jb vs custom for thrash metal

[punchlinechar]

I have a JB Trembucker in my Jackson Dinky. I do like it quite a bit, it does Megadeth riffs really well, but I maybe want to have something a bit more scooped. I'm looking at the Custom, because I think it'll have more attack in the low end and allow the natural mids of the guitar to come through.

Specs of my Dinky:
Mahogany body
Maple neck
Rosewood fretboard
Floyd Rose

If you have any experience with the custom, please give me your opinion on my predicament.

 

[dominus]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Custom is a natural match for mahogany. If you're looking for something more scooped, you may want to try the TB-14 Custom 5.

Gary Holt from Exodus used the Custom so it'll do thrash just fine.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Hi! Ive played the custom and nearly every variation of the Custom. (c5, custom custom and other mag swap options). For thrash, the custom is going to be your best bet as far as attitude, because the ceramic mag giving you the crunch. BUT, as dominus said, the C5 will give you the more scooped sound.. But the C5 is not a mid void pickup. To me it has alot of body, its just bigger on the highs and lows. Depending on what amp you use, get the custom or use your jb and scoop it with an eq pedal

 

[Mincer]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

The Custom and Custom 5 will do nicely, You can even look at the Pegasus too, which is slightly scooped and sounds great for the heavies. But the Custom 5 would be the scoopiest.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

So will the C5 be as aggressive as a Custom? I've heard that it's a bit too spongy in the bottom end, so how would it fare for chugging? Do you think the Mustaine Livewires would be a good replacement, or should I just stick with the passive stuff?

 

[vinta9e]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Uh, embrace the mids, dude. Want scooped, notch them a touch past the preamp. JIMHO.

I'd love a peek at your mahogany bodied Dinky though, while we're on this subject.

Have you tried the Duncan Distortion already? It used to be Ola Englund's pickup of choice before he switched to the Custom Five in the Washburn. At this point I consider both of these pickups battle-proven.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

I haven't actually tried a distortion, but I'm not a huge fan the tones I have heard, too much sizzle and not enough roar

 

[ScottieB]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

I have the SH-5 in my Les Paul its one of my fav PU. The only thing I thought that it needed was a little more warmth. So I carefully installed a rod of uranium (Alnico 8 magnet) in it and it came to life....................

 

[Mincer]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

The C5 is pretty tight in the low end. I wouldn't describe it as spongy at all. It just has less mids than the Custom.

 

[punchlinechar]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

so which of the Custom family is the most aggresie?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Uh, embrace the mids, dude. Want scooped, notch them a touch past the preamp. JIMHO.

I'd love a peek at your mahogany bodied Dinky though, while we're on this subject.

Have you tried the Duncan Distortion already? It used to be Ola Englund's pickup of choice before he switched to the Custom Five in the Washburn. At this point I consider both of these pickups battle-proven.

I love the DD. It's been my pup of choice for all styles of rock and metal that I play, and that includes thrash. I would recommend this pickup highly, especially in that guitar, where it would shine.

As far as aggressiveness, I think that's more in playing style. If you're dead set on something in the Custom line, then either the SH-5 or the Custom 5. Both have a great tight bottom and will be awesome for the riffage. But I would highly recommend that you take a look at the DD. In my opinion, it works best in warm guitars (mahogany neck/body and rosewood fretboard isn't exactly bright), and has a great tightness that works perfectly for thrash.

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Don't forget the Invader.. It's a very misunderstood pickup that gets a lot of undeserved hate on the internet.
It is an amp picky pickup. You really gotta dial in your EQ but once its set up that pickup is viscous!
I play mostly blues but I grew up on Metallica and Megadeth and Stoner and Southern Metal bands like Down Pantera Crowbar and COC
Pepper and Woody both use an Invader. I have a set in in an LTD H1001NT that I use when I get in a thrash mood and its evil thru my 5150iii on the Red Channel.
I believe that there aren't many pickups that chug like the Invader does.. Crank the treble roll back the lows and crank the mids until it sizzles and fine tune the highs and lows and you can nail
old thrash tones.. I believe that Hetfield used an Invader in an old explorer copy all the way thru Master of Puppets from an interview I read of his. He retired it and switched to EMGs after his ESP deal.
Dave Mustaine also rocked the hell out of a JB in the 80s and 90s..

