Custom custom too dark for me?

[madguitar26]

after spending the last 4 months with the duncan custom in my very bass heavy Les paul sx,i gota say i loved the fat mids but in the end it was just too dark for me.and increasing treble for more clarity´s sake made the tone very harsh and hard on the ears.
the obvious thought would be upgrading to the cc(c5 is out as i want mids).
i wonder if a cc could sound bad in a LP,since mine is bass heavy.

i have an alnico2pro in the neck that i could put in the bridge,but then again it wouldnt be strong enough for hard rock would it?

pleeease helpaaaa,Lew anyone

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

just for reference i love my JB(even thowe its not as fat as the custom) in my strat and as treble in amp is increased the tone is still smooth.
thats what im looking for in my LP,crunch with smooth tone,but fat.

any suggestions rather than the cc will be very welcome

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

IMO, the Custom has more bass and treble than the Custom Custom. So the CC might not have the treble you seem to be looking for. On the other hand, the CC has less bass and moving the CC as close to the strings as possible brings up the treble quite a bit...so it might be just exactly what you are looking for! :laugh2:

If you already know you love the JB, that pickup has sounded great in every Les Paul I have installed it in. It'll probably have more lower mids in your Les Paul than it does in your Strat...LP's usually do have more lower mids, perhaps because of the neck and body construction and the single cutaway.

You might want to just go for another JB...

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

thanks as always Lew,but i wanted a diferent more PAF fat like tone for my LP.:fing25:
would a gibson 498 be a downgrade?
could the a2pro have almost the same output as the cc?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

Don't be scared of all the people talking about the C-5 being scooped. You said you want a Custom with more clarity, and that's what the C-5 is. Like a beefier 59B. The CC will have choked off highs in a bassheavy guitar, and a spongier feel in the lows.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I'm with LEW... CUSTOM CUSTOM!
Matches up great with the APII NECK as well...

If you had a 59 in the neck I might lean a little towards the Custom 5...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I'm with LEW... CUSTOM CUSTOM!
Matches up great with the APII NECK as well...

If you had a 59 in the neck I might lean a little towards the Custom 5...

Thanks! I think Gearjoneser's suggestion of the Custom 5 is also a good one although I had that pickup in my Hamer Studio Custom for about a year and liked it alot but was never fully satisfied with it unless I was playing really loud with it...then it rocked!

I dunno...I think there's a reason Seymour put off releasing the C5 for so many years and, IMO, the C5 sounds like it's a little lacking in something...maybe lacking a certain complexity or something to the mids. Unless your playing through a cranked amp with alot of mids...then the C5 kicks butt. But through my blackface Fenders it seemed a little dry or steely or something. Not "juicy" enough for me at lower amp volumes and lower gain or overdrive settings.

But I'm real partial to the Custom Custom....especially with an Alnico 2 Pro neck humbucker. Because they're both alnico 2 pickups, it's easy to find one setting on your amp that sounds great with both pickups.

One problem with combining the AIIPro with a Custom is, IMO, that the two pickups sound so differant that if you add enough bass and treble to the amp to sound great with the AIIPro , that might be TO MUCH bass for the Custom. Just a thought.

I think the concerns about the Custom Custom not being trebley enough in some guitars is a valid concern though. I've been able to move it very close to the strings in my guitars though and that seems to give me enough treble.

I've used it in three of my guitars: one Strat, one Hamer solid body and one Hamer semi-hollowbody. I really like it!

Lew

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

your right on the money when you say about increasing both bass and treble for the a2pro sounding great and the custom TERRIBLE.
thaty is exactly my problem.NAILED IT
im in love with the a2pro but only after adjusting and raising the pole pieces(major diference),and cranking the volume a little more than the custom.
im gonna risk it and just put the dam cc.
putting in a gibson 490 r in the neck just for kicks(and comparisons sake).

Lew,how would the 490r(alnico5 i guess) sound against the a2pro in the neck?

 

[yeti]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

Are you swapping out the Custom for a CC, or just swapping your mag out? You can spend about $12 and see if the CC is right for you or not without buying a whole new pickup.
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/barmagswap.htm
http://www.guitarjonesusa.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_53
I'm not sure if Lew carries Alnico mags or not, but check with him first if you decide to try it.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

unfortunatly i have no way of doing that here in my country.no one here seems to have sapre mags and dont even consider swithing em.
tecs told me to sell it!@!!

ill just have to put my A2pro neck in the bridge and raise it up to the sky for optimum level.
but that should sound queit diferent from the cc,even thow A2 right?

 

[Aceman]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

CC should work great - it's an awesome pup. I like it with the PG - also an A2 pup. And as for the treble, just adjust the poles on the higher strings up a bit, that seems to satisfy those who think it misses a little bit (or is overly fat - as if that's a problem!!!)

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

Go for the CC bc it does truly get decent treblw when pushed up to the strings. On the other hand, i think the C5 cleans up the best and has the most clarity, however, its nowhere as rude as the CC.

