Custom Custom vs IM1

[SFW]

Yes... Sigh.... Another Can Halen pickup thread..

First if all, I'm not chasing the VH1 tone. I'm more interested in his live tones around the 1984 and 5150 tours. These tones were much warmer than the VH1 tone. Right now, I have a CC in my Charvel, and I dig the VHesq tones that I'm getting. Just wondering if anyone has compared these two pickups? I'm more interested in capturing the 5150 guitar tones that I am the Frankie tones. So... If anyone has gotten to play both the CC and the IM1, ID love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Custom Custom vs IM1

I just got my IM1 after a few months of waiting. To me it is brighter and ruder than the Custom Custom. The Cc has more low end grunt, im1 more bite. To be honest with you, ithe IM1 sounds more like a JB than it does a Cc

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Custom Custom vs IM1

Here's a quick recording of the Custom Sustom in my EVH Striped Series guitar:
https://soundcloud.com/user675188333/custom-custom

Here's the IM1: https://soundcloud.com/user675188333/im1

Enjoy! :headbang:

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Custom Custom vs IM1

I'm not hearing a lot of difference in those pickups dotsdad... Sounds like both are in VH territory.

 

[Dragonhead]

IM1 sounds like it has more clarity & less distorted to me.

 

[Chistopher]

Not to muddy the waters, but if you can find an EVH Frankenstein on the wall of your local Guitar Center, the bridge pickup in that is extremely close to the IM1

 

[ToneFiddler]

there is a huge pickup shootout from pete thorn on you tube: theme Van Halen.
If i remember correctly, the SH-11 and the other one where included
Edit:there you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFaT6jx3wk
Edit2: no, no IM1, but the frankenstein

 

[beaubrummels]

IM1 sounds like it has more clarity & less distorted to me.

Welcome to the forum

This was 11 years ago, so I would hazard a guess that the OP sorted his pickup choices out by now.​ But any additional input is useful I suppose.

 

[Bowtomecha]

What is the IM1 from?

 

[Masta' C]

What is the IM1 from?

The IM1 was a tweak on the Frankenstein pickup SD makes for EVH. SD couldn't sell the "Frankenstein" version at retail at the time, so they built a similar pickup around a degaussed A5 mag instead of A2. Think of a pickup that sits somewhere between the Custom Custom and Custom 5. That said, you can get the "Frankenstein" as a Custom Shop option now, so the IM1 was taken of the menu.