More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

[Micha]

Hello,

after posting some links (and asks seymour duncans staff) about a choice of bridge pickup, I was referred me to a custom 5 (TB -14).
Honestly this is yet the most interesting pickup that I have played . My guitar is a luthier's guitar:
-Onduras - mahogany body; thinner than than a Les Paul .
-Maple top
-One piece Maple Neck (with added metal bar for more attack and rigidity)
-Rio Rosewood (sounds very warm)

here's a little video , (just to show my playin style):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeCcDY-sxEU&feature=youtu.be

I know that custom 5 is subject to controversy ; I think that we like it or not , simply.
Some define it as mid- scooped . I do not . I think he is very like a PAF with big balls . A very good rythm pickup ; I listen / play metal , grunge, blues , jazz, and a little bit hardcore. For big rythms in drop -C , this pickup is very interresting . He just have the right power to get clean and powerfull with high gain amps...... provided turn up the mid knob on the amp ... what many peaople forget . install a new pickup requires to review the entire EQ chain.
Simply change the pickup show the difference but we had to change the settings to be sure what this new pup is able to do...or not.

Before Custom -5, I've played Many Years (10 years) the same pickup in this guitar . A JB Trembucker . For years I wondered why damn I don't was able to have bluesy sounds, i mean REAL bluesy sounds .
It really cuts while playing solos, that's right ; the harmonics are wonderfull , thhat 's right too .
But, for example, playing with a wah-wah pedal like my "dime cry baby from hell " was just disapointing.


With this wah-wah, bass did not come out , the treble broke ears , and mediums were odd . And when I compared my Wah-wah with those of a friend who had the really cheap amp, I 've realized that there was a problem in my chain .
I thought my 19 " rack Was the problem , . . to sterile , too much mids (a very bizarre frequency , I decided to change the pickup, and I have installed the custom 5 And there what a difference! ! !

JB was really the problem in my chain. Since the custom- 5 is mounted everything is great.
The reputation of a pickup (JB) is not necessarily the best advice

Why do i post this thread Will you ask me ?
Because something lacks with this custom 5.
A little something that i miss ; the harmonics . I ever played pinch harmonics like zakk wylde , and i love it .
And it is not fairly possible with the custom 5.
With the JB That Was possible. In my other guitar ( alder body and maple neck with PATB-2 parallel axis distortion) the harmonics are simply awesome .

What i like ist getting a custom with five hormonics like the PATB -2 distorton Parrallel axis ...... is this possible?
or make a PUP with ceramic magnet goal with the sounds particularities of custom year 5., alnico warmth and sweet treble. In short , is tjis possible to create a ceramic pickup with toneof a alnico ?
If i ask this, it's because i would like to ask and order a new pickup in the custom shop.

Thanks.

PS; excuse my englisch, i'm french and i'm using Google traduction and change a lot of the text.

 

[orpheo]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

I hear plenty of pinch harmonics in that clip. but if you really want to get the most out of it, I'd go with the alternative 8 in stead of the custom 5. The harmonics that pickup produces are incredible. It's like a JB only tweaked to go in a les paul style guitar (to put it simply). The patb2 is hot with great harmonics but isn't a squeeler like the alt8. Also, it looks a bit different than other pickups and it's got a very clean, hifi tone. it's got great harmonics but not as much as the alt8.

but if you wanna go 'customshop', ask for a jb/fullshred hybrid with heavy formvar insulation on the JB coil. ask for an alnico5 bar and thank me later.

 

[orpheo]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

Oh, about the JB: that's kinda true. The JB is very picky in what guitar it goes in. It can be amazing, but can be a dud too. The fulslhred/jb hybrid combats ALL the issues with either pickup.

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

I hear plenty of pinch harmonics in that clip. but if you really want to get the most out of it, I'd go with the alternative 8 in stead of the custom 5. The harmonics that pickup produces are incredible. It's like a JB only tweaked to go in a les paul style guitar (to put it simply). The patb2 is hot with great harmonics but isn't a squeeler like the alt8. Also, it looks a bit different than other pickups and it's got a very clean, hifi tone. it's got great harmonics but not as much as the alt8.

but if you wanna go 'customshop', ask for a jb/fullshred hybrid with heavy formvar insulation on the JB coil. ask for an alnico5 bar and thank me later.

The problem is that for harmonics, I really need to be careful, otherwise there get loose.
With PATB-2, whatever I do, it matches.
It's, Perhaps, a question of note separation or something....?!
While just playing the harmonics, it maches very well, playing riffs, and normal song, it's, Perhaps to muddy and the harmonics get loose and it don't matches ... I do not know; it's only on the E string.
With the the PATB-2 it's awesome, ever.

