Replacement pups for Custom 5/Jazz in LTD EC-1000

[weepingminotaur]

I have an LTD EC-1000, mahogany neck and body, 24 frets, Gibson scale. It's tuned to E flat. I mostly play metal on it (Megadeth, Testament, Slayer, Judas Priest, along with Alice in Chains and bit of Def Leppard) but also some blues and pop. Currently it's got a Custom 5 in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck, and I like but don't love them, if that makes any sense. If someone told me I had to keep these pickups in this guitar forever, I could live with it. But they definitely aren't my favorite. The Custom 5 feels a bit too scooped for my ears, while the Jazz is overly bright.

So if I were to go pickup shopping, what should I consider? My candidates so far:

Black Winter set
Nazgul/Sentient
JB/'59
Distortion set

Weigh in, good people. I run into a Boss Katana 50, and I'm mostly a bedroom player.

 

[Hsb]

I have a Distortion in the bridge of my Iceman and my new to me LTD has a JB/59, in this guitar I like the JB. Both guitars are mahogany/maple. I domt care for the Nazgul, Sentient isnt bad, it sits right between the brightness of the Jazz and warmth of the 59, kinda if they had a baby pickup together

 

[Masta' C]

Half the bands you mentioned made it big playing JB's, so there's that. The JB also makes a good rock/blues/pop pickup and wouldn't be as scooped as the Custom 5.

For the neck, the Sentient is about as good as it gets.

I vote JB / Sentient

 

[Juanhanglo]

Why not try a ceramic magnet in the custom 5 and make it a custom?
it'll cost you 10 bucks and some time.

Norton/dimarzio 36th gets my vote.

I also really like the super d/full shred neck combo I am using..

 

[weepingminotaur]

I have the Nazgul-Sentient in another guitar and love that pairing. JB/'59 would be a classic choice, and as mentioned, most of the bands I'm playing used JBs. It's been a few years since I've played a JB, though. I hope it's tight enough for what I want.

As for swapping magnets, I'm profoundly unskilled at that type of stuff. I wouldn't dare trust myself to mag swap.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Why not try a ceramic magnet in the custom 5 and make it a custom?
it'll cost you 10 bucks and some time.

Norton/dimarzio 36th gets my vote.

I also really like the super d/full shred neck combo I am using..

Not familiar with the Norton/DiMarzio pairing at all. How would you describe them?

 

[ehdwuld]

raise the pickups just about one turn
and see if they don't have a bit more presence

 

[weepingminotaur]

raise the pickups just about one turn
and see if they don't have a bit more presence

Nice. I'll give that a try, though I have a feeling that I'll still want to them out.

 

[GuitarDoc]

So many people have complained of the Jazz being too bright. I have 4 or 5 Jazz pups in different guitars and NONE of them has ever sounded bright. They are a tonally well balanced pup that can do just about anything.

I have noticed that one way I can control the brightness of a neck pup is to turn those funny little bumps on the front of the guitar...I think they're called "tone pots", especially in a LP type guitar with separate controls for each pup. It's amazing how it can take the brightness right out of a pup with very little rotation of the knob. If that fails to do the job, an A2 mag in a Jazz really softens the highs and mellows it right out.

I also have to say that I have found that putting a Jazz (bridge model) in the neck helps a lot. The extra winds on the coils help give it more mids while reducing the highs slightly.

 

[gsammo79]

I've got a jazz bridge in the neck on my epi LP and it's not the least bit bright. It's the hottest pickup ive ever had in the neck spot (8.65k) and taps well.

I've played this guitar before at a guitar shop and I remember the C5 being scooped like no other--id shoot for a Custom as a replacement but if the jazz is too bright then I'd go with an A2 neck, like a PG

 

[Iron1]

I had a Custom/59 set in an LTD 2015 Anniversary Edition MH7 and loved them. I think your fiddle is very similar to that one in wood/frteboard etc, although mine was a 7 string.

 

[Juanhanglo]

Not familiar with the Norton/DiMarzio pairing at all. How would you describe them?

paf 36th is a paf with more mids. It comes standard with the extra mids rock guys dial into their rigs. it is a really great neck pickup..

The norton has been described as a dimarzio jb. I don't hear it. To me it is a very vh style pickup. the harmonics are crazy. It is a great all around rock pickup for 80s and onward.

 

[Aceman]

I have played a TON of EC1000's. I really need to get one.

I always thought the standard set in those was a JB/59. I love the way that combo sounds in that guitar.

However, looking at what you are playing, I'd go with the Distortion set. Honestly, With the Katana, you don't need the output, but the bite is what I'd want. You can really use the bass control on the amp then.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Put a ceramic magnet in that bridge pickup and call it a day. Custom is what you want, and it'll cost you next to nothing.

 

[beaubrummels]

paf 36th is a paf with more mids. It comes standard with the extra mids rock guys dial into their rigs. it is a really great neck pickup..

The norton has been described as a dimarzio jb. I don't hear it. To me it is a very vh style pickup. the harmonics are crazy. It is a great all around rock pickup for 80s and onward.

I thought, from another thread on here, that the Norton design was intended to get close to the 'broken' JB EVH liked in for the EVH line of guitars? Or something like that.

For the OP scooped C5, the Custom or even Custom Custom, or possibly Black Winter would do. For the bright Jazz, a Whole Lotta Humbucker neck might do. Previous suggestions are very good, just offering an alternative option.

 

[Juanhanglo]

I thought, from another thread on here, that the Norton design was intended to get close to the 'broken' JB EVH liked in for the EVH line of guitars? Or something like that.

For the OP scooped C5, the Custom or even Custom Custom, or possibly Black Winter would do. For the bright Jazz, a Whole Lotta Humbucker neck might do. Previous suggestions are very good, just offering an alternative option.

The norton was one of the original choices for satriani when his Fred signature came out.
Fred and barney (Flintstones)
Ralph cramdon and ed norton. (The honeymooners)

Much like the tonezone being released after Eddie picked his evh bridge pickup, the norton was released as a new model after Satch made his choice.

 

[Bogner]

Black Winter

 

[JOLLY]

I'd swap the magnets in both and turn it into a Custom/Alnico II Pro combination.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Like I said earlier, I'm not skilled enough to do mag swaps or any of that stuff, so I'll just stick with replacing the pups themselves. I might throw the Custom 5 and the Jazz into another guitar at some point, though.

 

[Mincer]

A Distortion set is a great idea, followed by a Black Winter neck, Custom bridge. Either of those 2 should work.