Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
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Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
when all the workers at the guitar store (along with myself) played the custom custom we all said "man, alot of midrange here" that was takeing turns playing it on a single guitar-strat with hard tail. then we closed the store and started jaming togather and it got real load real fast. the single coil strats were instantly hung up in favor of the humbucker equiped strats couse everyone was trying to be heard over everyone else includeing the drums and base. finally somebody picked up the hard tail strat with the custom custom in it and it cut thru the best of any of the the guitars. alone it sounds midrangy but in a jam or stage band this pickup realy shines.
when all the workers at the guitar store (along with myself) played the custom custom we all said "man, alot of midrange here" that was takeing turns playing it on a single guitar-strat with hard tail. then we closed the store and started jaming togather and it got real load real fast. the single coil strats were instantly hung up in favor of the humbucker equiped strats couse everyone was trying to be heard over everyone else includeing the drums and base. finally somebody picked up the hard tail strat with the custom custom in it and it cut thru the best of any of the the guitars. alone it sounds midrangy but in a jam or stage band this pickup realy shines.
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
when all the guitar players at the guitar store including myself played a strat hard tail equiped with the custom custom we all said " man this pickup has alot of midrange" later we closed the store and started jaming and it got real load real fast. the single coil strats were instantly hung back up in favor of humbucker equiped strats cuz everyone was trying to be heard above everyone else including the drums and base. finally somebody picked up the strat equiped with the custom custom and it cut right thru the best. by it self it sounds midrangy but in a band or stage jam this pickup realy shines.
when all the guitar players at the guitar store including myself played a strat hard tail equiped with the custom custom we all said " man this pickup has alot of midrange" later we closed the store and started jaming and it got real load real fast. the single coil strats were instantly hung back up in favor of humbucker equiped strats cuz everyone was trying to be heard above everyone else including the drums and base. finally somebody picked up the strat equiped with the custom custom and it cut right thru the best. by it self it sounds midrangy but in a band or stage jam this pickup realy shines.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Custom 5.
I'm a big fan of Alnico 5, in both humbuckers and strats. Alnico 5 is usually dubbed the "musical magnet" because of it's ability to naturally reproduce the tone of the guitar, while sending a well balanced signal to your amp.
My favorite humbucker tones have always been from pickups that are similar to the '59 or JB, so when I'd heard that Duncan had released a pickup that was basically a 59 with deeper, tighter lows, and expanded output like the JB, it didn't take long before I had this pickup in my #1 Paul, a goldtop.
This replaced a list of humbuckers that hadn't quite nailed what I was looking for, like the Gib 57 Classic, JB, CC, and Fralin, for instance. The Custom 5 is a high output pickup with a tight percussive bottom end, but seems to leave the mids and highs sounding like most good vintage Alnico 5 pickups. It's one of the very few pickups that excells equally good at clean, midgain, and super highgain, but you've got to love the sound of your guitar and amp or you may not be impressed with the C-5.
Since then, I've installed it into these guitars, with these results.
Les Paul 57 Reissue Goldtop w/pullup tones to split. Amazing. Perfect balance.
You can still hear the stringy nuances, but has nice punch, power, harmonics.
Les Paul Std Prem Plus. Sounded just as good as the goldtop, but the highs were just a touch bright. I swapped it's magnet for an Alnico 4, so the pickup is now a Custom 4. Now, the pickup is extremely articulate, with smoother mids and highs, and the bass is a little rolled off, compared to the C-5.
57 Black Beauty (all mahogany) In this guitar, the Custom 5 sounds huge. Most complaints about the C-5 being hollow in the mids are by guys who used it in hollow sounding guitars....not the mahogany Custom! The wood naturally fills in the mids, which is exactly what I want to hear! The C-5 delivers crushing lows and airy highs on this guitar.
PRS McCarty. The Custom 5 corrects just about every complaint a person could have about PRS's tone. PRS's tend to be nasal in the mids, bright on top, but tight on bottom. Now, add the C-5! The lows are even tighter, the low mids are where they should be, and high mids are pulled back, and the highs are still present, but less icey.
Am Std Strat. Here's where the Custom 5 is purely a matter of taste. I can understand any complaints about the C-5 sounding more transparent here, but you've also got to consider that it tonally balances with singles because of that fact. On my strat, if I go from the 2 Fat 50 singles to a JB or CC, it'll be like jumping to another guitar. If you go to a Custom 5, it still has that hollow airy tone like singles, only you hear it in a humbucker form. I really like the way my strat sounds with the C-5, but I'm not as stuck on it as I am with the LP's and PRS's. You won't be disappointed at all with the C-5, but if you want more mid punch, you may be better with JB, Custom, or 59. I've put a CC in strats and I think the lack of density in a strat chokes off the CC's highs, so I went to the C-5. I like it, and will probably keep it, but I may do more experimenting till I nail the tone I want.
