Getting ready to put a CC in the bridge of my SG. Noticed on the SD website the EQ specs are bass 3, mid 7 and treble 7. That sure is a low bass number. This is not a thin sounding pup is it? It seems to be a favorite on this forum so I would like to try it paired with a PG neck. Is that bass spec a little mis-leading?
Duncan Custom Custom Tone
- Thread starter ljberbi
- Start date
Archer_of_Fish
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Doesnt sound thin at all. The low end is pretty nice on the CC but its the mids and treble that make it sing.
It is your mids that make a pickup sound fat anyway...that is where your cut and presense comes from.
Doesnt sound thin at all. The low end is pretty nice on the CC but its the mids and treble that make it sing.
It is your mids that make a pickup sound fat anyway...that is where your cut and presense comes from.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Don't let those numbers fool you. There is more low end in the thing then that says, mostly due to the low mids being enhanced. The highs are rounded off and buttery smooth. The CC will cut through anything and sounds great in a lot of guitars. I've put it in 3 different ones of my own and all 3 sounded great with it. My favorite though is in a Strat.
The PG neck is a great choice to match up with it. You will not be disappointed at all.
Don't let those numbers fool you. There is more low end in the thing then that says, mostly due to the low mids being enhanced. The highs are rounded off and buttery smooth. The CC will cut through anything and sounds great in a lot of guitars. I've put it in 3 different ones of my own and all 3 sounded great with it. My favorite though is in a Strat.
The PG neck is a great choice to match up with it. You will not be disappointed at all.
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frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Yeah I think Duncan needs to eat crow on that one. The low end on the Custom is 7 and the C5 is 6. The 3 on the CC is like a typo or something. I don't have a problem with any of their other tone chart listings, but this one is ridiculous. You should mentally consider it at least a 5 if not a 6 to match the C5.
Yeah I think Duncan needs to eat crow on that one. The low end on the Custom is 7 and the C5 is 6. The 3 on the CC is like a typo or something. I don't have a problem with any of their other tone chart listings, but this one is ridiculous. You should mentally consider it at least a 5 if not a 6 to match the C5.
JeffB
Let it B
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Hope you like tons of mids!
I should elaborate...
SG=Middy guitar...withought tons of low or high frequencies
CC= Middy pickup...without tons of low or high frequencies
IMO, bad matchup. With no maple cap , a SG needs high end...which comes from A PAF styled pickup..good bight open high end. It also needs low end...which also comes from a PAF styled pup.
You may likely end up (unless your instrument is exceptionally lacking natural mids from the wood) with a very muddy sounding guitar.
ljberbi said:
Hope you like tons of mids!
I should elaborate...
SG=Middy guitar...withought tons of low or high frequencies
CC= Middy pickup...without tons of low or high frequencies
IMO, bad matchup. With no maple cap , a SG needs high end...which comes from A PAF styled pickup..good bight open high end. It also needs low end...which also comes from a PAF styled pup.
You may likely end up (unless your instrument is exceptionally lacking natural mids from the wood) with a very muddy sounding guitar.
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Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
It's a weird pickup to explain. It mostly sounds creamy and has some A2 sponge, rude lower mids that slice thru a band The downside is that unless you really push it close to the string it doesn't sparkle quite as much.
A good example of this pickup is some of the new Steve Stevens live stuff with Billy Idol. It's in his white LP, and you can hear the difference when he changes guitars. This pup is not one of my more fave pups for cleaning up the sound or backing off. Some say it sounds like a dist. pedal is always on...lol. I kinda, sorta agree. It's a beast. It does a decent chunk on the low end and NEVER sounds thin. If anything it's focused and big - very much Santana-ish. It isn't a thumping bass, but trust me it's very FULL.
It's a weird pickup to explain. It mostly sounds creamy and has some A2 sponge, rude lower mids that slice thru a band The downside is that unless you really push it close to the string it doesn't sparkle quite as much.
A good example of this pickup is some of the new Steve Stevens live stuff with Billy Idol. It's in his white LP, and you can hear the difference when he changes guitars. This pup is not one of my more fave pups for cleaning up the sound or backing off. Some say it sounds like a dist. pedal is always on...lol. I kinda, sorta agree. It's a beast. It does a decent chunk on the low end and NEVER sounds thin. If anything it's focused and big - very much Santana-ish. It isn't a thumping bass, but trust me it's very FULL.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Exactly. But I can get pretty much anything I want a bridge humbucker to do with the Custom Custom...it's my favorite bridge humbucker.