Like I lot of people hate both of them pickups but the JB is snarly and has an attitude about it and it resides in several of my guitars and the Invaders are just face melting when properly set up..
I really love that pickup set for anything old metal..

Like what was said above, embrace the mids.. That's where the snarl lies.. I went thru the scooped thing years ago because it was "metal" and my tone suffered for doing it..

 

[Mincer]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

so which of the Custom family is the most aggresie?

They have the same output, but the EQ is different for all variations. The C5 and Custom are the most scooped. The CC has more mids than anything.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Don't forget the Invader.. It's a very misunderstood pickup that gets a lot of undeserved hate on the internet.
It is an amp picky pickup. You really gotta dial in your EQ but once its set up that pickup is viscous!
I play mostly blues but I grew up on Metallica and Megadeth and Stoner and Southern Metal bands like Down Pantera Crowbar and COC
Pepper and Woody both use an Invader. I have a set in in an LTD H1001NT that I use when I get in a thrash mood and its evil thru my 5150iii on the Red Channel.
I believe that there aren't many pickups that chug like the Invader does.. Crank the treble roll back the lows and crank the mids until it sizzles and fine tune the highs and lows and you can nail
old thrash tones.. I believe that Hetfield used an Invader in an old explorer copy all the way thru Master of Puppets from an interview I read of his. He retired it and switched to EMGs after his ESP deal.

Hetfield did use an Invader in his Electra Flying V copy. When it broke onstage in 84, he began using his 84 Explorer, which he became synonymous with. After Kirk made the switch to EMG's in all his guitars in 87, Hetfield followed. Kirk's ESP deal didn't come until 88 or 89.

For Ride the Lightning, Hetfield used the stock pickups in his Explorer and for Puppets he used Duncan pickups (probably a JB and a Jazz... it was a Jackson Dave Mustaine Signature series guitar).

 

[Jeff5]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Between the two I prefer the Custom for Thrash.

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

Hetfield did use an Invader in his Electra Flying V copy. When it broke onstage in 84, he began using his 84 Explorer, which he became synonymous with. After Kirk made the switch to EMG's in all his guitars in 87, Hetfield followed. Kirk's ESP deal didn't come until 88 or 89.

For Ride the Lightning, Hetfield used the stock pickups in his Explorer and for Puppets he used Duncan pickups (probably a JB and a Jazz... it was a Jackson Dave Mustaine Signature series guitar).

James used a Dave Mustaine sig. guitar on Puppets? That's actually freakin' hilarious to me, probably for obvious reasons. I'll be entertained by that thought for the rest of the day! Thanks for that!

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

James used a Dave Mustaine sig. guitar on Puppets? That's actually freakin' hilarious to me, probably for obvious reasons. I'll be entertained by that thought for the rest of the day! Thanks for that!

This is where I found it. I don't know where they got their information, but it does follow Hetfield's past with guitars. I knew he had a Jackson V during the Puppets Tour, but I never knew which one.

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

This is where I found it. I don't know where they got their information, but it does follow Hetfield's past with guitars. I knew he had a Jackson V during the Puppets Tour, but I never knew which one.

Thanks! That was a good read.

 

[LazNovak]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

This is where I found it. I don't know where they got their information, but it does follow Hetfield's past with guitars. I knew he had a Jackson V during the Puppets Tour, but I never knew which one.

This says it predates Mustaine's King V.


http://www.groundguitar.com/james-hetfield-guitars-and-gear/

 

[Zacker]

Re: jb vs custom for thrash metal

This says it predates Mustaine's King V.


http://www.groundguitar.com/james-hetfield-guitars-and-gear/

It did. IIRC Hetfield got it before a Dave sig. came out as a custommade model(Jackson wanted more people endorsing their guitar). This guitar is played on ALL live shows of The Thing That Should Not Be before 1987. James didn't like the pointy V-shape and preferred the Explorer shape at the time and put a sticker covering the Jackson logo that says "KILL BON JOVI" and that thing died in 1987 when he broke the neck.