Continued below.
Custom 5.
I'm a big fan of Alnico 5, in both humbuckers and strats. Alnico 5 is usually dubbed the "musical magnet" because of it's ability to naturally reproduce the tone of the guitar, while sending a well balanced signal to your amp.
My favorite humbucker tones have always been from pickups that are similar to the '59 or JB, so when I'd heard that Duncan had released a pickup that was basically a 59 with deeper, tighter lows, and expanded output like the JB, it didn't take long before I had this pickup in my #1 Paul, a goldtop.
This replaced a list of humbuckers that hadn't quite nailed what I was looking for, like the Gib 57 Classic, JB, CC, and Fralin, for instance. The Custom 5 is a high output pickup with a tight percussive bottom end, but seems to leave the mids and highs sounding like most good vintage Alnico 5 pickups. It's one of the very few pickups that excells equally good at clean, midgain, and super highgain, but you've got to love the sound of your guitar and amp or you may not be impressed with the C-5.
Since then, I've installed it into these guitars, with these results.
Les Paul 57 Reissue Goldtop w/pullup tones to split. Amazing. Perfect balance.
You can still hear the stringy nuances, but has nice punch, power, harmonics.
Les Paul Std Prem Plus. Sounded just as good as the goldtop, but the highs were just a touch bright. I swapped it's magnet for an Alnico 4, so the pickup is now a Custom 4. Now, the pickup is extremely articulate, with smoother mids and highs, and the bass is a little rolled off, compared to the C-5.
57 Black Beauty (all mahogany) In this guitar, the Custom 5 sounds huge. Most complaints about the C-5 being hollow in the mids are by guys who used it in hollow sounding guitars....not the mahogany Custom! The wood naturally fills in the mids, which is exactly what I want to hear! The C-5 delivers crushing lows and airy highs on this guitar.
PRS McCarty. The Custom 5 corrects just about every complaint a person could have about PRS's tone. PRS's tend to be nasal in the mids, bright on top, but tight on bottom. Now, add the C-5! The lows are even tighter, the low mids are where they should be, and high mids are pulled back, and the highs are still present, but less icey.
Am Std Strat. Here's where the Custom 5 is purely a matter of taste. I can understand any complaints about the C-5 sounding more transparent here, but you've also got to consider that it tonally balances with singles because of that fact. On my strat, if I go from the 2 Fat 50 singles to a JB or CC, it'll be like jumping to another guitar. If you go to a Custom 5, it still has that hollow airy tone like singles, only you hear it in a humbucker form. I really like the way my strat sounds with the C-5, but I'm not as stuck on it as I am with the LP's and PRS's. You won't be disappointed at all with the C-5, but if you want more mid punch, you may be better with JB, Custom, or 59. I've put a CC in strats and I think the lack of density in a strat chokes off the CC's highs, so I went to the C-5. I like it, and will probably keep it, but I may do more experimenting till I nail the tone I want.
Continued below.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Overall, I'd say the Custom 5 is the pickup for the vintage Alnico 5 lover who wants the kind of output a JB or Custom delivers. If your ears are tailored to the sound of Alnico II, you'll feel that it lacks mids. If you're used to vintage vibe humbuckers, you'll love the additional output and ease of pulling harmonics. If you use a JB or CC, you'll appreciate the more natural and open character of the C-5. To me, it's the best balance of output and pure tone of all the Custom Series. I've heard a lot of humbuckers, and it's the one I always come back to, and the one I could be happy with in every single guitar I own, if I had to.
The other pickups I have in guitars are
Fralin Vintage Hot singles in a strat.
Fender CS Fat 50's in a strat
59 necks
Seth Lover neck
PRS McCarty humbuckers
JB bridge
G&L Asat Z-3 pickups
Overall, I'd say the Custom 5 is the pickup for the vintage Alnico 5 lover who wants the kind of output a JB or Custom delivers. If your ears are tailored to the sound of Alnico II, you'll feel that it lacks mids. If you're used to vintage vibe humbuckers, you'll love the additional output and ease of pulling harmonics. If you use a JB or CC, you'll appreciate the more natural and open character of the C-5. To me, it's the best balance of output and pure tone of all the Custom Series. I've heard a lot of humbuckers, and it's the one I always come back to, and the one I could be happy with in every single guitar I own, if I had to.
The other pickups I have in guitars are
Fralin Vintage Hot singles in a strat.
