Got my C-5 today!

[twoheadedboy]

Hey dudes. I got my C-5 from KLINK today. I just installed it in my Ibanez RG 520 (Mahogany Body, Sapele Top, fairly non-resonant). I've had a real hard time finding a pickup that didn't sound too fat and nasally with this guitar and my amp. This pickup might sound shrill and small in some guitars, but in this guitar, it's perfect. The midrange is nice and open, but if I increase the mids on my amp, I can get it to really grind if I need it to. Lots of lows, but very punchy and not loose at all. The top end is so clear, and yet it doesn't get spikey. It blends well with the mids and doesn't fuzz out with a lot of gain. Overall, I'm super happy with it and would recommend it to anybody with a guitar like mine.

-mark

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

Also, the pickup really isn't as hot as I was expecting it to be, which is a good thing. It's very open sounding with no unneccesary compression that I can hear.

 

[deftgala]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I had a CC that was didn't growl enough so I placed an a5 bar in there and sure enough, the guitar just came to life.

I have it mixed with an APHn that I need to roll the guitar volume knob down to about 7-8 to balance just right with the C5.

I like the C5, but am VERY curious to know what a Jazz/JB combo would sound like! :burnout:

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

My favorite thing about the C-5 right now is that it has clarity and punch that you can get from a JB, but it doesn't have that upper midrange emphasis that makes everything sound nasal to me.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I like the C-5 but my ONLY complaint was that I couldn't get the leads fat, thick and creamy.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

Actually, I've noticed the same thing. I can get nice singing lead sounds, but not with the same amp settings I use for rhythm sounds. I don't really care though. I have other guitars that do that sound really well.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I've always liked the C-5 for those exact reasons....Good output, tight and focused bass, neutral mids, and natural airy highs. To me, it's the ultimate 'middle ground' Duncan pickup. It sounds good in almost every guitar I've put one in. The only guitars it doesn't sound good in are one's that can benefit by tubby mids.
Then, a CC for lower mids, or a JB for higher mids, will be the solution.

Those are my favorite 3 bridge humbuckers, so I just choose the right one for the right guitar. I also like the 59 and PG, too.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

How about a Custom/Jb Hybrid for balanced mids!

 

[papersoul]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I've always liked the C-5 for those exact reasons....Good output, tight and focused bass, neutral mids, and natural airy highs. To me, it's the ultimate 'middle ground' Duncan pickup. It sounds good in almost every guitar I've put one in. The only guitars it doesn't sound good in are one's that can benefit by tubby mids.
Then, a CC for lower mids, or a JB for higher mids, will be the solution.

Those are my favorite 3 bridge humbuckers, so I just choose the right one for the right guitar. I also like the 59 and PG, too.

Do you think that SGs benefit from tubby mids?

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I use a TS-9 to give the mids a boost for leads and for rythem all the time, works perfectly!

 

[Stratcat]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

The C-5 is one of Duncans finest humbuckers.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I would not say that SGs benefit from tubby mids. They are more than throaty enough for me already. However, I just put a Dimarzio Norton in an Epiphone SG and it's sounding great for blues and classic rock stuff. Tons of punchy lower mids, and just the right amount of upper mids to cut.

 

[mrid]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

Do you think that SGs benefit from tubby mids?

I can say that, in my experience, the C-5 didn't sound good in an SG (of course, it was a Faded SG, so YMMV).

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I think the C-5 works best in guitars that have mahogany in them like LP's and PRS.
My main guitar now is maple capped basswood, which is a new popular combination used on some G&L's, Suhrs, and Andersons. I have a C-5 trem that sounds good in it, but I'm thinking of getting something with more mids in it, like the JB or CC trem.

 

[i7bernardo]

Re: Got my C-5 today!

I´m not sure about what should I place in my HSS american deluxe strat. I was thinking about a JB, but I´m scared it could be too bright. I´d also like to get the "leads fat, thick and creamy" as papersoul said. Looks like you guys really know about this.

Sounds like the CC or the C5 could work better than the JB. But I think the JB cuts through relly good. What do you think? Really I don´t know what shoud I buy, and buying them all doesn´t look like an option to me.

What about using a 250K volume pot instead of 500K (as I think it is supposed)? I´ll match it with two single coils at neck and middle.