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

I'd go with the alternative 8 in stead of the custom 5. The harmonics that pickup produces are incredible. It's like a JB only tweaked to go in a les paul style guitar (to put it simply).

What are the difference between these two, what i'll hear ?

The patb2 is hot with great harmonics but isn't a squeeler like the alt8. Also, it looks a bit different than other pickups and it's got a very clean, hifi tone. it's got great harmonics but not as much as the alt8.

What means squeeler ? i' ve ever get a problem with the Term "Hifi" tone....what is an hifi tone ?

but if you wanna go 'customshop', ask for a jb/fullshred hybrid with heavy formvar insulation on the JB coil. ask for an alnico5 bar and thank me later.

Oh man ^^ , sorry ,but so much words i don't know...
what means formvar insulation ?
The Fullshred is such a gfreat pickup ?
In videos the SD comparison videos, it's true, he's awake my interest.

 

[CTN]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

The JB and Distortion models are SUPER easy to get harmonics with. I'm not exactly sure why.

With the custom series models (Sh-5, sh-11, sh-14) it's noticeably more difficult. Not impossible, just more difficult. You really have to improve your pinch harmonic technique. (practicing pinch harmonics on an acoustic guitar is a good way to do that... you can't hide behind a pickup or distortion!)

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

the problem is not the practice. On the PÄTB-2 it matches , EVER.
i don't know what it is..
I du not serach something really different than my custom five.
The EQ matches very well. It matches much much much better than the JB for example.

 

[orpheo]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

What are the difference between these two, what i'll hear ?




What means squeeler ? i' ve ever get a problem with the Term "Hifi" tone....what is an hifi tone ?


Oh man ^^ , sorry ,but so much words i don't know...
what means formvar insulation ?
The Fullshred is such a gfreat pickup ?
In videos the SD comparison videos, it's true, he's awake my interest.

JB has more upper mids, softer bass and more treble than the custom 5. but the feel is totally different. The Alternative 8 is like the cousin of the JB, but tweaked to work better in a les paul style guitar: tighter lows, better harmonics and smoother highs that work better with the upper mids of mahogany, but retaining the liquid feel of the JB when you play lead.

squeel is like the sound a pig makes you could translate a squeal into french as Grincement.

Hifi: cleaner, tighter, more precise and more the tone of the guitar than of the pickup. That's kind of what hifi means in a guitar-related context.

formvar is a material used as insulation on the wire of pickups. Just google it. it's like poly and plain enamel, and it can be regular or heavy. the more insulation, the more spacing between the wire of the bobbin, the more 3D , airy and/or woody the tone becomes.

Fullshred is a horrible pickup. it's tight, it's aggressive and it is too skreechy to my ears. like nails on a school board. But when used with a JB or Alternative 8, I love it. That pickup, a hybrid of the JB and fullshred (or alternative 8!) is tighter than either, but with much more dynamics, the liquid feel of the jb but with the articulation of the fullshred. It's really the perfect high output pickup (without really BEING high output!). The best thing is? It works equally superb in strats and les pauls. Really... this pickup HAS to be made.


or not. that gives me a living. I make those hybrids because I believe them to be the be all end all of pickups in the high output segment

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

thanks a lot, that' an answer

JB has more upper mids, softer bass and more treble than the custom 5. but the feel is totally different. The Alternative 8 is like the cousin of the JB, but tweaked to work better in a les paul style guitar: tighter lows, better harmonics and smoother highs that work better with the upper mids of mahogany, but retaining the liquid feel of the JB when you play lead.

Oh yes it is, different. The upper mids of the JB are very bad sounding. All the rest of this pickup is wonderfull, but the upper mids, no way....never.

squeel is like the sound a pig makes you could translate a squeal into french as Grincement.

hmmm, the alternative 8 is also a sqeelser ?
you mean this kind og twangy sound on this video ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZYDYiOIuC8
i hate this, its like the fieldy bass korn sound ^^ :flush:

Hifi: cleaner, tighter, more precise and more the tone of the guitar than of the pickup. That's kind of what hifi means in a guitar-related context.

I always look onto the EQ panel of the seymour site.
The PATB-2 had a lot of highs and mids but it not a bad thing on this pup, because of the resonnant peak ; the higher, the more treblier it is ? Am i right. It has some scooped mid because of the resonnant peak, it's similar to the TB-14 in teh mids direction. He get warm mids. It's not very like i would like to say but i cannot explain this differently.
Both of the TB-14 and PATB-2 get similar low mids....but diferent EQ and resnnant peak.
I have to make a video of the PATB-2 on my amp to show what i mean.