Fender CS Fat 50's in a strat
59 necks
Seth Lover neck
PRS McCarty humbuckers
JB bridge
G&L Asat Z-3 pickups
papersoul
New member
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Great stuff as usual Gear! I liked the C-5 in my LP, especially the tight lows but the things I didn't are as follows:
My LP is barely over 8 lbs but sound rich and lively....very clear and some may say bright but I think this is really my perception because my Dean is very dark.
I found I just couldn't get the thickness or aggression i wanted with the C-5 and I wanted the highs to maybe be a little thicker. Maybe I didn't give it time though, but I will say I go for a modern, aggressive and throaty tone.
I think if I could find a pickup like the C-5 with a tad more mids, I'd be all over it.
I like the BBQ a lot but the bass is rather fat and round and not as tight as the C-5.
Great stuff as usual Gear! I liked the C-5 in my LP, especially the tight lows but the things I didn't are as follows:
My LP is barely over 8 lbs but sound rich and lively....very clear and some may say bright but I think this is really my perception because my Dean is very dark.
I found I just couldn't get the thickness or aggression i wanted with the C-5 and I wanted the highs to maybe be a little thicker. Maybe I didn't give it time though, but I will say I go for a modern, aggressive and throaty tone.
I think if I could find a pickup like the C-5 with a tad more mids, I'd be all over it.
I like the BBQ a lot but the bass is rather fat and round and not as tight as the C-5.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Papersoul, are you using black or nickel covered in your LP? You are a perfect candidate for owning one of each of these...Custom, C-5, JB, CC. Until you actually buy a Custom, JB, and CC, everything you seek will go unanswered. As indecisive as you are, you owe it to yourself to spend a few bucks and get the other custom series pickups, and install them all one weekend. You're narrowing down your favorites, but I won't believe you've found it till you create the post "I Am DONE with my pickup search." Just stop confusing yourself by listening to clips and opinions. You need to try them for yourself. That's pretty much directed at everyone reading this. It's YOUR tone. Who cares what everyone else says. Personally, I like the C-5, but only because it fits my other gear and my playing. I don't even care about continuing my search because my fingers can take care of the rest. Pickups only put you in the ballpark. It's up to you to hit the ball.
Papersoul, are you using black or nickel covered in your LP? You are a perfect candidate for owning one of each of these...Custom, C-5, JB, CC. Until you actually buy a Custom, JB, and CC, everything you seek will go unanswered. As indecisive as you are, you owe it to yourself to spend a few bucks and get the other custom series pickups, and install them all one weekend. You're narrowing down your favorites, but I won't believe you've found it till you create the post "I Am DONE with my pickup search." Just stop confusing yourself by listening to clips and opinions. You need to try them for yourself. That's pretty much directed at everyone reading this. It's YOUR tone. Who cares what everyone else says. Personally, I like the C-5, but only because it fits my other gear and my playing. I don't even care about continuing my search because my fingers can take care of the rest. Pickups only put you in the ballpark. It's up to you to hit the ball.
BS123
New member
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
I have owned two different Custom model humbuckers.
SH-5 Duncan Custom - This pickup was my favorite in the 80's and 90's. It was a perfect fit in guitar with an H-S-S layout. I also really liked it in a Les Paul. It's very tight and the attack just leaps out. It's aggressive but tame. I was able to do a nice smooth bluesly vibe with it as well as get some real crunch. Yo me, it's the best all-around bridge humbucker.
SH-11 Custom Custom - I used one of these in a semi-hollobody Samick RL-3. To my ears, it had almost as much output as the SH-5 but a bit warmer and smoother. It would do a nice Metal tone but I felt it needed a bit more edge to it. I used it more in a Smooth Jazz, Blues area. It was a really nice compliment to the APH-1n I had in the neck.
I have owned two different Custom model humbuckers.
SH-5 Duncan Custom - This pickup was my favorite in the 80's and 90's. It was a perfect fit in guitar with an H-S-S layout. I also really liked it in a Les Paul. It's very tight and the attack just leaps out. It's aggressive but tame. I was able to do a nice smooth bluesly vibe with it as well as get some real crunch. Yo me, it's the best all-around bridge humbucker.
SH-11 Custom Custom - I used one of these in a semi-hollobody Samick RL-3. To my ears, it had almost as much output as the SH-5 but a bit warmer and smoother. It would do a nice Metal tone but I felt it needed a bit more edge to it. I used it more in a Smooth Jazz, Blues area. It was a really nice compliment to the APH-1n I had in the neck.
papersoul
New member
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Gear,
The stock in my LP were nickel, the C-5 was black. My current Rio BBq is zebra. I am selling two Dean pickups to a guy this weekend and will be using the money to buy a JB. Then I'll free up some other gear or old pickups and grab a Custom. Also, a friend of mine is giving me a Dimarzio Air Zone to test.
