Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

mirrormind

mirrormind

New member
Which would be more matched with a alnico II pro in the neck and a hot stack in the middle in terms of output.

This will be in a Basswood HSH guitar with a rosewood/maple fretboard/neck.

I'm looking for something that will give me a hard rock/metal sound. With the Alnico II pro giving me the more vintage sound in the neck and the hot stack giving me the overwound single coil sound in the middle.


Also what would the Alnico II pro sound like with an Alnico V magnet? And would it be more matched with the high output bridge pickup.
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

Its been a long time since I played a Custom, but a Distortion would be great in that position. I've just "discovered" the AII Pro myself. Killer pup. I'd leave it alone for those smooth and warm vibes. IMHO
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

I'd go with the Distortion if you're mostly doing overdrive tones. If you need clean too, then I'd go with the Custom, which will give you a good meaty overdrive and a dry clean tone. ETA: the Distortion has more mids and less lows and low mids than the Custom, which may be a factor in what you're looking for.

FWIW, my alder bodied, maple neck/ maple board Agile strat has a JB trembucker at the bridge, JB jr in the middle (soon to be replaced because it really does sound pretty close to the JB bridge), and Gibson 490R at the bridge. I did not like the 490R in the SG, but in the Agile it came alive...it has a good vintagey humbucker tone. By contrast, the JB gives a good tight overdrive and a cutting lead tone. The Distortion is like a JB with a beefier low end and midrange.
 
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Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

the distorion can do cleans well. a lot of people give it a really bad rap about that but it does cleans well.
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

I have an APH II in the neck and a distortion in the bridge of my '61 reissue SG .. definitely a wide range of tones with that combo.. I had a custom in before i put the distortion in and I liked that too but I have been using the SG for more stoner rock kind of stuff lately and the distortion really makes for some thick fat grind... like seriously thick yet there is still definition so its very useable.
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

I had a ALnico II pro in a guitar with a Custom. Their outputs matched well but, I didnt like the way the 2 mixed at all.
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

The Custom 5 is "polite". too polite, i didn't like it.
The distortion seems a little too much to mix with a Alnico 2.
You should get a pickup that still retains the traditionnal PAF vibe, because that's what the Alnico 2 is all about.

And there's only one pickup that can both be agressive enough to riff and shred hard, and still retain the traditionnal paf vibe:
the SH-12 Screaming Demon
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

Orange said:
The Custom 5 is "polite". too polite, i didn't like it.
The distortion seems a little too much to mix with a Alnico 2.
You should get a pickup that still retains the traditionnal PAF vibe, because that's what the Alnico 2 is all about.

And there's only one pickup that can both be agressive enough to riff and shred hard, and still retain the traditionnal paf vibe:
the SH-12 Screaming Demon
Click to expand...

I thought the demon would be too bright, shouldn't SH-5 Custom be the real deal, at least closer than the Demon?
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

I use a custom in the bridge and it gives a really good rock tone, possibly a little over blown for classic seventies stuff but great for eighties and onwards.
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

pixelpusher said:
I have an APH II in the neck and a distortion in the bridge of my '61 reissue SG .. definitely a wide range of tones with that combo.. I had a custom in before i put the distortion in and I liked that too but I have been using the SG for more stoner rock kind of stuff lately and the distortion really makes for some thick fat grind... like seriously thick yet there is still definition so its very useable.
Click to expand...

That is exactly the sort of sound I'm looking for, something that gives a wide range of tones but leans towards the distorted end of the scale.
Ideally, I'd like something that can be clean, also can overdrive a tube amp (for the 60s/70s crunch sound) and also work with the high gain amps (for metal and hard rock).
 
Re: Distortion vs. Custom vs. C5?

mirrormind said:
That is exactly the sort of sound I'm looking for, something that gives a wide range of tones but leans towards the distorted end of the scale.
Ideally, I'd like something that can be clean, also can overdrive a tube amp (for the 60s/70s crunch sound) and also work with the high gain amps (for metal and hard rock).
Click to expand...

I use a mesa trem-o-verb(w/6l6's) and a bogner shiva el34 (mostly the shiva unless i know i can be really loud for a few hours and its worth bringing both)

the aphII sounds really nice clean through either amp and does very well under gain for solos. The distortion actually cleans up ok if you roll off the vol but is still agressive overall. I tend to go for tones that bridge between 70's hard rock (i.e. free, robin trower) and 80'/90's hard rock (i.e soundgarden, tool). Basically heavy loud and still defined.

the distortion does not sound as "open" as the custom did but is as expected thicker and meaner. I tend to try different stuff out a lot until i get a vibe that feels good for each individual guitar and also expands my palette a bit.

I agree with Theodie ("I had a ALnico II pro in a guitar with a Custom. Their outputs matched well but, I didnt like the way the 2 mixed at all.") somewhat in that the mix of the aphII and the distortion together is a bit off.

I am going to try a pearly gates in the neck of the SG and see how that works with the distortion..... it never ends!
 
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