Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

[SJ318]

I talked to MJ today,
I was going to put in my RC A5 mag in my 59/C, leave my WLH alone, (my 2 stage guitars) So I asked MJ to make a 59/C for my SG (3rd backup), with a RC A5. Guess what? She said all Custom pickups made in the Custom Shop are all RC A5, RC A4, RC A2. Some other, I forgot.
So she said the one 59/C. she made for me (double white,no wax no cover) already has a RC A5 in it,
even though I did not ask for it. I asked for Mincer as he has good inside info.
Did any one else know this? MJ was quite adamant about this.
Very curious,
Steve Buffington

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

What is it you want to know exactly?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

This has been the case for a long time.

Roughcast magnets in the Custom Shop Pearly Gates and most other Custom Shop humbuckers.

Polished magnets in the Seth Lover, 59, regular Pearly Gates and most other production floor pickups.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

MJ knows better than anyone. I know my Hybrid certainly said 'RC' on it, but I never thought what they usually use, as I don't own many Custom Shop pickups, and the ones I do own didn't come in a regular Custom Shop box (or any box at all- the Slash prototypes). Huh, news to me, I guess I learned something today.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

this may be the case now but it has not always been so. i have some custom shop buckers that have polished magnets and i think all my antiquitys are polished aged a2

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

i think all my antiquities are polished aged a2

My Ant HB set had such mags. Signed too.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

yep. all mine are signed as well. i have a full set that has the stock magnets which sounds great and another neck with a3 matched with a seth bridge and a bridge model with full strength a2 matched with a pgn. they all sounds really nice. im sure a rca2 would sound nice in the antiquity bridge, dunno if id want it in the neck

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

Well, the "Hy-Bro" neck prototype MJ sent me, the magnet is a polished one.

That was the one I didn't like.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

Ok,
Thanks. My box just says alv. Well, I am replacing the pickgaurd, re-finishing the uneven parts of my frets, replacing some
ratty wire, etc, half way there, so I'll be seeing it in a day or two. If not RC I'll just use a new RC A5 from addictionFX I
bought. After 6 years or so on this forum and the responses I read about, the things people say, and the sound I get from
all the RC's I have tried, I cannot lose.
I love the 59/C. but, It sounds a little polite in comparison with the others, regardless of string wind or power, an RC just sounds a little grittier. I like the response, and attack better.
Thank you for responding.
Let you know what I find,
Steve Buffington

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

I guess I see where you hear grit- it is a little unrefined...not as direct. The mids seem 'smeared'. I am terrible with metaphors.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

So, here is what I found -
My CShop 59/C. is in fact an RC A5. Even though the box just says alv. When I ordered this w/custom features, I did not ask
about magnets at all. Didn't occur to me.
On my custom shop WLH the box also says alv, so I must assume it is a RC A5 also, as they come that way to begin with.
Both were made in the last 10 months.
So I guess the moral of the story is when asking for a CS shop pickup, be clear to MJ or Derek which mag you are really getting.
Thanks,
Steve Buffington

 

[Mincer]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

You can always swap it out if you think you are missing something...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

yep. all mine are signed as well. i have a full set that has the stock magnets which sounds great and another neck with a3 matched with a seth bridge and a bridge model with full strength a2 matched with a pgn. they all sounds really nice. im sure a rca2 would sound nice in the antiquity bridge, dunno if id want it in the neck

I think I might prefer polished A2 for neck humbuckers, rather than roughcast A2. Polished sounds clearer and more transparent to me.

My Custom Shop Pearly Gates set has roughcast A2 for both the neck and bridge and although I love the sound of the bridge pickup, I prefer the sound of the regular PGn for the neck pickup...and the regular PGn uses polished A2.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Custom shop important question, calling Mincer, please

Hey, All,
Thanks for chiming in. Mincer, jeremy, Lt. Pepe, Kamanda~SD, Lewguitar.
Lewguitar, I agree about all of my own neck pickups. I care little if the B and N match. I love my N pickups to be as bright, clear, and around 8-9ishK resistence. Therefore, they all are polished mags, regardless of A2, 3, 4, 5, above that, with any wind, I just don't like A8's like a lot of folks.
I got a "Bloomfield bridge p'up" from Electric City Pickups (GREAT company). They called it an "Electric Flag" model so you get the idea. It was crystal clear, loads of bite, lower wind (7.0 or so). It was so stark and sharp, I put it in the neck of my SG (which is getting the permanent weight relief treatment - copyright @ S.Bufftalksalot.yapyap.com. - and my Seth Lover is in the bridge with a RC A4, soon to be RC A5. As arrogant as I sound, like my Strat, I can get every sound there is out of it. A Hot Rod Deluxe 40 watt, original Celestion 30 watt (70) and a lifetime of the right pedals on my board. Together, the p'ups have a sound unique and fun to tweak.
On my beautiful but not usable LPCustom, I use a SLover, RC A4 in the bridge, and a polished A5 Jazz bridge in the neck, with the mahag/maple cap (VERY thick cap) it is a wonder to hold and play through any decent tube amp, 10 watts to 50 watts.
BTW, although the power is greater and the coils unmatched, the wind really makes such a difference. Both have RC A5, but the 59/C. is louder, and cleaner, than the WLH. By a long shot, I think the saying goes.
Steve Buffington