SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

[Guitardude93]

I currently have a Sh-5 custom in the bridge of my epiphone les paul custom paired with an alnico 2 pro in the neck. The custom has an incredible hard rock and metal tone through my peavey 6505+, but for the group I've played with for about a year now it is a bit too shrill in the highs and isn't quite as versatile as I've needed it to be. So the question I have is how does the Sh-11 compare to the Sh-5 in a Les Paul? I know alot of people have said that it's too dark but I previously had an Alnico 2 Pro in the bridge and I liked the sound of it, just needed a pickup with more of a crunch and a bit more power

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Yes, do it, I love the SH-11!!! It's my favorite!!! LOL, actually I don't know if it's a good fit for a L.P.? They work really well with bright guitars & LP's can be a bit dark? If it was a S.G. I'd say no right off the bat but it could work in a LP if you want a darker mid scooped kind of tone? I'm a fender guy so the TB-11 is my go to pup for any situation where I'm I'm not 100% what to use, A Custom Custom in the bridge of a Strat or pretty much any Fender is a thing of beauty!!! I think you might like it in your Epi but i also think there's something better out there for you too? Perhaps a SH-6 or if it were me I'd go with a set of 59's for a real P.A.F. tones, it sounds to me like this is what your going after? You want power but something with some throat as well? The SH-5 is modeled after the SH-1 & so is the SH-11, the Custom Hybrid, there's a bunch of them that just use different mags or are wound hotter but @ their core they are all souped up SH-1's??? The SH-1 will give you all the balls you need for metal without the shrillness of the SH-5 & it's even useable as a bridge pup for clean stuff!!! That's just weird huh??? Just my opinion, you'll get many more & they'll all have their own ups & downs, take your time, research a lot & you'll find that perfect puppy!!!

 

[Demanic]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Try it with a UOA5 magnet instead of the A2. More mids than the Custom 5, more top end than the Custom Custom.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

^^^^^That's a very good idea!^^^^^ Great way to bring some more high end out of the pickup & it will only cost you a few bucks for the mag?

 

[Guitardude93]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I've played the 59 before and really liked it. Would I be able to get a good heavy rock tone from it? Also, how would the Custom with UOA5 sound compared to the 59? I haven't had much experience with alnico 5 pickups besides the jb, full shred, and the 59. I didn't care for the jb (its a good pickup, just didn't really appeal to me). The full shred was alright but I played one recently in a schecter guitar and while I much prefered it to the jb it still wasn't really what I was looking for

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

The 59 handles gain just fine, it works great for just about everything? If you got the gain it can handle it, if you're looking to get your dirty tone from a VOX tube amp you might want a hotter pup for metal but if you have a gainny amp already or you plan on using a pedal drop it to C & roar! I got 3 guitars fitted with a 59 in the bridge & another one with a set & they actually push my AC-15 Twin & AC-30 really well with a simple boost! Not Sepeltura dirt, more Sabbath or AC/DC, but even that's hard with a VOX AC! They pull the nails from the walls when I use any of my other amps, especially with my Metal Muff or Fullbore Metal pedal in front of them!!!

 

[Demanic]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

A UOA5 would also work in a 59, it warms it up without warming it up too much.

 

[Aceman]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I refer to the A2P/CC combo as "Fat City"

The CC is gonna be a love/hate thing in there. Less shrill? Yes. The highs are gonna be so fat they will clog your arteries. But - they are there and present, just crank the poles up a bit to bring them out.
As for crunch, an under=rated ability of this pickup; The miss are MASSIVE. In fact, the reason people say it doesn't have highs/lows is because the miss are just huge. It CAN definitely crunch.
Bass - could be tighter. Hell, could just be tight period. If you need tighter bass, short or hex pole swap for the lower end.

My comment: Give the CC a try. It will cut through the mix with those miss, and definitely be no-too-harsh. MAke sure to spend some quality time adjusting height / poles.

That said - a mag swap or two lets you try the C5, which you may like, or that UOA5 version, which sounds like it might be awesome.

Finally, a 59 can definitely rock hard through that amp. The stock Epi pups would…

 

[Guitardude93]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Thanks for the replies. I'll give the sh-11 a shot since I already have an alnico 2 magnet somewhere and if that doesn't work then I'll give the UOA5 a shot. Does anyone know a reliable place to buy the magnets?

 

[Demanic]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Love that UOA5 in either the neck or bridge. It just seems to give a nice compromise when one wants different than stock, but not so flat a response as the A4. I still would like to try it in a JB along with ceramic spacers, if I can ever find any.

 

[jimijames]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I will say this... SRV got punchy pass with two effects in a row which cut bass. The character of the sounds and their amplitude are two different things. These guys know what they're talking about, but always remember - in the right context a quote unquote treble booster will actually improve your bass as well.

Now, a les paul has a lot of lower mids... It's why I liked the bone stock pearly gates bridge more than the UOA5 59/custom that's in there now. I can fiddle and fiddle but at the end of the day those upper mids cut and boy oh boy is it satisfying to hear. A2 IMO (and also A3 ) works great in a les paul, you just have to be prepared for massive amounds of mids.

