001 American Series Double Fat Strat. Great guitar, I love it. But the Pearly Gates Plus bridge 'bucker is just too bright and biting and I want something warmer. I'm looking at a Custom Custom to replace it.

Some questions:

Do I need F spacing for this guitar?
If so, does that mean a Custom Shop order?
How will a Custom Custom, with its alnico 2 magnet, pair with this guitar's neck 'bucker Custom 59, which I believe has an alnico 5 magnet? Bad match?
Has anyone put a Custom Custom in a Strat's bridge slot? How did it work?

Thanks.
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

Inkstained said:
Do I need F spacing for this guitar?
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No, but you would probably be happier with it. People lose their minds about pole alignment. regular spaced pickups have been used on Fenders for decades with no problems. You just raise a wayward pole a bit. But - if you are an alignment OCD kind of person, get the F-spaced.

If so, does that mean a Custom Shop order?
Click to expand...
Nope - should be available retail. Might be harder to find.

How will a Custom Custom, with its alnico 2 magnet, pair with this guitar's neck 'bucker Custom 59, which I believe has an alnico 5 magnet? Bad match?
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Depends on what you mean by 'match' - everyone has different definitions of that!

Output? No, the CC will be noticeable hotter, but not like a Distortion. Most people prefer a slightly to much hotter bridge anyway.

Tone Curve? No, the CC has a huge mid-bump, that will turn out nicely with the Fender trem. That 59 is likely a more scoop shape. You will get THREE distinctive tones from bridge/Bridge+neck/Neck positions. The Bridge + Neck will be a very full, balanced, yet cutting sound.

Overall tone? No - the CC will be a fat round A2 sound, vs the sharper a5 style. **** HOWEVER - since putting fat pup in bridge, and sharp pup in neck, they should be more balanced than diverse. You won't have a thin bridge sound and a fat neck tone. You'll get a brighter bridge tone that is fat, and darker neck tone that cuts. The rest is a matter of taste.

(Do you mean Duncan Custom/59 hybrid???? Or stock fender "Custom 59" name?)

Has anyone put a Custom Custom in a Strat's bridge slot? How did it work?
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Lots of people and they dig it. Think EVH on 1984.


If what you want is a bridge pickup that sounds the same generally as the neck pickup, but only slightly hotter - no, you won't get that at all. If you want a decently balanced and flexible sounding guitar, with a Strat bridge that is not too thin, it should be awesome.
 
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Re: Custom Custom question question

Aceman covered it all well, I'll just add that Duncan uses "Trembucker" instead of "F spaced"
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

The first two questions are simple and Aceman nailed them, nothing more to say.

Inkstained said:
How will a Custom Custom, with its alnico 2 magnet, pair with this guitar's neck 'bucker Custom 59, which I believe has an alnico 5 magnet? Bad match?
Click to expand...

I agree with Aceman that the CC is quite a bit hotter than a '59 but you can get a decent output balance between the two by adjusting pickup height. I previously used a CC with a Jazz and have one paired with a Cool Rails now, and I have no complaints regarding match / balance.

Inkstained said:
Has anyone put a Custom Custom in a Strat's bridge slot? How did it work?
Click to expand...
The CC is probably my favorite production SD for Strat bridge position. The only thing comparable IMO is the '78, but that's a rather different sound at a much higher price.

Edit: The '78 is much closer to the PG+ in terms of output if that's a concern.
 
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Re: Custom Custom question question

Cool. I'm convinced. Now to find an F-spaced -- er, trembucker -- rendition of this magnificent bridge bucker.

Aceman said:
No, but you would probably be happier with it. People lose their minds about pole alignment. regular spaced pickups have been used on Fenders for decades with no problems. You just raise a wayward pole a bit. But - if you are an alignment OCD kind of person, get the F-spaced.


Nope - should be available retail. Might be harder to find.


Depends on what you mean by 'match' - everyone has different definitions of that!

Output? No, the CC will be noticeable hotter, but not like a Distortion. Most people prefer a slightly to much hotter bridge anyway.

Tone Curve? No, the CC has a huge mid-bump, that will turn out nicely with the Fender trem. That 59 is likely a more scoop shape. You will get THREE distinctive tones from bridge/Bridge+neck/Neck positions. The Bridge + Neck will be a very full, balanced, yet cutting sound.

Overall tone? No - the CC will be a fat round A2 sound, vs the sharper a5 style. **** HOWEVER - since putting fat pup in bridge, and sharp pup in neck, they should be more balanced than diverse. You won't have a thin bridge sound and a fat neck tone. You'll get a brighter bridge tone that is fat, and darker neck tone that cuts. The rest is a matter of taste.

(Do you mean Duncan Custom/59 hybrid???? Or stock fender "Custom 59" name?)


Lots of people and they dig it. Think EVH on 1984.


If what you want is a bridge pickup that sounds the same generally as the neck pickup, but only slightly hotter - no, you won't get that at all. If you want a decently balanced and flexible sounding guitar, with a Strat bridge that is not too thin, it should be awesome.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

Make sure to check PATB-3...

For whatever it's worth, I love those PG+'s. But they can be a bit cutting in a bright setup. If you like the tone but just wanna fatten things up and shave off some of that high end bite, Brobucker and PATB-3 are great options. Also Whole Lotta bridge is cool too.

CC is a nice pickup but that A2 mag in it would change the overall tone when compared to what you have. It will be more spongy and lowermiddy...

B
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

I have a custom custom trembucker in the bridge of an alder strat style. If you are finding the PG+ too thin/bitey then I highly recommend the custom custom. All round versatile and great sounding blues/rock/metal tone and very nice clean tones too. I have it paired with a Pearly gates neck and they are a perfect match. As if they are a matched and calibrated set designed for each other. If you have a trem equipped strat and need a fatter juicier tone these guys work great. Let us know how it pairs with the 59. I like 59s too but at some point you may want to try a Pearly Gates neck with the Custom Custom bridge.
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

The Custom Custom is my favorite bridge pickup in a Strat, period. It takes up a lot of sonic space, and is perfect if you are in a 1-guitar band.
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

I have used a CC for a considerable period in both a Les Paul and a Strat style. As all the Strat users have said, it's just an awesome pup in the bridge of a Strat, or especially a Floyd Rose Super-strat.

It just really balances the brittle factor of a 25 1/2 scale big metal bridge guitar and fills in the mids that you would expect from a Les Paul.

Now, in a Mahogany 24 3/4 with TOM, you get an entirely other creature that you'll love or hate...
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

The fine folks here have addressed the OPs questions nicely. I will simply pile on and say that the CC is a wonderful bridge pickup, especially if you are going for 80s era VH tones. I have one in my 1980s - something Charvel and I never am tempted to replace it. I have it paired to the Alnico 2 Pro neck. I like 59s and that should work in the OPs setup, but I would personally pair the CC to either a Alnico Pro 2 or Pearly Gates neck, probably the latter.
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

OP was not clear on what that neck pup was.

A Fender '59 Custom (meaning some sort of classic PAF ~7-8k) or a Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid. That would make a difference.
 
Re: Custom Custom question question

cc trem spaced for the win.
Chuck an APH in the neck while you have the pickguard off.
 
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