My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

[T-Bone-BBQ]

This weekend I replaced the Custom 5 in my Sterling Stingray and put in a Perpetual Burn trembucker. I love the tone of the Custom 5 pickup, but I've been wanting to try the PB ever since I got it. I could tell real fast that the PB doesn't have as much bass as the Custom 5, but still has good bass response. The bass seems tighter in the PB. There's also a little less output in the PB, but it's still not a weak pickup. The PB also seems a little brighter, but that could be a side affect of less bass than the custom 5. I can definitely see why the PB would be good for metal with the tighter bass, and it seems like it would really cut thru the mix easy as it's not muddy sounding at all. So far I really like it and will keep it in this guitar. Great pickup for rock, 80's metal and blues IMO.

 

[gregory]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

Thanks for the comparison, T-Bone-BBQ!

Did you happen to measure the DCR of each coil before installing?

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

No, sorry...don't have a multimeter.

 

[AlexR]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

The PB is compared to a JB in its tonality......as in it has a kind of mids hump that makes lead playing a breeze.
I think the wire shift to 43 and the change in wind was supposed to make it less picky about guitars......but this is just repeating the blurb it had on launch

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I've tried a JB before and it wasn't for me. Too high output and too much high mids. The PB is much more my style even tho the overall tone is somewhat similar to the JB. My favorite is still the Custom 5 as it's just perfect for me IMO, but the PB is very good and will work great in this guitar. I've already got plans for the Custom 5 I took out when I put the PB in.

 

[Anficht]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

Very interesting comparison - thanks for that.

How do the mids of the Perpetual Burn compare to the mids of the Custom 5?
Do you perceive the Custom 5 as a "scooped" pickup?

 

[Mincer]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

To me, and in any guitar I've tried, the C5 is seriously scooped. This is great for one of my guitars that is all mids anyway. It helps, a lot.

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I think Duncan's description of the Custom 5 being a louder version of the '59 bridge is very accurate. It is scooped in the mids and I absolutely love the bass response from it in every guitar I've tried it in. It's certainly not muddy sounding tho and I've never had a problem with it cutting through the mix. The PB has less bass, a little more mids and will probably cut through a little easier, but I'll see this weekend at band practice.

 

[dystrust]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

To me, and in any guitar I've tried, the C5 is seriously scooped. This is great for one of my guitars that is all mids anyway. It helps, a lot.

I think Duncan's description of the Custom 5 being a louder version of the '59 bridge is very accurate. It is scooped in the mids and I absolutely love the bass response from it in every guitar I've tried it in. It's certainly not muddy sounding tho and I've never had a problem with it cutting through the mix. The PB has less bass, a little more mids and will probably cut through a little easier, but I'll see this weekend at band practice.

+1 on both of these for me.

Like Mincer I find the C5 seriously scooped, and it works in the right guitar. In anything else there's no mids, shrieking highs, and the bass just might be muddy; not unlike a '59 bridge. :lmao:

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I think all the guitars I have it in are at least mahogany body which possibly helps the C5, but either way I love it...great pickup. Getting ready to put one in the bridge on my PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd hopefully this weekend, but it's also a mahogany body. It should sound great.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I could see the Custom5 doing well in a very midrangey guitar. For most axes- even mahogany- IMO like the '59b it's more pleasing to the ear with UA5. The highs seem less harsh when the mids are a little less scooped.

 

[dystrust]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I could see the Custom5 doing well in a very midrangey guitar. For most axes- even mahogany- IMO like the '59b it's more pleasing to the ear with UA5. The highs seem less harsh when the mids are a little less scooped.

I'm going to try an A2 in my Custom 5 first, but that may be too mushy. I'm curious how it'll sound with RCA5 & UOA5...

 

[gregory]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

It's still in the bridge, right? What kind of music are you playing?

Like the A2, UOA5 is not particularly conducive to tight bass, FWIW.

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

The more I play this guitar with the PB the more I like it. I've got a Yamaha Pacifica 311H that's at the guitar tech getting some mods done and one is to replace the stock AlNiCo bridge humbucker with a Chrome covered PB Trembucker, so it should be great in that guitar also. Very versatile pickup with great overall tone IMO.

 

[Mincer]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

The guitar I use my Custom 5 in is a poplar Music Man SUB1 (the old USA version). Even with the C5 in it (and Jazz neck), it has more mids than my Music Man Silhouette Special with a Custom Custom and Alnico II Pro.

 

[Progbusters]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

or a midrangey amp

 

[T-Bone-BBQ]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

The guitar I use my Custom 5 in is a poplar Music Man SUB1 (the old USA version). Even with the C5 in it (and Jazz neck), it has more mids than my Music Man Silhouette Special with a Custom Custom and Alnico II Pro.

Wow, that's kinda odd.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

Wow, that's kinda odd.

Poplar can be really, really middy!

 

[Mincer]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

Wow, that's kinda odd.

Isn't it? Maybe it is the weird textured paint, I don't know. But it is a really interesting, thick sound. Something I didn't expect when I bought it.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: My thoughts on Perpetual Burn vs. Custom 5

I had the same experience with poplar!

I'm also a fan of the C5. I think it's one of the most well rounded bridge pickups. Less output and it's starting to get vintage. More output and it gets high gain. Open chords ring with PAF tone, power chords sound nice and crunchy. Leads are full and precise.