 

[Demanic]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I'll bet that you would be more than satisfied with a UOA5 Custom through a "treble" boost (I'd recommend a Katana with the knob pulled out) straight into either a good tube or ss amp.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I currently have a Sh-5 custom in the bridge of my epiphone les paul custom paired with an alnico 2 pro in the neck. The custom has an incredible hard rock and metal tone through my peavey 6505+, but for the group I've played with for about a year now it is a bit too shrill in the highs and isn't quite as versatile as I've needed it to be. So the question I have is how does the Sh-11 compare to the Sh-5 in a Les Paul? I know alot of people have said that it's too dark but I previously had an Alnico 2 Pro in the bridge and I liked the sound of it, just needed a pickup with more of a crunch and a bit more power

The complaint you have about the SH-5 is pretty common...shrill highs. And that's more or less typical of the ceramic magnet. For some types of music and in some types of pups that would be the mag of choice, but IMHO it's not what I like in the Custom. If you had an Alnico2Pro in there before and liked it, you may find the SH-11 (Custom with A2 mag) a bit too dark, it's darker than the A2Pro. My favorite Custom is with an A8 mag. The highs are toned down, not shrill at all but still very present, and the pup retains its very aggressive nature and tight crunch.

But for a little more versatility in your pup you may want to try what Demanic suggested...put a UOA5 magnet in your Custom. It sounds like this is just what you are after. It's a good happy medium between a Custom (ceramic mag) and a CC (A2 mag).

Keep in mind that the Custom wind is a really great versatile wind and works well with any magnet so you have lots of tonal choices available with just a mag swap. So if the UOA5 is still too bright, you can always try an A4 or even an A2. If those aren't aggressive enough, you can try an A8.

But in your guitar, considering your preferences, and with your amp...
Oh, wait a minute...I just remembered that you have an Epi LP Custom. That's a pretty bright LP. The A2 mag in your SH-5 (making it a CC or SH-11) might just be the ticket for you. I would try that first and see how you like it. If it turns out to be too dark for you (which I seriously doubt) you can always try the UOA5.

 

[blueman335]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Thanks for the replies. I'll give the sh-11 a shot since I already have an alnico 2 magnet somewhere and if that doesn't work then I'll give the UOA5 a shot. Does anyone know a reliable place to buy the magnets?

Addiction FX for magnets. The most common thing I've seen said here about LP's and CC's is that that PU is too dark and rounded in most LP's (they're great in Strats though!). But some LP's are brighter than others, and it may work in yours. UOA5's have more treble than an A2, but still have that rich, earthy A2 texture.

 

[Guitardude93]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Oh, wait a minute...I just remembered that you have an Epi LP Custom. That's a pretty bright LP. The A2 mag in your SH-5 (making it a CC or SH-11) might just be the ticket for you. I would try that first and see how you like it. If it turns out to be too dark for you (which I seriously doubt) you can always try the UOA5.

Just out of curiousity what makes the Epi LP Custom brighter than some of the other LP models? I'd heard other ppl say that on different forums but nobody offered a reason for it having a brighter tone

 

[blueman335]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Just out of curiousity what makes the Epi LP Custom brighter than some of the other LP models? I'd heard other ppl say that on different forums but nobody offered a reason for it having a brighter tone

I think GuitarDoc was thinking Gibson LPC with an ebony fretboard. Epi LPC's are made just like their Stds.

 

[Cdwillis]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I see a lot of talk about using a CC, but the CC being too dark, but what about a 59/Custom hybrid? Wouldn't that fit the bill? I haven't used one, but I'm going to get one for a build I have going on.

 

[blueman335]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I see a lot of talk about using a CC, but the CC being too dark, but what about a 59/Custom hybrid? Wouldn't that fit the bill?

Too bright for me with the stock A5 magnet, Kirk. You take coils from two PU's well known to be bright and thin on their own, and the mismatch in coils from putting them together adds some single coil sound on top of that, which increases treble and reduces mids (in other words, negates some of the warming/thickening humbucker effect). The OP's complaining that his SH-5 is 'too shrill'; a '59/Custom is going in the wrong direction. That's why he's considering a CC.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

Didn't see anyone mention this so I'll pile on.... The a2 pro and cc didn't sound similar in my fiddle, not even close.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: SH-11 Custom Custom in Les Paul?

I think GuitarDoc was thinking Gibson LPC with an ebony fretboard. Epi LPC's are made just like their Stds.

Yes, generally that is correct. I was indeed thinking of the Gibson differences between the different models.

However, even with Epi it matters which specific model he has. The Epi LP Custom Classic Pro has the maple cap and the ebony fretboard similar to the Gibson LPC. But most of the Epi LP Customs have a rosewood board. Some of them even have a solid mahogany body (no maple cap) and rosewood board.

So, assuming that the OP doesn't have the Classic Pro model, Demanic's advice to put a UOA5 in his Duncan Custom should do the trick.