Listen to some recent (mid last year) Steve Stevens, esp live with his white Les Paul - those were great examples of the CC.

I like the A2Pro, esp the neck. The bridge under mid gain can seem a big bright with a ultrasweet glassy top which isnt quite the rock I wanted. I still use them though, sound great high gain.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

thanks to both Ace and Olin.
do any of you think a change from a2pro to gibson 490r in the neck could give more clarity and output under high gain?
my clean tone isnt exactly jazzy(the way i want it) with the spongy a2pro either so im givin the 490r a try.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I dunno...I think there's a reason Seymour put off releasing the C5 for so many years and, IMO, the C5 sounds like it's a little lacking in something...maybe lacking a certain complexity or something to the mids. Unless your playing through a cranked amp with alot of mids...then the C5 kicks butt. But through my blackface Fenders it seemed a little dry or steely or something. Not "juicy" enough for me at lower amp volumes and lower gain or overdrive settings.




Lew

Exactly the way I felt about it in my Hamer. In my LP though, it flat out rocks through EL34 powered amps. Like Lew said, it does require a bit of volume, but if you play loud anyway...

If not, try the PG. It's still my favorite set up in a LP.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

Exactly the way I felt about it in my Hamer. In my LP though, it flat out rocks through EL34 powered amps. Like Lew said, it does require a bit of volume, but if you play loud anyway...

If not, try the PG. It's still my favorite set up in a LP.

I think it probably sounds better in Les Pauls than in double cutaway Hamers.

The single cutaway Les Paul has a thicker tone than souble cutaway Hamer...which is what I tried it in.

Was your Hamer a double cutaway too Benjy?

Lew

 

[Aceman]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I deon't know that I'd call a 490 "spongy" I'd call it "ok" Although the one in my 79 is AWESOME! I don't know why. If clarity is your goal I might go straight 59.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I don't know that I'd call a 490 "spongy" I'd call it "ok" Although the one in my 79 is AWESOME! I don't know why. If clarity is your goal I might go straight 59.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I think it probably sounds better in Les Pauls than in double cutaway Hamers.

The single cutaway Les Paul has a thicker tone than souble cutaway Hamer...which is what I tried it in.

Was your Hamer a double cutaway too Benjy?

Lew

Yeah, mine is an 81 Special with a thin maple top and a sustain block bridge.

I had the C5 in there combined with an APH and it was OK, but it's much better in my LP combined with a PGn.

I have a Screamin Demon in the Hamer now that I think will stay there indefinately.

 

[Brett Valentine]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

. . .

But I'm real partial to the Custom Custom....especially with an Alnico 2 Pro neck humbucker. Because they're both alnico 2 pickups, it's easy to find one setting on your amp that sounds great with both pickups.

One problem with combining the AIIPro with a Custom is, IMO, that the two pickups sound so differant that if you add enough bass and treble to the amp to sound great with the AIIPro , that might be TO MUCH bass for the Custom. Just a thought. . .
Lew

That's interesting. Here's a different response. I tried the CustomCustom in the bridge position of my i21 which has an A2 Pro in the neck (pulling out a Pearly Gates). While all 3 have A2 mags, I found that the A2 Pro and CC were so similar in characterist tone that with more than just a bit of overdrive, the tonal chartacteristics didn't really change that much (except for a little bit in the top end and bottom). The PG bridge gave a much greater difference in tone no matter how much distortion I used.


Mahogany body w/thin maple cap, Kinman treble bleed on volume pot, TBX tone control, coil tap w/access to each coil in single mode

fx tried: PedalworX: Tour Pro Toggle; Barber: Direct Drive SS, LTD; Fulltone: FullDrive2, FatBoost, Distortion Pro.

Amps: Fender Stage 112SE, POD (I know, I know), didn't try it with my Boogie Mk4W.

Monster Rock and George L cables and connectors.

I definitely like the CC paired with a Pearly Gates neck in my Carvin DC400 (maple cap & neck, mahogany body, ebony fingerboard.

Brett

 

[MikeS]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

I have a slightly different POV of the CC after having tried it in my LP. Gearjoneser nailed it with the top end… it seemed very choked. Upgrading the stock 300K pups to 500K helped a bit, but the midrange still overpowered the top and bottom ends (the CC has a strong midrange, as does the natural tone of a Les Paul and similar design). The low end didn’t feel as choked, but it was too loose and spongy for my tastes. I will say that the pickup cut through a mix like no other (perhaps a little too much for me liking).

Alternatively, the CC in a very bright axe (maple neck through) had great highs and mids, but still suffered from a soft bottom end. I think if I were to ever give the CC a shot again it would be in a more balanced guitar like a strat.

As for your question about the alnico 2 pro… if it’s good enough for Slash, then I’d say you’re fine with using it for hard rock. I wonder (and a user of one would have to chime in, don’t take my word for it) if an A2 S-DECO would work for you. If custom shop is out of the question, my next choice would be a PG.