I can up-pick and squeeze a note out like toothpaste from a tube...or pinch off a harmonic.
I can make it bark on the low E like Jeff Beck does on the Truth album or Blow By Blow, so that it sounds like a dragster peeling out!
I can make it sing like Clapton with Cream...my favorite humbucker tone.
It has plenty of bass for the way I play.
I do wish sometimes it had a little more sparkle when I play it clean...but for my needs, it has ample bass and my favorite mids of any other humbucker.
The pickup it most reminds me of is not a humbucker...it's the Jerry Donahue Tele bridge pickup.
I sometimes wish that pickup had a little more sparkle too, but only about 5% of the time. The other 95% of the time it's perfect and that's just how I feel about the Custom Custom.
There is NO pickup or guitar or amp that satisfies me 100% of the time...a 95% satisfaction score is pretty high for someone as picky as me.
Lew
OlinMusic said:
Exactly. But I can get pretty much anything I want a bridge humbucker to do with the Custom Custom...it's my favorite bridge humbucker.
I can up-pick and squeeze a note out like toothpaste from a tube...or pinch off a harmonic.
I can make it bark on the low E like Jeff Beck does on the Truth album or Blow By Blow, so that it sounds like a dragster peeling out!
I can make it sing like Clapton with Cream...my favorite humbucker tone.
It has plenty of bass for the way I play.
I do wish sometimes it had a little more sparkle when I play it clean...but for my needs, it has ample bass and my favorite mids of any other humbucker.
The pickup it most reminds me of is not a humbucker...it's the Jerry Donahue Tele bridge pickup.
I sometimes wish that pickup had a little more sparkle too, but only about 5% of the time. The other 95% of the time it's perfect and that's just how I feel about the Custom Custom.
There is NO pickup or guitar or amp that satisfies me 100% of the time...a 95% satisfaction score is pretty high for someone as picky as me.
Lew
THE DUG
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
what kind of music will you be playing?i had an SG that i had a CC in it wasnt to much in the high/mids department.i cant tell you about the PG in the neck but i had a 59 in the neck of my SG and it just sang.i think from what i read PG is close to a 59 with more treble and a little more low.you should be fine.id say good choices.my SG sounded totally thick/with great definition and very articulate w/CC.i could do eveything from twangy alt/country to classic metal with mine all just turning my vol/tone knobs.anyway it was a vast improvement over the stock pups in it.imo good luck!
what kind of music will you be playing?i had an SG that i had a CC in it wasnt to much in the high/mids department.i cant tell you about the PG in the neck but i had a 59 in the neck of my SG and it just sang.i think from what i read PG is close to a 59 with more treble and a little more low.you should be fine.id say good choices.my SG sounded totally thick/with great definition and very articulate w/CC.i could do eveything from twangy alt/country to classic metal with mine all just turning my vol/tone knobs.anyway it was a vast improvement over the stock pups in it.imo good luck!
Empty Pockets
BadHairDayologist
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
I was just gonna say, I love the CC bridge in my Strat. When I switch from my neck 59, it just sounds like I cranked up the mids and turned up the gain a little...no noticable loss in bass.
if your guitar has tone knobs the lack of bass shouldn't be an issue anyway...riiide them knobs.
-X
I was just gonna say, I love the CC bridge in my Strat. When I switch from my neck 59, it just sounds like I cranked up the mids and turned up the gain a little...no noticable loss in bass.
if your guitar has tone knobs the lack of bass shouldn't be an issue anyway...riiide them knobs.
-X
wickedmartini
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
But is the CC noticeably weaker in the bass department? Is the "3" a typo? I'm looking to drop the CC in a new Strat project and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I also wonder why more people don't use the Blues Saraceno Parallel Axis Model.
But is the CC noticeably weaker in the bass department? Is the "3" a typo? I'm looking to drop the CC in a new Strat project and want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I also wonder why more people don't use the Blues Saraceno Parallel Axis Model.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Only if you compare it to a pickup with alot of bass...like most alnico 5 and ceramic magnet pickups.
I don't know why the Blues Saraceno isn't more popular...maybe it's the name because it's a great sounding pickup.
Lew
wickedmartini said:
Only if you compare it to a pickup with alot of bass...like most alnico 5 and ceramic magnet pickups.
I don't know why the Blues Saraceno isn't more popular...maybe it's the name because it's a great sounding pickup.
