Custom custom too dark for me?

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

thanks Mike!!
the way youve described your thoughts on the cc reminded me why(3 years ago in mesa boogie hollywood)i played and disliked a GMP les paul loaded with cc and 59 duncans.
i thought it was too spongy because of the mesa lonestar amp(drive channel) and clean with a JT pedals valveboy.
3 years later reading lots off posts of users adorring the cc i tricked myself that the feeling of the cc being too spongy and middy was just a bad gear combo(being mesa with duncans).

My luthier(tech) is putting the a2pro in the bridge which should give me a better ideia whether or not the cc is for me.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

The CC, like any other pickup, has its niches... I probably should have prefaced my comments by saying that I was subjecting the CC to fairly high amounts of gain. That's when it got sloppy and unable to produce the clarity I needed for anything more up tempo.

Best of luck to you on your tone quest, madguitar26.

 

[MattPete]

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.

The 490r will give you more output, but it will be muddy in comparison to the A2pro.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

The CC is at home in an alder body/maple neck guitar. It does well in brighter guitars too. I have one in a Kramer Baretta and love how it balances it out (the body is maple).

I also have one in my Epi LP and even though it's not a pure mahogany wood (closer to Luan which is an Asian mahogany type, has similar tone). The LP sounds great with the CC in it to my ears. The low end may be a bit spongy but having a closed back cab sure helps keep things pretty tight.

The amp has a lot to do with how a guitar will sound no matter what pickup is in it. Different amps have different EQ voicings so if the guitar sounds loose and flabby through one amp, it may sound tight as hell through another.

A slight adjustment of EBG pole pieces will brighten right up.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

well my amp is a classic 50 4x10 peavey and the bass is tight.
some may consider it just another blues amp,i assure you,can give me hard rock tones with ease.at least with the jb in strat and custom in SX LP(real heavy mahogany).

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

i have this bad tendency of using the amp´s drive channel instead of pedals.
im thinkin perhaps the a2pro would be kinda weak for high gain sounds just with my amp.
if it were a dual rectifier,soldano,or even jcm 800 there would be no problem with the a2pro
(just a thought).
thinkin of using a koch or tubeman preamp,and stick to the lower output
a2pro.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

luan? Isn't that a lightweight, mahogany veneer plywood?

Not exactly. Some say it is but I have talked to some guys I know who know lumber really well and Luan is not plywood. It is lighter in weight than mahogany but then again, some mahogany is lightweight too. Just depends on where it's from. Luan is also known as Phillippine Mahogany. It's most commonly used as an exterior veneer but my Epi is a solid chunk of it. The only veneer/laminate on it is the top.

Here's a good description:

PHILIPPINE MAHOGANY-
Shorea spp. Several major species (Lauan, Ramin, Tanguile, Meranti, etc.) make up this family of hardwoods. Similar in appearance but not related to true mahoganies, these coarse-grained, durable hardwoods are often used for furniture, shelving, cabinets and boat building.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Custom custom too dark for me?

99% of the lauan you'll see is a plywood, but it is the name of the wood and not the plywood product. A fitting analogy would be "Baltic Birch" Plywood, which is nothing more than a sheet of plywood made from the Batlic Birch tree. Lauan plywood has many many veneer applications because it finishes like mahogany and is typically found in very thin sheets. It became so popular in the late 70s and early 80s that people began referring to any wood laminated cabinet as a lauan product.

"Die-Cut" plywood is usually made from lauan and is commonly used in crafts (dollhouses).

This concludes your woods lesson for the day.