New Duncan Custom Day!

[JesusCrisp]

So, FINALLY I dropped an SH-5 in my beloved Strat, changing the knob layout (master volume and tone, mini-switch for coil-splitting) and pot values (500K).

Thanks for the recommendations guys, the Custom is just pure awesomeness in the shape of a pickup. :lmao:

It does everything I wanted from a pickup, and basically it turns the choked, muddy, WAY too middy, flubby and weak sounding bridge position into a tight, ballsy, open, cutting, hard hitting rock machine!
Even the EMG 81 in my Epiphone LP Prophecy pales in comparison when it comes to balls, definition, tightness and cut, while still retaining a very classic basic tone. In comparison it feels as if the 81 doesn't even have any 'real' treble response at all if you ask me.
Although the Custom is very bright, it isn't an unpleasant kind of brightness to me (even on the Strat).
It gives it a very open feel, nice attack and sizzle, resulting in crazy harmonics and a very raunchy overall tone.
Split it sounds usable as well, although obviously not quite authentic Strat/Tele, but it works for stuff like Led Zepplin with a bit of a tone roll off. Also works very nicely for the bridge+middle position, the split sound is way better than with the stock Fender Atomic.

Overall I'm very happy with the Custom so far, BUT I think I'll give up on the Strat being HSS and make this a dual-humbucker guitar with a new pickguard, new switch and singlecoil-sized humbucker in the neck position (the Strat is HSS-routed). Might need a bit of help for that one as well, I kind of trust you guys now that you recommended me this awesome pickup. :fing2:

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

I kind of trust you guys now that you recommended me this awesome pickup.

That's all part of it kid, We lure you in with good advice at first, and then wham, we hit you with some boneheaded suggestions which you blindly follow. It provides no end of amusement for us.

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

That's all part of it kid, We lure you in with good advice at first, and then wham, we hit you with some boneheaded suggestions which you blindly follow. It provides no end of amusement for us.

You sneaky bastards.

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

You'll get a lot of suggestions here, from a lot of viewpoints, and often they'll contradict one another. But, it lets you see things from all sides and choose what's best for you and what you're wanting to do. You'll also see people's strong points, who knows the most about working with certain kinds of guitars or styles of music. For instance, all my guitars are Gibson design with HB's and P-90's; you do not want my advice for Strats and Teles. This forum is an international think tank, with some very talented people, and some cutting edge ideas come up, not that that happens every day. Stick around, lots to learn.

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

I don't say I blindly trust everything you say, I really try to get my own point of view on the topic and try around as much as possible, just like with any other piece of gear.

E.g. I also got a lot of JB-recommendations when asking for a new humbucker for my Strat, even though I stated that I tried and didn't like the JB.
I know it's a very popular humbucker for Strats, but it just doesn't sound the way I want it to.
The other very popular recommendation was a Pearly Gates, which - while sounding more like what I wanted - wasn't hot and tight enough for my tastes-
The Custom was recommended by several other people (often also with an A8-magnet swap, which I doubt that I'll do though). After reading that the Custom sounds like kind of a 'Distortion light', having a more vintage core tone, being slightly less focused and less aggressive and playing an HSS Strat-style guitar (Fernandes Revolver) with a Distortion in it, I found that the Custom might be exactly what I wanted.

Unfortunately with pickups it's kind of hard to get an actual impression of what it will exactly sound like in your guitar before, well, actually putting it in the guitar, which is why I need as much good advice as possible.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

Here's a pic of one of my Fender MIJ Strats with a Pearly Gates neck and a Custom bridge pickup. Best humbucker combo I've ever had in this guitar. The switches allow each pickup to be used as a single coil, in parallel or normal/series. It's not a beauty but it sure sounds good!

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

^ Nice one!
Looks quite Charvel-ish.

That's more or less exactly what I want to do, only with an SC-sized 'bucker for the neck position.
And of course, mine will have a pickguard.

 

[Aceman]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

Here's a pic of one of my Fender MIJ Strats with a Pearly Gates neck and a Custom bridge pickup. Best humbucker combo I've ever had in this guitar. The switches allow each pickup to be used as a single coil, in parallel or normal/series. It's not a beauty but it sure sounds good!

View attachment 36965

Pg/Custom is an Aceman approved combo also!

However, if going to single sized, I gotta call Hot Rails for the match with a Custom (or maybe a little 59 or of course, little PG)

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

Pg/Custom is an Aceman approved combo also!

