Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

[mindbender]

The bridge pickup in my Ibanez JS1000 is giving me fits. The original FRED is too brittle sounding to my ears (Not enough low mids), the Distortion too muddy, the Steve's Special is close but not crisp enough and doesn't have the right midrange. I want it to sound like the Duncan Custom in my Schecter. I tried the Custom in the JS1000, but it's way too harsh. What should I do? A Custom with an Alnico 8 mag? Alnico 4? Alnico 5? Or an EVO/EVO2? I like high output, agressive bridge pickups and I need the midrange punch of the Custom but less shrill. HELP!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

250k pots, perhaps?

 

[heymcz]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

You should try the DMZ Breed bridge. I liked the Custom a heck of a lot, and the Breed sounds like a cleaner, less harsh Custom, though I will be the first to admit: it's either on or off, it does not become subtle when you roll back the volume. Its attack is slightly less instant, and it has a bit more restraint, but fat warm mids (it's warmer than a Custom Custom) and it does have less bass than the Custom, but it has plenty.

 

[theodie]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

PATB series my friend! I had the same problem in my Jackson SL-4. Almost everything was too harsh! I LOVE the Custom but, I could not handle it in that guitar becasue it was too harsh.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

Custom with the tone knob turned down....

 

[dani]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

custom with a 250k vol pot, swap the ceramic for an a8 or both.

 

[mindbender]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

Thanks, I've thought about the 250K pot but that would affect the PAF Pro in the neck, and that one's perfect the way it is. I'll have to look into the Breed and the PATB's. First, I think I'll order an Alnico 8 for the Custom and see how that works, since that's the least expensive option.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

Thanks, I've thought about the 250K pot but that would affect the PAF Pro in the neck, and that one's perfect the way it is. I'll have to look into the Breed and the PATB's. First, I think I'll order an Alnico 8 for the Custom and see how that works, since that's the least expensive option.

If you only have two or three pots, and the PU's have to share either volume or tone controls, you can easily rewire them so that one pot is a dedicated volume pot for the neck (preferrably 500K), and the other is dedicated for the bridge (250K or 500K). If you have three pots, you can add a tone to the bridge, to make it less thin & trebley. Make the guitar to be what you need, and don't feel the need to accept the manufacturer's arbitrary wiring as set in stone (yes, and you can take those tags off mattresses too).

It makes sense for every player to have an assortment of spare magnets, pots, and caps on hand so that they can inexpensively modify each PU to fit your wood. As you've seen, buying & selling PU's is a very costly way to do this. It's an expensive lesson to learn. If you hadn't tried different magnets & pots with the other PU's, there's a good chance you could have gotten the bridge sound you want for a lot less money.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

PATB series my friend! I had the same problem in my Jackson SL-4. Almost everything was too harsh! I LOVE the Custom but, I could not handle it in that guitar becasue it was too harsh.

If you go this route look at the PATB-3, because the PATB-1 has a lot of same kind of highs that you're trying to get rid of.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Need a pup like the Custom, but less shrill.

250k pots, perhaps?

300K pots are perfect.