Duncan Custom SH-5

[Micah]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

installed my custom last night i think this is what im lookng for. all those crazy highs are gone from the db. distortion is great cleans are amazing. my crunch is so thick, i think i almost $#!% myself. only one thing though i dont think it matters but my stringds dont line up with the screws. its the same size as all the other pups. the just dont match up. hell that may be what makes it sound so good. it will make you clean your playing up some. all in all i'm in love.

Yeah buuuuddy! Its a great pickup! Oh--you have the same issue I have with my SG. In the late 90's Gibson actually widened their bridges so the bridge pickup spacing is more like a trembucker spacing instead of the standard gibson spacing on the low and high E strings. This is ok--I ordered standard spacing on my Custom and it works fine-- The Distortion I ordered was the TB spacing, but I still like the Custom better with the standard spacing than I did the DD with the Trem spacing!

 

[karpathion]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

ok ive just noticed something about my sh-5 i dont if its my error but tell me if yours does this. when i play in a clean channel the lw e string seems to do a litle wah wahwah thing is it suposed to that or does it just have to go thruogh a break in. which i may have to set my guitar agian. becouse i changed my string hight. or it could just be in my head who knows

 

[Micah]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

ok ive just noticed something about my sh-5 i dont if its my error but tell me if yours does this. when i play in a clean channel the lw e string seems to do a litle wah wahwah thing is it suposed to that or does it just have to go thruogh a break in. which i may have to set my guitar agian. becouse i changed my string hight. or it could just be in my head who knows

One thing Ive noticed about the Custom is that the bottom end is a touch greater than the mids. This typically makes for a slightly sloppy bottom end when you set your tone controlls to noon accross the board. To combat it, I set the mids where I like them then I bring the bass control up to slightly less than the mids using your ear to hear where the low mids become most present without being sloppy (maybe about an hour or less on a clock less than the mids are set). This keeps the crunch without getting harsh and makes things more controlable. I also set my treble rolled off a bit typically to accentuate the low-mid frequencies a more. I pull treble frequencies out with my fingers when i dig into them.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

i got it figured out i just had to roll my tone back just a bit. took it right out. man this pup is great! its not really suited for newer metel. but man i just play along with (dont think me less of a man lol) round n' round by ratt. the tones with not so much distortion are dead on. i think i'm about to go dig into skynard and acdc. just to see. i got some good dokken to. it should be pretty close. but im no lynch

 

[Micah]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

i got it figured out i just had to roll my tone back just a bit. took it right out. man this pup is great! its not really suited for newer metel. but man i just play along with (dont think me less of a man lol) round n' round by ratt. the tones with not so much distortion are dead on. i think i'm about to go dig into skynard and acdc. just to see. i got some good dokken to. it should be pretty close. but im no lynch

For sure man! It should fly through Skynyrd and AC/DC! Not bad for Lynch stuff either! Im really into the dirty southern rock with the hard-core edge to it! Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, The Used--and of course the good old Skynyrd, 38 Special, Allman Bros-even British AC/DC--man they carved the way!

 

[Rydock]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

Thanks for the reply Micah. Sounds like the custom might be what I need. I found the stock JB a tad too bright. It has great harmonics but lacks the crunch I need. I changed to hex pole-pieces on it and it really tightened it up. The JB is the only bridge pickup I have experience with. So I don't know how a good crunchy pickup should play in comparison.

its not really suited for newer metel.

I always hear people say it's really good for modern metal.

 

[Rowan]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

I really liked the SH-5. The only thing that killed it for me was the solo tone. Even in an all mahogany LP it was shrill and very un-round. Low end was a bit boomy too, but overall a very good pickup.

 

[Micah]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

Thanks for the reply Micah. Sounds like the custom might be what I need. I found the stock JB a tad too bright. It has great harmonics but lacks the crunch I need. I changed to hex pole-pieces on it and it really tightened it up. The JB is the only bridge pickup I have experience with. So I don't know how a good crunchy pickup should play in comparison.



I always hear people say it's really good for modern metal.

I think you'll like it! Its got a classic rock thing going on but also huge and chunky!!

 

[Micah]

Re: Duncan Custom SH-5

I really liked the SH-5. The only thing that killed it for me was the solo tone. Even in an all mahogany LP it was shrill and very un-round. Low end was a bit boomy too, but overall a very good pickup.

I thought the top end was just right for me and sings!!--maybe just try backing down the presence a bit and possibly try some allen screws to polish off the bottom end a bit??