After doing some A8 swaps over the past 5 years, I will say that I did not do this test correctly. I realized that like many others, the magnet needs to be in the pickup for maybe 2 weeks? for the magnet to totally acclimate to the new pickup. The clips are probably better as a test between different pots values. This test did not let the magnets in the pickup for longer than a few hours.
A8's in many of the pickups that I have tried really squishes? the treble frequencies. It softens the attack, perhaps is a better way to say it. For some reason, the custom does not have the same problem. This remains the only pickup the A8 swaps works very well in, in my opinion. After this test, I did swap back to the ceramic. I have since decided to sell that guitar too.
The SZ required a trembucker. I accidentally ordered a normal spacing one. Good for me now that I am looking for a pickup for a Les Paul. I tried the A8 in a Screaming demon and it was not high enough in gain, kind of thin and squished the high end attack. So... onto the Custom...too bright and missing low mids in that guitar. In goes the A8 again for a Custom 8. I waited two weeks and revisited the guitar.
The results were exactly what the reviews stated, a more even sounding pickup. In comparison to a Distortion, an EVO2 and others... it seems tame and well behaved. I really would like it to be wound a bit closer to 16k or so. I think the extra winds would tame the high end some and get it closer in output to my other pickups. I will lower the pickups in my other guitars and see what happens.
As an example of the difference between the Distortion and the Custom 8. A Les Paul with C8 and a non trem super strat with the distortion. The distortion sounded very bloated in the low end. A SZ guitar with an EVO2 was probably a closer match. The C8 was still more well behaved, clearer and has better note separation.
I tried a Blackened Black Winter(Lacking bass), Demon8, Alternative 8(too mid forward), the Gibson Slash Pickup(Muddy low end), Nazgul(Too angry sounding), Nailnomb with a Ceramic mag(mid forward and angry) and now the Custom 8. This seems the best so far. This guitar is just such a mid forward guitar that lacks bass, it is tough to find something that meshes with my other guitars without twisting the EQ controls on the amp. The guitar still has the mid forward thing. It is more pleasing to the ears now. I am beginning to think most Pauls are the same mid forward sounding instrument. It would make them great for cutting through in a mix. No surprise why lead players love these guitars. I am still not quite convinced that I will get out of this guitar what I was hoping for, time will tell.
I may have to go with an A5 with a higher wind to get where I am going. I tried Tone Zone in a J5 tele with a fat maple neck that has the same mid forward low bass sound. It did get the "honk' under control but the vowel sound A,E,I,O,U shifted to a place where it isn't quite right yet. And, it is a bit of an aggressive sounding pickup too. I had the pickup rerouted farther away from the bridge and the bass response was much better. I can't do that with the Paul. Maybe a BN Cold Sweat will work too?
I hope this quest ends soon. I think that I bought the Les Paul in the winter of 2020 and have yet to settle on something.
