First magnet swap was a success! (10/10)

[Top-L]

The new guitar came with a Custom 5 in the bridge. The M400 has a bright top and with the scooped mids of the Custom 5, the guitar sounded shrill on top and empty in the mids. So I put an old favorite, an Evolution in the bridge. Very articulate, very up front solo notes. Sounds great on top end, but its missing some thickness and it doesnt breathe much.

After watching tons of youtube videos to find a better replacement (Crunch Lab? Dreamcatcher? Distortion?) I decided, "what do I have to lose" what not try a magnet swap? I took a ceramic magnet out of an old INF1 stock pickup and swapped it into the Custom 5.

This is a whole new ballgame. The anemic mids of the 5 now have some heft and the harmonics sound huge, not screechy. Its not so hot so it breathes some, and the bottom is bigger. Just sounds fuller and better harmonics than with the 5. I've only played with it about ten minuets, but I like what I hear.

Its really kind of brilliant for them to ship guitars with a pickup that the magnet can be swapped to several things for different types of players.

...

Played another 15 minutes, and the Duncan Custom is HUGE! It reminds me of the Dimarzio Norton, except this has ceramic character and really wails.

This might be my new favorite pickup.

 

[Lewguitar]

You took a Custom 5 and turned it into what Seymour originally designed: a Duncan Custom.

If you put an Anico 2 magnet in it you'd have a Custom Custom.

Magnet swapping is a great way to zero in on the sound you're searching for.

 

[beaubrummels]

The Original Custom is a great one as is. Mine is like a loud Pearly Gates. Tighter and some top end to work with, slightly more than my Distortion has.

 

[Top-L]

You took a Custom 5 and turned it into what Seymour originally designed: a Duncan Custom.

If you put an Anico 2 magnet in it you'd have a Custom Custom.

Magnet swapping is a great way to zero in on the sound you're searching for.

He got it right the first time.

That custom 5 really had me second guessing my guitar purchase. This guitar screams now! It was night and day difference.

I'm onboard the SD train now. This is perfect all around pickup.

 

[zizyphus]

Attaboy!

soon you’ll be making hybrids!!!

 

[Mincer]

My favorite is the Custom Custom, but it is worth it for anyone with one of these pickups to experiment with magnet swaps. It really transforms the sound.

 

[Demanic]

UOA5
Period
End of
Sentence

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Top-L]

My favorite is the Custom Custom, but it is worth it for anyone with one of these pickups to experiment with magnet swaps. It really transforms the sound.

I had a Custom Custom 25 years ago. It was one of my first pickup swaps. I dont remember anything about it other than it was supposed to be an EVH style pickup.

So basically with the Custom you get...

A5- scooped metal
A2- EVH
Ceramic- Holy grail lead tone

 

[Lewguitar]

I had a Custom Custom 25 years ago. It was one of my first pickup swaps. I dont remember anything about it other than it was supposed to be an EVH style pickup.

So basically with the Custom you get...

A5- scooped metal
A2- EVH
Ceramic- Holy grail lead tone

I doubt EVH ever used the Custom Custom but it's a cool pickup. Very smooth sound. Reminds me of soft, squishy, caramel candy with just a hint of crunch.

I don't play scooped metal so I don't know if the Custom 5 is good for that. For me it was too metallic and sharp. I couldn't get comfortable with the treble.

I liked the regular Custom best, even though I'm not usually a fan of ceramic magnet pickups.

 

[Top-L]

I doubt EVH ever used the Custom Custom but it's a cool pickup. Very smooth sound. Reminds me of soft, squishy, caramel candy with just a hint of crunch.

I don't play scooped metal so I don't know if the Custom 5 is good for that. For me it was too metallic and sharp. I couldn't get comfortable with the treble.

I liked the regular Custom best, even though I'm not usually a fan of ceramic magnet pickups.

i disliked the c5 for similar reason. it was screechy.

I assumed metal players had asked for it because it was fundamentally different than any pickup I've played and it has zero warmth.

 

[Lewguitar]

The Custom series of pickups is a useful lesson in the effect of different magnets when swapped in the same pickup.

I could be wrong, but I think the original PAF pickup was designed for 5000 turns of wire on each coil.

The Custom has a lot more turns than that and is "overwound".

When a pickup is overwound it gets more output but loses treble.

Using a strong magnet like Ceramic brings back that treble and sounds "good" to me.