Lew
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Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
The CC is definitely one of the more unique personality pups. And I love it!
Seymour just totally needs to confess and change the bass rating to a 5 and the treble to a 6.
Put the top few screws closer to the strings for the high end.
The bass is a little on the loose side...but not sloppy.
It crunches really well I think due to those boosted lower mids.
It's fat as all get out (Artery cloggin' fat!)
The mids are ferocious in a very good way.
The CC is definitely one of the more unique personality pups. And I love it!
Seymour just totally needs to confess and change the bass rating to a 5 and the treble to a 6.
Put the top few screws closer to the strings for the high end.
The bass is a little on the loose side...but not sloppy.
It crunches really well I think due to those boosted lower mids.
It's fat as all get out (Artery cloggin' fat!)
The mids are ferocious in a very good way.
ibanezrocks
HardtailPisser
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
Don't take the tone chart too literally, this is not a bright sounding pickup, although the bass response is spongey (very organic, never sterile) it is definitely there. An SG tends to lack in the lower mids which this pickup has lots of. It's a perfect match for an SG in my mind, I have one in my SG Standard. If you like to get really twangy this isn't the pickup for you, I've found it will pretty much always sound thick. It's a little bit darker than most bridge pickups so I find it can actually be used clean without hurting your ears, though its true strength is under distortion. Even though it is really thick it has excellent articulation under any amount of gain. This pickup certainly has personality, it has tons of mids that just kicks the front end of the amp, and even though it is quite versatile you should be aware that the smooth highs and rude mids voicing is still going to be there.
My tone chart rating for this pickup would be 5/8/6.
Don't take the tone chart too literally, this is not a bright sounding pickup, although the bass response is spongey (very organic, never sterile) it is definitely there. An SG tends to lack in the lower mids which this pickup has lots of. It's a perfect match for an SG in my mind, I have one in my SG Standard. If you like to get really twangy this isn't the pickup for you, I've found it will pretty much always sound thick. It's a little bit darker than most bridge pickups so I find it can actually be used clean without hurting your ears, though its true strength is under distortion. Even though it is really thick it has excellent articulation under any amount of gain. This pickup certainly has personality, it has tons of mids that just kicks the front end of the amp, and even though it is quite versatile you should be aware that the smooth highs and rude mids voicing is still going to be there.
My tone chart rating for this pickup would be 5/8/6.
papersoul
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
I don't know... SGs always seem bright with a ton of highs!!! I have heard the C-5 in an SG and it was thin because an SG seems to lack the thick mids of a les paul.
I have heard the CC in a few all mahogany PRS guitars and they sounded perfect. Heard em today a matter of fact.
JeffB said:Hope you like tons of mids!
I should elaborate...
SG=Middy guitar...withought tons of low or high frequencies
CC= Middy pickup...without tons of low or high frequencies
IMO, bad matchup. With no maple cap , a SG needs high end...which comes from A PAF styled pickup..good bight open high end. It also needs low end...which also comes from a PAF styled pup.
You may likely end up (unless your instrument is exceptionally lacking natural mids from the wood) with a very muddy sounding guitar.
I don't know... SGs always seem bright with a ton of highs!!! I have heard the C-5 in an SG and it was thin because an SG seems to lack the thick mids of a les paul.
I have heard the CC in a few all mahogany PRS guitars and they sounded perfect. Heard em today a matter of fact.
Deke
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
what about a gibson les paul standard?
JeffB said:Hope you like tons of mids!
I should elaborate...
SG=Middy guitar...withought tons of low or high frequencies
CC= Middy pickup...without tons of low or high frequencies
IMO, bad matchup. With no maple cap , a SG needs high end...which comes from A PAF styled pickup..good bight open high end. It also needs low end...which also comes from a PAF styled pup.
You may likely end up (unless your instrument is exceptionally lacking natural mids from the wood) with a very muddy sounding guitar.
what about a gibson les paul standard?
ibanezrocks
HardtailPisser
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
I agree!! Just because its mahogany doesn't mean its really dark, the thinner body has a big impact on the sound. It definitely has a lot of highs and upper mids.papersoul said:
bloodswords
New member
Re: Duncan Custom Custom Tone
the CC does have less bass compared to its other siblings- Custom/ C5. however, it's not lacking by any means.
the CC does have less bass compared to its other siblings- Custom/ C5. however, it's not lacking by any means.