I've never tried a Ceramic pickup that kicks me such a lot like the PATB-2.
It highs are not "alnico highs" but they are the less harshier i've listened. A little bit warmer and it would be perfect.
It has great compression and i never heard a pickup with so much power being so accurate, with such a note separation.
I've , before mounting my TB-14; tried a custom TB-5. The highs are very horrible. Even the duncan distortion had better highs.

formvar is a material used as insulation on the wire of pickups. Just google it. it's like poly and plain enamel, and it can be regular or heavy. the more insulation, the more spacing between the wire of the bobbin, the more 3D , airy and/or woody the tone becomes.

Oh thanks, it's very interesting to know.
à propos: i've read, on this forum, a glossary about tonal terms of pickups with all they definitions:
-airy, thight, bottom, harsh etc...
Do you know what i mean ?
My englisch is so bad that i cannot find the word to matchs in my research onto the site....

Fullshred is a horrible pickup. it's tight, it's aggressive and it is too skreechy to my ears. like nails on a school board.

I've never tried the Full shred, because of his name perhaps ^^
i don't know.
But what i like on the videos with it, is that he on't have so much gain, or get great note separation, i don't know but sometimes it's great to get a pup with not so much gain. It's precise, accurate and we can get warm palm mute, even with aggressive style. Like on an old JCM 800 ^^ .

But when used with a JB or Alternative 8, I love it. That pickup, a hybrid of the JB and fullshred (or alternative 8!) is tighter than either, but with much more dynamics, the liquid feel of the jb but with the articulation of the fullshred. It's really the perfect high output pickup (without really BEING high output!). The best thing is? It works equally superb in strats and les pauls. Really... this pickup HAS to be made.

I loved the liquid fell of the JB, that's the reason why i waiting such a long time before i've said to me:
"Hey Micha, change it, something is wrong, i don't know why, but test an another Pickup"
The problem is that i don't want a pickup with so much mids; because i like , what's called here, scooped mids.
For an example , the custom five could have an EQ like B6-M4-T8. Now it has B6-M3-T8
i like PAF sounds. My amps is a 19" rack amp. Rocktron voodoo valve with Marshall EL34 100/100 Power amp.
I red somewhere that EL34 matches very good with the Custom 5 and paf pickups. For me it matches.

We have to think about thatthe politic is different to me.
Many metal players plays amps like ENGL powerballs or 5150's or Mesas. And with these amps, you've get this typically seymour duncan demo sounds.
It wasn't my thing. My thing is more sounds like lamb of God or Ozzy stuff (w/ Zakk Wylde). In short , like a modern heavy metal sound; absolutely not metalcore sounds. More heavy , trash sounds, but with modern sauce. Like in my video. I think you will agree if i say that the sound in my video is not metalcore
I don't know if you know what i mean.
Don't mistake me; i love mids, but not these modern 6L6Gs mids on the amps like the powerball or something.

or not. that gives me a living. I make those hybrids because I believe them to be the be all end all of pickups in the high output segment

hmmm it sounds very interesting, but i' m a litte bit fearfull that he sounds to much different than that what i 'm playing at the moment.

 

[TNTales]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

+1 for the Black Winters. Also, don't forget you can do a magnet swap with the custom so you might look into that. Going to a ceramic or a8 mag. It's a pretty popular mod. Humbucker Magnet Swapping from the SD Blog.

 

[orpheo]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

+1 for the Black Winters. Also, don't forget you can do a magnet swap with the custom so you might look into that. Going to a ceramic or a8 mag. It's a pretty popular mod. Humbucker Magnet Swapping from the SD Blog.

he wants LESS mids. the alnico 8 will boost the mids to insane heights. that's not what he needs. Nor the black winter, since those are too thick in the mids as well.

 

[orpheo]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

thanks a lot, that' an answer


Oh yes it is, different. The upper mids of the JB are very bad sounding. All the rest of this pickup is wonderfull, but the upper mids, no way....never.

I totally understand that. The upper mids of the JB work not so god with so many guitars but do with other models. the Alt8 seems to be developed to combat those problems. You get the liquid feel of the JB without the issues.

squeel is like the sound a pig makes you could translate a squeal into french as Grincement.

hmmm, the alternative 8 is also a sqeelser ?
you mean this kind og twangy sound on this video ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZYDYiOIuC8
i hate this, its like the fieldy bass korn sound ^^ :flush:

Je comprend. Mais non, ce sont est nasillard. N'est pas grincement. The difference: twang is an overal characteristic (like we would say muddy or mid scooped) and a squeal is a sound you make. A squeal is a high pitched scream: c'est un cri aigu. Comprend?