Using a weak magnet like Alnico 2 does not bring back the lost treble and results in a warm sounding hot pickup.

Alnico 5 has a stronger charge than alnico 2 and restores that lost treble but somehow it's too much. If the magnet in a Custom 5 is SMOOTH replacing it with a ROUGH alnico 5 magnet might give it some mids and warm the treble a bit so it's not so steely sounding.

All just my opinion of course!

 

[Lewguitar]

i disliked the c5 for similar reason. it was screechy.

I assumed metal players had asked for it because it was fundamentally different than any pickup I've played and it has zero warmth.

Actually, the Custom 5 was created by a forum member here who put an alnico 5 magnet in a Duncan Custom.

I'm sure Seymour had already experimented with that and settled on ceramic, but I think it was Zhang who talked it up and it became part of the Duncan catalog.

Can you answer a question for me? Is the alnico 5 magnet you removed from your Custom 5 ROUGH or SMOOTH?

 

[Top-L]

Actually, the Custom 5 was created by a forum member here who put an alnico 5 magnet in a Duncan Custom.

I'm sure Seymour had already experimented with that and settled on ceramic, but I think it was Zhang who talked it up and it became part of the Duncan catalog.

Can you answer a question for me? Is the alnico 5 magnet you removed from your Custom 5 ROUGH or SMOOTH?

I dont know how to answer that. The pic is attached. Its not completely smooth, yet its not rough. It has an impression of "Seymour Duncan, Patent Pending" on one side.

The A5 version is proof that just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be. If Seymour wound this pickup years ago and decided that it was great with a Ceramic and an A2, he obviously tried it with an A5 and decided it wasn't working for him.

 

[Lewguitar]

I dont know how to answer that. The pic is attached. Its not completely smooth, yet its not rough. It has an impression of "Seymour Duncan, Patent Pending" on one side.

The A5 version is proof that just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be. If Seymour wound this pickup years ago and decided that it was great with a Ceramic and an A2, he obviously tried it with an A5 and decided it wasn't working for him.

I've never seen "Seymour Duncan Patent Pending" stamped into a magnet before.

That looks smooth/polished to me. And like it's been wax potted.

 

[Top-L]

I've never seen "Seymour Duncan Patent Pending" stamped into a magnet before.

That looks smooth/polished to me. And like it's been wax potted.

Why does it matter?

 

[Gtrjunior]

I doubt EVH ever used the Custom Custom but it's a cool pickup. Very smooth sound. Reminds me of soft, squishy, caramel candy with just a hint of crunch.

I don't play scooped metal so I don't know if the Custom 5 is good for that. For me it was too metallic and sharp. I couldn't get comfortable with the treble.

I liked the regular Custom best, even though I'm not usually a fan of ceramic magnet pickups.

Strangely enough, I’ve really liked the ceramic magnet pickups I’ve tried so far and I’ve tended to not like the A5 mags....

 

[Lewguitar]

Strangely enough, I’ve really liked the ceramic magnet pickups I’ve tried so far and I’ve tended to not like the A5 mags....

I go for more of a British Blues tone when I'm soloing and all of those guitars were 59 Les Pauls with PAFs. That's the kind of sound I like. For me, that sound comes from rough alnico 2 and rough alnico 4. And sometimes rough alnico 5

Overwound pickups with ceramic magnets are not my thing but I appreciate some of the sounds those pickups make. Tom Sholtz got a great sound.

 

[Top-L]

I go for more of a British Blues tone when I'm soloing and all of those guitars were 59 Les Pauls with PAFs. That's the kind of sound I like. For me, that sound comes from rough alnico 2 and rough alnico 4. And sometimes rough alnico 5

Overwound pickups with ceramic magnets are not my thing but I appreciate some of the sounds those pickups make. Tom Sholtz got a great sound.

I'm a shredder. A medium output ceramic pickup is a treat. Most medium output PUs are A5, most ceramic PUs are hot.

 

[Lewguitar]

I'm a shredder. A medium output ceramic pickup is a treat. Most medium output PUs are A5, most ceramic PUs are hot.

Sounds about right.

What does Eddie Van Halen use in his pickups these days?

I have an Ernie Ball Axis exactly like the EB EVH model. It has Dimarzios. The pickups in that guitar are the only hot humbuckers I've ever liked. They sound very good split too!

 

[Artie]

Sweet. Magnet swapping is fun. I'm about to do a couple of 59's. (On Lew's recommendation.) Enjoy.