Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

[51501984]

The C5 is working out really good taming my ash Strat that’s a bit mid heavy . For me at least though it’s lacking a bit of power and umph . What else is out there with the vibe of the C5 but with more power and balls , I’m open to any manufacturer

 

[htwheelz67]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

throw a ceramic in it (custom) maybe even an a8 (custom 8)

 

[51501984]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

throw a ceramic in it (custom) maybe even an a8 (custom 8)

I’m not crazy about ceramic magnets but the A8 is an option. Will the A8 bump the mids up a bit ?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

I actually don't like ceramic magnets either, but I have an A8 in the center with ceramic spacers in my Custom and it's pretty hot. It's balanced too, it's not annoyingly ceramic'd. You could put a double thick A8 with double thick ceramic spacers and it would be hot as hell. A8 is a little more middy but it's fine with the scooped Custom.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

id think the a8 would bump up the mids a fair amount

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

A magnet swap would certainly change the EQ of the pedal, however. You might add something like the Pickup Booster, so you can have the same EQ, but hotter.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

Brobucker.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

I would definitely consider a clean boost as Mincer mentioned...same tone, more punch

 

[Despair]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

I'd argue for a PATB-1b Original Parallel Axis. It is a lot like a hotter Custom 5 with extended harmonics, sweeter treble and more even EQ. But if you drop the pickup height too low, it emphasizes the treble and bass, and gets weird piano/tele tones. Also kills sustain and midrange, though... But done to a lesser degree, might do just what you want.

Magnet swaps are a cheaper place to start, though. The flat mids and punchy bass of the ceramic and A8 versions [they mainly differ in upper mids through presence, with the A8 having a more vintagy rounded high end and the ceramic having a more biting presence, though not as harsh as most other ceramic pickups] might work, even though they have a bit more mids than the Custom 5. The added bass punch of either magnet, and the higher output, seem like exactly what you are looking for.

A boost or overdrive is also a great option. A lot of guitarists have bought into guitar amp marketing nonsense, and forgotten that the vast majority of recorded distorted tones involve some sort of added gain, compression, if not outright distortion or fuzz.

 

[51501984]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

Brobucker.

I’ve had that pickup years ago , a very cool pickup but to my ears it’s not as hot as the C5

 

[51501984]

Re: Pickup like the Custom 5 but hotter

I'd argue for a PATB-1b Original Parallel Axis. It is a lot like a hotter Custom 5 with extended harmonics, sweeter treble and more even EQ. But if you drop the pickup height too low, it emphasizes the treble and bass, and gets weird piano/tele tones. Also kills sustain and midrange, though... But done to a lesser degree, might do just what you want.

Magnet swaps are a cheaper place to start, though. The flat mids and punchy bass of the ceramic and A8 versions [they mainly differ in upper mids through presence, with the A8 having a more vintagy rounded high end and the ceramic having a more biting presence, though not as harsh as most other ceramic pickups] might work, even though they have a bit more mids than the Custom 5. The added bass punch of either magnet, and the higher output, seem like exactly what you are looking for.

A boost or overdrive is also a great option. A lot of guitarists have bought into guitar amp marketing nonsense, and forgotten that the vast majority of recorded distorted tones involve some sort of added gain, compression, if not outright distortion or fuzz.

I’ve got my boosts and ODs dialed in for the most part but a bit of tweaking wouldnt hurt. I was thinking about the PATB-1