Given all the variables that will affect a guitar's tone (woods, scale, nut, bridge, string gauge, caps, amp, etc.), I gotta say, I'm really pleased with how the Custom 5 sounds in my Charvel Surfcaster. I was concerned with the pickup being too icepick harsh in the bridge position, but it's got just enough bite, without being too harsh, gives me a nice, thick chunk for heavier rhythms, and crisp, "classic Les Paul"-like lead tones, with effortless pinch harmonics. BTW, I got the Custom 5 with the nickel cover, so maybe that's part of the equation.
Now, here's the kicker: the Surfcaster is wired with a push-pull pot in the tone position to split the Custom 5 and the neck pickup is an old Chandler lipstick tube pickup. I didn't expect the split Custom 5 and the lipstick tube pickup to sound so awesome together. It's kind of like a strat neck/middle tone combined with a tele middle/bridge tone - hard to describe, but that's what it sounds like to my ears.
So, overall, on a scale of 1-10, I'd give this a solid 9. I'm not saying this pickup is for everyone, or everyone's guitar. But in my Surfcaster, it's pretty friggin' awesome.
Now, here's the kicker: the Surfcaster is wired with a push-pull pot in the tone position to split the Custom 5 and the neck pickup is an old Chandler lipstick tube pickup. I didn't expect the split Custom 5 and the lipstick tube pickup to sound so awesome together. It's kind of like a strat neck/middle tone combined with a tele middle/bridge tone - hard to describe, but that's what it sounds like to my ears.
So, overall, on a scale of 1-10, I'd give this a solid 9. I'm not saying this pickup is for everyone, or everyone's guitar. But in my Surfcaster, it's pretty friggin' awesome.