Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

[GrabtharsHammer]

I am searching for a new bridge pickup. I mostly play metal, a lot of atmospheric and melodic stuff but I generally like a tight and bright thrash metal rhythm guitar sound. Basically everything from Doom, Gothic to Thrash, Black and Death Metal.

Currently I have a Duncan JB in my mahogany body S-Strat. It's not that I hate its sound, but sometimes it's just a little bit too flubby, mushy and nasal. I once had a Duncan Custom in my PRS and loved its sound - apart from the fact that it had a little bit too much ice pick-like attack which started to annoy me after a couple of weeks. I changed the magnet to an A8 which definitely improved the ice pick attack. Unfortunately the A8 seemed to kind of exaggerate everything else and it began to sound somehow over-the-top, almost like the parody of a high gain pickup, if that makes any sense.

So now I am looking for something in between the JB and the Custom. I'd like to have the mid focus of the JB without getting nasal and the bright- and tightness of the Custom without the annoying ice pick attack.

I watched Keith Merrow's 6 string humbucker comparison on YouTube and really liked the Pegasus, Omega and Distortion.

Any recommendations?

 

[VinceT]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Wait... did I just get chance to suggest trying the 59/Custom Hybrid before Mincer got here? I did, didn’t I?!!!

Anyway, I do like the 59/Custom for what you’re asking - I went to it from the JB in my Parker Nitefly Mojo and never looked back [emoji1]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rustyjones13]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

the custom custom is a good pickup. lot more mids

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

The Custom Custom is far from tight, though.

Did you try the JB with a ceramic magnet? Or the JB with an Alnico 8?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Damn, I missed recommending the Hybrid because I was teaching today. Well, try it anyway. Once you get hotter than that, you start to lose dynamics.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

JB with regular ceramic magnet.

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[GreatGreen]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

I watched Keith Marrow's video too and noticed something strange.

In the video, when you compare the Custom and Custom 5, the video makes the Custom 5 seem more mid-heavy and focused, and the regular Custom seems like it covers a wider bandwidth, has a higher frequency treble spike, and is slightly more scooped. However, this seems backwards to everything I've read about these pickups. The youtube description itself has quick-links to the time markers for these pickups.

Do you guys think these two pickups were somehow labeled backwards in this video?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

^That very well may have happened. There is no mistaking the scoopy-ness of the C5.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

I haven't played one yet, but would the SH-6n (in the bridge) fit this bill?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

I wouldn't say the Custom and Custom 5 were labeled backwards, IMO. I think the description of the Custom having more mids is greatly exaggerated. It does have a lot of biting high mids (which shows in that vid), but also a lot of lower treble and a deep bass, which leaves the low mids pretty scooped. That's what the ceramic Custom has always sounded like to me, at least compared to my experience with other Duncans.

I think the site shows the Distortion having more mids than the JB. Hell no, it doesn't, IMO. It has more bass and treble, IMO, which pushes the mids back a notch.

Then again, those are just my views.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

I am searching for a new bridge pickup. I mostly play metal, a lot of atmospheric and melodic stuff but I generally like a tight and bright thrash metal rhythm guitar sound. Basically everything from Doom, Gothic to Thrash, Black and Death Metal.

Currently I have a Duncan JB in my mahogany body S-Strat. It's not that I hate its sound, but sometimes it's just a little bit too flubby, mushy and nasal. I once had a Duncan Custom in my PRS and loved its sound - apart from the fact that it had a little bit too much ice pick-like attack which started to annoy me after a couple of weeks. I changed the magnet to an A8 which definitely improved the ice pick attack. Unfortunately the A8 seemed to kind of exaggerate everything else and it began to sound somehow over-the-top, almost like the parody of a high gain pickup, if that makes any sense.

So now I am looking for something in between the JB and the Custom. I'd like to have the mid focus of the JB without getting nasal and the bright- and tightness of the Custom without the annoying ice pick attack.

I watched Keith Merrow's 6 string humbucker comparison on YouTube and really liked the Pegasus, Omega and Distortion.

Any recommendations?

The Pegasus is an excellent choice IMHO. Hot but not too hot, clear and very versatile as well. Maybe my fave thus far(well today).

 

[GrabtharsHammer]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Yes, I was considering the Pegasus, too.
In Keith Merrow‘s pickup comparison on YouTube it sounds really good. Kind of like an improved version of the JB with a tighter low end and a little bit more presence. However, I read a lot of comments about the Pegasus being warmer and darker sounding than the JB. Those comments contradict the impression I got from the video and made me doubt if it really is the right pickup for me.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Why not a JB/Custom hybrid?

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

If you want to stick with Duncan, a Dave Mustaine Thrash Factor might be up your alley. It is supposed to solve the looser low end with the JB while still retaining a lot of the great qualities. I have not tried one though.

What I have tried, and currently use, is a Motor City Afwayu. To me, it has the tightness and thunk I need from my low strings but still retains the great singing lead and sustain of the JB. I play a lot of similar music and it is my go to pick up.

Last, and this falls off most people's radar, the PRS Tremonti is an AWESOME metal pick up. It is bigger sounding than the Afwayu and is super aggressive. I hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[Adieu]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

If something about Duncans just doesmt quite sound right and you're a fan of passives, maybe you're just a DiMarzio guy without realizing it? They're also cheaper at ~$69 for basic versions, and can be offered in a crapton of custom colors for an extra few bucks

Crunch Lab? Super Distortion (Super 2 for something brighter)? Satur8?

Or hey...X2N

 

[Adieu]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

I watched Keith Marrow's video too and noticed something strange.

In the video, when you compare the Custom and Custom 5, the video makes the Custom 5 seem more mid-heavy and focused, and the regular Custom seems like it covers a wider bandwidth, has a higher frequency treble spike, and is slightly more scooped. However, this seems backwards to everything I've read about these pickups. The youtube description itself has quick-links to the time markers for these pickups.

Do you guys think these two pickups were somehow labeled backwards in this video?

This guy sounds the same no matter what he's playing

Just try to skip around the video at random with a buddy, and ask them if theyre still hearing the same pup or something else each time

The only part mildly useful is that guitar-only shorties segment starting at 14:something minutes... but even then, would it kill the guy to play a few high notes? 3-string guitar hero lol

 

[LLL]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Yeah the Custom 5 doesn't have much mids to speak of. Poop-scoop-city. I bought one of these a decade ago and took it back immediately.

The Custom, OTOH has delicious mids... just the right amount.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Black Winter! Albiet more output than your two mentioned pickups, but I do hear a few of the JBs redeeming qualities in the BW. It's kinda like a mix between the JB and Distortion.

 

[Sirion]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Just to suggest something entirely different: Have you tried using a gain pedal to tighten up the low end? This was what people were doing with JBs back in the day: set a basic OD pedal so that it didn't add gain but tightened the low end. Changing pickups is fun, but this might potentially save you the work.

 

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: Metal pickup in between JB and Custom

Parallel Axis Original-very balanced
Full Shred-sort of like a Custom 5 but definitely less scooped but has a very tight yet pronounced low end.
I keep hearing great things about the Omega-I need to give that one a try
Still on the fence about the black Winter-need some more time with it to really have a strong sense of what it can do.
as others mentioned, the 59/custom hybrid is very nice but it is definitely scooped.