I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

[eviltobz]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

This thread is nearly perfect for my needs at the moment. I have a guitar with a 1 piece mahogony body and birdseye maple neck and fingerboard. I loaded it with a custom custom in the bridge, and always feel that it is a bit muffled, the lows and mids come through, but it lack the high end that i'd expect from a bridge pup. I've seen much advise about magnet swapping on here, and as I put the guitar together myself it seems fitting that I continue to tweak it myself.

The first choice that jumps out is to slap in an A5, but then I saw lots of good comments about the UOA5 which got me excited. Then other comparisons saying that brings the tone back closer to the A2 which is already in my CC. Would the UOA5 be a bad choice as a starting point, or does it add enough in the mids to be a worthy contender?

To be honest, I'll probably end up ordering a variety of different magnet types so I can play around with this and other pups, but I'd like to have a strong idea of what should be a good choice going in.

As a related question, looking at addiction-fx's stock on ebay, some bars are listed as magnetized, others as fully-magnetized. Is this some important distinction that the strength may vary, or is it just a bit of inconsistency in the listings? Obviously I can see that non-magnetized would be a very bad idea

 

[Mincer]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

My Steinberger ZT3 has a Custom 5 in it. I thought the maple would make it bright, but when I put the CC in it, it was way too dark. Switched the magnet, and I love the sound now.

 

[Barron1]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I need a new bridge pickup for my Steinberger guitars. Body is strat shaped mahogany, neck is graphite, 25.5" scale, tremolo.

Currently it has (n/m/b) of Hotrails/hotrails/custom custom.

The hotrails are fine, maybe a little higher in output than I'd like but not a big deal.

Custom Custom seems to be lacking the highs? The graphite neck doesn't seem to do anything to the tone and the mahogany body is just hammering out the low mids. To my ears the CC is heavy on the low mids as well giving me a not so desirable tone.

I usually use all pickups at once for a big, thick tone. I need a brighter pickup to balance it all out! Output strength isn't a concern. Any recommendations?

You might like the regular Seymour Duncan Custom, it sounds great in my Mahogany guitar

 

[John E Rokker]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I have a Custom (TB-5) in a mahogany star with a maple neck and Schaller Floyd, and It's perfect. I've had all 3 custom magnets in it and by far the ceramic was the most balanced and sounded the best.

 

[blueman335]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

This thread is nearly perfect for my needs at the moment. I have a guitar with a 1 piece mahogony body and birdseye maple neck and fingerboard. I loaded it with a custom custom in the bridge, and always feel that it is a bit muffled, the lows and mids come through, but it lack the high end that i'd expect from a bridge pup. I've seen much advise about magnet swapping on here, and as I put the guitar together myself it seems fitting that I continue to tweak it myself.

The first choice that jumps out is to slap in an A5, but then I saw lots of good comments about the UOA5 which got me excited. Then other comparisons saying that brings the tone back closer to the A2 which is already in my CC. Would the UOA5 be a bad choice as a starting point, or does it add enough in the mids to be a worthy contender?

To be honest, I'll probably end up ordering a variety of different magnet types so I can play around with this and other pups, but I'd like to have a strong idea of what should be a good choice going in.

As a related question, looking at addiction-fx's stock on ebay, some bars are listed as magnetized, others as fully-magnetized. Is this some important distinction that the strength may vary, or is it just a bit of inconsistency in the listings? Obviously I can see that non-magnetized would be a very bad idea

CC's are usually pretty dark and muffled in mahogany, better in bright woods. C5's are the opposite, bright and scooped. C8's are a middle ground; mids and warmth, but with still enough treble for clarity and bite. UOA5's give more warmth than an A8, if you need it. I've used a lot of A8's, but have switched most of them over to UOA5's to get the rich, vintage dynamics.

The Custom family is a very versatile group of PU's, some magnet or two is going to please almost everyone.

 

[eviltobz]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

Thanks Going for the complete opposite sounds like a fun place to start. I remembered last night that I still haven't made one of the pair of stewmac wind-your-own PAF kits that I got a while ago (I'm quite pleased with the one I did wind incidentally) and a quick check of their site showed me that the magnet it comes with is an A5, so I hope to be trying that out this weekend. I can see this quickly leading to a big fat order of a whole range of magnets soon.

 

[AlexR]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I've just done a swap of the CC into a neck-thru style mahogany axe which was bright and a bit thin. The PATB 3 made it thick, but the highs were harsh still. The CC seems to be the perfect solution. It has a good balance of frequencies and the sizzle is still there. There's always a perfect guitar for every pup

 

[eviltobz]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I wapped the A5 into my CC over the weekend, and it has opened up that top end a little, so I'm feeling pretty happy with it

Thanks to all the forum members for the good advice about this subject both in this thread and many many others that got me to this point.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

Turn it into a ceramic, SH-5 Custom.

if you want a very britle sounding high end. Sounds scratchy and just about ready to fall apart. .some forum members actually like that kind of sound, however.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I used to love my Custom Custom, until I tried an A8 in it.

A8... for the win! Even EQ--nothing overly spiky, thick in the butt, wide in the gut and smooth on top. If you like a regular Custom ceramic, I can imagine an C8 would rock your socks off.

Try it. Mags are cheap and it takes 10 minutes.

+1. C8 is the best of any of the Custom options.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I've just done a swap of the CC into a neck-thru style mahogany axe which was bright and a bit thin. The PATB 3 made it thick, but the highs were harsh still. The CC seems to be the perfect solution. It has a good balance of frequencies and the sizzle is still there. There's always a perfect guitar for every pup

You have good balance and sizzle from a CC in a mahogany guitar?!!

The only explanation for that could be playing through a cheap, tinny ss amp with no bass control and the "bright switch" on.

 

[blueman335]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

if you want a very britle sounding high end. Sounds scratchy and just about ready to fall apart. .some forum members actually like that kind of sound, however.

+1. Does to my ears too, but maybe it's because GuitarDoc & I are 'old' men. Also agree that C8's are a much better choice for most kinds of music.

 

[eviltobz]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

I wapped the A5 into my CC over the weekend, and it has opened up that top end a little, so I'm feeling pretty happy with it

Since turning my cc into a c5 that guitar has been getting a lot of love cos she now sounds great. I just want to reiterate my thanks to the forumites who advocated magnet swapping. A simple job has made a world of difference

 

[jmcorey]

Re: I don't like the custom custom. Recommendations?

The Custom 5 reportedly does really well in mahogany guitars with long scale lengths (25.5 in.). Godin has been using a Custom 5, like you have, in the bridge, along with a Jazz in the neck for years in their LGX guitars, which have a mahogany body and neck but a 25.5 inch scale length and the sound clips that I hear are really very good.

I know the gratitude that you are feeling. I got lots of help on another forum, made a change to my rig, and couldn't be happier with the change. Got lots of good input there for sure.

Internet forums have made a huge difference in solving problems, that is for sure.