However, if going to single sized, I gotta call Hot Rails for the match with a Custom (or maybe a little 59 or of course, little PG)

In a nutshell, what's the tonal difference between those 3 single sized HBs?

 

[Shadow1psc]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

I'll throw my vote in for a hot rails. Absolutely LOVE them.

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

Unfortunately with pickups it's kind of hard to get an actual impression of what it will exactly sound like in your guitar before, well, actually putting it in the guitar, which is why I need as much good advice as possible.

And that's why we're all here, because there's no way to know for certain how a PU will sound in a guitar. We know how it may sound, or probably will sound, but there's always surprises. That's why sound clips are next to useless. Odds are you're not using the same guitar, wood, amp, tubes, and speakers the test sample did. So you're probably not going to get the same sound that guy did either. This forum teaches us what to do about it, when you've spent a $100 on a PU, and it doesn't sound the way you hoped it would. We've learned some easy, quick and inexpensive ways to change how a PU sounds. Instead of settling for less than ideal tones, or buying and selling PU's while crossing your fingers, there's a lot that can done with set ups, magnets, pots, resistors, and caps. My motto has become 'Take control of your tone.' Know what variables contribute to your tone, and what you can do to change them.

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

So, Hotrails neck would be the way to go?
I'd like a singing neck humbucker tone that is still usable for rythm stuff, meaning it should still be defined and kind of percussive sounding if that's possible. Somewhat good cleans would be nice as well.

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

The SH-5 is my "Desert Island" pickup. They're PERFECT for what I want to hear in several of my guitars. Welcome to the club!!!

 

[Jeff5]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

The SH5 is a fantastic pick up. I've been running mine with a big ceramic lately, but it is great stock. Just sounds "right" to my ears for lack of a better word. For the neck I actually prefer the AII Pro. I ran a PG for awhile but didn't like the sizzle. The AII Pro is smoother and sweeter and that's what I like in a neck pick up. See how opinions vary haha!

I actually have a Hotrails neck in my strat which I don't play much anymore. It is hot, and if that's what you want in a neck pick up then go for it although if your looking for a sweeter more classic neck sound, especially in a strat it may not do it for you.

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

The SH-5 is my "Desert Island" pickup. They're PERFECT for what I want to hear in several of my guitars. Welcome to the club!!!

Certainly not my favorite (pulled the ceramics out of mine and put in alnicos). SH-5's may be great for metal, but not for the blues and classic rock I play. Too bright, stiff-sounding, and not all that good clean.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

That's all part of it kid, We lure you in with good advice at first, and then wham, we hit you with some boneheaded suggestions which you blindly follow. It provides no end of amusement for us.

:nana: :jester: :lol: :banana: :baby: :dunce: :lmao:

 

[darthphineas]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

all the Strats in this thread seem to be missing Floyds.

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

all the Strats in this thread seem to be missing Floyds.

Oh Bill, you don't need all those gadgets and gizmos on guitars.

 

[JesusCrisp]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

all the Strats in this thread seem to be missing Floyds.

Haha, I actually wish my Strat was a hardtail one, but there are very few hardtail Strat options with Fender... unfortunately.

The SH5 is a fantastic pick up. I've been running mine with a big ceramic lately, but it is great stock. Just sounds "right" to my ears for lack of a better word. For the neck I actually prefer the AII Pro. I ran a PG for awhile but didn't like the sizzle. The AII Pro is smoother and sweeter and that's what I like in a neck pick up. See how opinions vary haha!

I actually have a Hotrails neck in my strat which I don't play much anymore. It is hot, and if that's what you want in a neck pick up then go for it although if your looking for a sweeter more classic neck sound, especially in a strat it may not do it for you.

Well, I don't exactly want hot, I want singing but not too fat, reasonably good cleans would be a plus, classic Strat tone isn't what I'm going for. In near future I might pick up an SSS Strat for that.

Certainly not my favorite (pulled the ceramics out of mine and put in alnicos). SH-5's may be great for metal, but not for the blues and classic rock I play. Too bright, stiff-sounding, and not all that good clean.

Well, everyone has favorite pickups. I personally like it for the more modern rock/alternative tones as well as metal and high gain. But to me it sounds a lot better for classic rock than let's say a JB.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: New Duncan Custom Day!

If you're not going for hot, then the Hotrails neck may be a bit much for you. There are a lot of other either stacked single coils or mini hums that may do it better for you. Cool rails instantly come to my mind as I've used them and they are very nice, smooth and bluesy sounding. There are a lot of other options that I'm sure others who have a lot of experience with will chime in on.