Do you like your CC's clean tone?

[ratherdashing]

Everyone knows the CC is a terrific pickup when cranked, but what about with low gain? CC owners: how do you like it? If possible, please state the guitar it's in, and the amp you use for cleans. Also, if you prefer another bridge bucker for clean tones, post it here.

Thanks!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have it in two guitars, a Baretta and an Epi LP. The cleans are fine with it, wells as clean as my Marshall gets. It's by no means a clean amp. I roll back the guitar volume to get it as clean as possible (old school). With lower gain settings, it's great for blues and early AC/DC type stuff.

When I play through my practice amp, which has a clean channel, the CC sounds nice. Big and full. With a little bit of dirt added from an OD pedal or just setting the gain lower on the overdrive channel, it's really nice for blues or semi-clean rock stuff.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have a C3 in an ES-355 and it sounds flat-out KILLER through my Fenders.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I had it in an ash guitar and the cleans were great. Warm and bluesy. Good split cleans as well. I use a JCm 800 with the vol rolled down for clean
(I do not use cleans much, 1 channel amp)

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have a C3 in an ES-355 and it sounds flat-out KILLER through my Fenders.

See, that's surprising ... I would have NEVER put a high output pickup in a semi-hollow, but if it works for you, that's awesome :banana:

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

With an Alnico 2 (CC) or Alnico 3 (C3), it's more a medium output pickup.

This 355 is very bright and resonant -- sounds much more like a 336 or 356 -- and needed something a little smoother to balance that out. The C3 does the trick big-time -- plenty of wail, scream, Jimmy Page honk, grind or clean.

Most semi-hollows have plenty of bottom and low mids so the CC/C3 probably wouldn't work for them.

 

[flank]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

i think the cleans are nice.... it has the compressed round sound that makes great with some delay on the clean channel. Ive owned the CC twice, and neither times did i ever think it seemed very high output to me, maybe just a little more than a vintage pickup. Its not got a very open chimey sound like a fender single coil, but its got that warm round super compressed clean tone thats quite nice actually

 

[Kac]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

Compared to the Invader, yes it has amazing clean tone.
Compared to my '78 EVH it's lacking in clean tone...

I prefer a lower output pickup for great cleans, so I sold the CC

It was in an agathis body ESP (maple neck, rosewood fretboard)

Rock On ~ Kac

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have the CC in my all maple Carvin DC127T and it's great for cleans. In this particular guitar, it has plenty of bottom and lots of high end spank.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have the CC in my all maple Carvin DC127T and it's great for cleans. In this particular guitar, it has plenty of bottom and lots of high end spank.

I imagine pretty much any pickup would have lots of high end spank in a freakin' all maple guitar

 

[Dave Z]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

Yeah well mine is all MAHOGANY and it's spanky as all he11. Must be the Pao Ferro f/b...prettier than rosewood but hard like ebony. Just ebayed a CC trembucker, will post a clip when I get it. Meanwhile, got some clips of the same pup (Fred) on 2 guits, the superstrat showing its icy tone.

http://hot-muffin.com/guitars/pickups.html

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I imagine pretty much any pickup would have lots of high end spank in a freakin' all maple guitar

True enough.

It does have an ebony fretboard, but it's still pretty bright. The thing about all maple guitars that most people don't appreciate is the huge low end grind. Even clean, bass notes have a cool growl that nothing else can quite touch.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have one in an Epi LP - so the wood is a questionable variety of mahogany. I play (usually) though a Fender Pro Jr. If anything, the cleans are even better than the fuzz! It's my go to Zepplin-AC/DC guitar for gain. I think the pro Jr. is justr an awesome little tone machine. I like a/b'ing my pups through that with the tone knob right in the middle. I can really tell the difference between pup tones through that. I think Lew uses CC's in a hamer Monaco semi-hollow??

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

Well, these are some excellent reviews. The CC is now the front runner to go in the bridge of my Warmoth LP. Thanks all, and keep adding your comments if you've got em!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

Pair it with a low K PGb (~8.1k). I have that combo in my Carvin and I can get killer jazz, blues, funk, rock, and hard rock tones with the split switches and 3 way.

You're going with a 5 way switch, right?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I have the CC in the bridge of a double fat strat. I really like the cleans. I have a Marshall JCM 2205 circuit that has been modded to Fender BF specs on the clean channel. The CC is warm, but not too warm. Chimey, but not too chimey. It's really almost the perfect pickup in a strat bridge. I wouldn't change it for anything.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

Pair it with a low K PGb (~8.1k). I have that combo in my Carvin and I can get killer jazz, blues, funk, rock, and hard rock tones with the split switches and 3 way.

You're going with a 5 way switch, right?

I'm actually going with an A2P in the neck - should be a good pairing.

For switching, I'm actually thinking I'll go with a three way, and a push-pull spin-a-split for each pickup (the push-pull wires the coils in parallel). I haven't ruled out some sort of 5-way though.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I'm actually going with an A2P in the neck - should be a good pairing.

Should be? It's incredible. I've played this pairing in a friend's guitar and it was so nice. If I didn't have the Jazz in the neck of my Epi LP already I'd have gotten the A2P.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

The APH is a cool pickup, in fact, I have it paired with an ancient Super Distortion in my Hamer. My ear just jives better with the PG in the neck though. I think it's because its a bit fatter and cuts through a bit better than the APHn when using it for leads.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Do you like your CC's clean tone?

I had a Custom Custom in my poplar Peavey Predator and played it into a Blues Jr. as well as various settings on my V-AMP and was always pleased. I'd agree with pretty much everything that was said. The only reason I got rid of it was that it was what my brother wanted in his guitar and I wanted to try out a few different pups in the bridge - and I think I'd like it better in a thicker sounding guitar.

I think I'm with Erik. The CCb/A2Pn combo will go in the first H150 style guitar I get.