Medium output bridge pickup for "crunchy" blues/rock tone?

[JBerto]

Hi all folks!

Please, I need your help for trying to get the bridge humbucker that fit better to what I'm looking for!

My guitar is in H-H configuration, short scale, body of poplar, hard tail, and I mostly play hard rock and blues solos.

In the neck I've a PAF style humbucker (DiMarzio PAF 36th), but for the bridge I want something a bit different, and I would love to buy one of Seymour's humbuckers, mainly focused in getting that "crunchy" effect that I said in the subject, and for playing blues/rock styles.

I've read amazing reviews about your Custom 5 (SH-14), but I also have read that the sound of that pickup depends a lot of the body of the guitar, and I don't know if it will fit well in a poplar body.

What do you think about that pickup for my guitar?

Could you recommend any other of pickups?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ascension]

For what you are talking two come to mind. the 59/Custom Hybrid and the Perpetual burn. Would stay away from the Custom 5 it's to mid scooped and smooth for what you are trying to pull off.
i like poplar as a tone wood for bodies is ugly as sin with a clear finish but I like the tones. The PB will be the best pure tonal match for the 36th but the hybrid has absolutely explosive harmonics and would be my personal choice with the short scale / poplar body and what you describe tone wise.

 

[beaubrummels]

Multiple choices in my mind. To match with a 36th and do what you want, these worked fine when I tried them
Slash bridge (solid even)
Custom Custom (some mid push)
Whole Lotta Humbucker (bit of grind, soft top end, like a sweetened, loud 59)
Jazz Bridge (bright, even, matches a 36th, but maybe not enough output for you?)
Pearly Gates (bright, solid bottom end, matches a 36th)

IME any Custom family pickup will work in Poplar (my Jackson is Poplar and I just spent the last couple weeks trying them all.)
Custom 5 sounds like a loud Jazz
Custom Custom sounds like a loud Alnico 2 Pro
Custom sounds like a loud 59 or Slash with a little more top end (that's a rough description, opinions definitely vary)
Full shred sounds about the same as a Custom 5 with allen head screws in the screw coil (I just tried both in my Poplar Jackson)

 

[Masta' C]

I would tend to agree with Ascension's suggestions...PB or 59/Custom Hybrid

 

[Mincer]

How would you describe the tone of your guitar? I have a poplar guitar that is all mids, and the Custom 5 works really well. If your poplar is more balanced, I would look at the 59/Custom Hybrid for blues rock in a short scale body. If you are on the more traditional side of blues, splurge for the Antiquity.

 

[Mr. B]

I would vote for Beaubrummel's first suggestion, the Slash Signature A2Pro Bridge. I think the Custom and 59/Custom would both be too harsh compared to the 36th Neck. Do you have the 36th Bridge in it now, and if so, what do you not like about it?

 

[JBerto]

Thanks you all for your suggestion!

So... it seems for your comments that Custom 5 (SH-14, Alnico V) wouldn,t be a bad decision for poplar body guitar, opposite to what I initially thoght!

I also ask to SD customer service, and yes, they also think Custom 5 wouldn't be a bad match for alder, this is what they said:

Thanks for reaching out. Poplar sounds a lot like alder and some players report a little more upper midrange compared to alder.

The Custom 5 would be a great choice to get the "crunch" and blues tone you are looking for. The Custom 5 can be a bit on the bright side for some guitars. I would also check out the Saturday Night Specials as an alternative.

I've reading about that "Saturday Night", but I think Custom 5 would fit better in what I'm looking for.

Aswering some of you: The bridge pickup doesn't have to match with the DiMarzio PAF 36th in the neck... In fact, I think I will prefer something with a tone (a little bit) different, to complement it.

For me, the PAF 36th is a bit "dark". I'm in love with that pickup, really in love, is the sound I was looking for, but I just have one guitar, and for the bridge I woul like something a bit "brighter". Not too much because what I usually play is Blues, but a little bit brighter to use it with rock songs (I don't play Heavy/Metal/Jazz, etc... I just play Blues and Rock/Hard Rock with some distortion (not clean, but without too much distortion either).

After reading carefully all of your different suggestion, I'm interested in that "59/Custom Hybrid" option... never thought about it...

So I think the "final decision" will be between Custom 5 (Alnico 5), Slash Signature (Alnico 2), or that 59/Custom Hybrid (Alnico 5).

Reading some reviews about the 59/Custom Hybrid, maybe this is the pickup that fit better with my guitar and the kind of songs I like to play...


I've one question about that pickup: Is a "mix" of a 59 and a Custom pickups; my guitar is a HH with the usual selector of 3 positions... would be possible to change that selector to another with 5 positions, so you can select which one do you want to use when using that Humbucker in "single coil function" with push/pull selector?
That will give a huge world of options!... If that is possible (I don't know a shit about electronic, hahahaha)

 

[CaptainWhizz]

I’m not sure of the specs of his guitar, but this might give you an idea of the Hybrid with crunchy tones?

 

[Aceman]

59/Custom hybrid

 

[Teleplayer]

I have used the 36th PAF with custom 5 in the bridge. It wasn't bad, but ultimately I wasn't happy with the contrast of bright bridge and warm neck tone. That will be less of an issue if your guitar has independant tone controls for each pickup.

Part of the trouble was the higher output of the bridge pickup. It made me raise the neck pickup higher to match, and the neck pickup starts to get a fatter and compressed feeling. So I think this setup is fine if you are aware these pickups have some different character.

On the other hand, to get a closer output match, don't rule out a the bridge humbucker such as Saturday night special. I haven't used the SNS personally, but I have alnico 4 pickups from Suhr and Lindy Fralin with similar specs. Any of them should be a fairly safe choice for you application in a 24.75" scale guitar.

 

[Mincer]

If you have a 3 position Strat switch, you can swap it out for a 5 position switch to access some other coil choices with a Super Switch. If you have a 3 position toggle switch, you can get a push/pull pot to split the pickups.
The 59/Custom Hybrid is 1 coil from the 59, and one coil from the Custom with an A5 magnet. Splitting, you get the Custom coil which is inherently usable.