Hifi: cleaner, tighter, more precise and more the tone of the guitar than of the pickup. That's kind of what hifi means in a guitar-related context.

I always look onto the EQ panel of the seymour site.
The PATB-2 had a lot of highs and mids but it not a bad thing on this pup, because of the resonnant peak ; the higher, the more treblier it is ? Am i right. It has some scooped mid because of the resonnant peak, it's similar to the TB-14 in teh mids direction. He get warm mids. It's not very like i would like to say but i cannot explain this differently.
Both of the TB-14 and PATB-2 get similar low mids....but diferent EQ and resnnant peak.
I have to make a video of the PATB-2 on my amp to show what i mean.

No need to. I know that pickup. The term hifi isn't about the tone chart of about how much mids or how much highs or how much lows. It's about how they are voiced.

La voix de la spectre tonale est plus propre, transparent, precis est naturellement.

I've never tried a Ceramic pickup that kicks me such a lot like the PATB-2.
It highs are not "alnico highs" but they are the less harshier i've listened. A little bit warmer and it would be perfect.
It has great compression and i never heard a pickup with so much power being so accurate, with such a note separation.
I've , before mounting my TB-14; tried a custom TB-5. The highs are very horrible. Even the duncan distortion had better highs.

The reason the PATB2 works so well is its unique wind and those polepieces. If you want to keep the PATB2, try a magnet swap with the alnico8. That magnet is about as powerful as the ceramic but with smoother highs. It costs you next to nothing (it's much cheaper than a new pickup!) you can do it yourself and if you don't like it you can change it back again. There are many great tutorials online on how to do it


[quote[
Oh thanks, it's very interesting to know.
à propos: i've read, on this forum, a glossary about tonal terms of pickups with all they definitions:
-airy, thight, bottom, harsh etc...
Do you know what i mean ?
My englisch is so bad that i cannot find the word to matchs in my research onto the site....

Bien sure. J'ai ecrite ce dictionairre.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/the-tone-garage/dictionary-of-tone-terms/

I've never tried the Full shred, because of his name perhaps ^^
i don't know.
But what i like on the videos with it, is that he on't have so much gain, or get great note separation, i don't know but sometimes it's great to get a pup with not so much gain. It's precise, accurate and we can get warm palm mute, even with aggressive style. Like on an old JCM 800 ^^ .

The full shred is great for shredding, true The full shred isn't very hot, but is very articulate with GREAT note separation. The Full Shred is based off the Custom 5 (not exactly, but they're in the same tonal family), but made to be more exact, more precise, more accurate, tighter, better note separation. But that comes at a cost: less fluid feel.That's why I pair with the JB. That way you get best of both worlds.

I loved the liquid fell of the JB, that's the reason why i waiting such a long time before i've said to me:
"Hey Micha, change it, something is wrong, i don't know why, but test an another Pickup"
The problem is that i don't want a pickup with so much mids; because i like , what's called here, scooped mids.
For an example , the custom five could have an EQ like B6-M4-T8. Now it has B6-M3-T8
i like PAF sounds. My amps is a 19" rack amp. Rocktron voodoo valve with Marshall EL34 100/100 Power amp.
I red somewhere that EL34 matches very good with the Custom 5 and paf pickups. For me it matches.

Yes, EL34's are a good match but: tubes only go so far. They make up a small part of the tone!

We have to think about thatthe politic is different to me.
Many metal players plays amps like ENGL powerballs or 5150's or Mesas. And with these amps, you've get this typically seymour duncan demo sounds.
It wasn't my thing. My thing is more sounds like lamb of God or Ozzy stuff (w/ Zakk Wylde). In short , like a modern heavy metal sound; absolutely not metalcore sounds. More heavy , trash sounds, but with modern sauce. Like in my video. I think you will agree if i say that the sound in my video is not metalcore
I don't know if you know what i mean.
Don't mistake me; i love mids, but not these modern 6L6Gs mids on the amps like the powerball or something.

I totally get what you mean. I've had the same experiences as you have.