I am trying my best to avoid the expensive hand made boutique guys.
Robert pointed me in the right direction with wiring so I may give the C-5 another whirl.
Gearjoneser said:
Gear,
The stock in my LP were nickel, the C-5 was black. My current Rio BBq is zebra. I am selling two Dean pickups to a guy this weekend and will be using the money to buy a JB. Then I'll free up some other gear or old pickups and grab a Custom. Also, a friend of mine is giving me a Dimarzio Air Zone to test.
I am trying my best to avoid the expensive hand made boutique guys.
Robert pointed me in the right direction with wiring so I may give the C-5 another whirl.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
Everyone has thier favorite when it comes to the Duncan Custom Series.
I played with the Custom 5 for quite a while but when I switched to the Custom Custom that is the tone that felt like home.
When my buddy came over with his '03 Les Paul Historic with Burstbuckers, we plugged in and had a little jam. We also compared my Les Paul with Tom Holmes HB's, my Strat with a 59TB, my Hamer Studio with the C5 and my Hamer Monoco with the Custom Custom.
The Custom Custom in the Monoco was the one we both felt was the most impressive and most comfortable...even tho those Tom Holmes HB's are pretty impressive. But after trying everything, Rondo plugged in my Monoc and instandly said: "WOW...that might be the best one right there."
And you know what? That day, it was.
The Custom Custom is not so sharp in the treble, the bass is softer and the mids are huge. Mids like that are like modeling clay just waiting to be shaped into something beautiful.
They are kind of mallable and a little squishy and if you're a skilled player who can do a lot of tone shaping with your hands and pick the CC might be the ticket for you too.
The C5 is nice and sounds great through a cranked Marshall or 59 Bassman, but the CC sounds just as good through those amps plus sounds better through my blackface Fenders at more reasonable volume levels.
Some say it doesn't have enough highs but all you need to do is adjust the polepieces flat for the two E strings and the rest to match the arch of the fingerboard and then move the whole pickup closer to the strings: it'll have plenty of highs!
The CC and 59B or TB are my two favorite Duncan bridge humbuckers...and both very differant from each other. What they have in commen with each other is a musical tone that inspires me to quit thinking about pickups and spend some time just playing...
Lew
Everyone has thier favorite when it comes to the Duncan Custom Series.
I played with the Custom 5 for quite a while but when I switched to the Custom Custom that is the tone that felt like home.
When my buddy came over with his '03 Les Paul Historic with Burstbuckers, we plugged in and had a little jam. We also compared my Les Paul with Tom Holmes HB's, my Strat with a 59TB, my Hamer Studio with the C5 and my Hamer Monoco with the Custom Custom.
The Custom Custom in the Monoco was the one we both felt was the most impressive and most comfortable...even tho those Tom Holmes HB's are pretty impressive. But after trying everything, Rondo plugged in my Monoc and instandly said: "WOW...that might be the best one right there."
And you know what? That day, it was.
The Custom Custom is not so sharp in the treble, the bass is softer and the mids are huge. Mids like that are like modeling clay just waiting to be shaped into something beautiful.
They are kind of mallable and a little squishy and if you're a skilled player who can do a lot of tone shaping with your hands and pick the CC might be the ticket for you too.
The C5 is nice and sounds great through a cranked Marshall or 59 Bassman, but the CC sounds just as good through those amps plus sounds better through my blackface Fenders at more reasonable volume levels.
Some say it doesn't have enough highs but all you need to do is adjust the polepieces flat for the two E strings and the rest to match the arch of the fingerboard and then move the whole pickup closer to the strings: it'll have plenty of highs!
The CC and 59B or TB are my two favorite Duncan bridge humbuckers...and both very differant from each other. What they have in commen with each other is a musical tone that inspires me to quit thinking about pickups and spend some time just playing...
Lew
Re: Reviews of the Custom Series Pickups
I've not played the C5 or the Custom, but I think my Custom Custom in the bridge of my 58 RI Les Paul is the perfect pup. Gets a nice Van Halen tone. No icepick through the forehead type highs. Controlled highs, good bass and EXCELLENT mids. Tons of mids. Great output. Balances out well with the Alinico2 Pro Humbucker.
Great pup, the CC.
I've not played the C5 or the Custom, but I think my Custom Custom in the bridge of my 58 RI Les Paul is the perfect pup. Gets a nice Van Halen tone. No icepick through the forehead type highs. Controlled highs, good bass and EXCELLENT mids. Tons of mids. Great output. Balances out well with the Alinico2 Pro Humbucker.
Great pup, the CC.
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