mid scoop humbucker choices....

[SF audio]

I have a Charvel custom shop natural series, had a Custom 5 in it which I liked, but wanted to try something different. Went to a Jackson J90C, not enough dynamics, and now a JB with an alnico, which is cool but I realized why they put the custom 5 in this guitar - the roasted mahogany body really makes for a mid-rangy, dense sound and midrange focused pickups aren't the best match IMO. Now I'm thinking the custom 5 was pretty cool actually, but it's too hot for my tastes...given that, the 59 seems like the way to go, but wondering if would a be a little thin sounding compared to the custom 5.
So think scooped pickups with low to medium output. What other options should I look at?

 

[Blille]

Between a 59 and a custom 5 you got the… Seymour Duncan TB-16 59 Custom Hybrid Pickup. My favorite bridge pickup. Have fun!

 

[Clint 55]

2 other medium options are the Saturday Night Special and the Screamin Demon. They won't be totally scooped since the Demon gets some mid bite from the poles and the SNS has an A4, but you can swap that out for A5.

 

[hamerfan]

I like the Custom with a unoriented A5 magnet. Less volume but a bit less scooped too.
It's 7 bucks and 20 minutes investment to check it out.

 

[playas]

Sounds like a perfect candidate for a PATB-3B to me.

 

[Mincer]

I agree with the Hybrid suggestions here, especially if the 59 is too tame, and the C5 is too hot.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Yeah, C/59 for the win.

 

[pskorz]

I concur with both the hybrid and the demon. Both are neither hot nor mid-heavy, but are very nice sounding.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Hybrid seems like a perfect fit in this case. But you might also consider trying an A3 in your Custom5.
Lower output, and although it's not scooped the A3 has clarity and a more open feel.

 

[SweetClyde99]

I haven’t installed my Perpetual Burn yet, but on paper, it seems like it would be a good fit for you. Lower output than the C5 but still with a mid scoop.

 

[SF audio]

59 hybrid seems its got a good amount of mids that "stick out" in a unique way, it seems when listening to the demos....I listen to it and not sure if that's my ticket. Am I wrong?

 

[Mincer]

Well, we all hear differently, but I hear the Hybrid as the mashup between 2 very scooped pickups. So, the sum doesn't really add mids- at least what I hear.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I'm a great fan of the 59/Custom Hybrid, got one in my SG, one in my my HSS Strat and a third in my HH Strat, but the EQ graphs on the SD website don't exactly look like "scooped" mids. Especially compared to a TB-14 aka Custom5.

 

[Blille]

I'm a great fan of the 59/Custom Hybrid, got one in my SG, one in my my HSS Strat and a third in my HH Strat, but the EQ graphs on the SD website don't exactly look like "scooped" mids. Especially compared to a TB-14 aka Custom5.

I always take those graphs with a pinch of salt. Particularly “mids” since low and high mids are put into “mids” or bass/treble depending on the person.

 

[SF audio]

Yeah the custom hybrid shows 6/8/8 on the tone chart. I hear the mids there for sure, although it seems at a certain notch that's its own thing. I don't know if I care for it in the demo videos, but you never know in your own guitar.
Still leaning towards the custom 5, although I wish I could lower the output. Yeah, lower the pickup height but I always find that to take away the attack and immediacy you get with a pickup closer to the strings.

If I threw in an unoriented A5 magnet maybe that would reduce the output, but would it also change the tone significantly?

 

[jeremy]

it would change the tone a bit for sure, little less output, little softer top end and not quite as scooped sounding but still a5 tonality for sure

 

[Clint 55]

A3 is similar to UOA5 and will lower the output further.

 

[Blille]

A3 is similar to UOA5 and will lower the output further.

No A6 recommendation this time, uh?

 

[formula73]

L500L

 

[RevDoom73]

Unfortunately all the graphs and suggestions and online demos aren't really going to give you a clear answer until it's installed, of course. I think the 59 Custom Hybrid is a decent choice because while it's not a super mid-scooped pickup, I've found it to be responsive in a good way in guitars that tend to be a bit naturally midrange-y already. Custom 5 is the more obvious choice here as you have noted, but I don't know about changing the magnete like you mentioned.....there's definitely going to be some noticeable changes in the tone and whether or not the result of that's going to be pleasing for you remains to be seen. Aside from that, my next choice would in fact be checking out the 59, as that will have the less pronounced mids as well as having less output than the C5, and shouldn't need to be backed off height-wise and retain it's dynamics.