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[The Don]

Alright sorry to grab your attention guys but I need a little bit of help here.

I'm totally dissatisfied with the combination of pickups I have in my LP. Superdistortion in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck. The SD is too middy and trebly, and the Air Norton isn't articulate enough. So I turn back to Duncans. I've gotten some advice on here before, people have suggested pickups such as the C5 and the 59 for the bridge and the Jazz, the PG, and the 59 for the neck.

I've listened to some of my "archived" soundclips that a forum member named stevo did a while back, of pickups such as the C5 and the CC.

I've compared both the CC and the C5 with my ears and I seem to like the CC more than the C5. I think it does sound better both with clean and distortion - it just sounds HUGE - but I'm not sure if it will suit my needs - everything from fast, biting Randy Rhoads leads to bluesy Jimmy Page leads; and distortion ranging from all-out brutally heavy (Metallica) to thick, classic rock tones (Zep, Skynyrd, Nugent, etc.)

Also, which of the three (C5, CC, 59) is the most articulate? What can come closest to what I'm looking for, in my bridge?

If it helps I'm pretty much set on the JAzz for the neck - I've heard the 59 isn't as articulate and I need these pickups to give me maximum articulation.

 

[3 cent hero]

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i'd put the air norton in the bridge and put a duncan jazz in the neck

 

[Jeff_H]

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Don -

What kind of amp and effects are you using.....that could have a big impact on the pickup we recommend for you. The 59' and the C5 are voiced very similarly, with the C5 having more output while retaining some of the vintage PAF flavor. The CC is more modern sounding to me, Van Halen 1984 type sound. The 59' is just a solid, all around great pickup for rock, blues and even metal with the right amp.

I prefer lower output pickups because I feel they do articulate better, especially thru a good tube amp. The CC is a great pickup for warming up a strat type guitar with a trem, or a lighter bodied guitar that always sounds somewhat thin. I think it will do classic rock and beyond pretty well, as I have a double fat strat with a CC/APH combo. If your guitar is heavier and has a thicker natural voice, some find the CC too mid heavy. It all really comes down to personal taste.

Unless you need something to really push your amp, again I think vintage output pups will fit the bill for you. Either a 59'/Jazz or a C5/Jazz since you've already decided on the Jazz. I think the 59' neck is an extremely articulate pickup, and that you would be plesantly suprised by it. I just have no 1st hand experience with the Jazz, so I can't comment. I love the 59' neck so much I put it into the bridge of another guitar.

If you click on my WWW I have some clips of the CC and the APH, as well as the PG neck and the Seth neck under some pretty moderate gain. I used the CC for all guitar parts on All Right Now, and for the distorted rythym on Heavens Door...in addition to the clips that are labled CC. The CC can sometimes lack tightness in the bass, which I don't mind, but some miss. The C5 will cut better than the CC, and have tighter bass and treble response. Again, different strokes for different folks.

Hope I've helped a little. Good luck and let us know what you decide.....welcome to the forum.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

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Some great advice from the previous posters to you on this...People say the C5 is like a 59 on steroids and I agree...The 59 is a very versatile pickup,covers everything,and is really hard to beat for that...The C5 has more output,isn't quite as articulate to my ears because of it's increased 14k dc resistance readings I'm guessing? I'm like Jeff H in that I have to be able to retain note clarity..I always find myself staying with things like the 59,The PG,or something like a SETH...In the neck of my SG and my les paul I have a 59 and it's always great in the neck spot on both of those guitars...The CC is better in a strat I feel because it gives you the mids needed in alot of cases(Especially a Floyd Rose bridged model)that these bridges remove...The CC has a pretty good midrange bump in it's character and it seems to overshadow the lows everytime I use this pickup in a Gibson type guitar...The CC has also been a bit dark for me in some cases but it's clean tones are warm,full and great sounding...

The PG does what the 59(A5) does but seems to concentrate more in giving more aggressive cutting mids...It specs out like a PAF style humbucker but has this cool midrange growl that most Les Paul players like...If you want all out vintage tone and note clarity,I'd look at either the Seth or the Antiquity pickups...If you need an even cleaner and slightly brighter neck pickup with nice note clarity,go with the Jazz(A5) in the neck and something like a Seth or PG bridge(Both A2)...I Like to try to keep my magnet types the same for both humbuckers but it isn't a necessity.......And now you're really confused! LOL

John

 

[The Don]

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I've got a Marshall Valvestate 2x12 (solid state) amp with 2 gain channels. So gain isn't a problem, by any means! I usually just use my stripped down setup - guitar and amp, because I'm not big into effects. But sometimes I'll use a chorus pedal, a digital delay, a wah pedal or a blues driver (all Boss pedals).

So like I said this is a Les Paul. It's a LP Custom so it's wicked heavy. To my ears it's got pretty strong mids. Probably a CC wouldn't be the best pickup for it.

I wouldn't say I want total vintage tone and clarity - I guess you can say I want super clarity - because I do play lots of fast Randy Rhoades / Ritchie Blackmore / Ulrich Roth type guitar lines and need an articulate bridge pickup to get that sound!

The Jazz neck isn't a lock,but I hear many good things about it. Like, it's similar to the 59 with a little more "sparkle" and more upper harmonics... that sounds good to me.

 

[flank]

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id say the C5/Jazz combo.........if you dont like somethin about the C5, you could put in a A2 mag and make it a CC........or even a Custom with a ceramic magnet........... when you buy one of the Custom series pickups, your essentially allowing yourself the chance to get any of the 3 pickups with a simple magnet change........

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

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id say the C5/Jazz combo.........if you dont like somethin about the C5, you could put in a A2 mag and make it a CC........or even a Custom with a ceramic magnet........... when you buy one of the Custom series pickups, your essentially allowing yourself the chance to get any of the 3 pickups with a simple magnet change........

Indeed...Good info Flank... :dance: I've tryed the CC and the C5,but don't much care for the ceramic magnet?

John

 

[The Don]

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Sounds good to me... C5/Jazz combo. In the bridge a hotter version of the PAF and in the neck a more articulate, clearer version of it.

 

[flank]

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Indeed...Good info Flank... :dance: I've tryed the CC and the C5,but don't much care for the ceramic magnet?

John

i dont care too much for ceramics either..has that compressed push that can never be taken away (not natural i guess i could say?).....but i suppose i should mention that there is also the possiblility of an A3 mag for a kind of blend of CC and C5