I understand you may or may not feel that the fullshred/jb is not your thing. But the fun thing of a hybrid is that you can take 2 pickups that you feel are 'ok', make a hybrid and WHAM you've got an amazing pickup. The Fullshred/JB hybrid is like the custom 5, it's like the JB, but not exactly them. You get the liquid feel of the JB without the harsh upper mid spike, you get the tight lows of the Custom 5. you get AMAZING harmonics (and I can explain why, but that's a bit technical). You get a huge tonal range. I'm making a clip of this pickup and I hope it's online soon. It's a studio recording of that pickup in several settings (high gain, clean, crunch, 2 amps (marshall and mesa)).

I tried to translate the hardest parts of tone in french (which is hard, since I haven't spoken french in over a decade!). But drop me a line if you require more information. I'm happy to answer.

Pickups are a difficult subject, I know that. I have struggled with them for YEARS and only for the last two years or so I feel confident enough to buy a pickup 'blind' and know what to expect: I can 'read' the specs and almost hear a sound in my mind. I rarely go wrong...

 

[TNTales]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

I always felt the mids were what made my pinch harmonics sing without being ice-pick. But if you want harmonics with less mids you could try the Dimebucker or Screamin Demon or Full Shred. But like I said, I always felt that high mids gave it the flavor. I could be wrong though.

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

Thank guys.
I m in hollidays since today...and forget my glasses...
I answer this week end.
Thanks a lot, it s very helpfull
..

 

[Micha]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

Hello Guy's , sorry for this long pause, i've got so many problems this sommer.
so...back to this thread.

You propose a JB / Fullshred hybrid.
The problem is that I have a little fear that the difference is to big between this hybrid and my custom 5.
What I look for is really a custom5 made for bluesy metal. I am even ready to choose a ceramic magnet if the treble are not to harsh/icepicked.
The trebles of the distortion parallel axis are the bests in ceramic magnets.

I want a cutom 5 with good tight bass and good clarity.
To be honest, i' don't know what's the best bass for metal; Mushy/Muddy? I want more bass but they are to be articulated.
Woofy / Boomy / warm is the best term to describe what i need ?


It must be articulated for fast runs. But above all, (pinch) harmonics should be really excellent.
In fact ,a PAF on steroids but not at the "custom SH-5 sauce". It should not be as medium sounding as the custom SH5/regular custom.
It must really be a custom 5 with big balls, great harmonics, great articulation and clarity.
In short, the best rythm/solo combination pickup.
Ceramic magnet attack with warmth of alnico ? a little bit compressed (like the PATB-2 distortion PA )

The custom shop made a neck pickup with alnico 8 magnets for me; it sounds amazing. i can make some pinch harmonics with my custom neck PU what i never can do before. That's why i would like to know:
what's teh best compromise for me? a custom 8 style PU or this JB/Full shred Hybrid?
what do i expect?


You wrote that you do a video from this hybrid. You get one ?you wrote:
The Fullshred/JB hybrid is like the custom 5, it's like the JB, but not exactly them. You get the liquid feel of the JB without the harsh upper mid spike, you get the tight lows of the Custom 5. you get AMAZING harmonics (and I can explain why, but that's a bit technical). You get a huge tonal range. I'm making a clip of this pickup and I hope it's online soon. It's a studio recording of that pickup in several settings (high gain, clean, crunch, 2 amps (marshall and mesa)).

explain me why :burnout:

 

[symptom]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

When I had the Custom 5 in my SG, it was difficult to get pinch harmonics. Like you said, it was a nice rythm pickup, but I always struggled with it when soloing. I've done some magnet swaps and found it much easier to get the harmonics with the Unoriented A5 and with the A8 magnets.

 

[dominus]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

Hello Guy's , sorry for this long pause, i've got so many problems this sommer.
so...back to this thread.

You propose a JB / Fullshred hybrid.
The problem is that I have a little fear that the difference is to big between this hybrid and my custom 5.

A Full Shred is a Custom 5 with hex screws instead of regular screw and slug poles.

A hybrid would be one coil from the Full Shred and one coil from the JB, so it should give you a sound that is halfway between them when combined.

 

[Hank-]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

Have you tried using a tubescreamer type pedal with your rig? It might help out if you haven't tried it yet.

You may like the regular custom sh5 pickup, i never had issues with pinch harmonics with that, the custom5 was difficult for that to me as well. I think if you want a warmer treble sound then the sh11 might work better, no problems with pinch harmonics with that one either.

Low end guitars usually have ceramic magnets in them, if you can find someone that's about to throw their pickups out then you can take the ceramic mag out of it & use it in the sh14 to make it a sh5.

 

[Demanic]

Re: More harmonics on my TB-14 Custom 5, is it possible ?

You could try a ceramic magnet or a double thick ceramic if you can get one (and the spacers to go with). That would certainly tighten up the bass and treble.