SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

[Selmer]

Hi all! This is my very first post to the forum, yippee! I've got a custom made strat, which I want to ROCK HARD. The body is made of alder, the neck of maple and the fingerboard of rosewood. Now I'm in the process of choosing the bridge pickup for HIGHLY DISTORTED RHYTHM PLAYING, and I need your help.

I want the rhythm sound of WEEZER - fat, crunchy and big. I need tight bottom end. However, I also like openness in my tone...I'm not really a fan of plentiful mids and I tend to often use open chords even in the hi-gain parts.

I have narrowed my search to SD SH-14 and SH-5. But which should I choose? Which pickup would you choose for a guitar like this? I'm really digging the SH-14 in theory (because of the mids scoop), but what's your take on this?

Here are the main questions:

1) What do you think, can the scooped mids of the SH-14 result in the openness of the sound I'm after?
2) Is the a danger that the SH-14 sound too trebly in this guitar?
3) Will the highly scooped mids of the SH-14 put me in the danger of losing the fatness of the sound?
4) What would be the advantages of the SH-5 in my situation? For example, does it have more edge?
5) Which of the pickups will handle high distortion better, maintaining note clarity?

Thanks for reading and super thanks for replying!

 

[Selmer]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

Erm, anybody? What would be the main aural dirrerence between these two pickups?

 

[Stratcat]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

Both pups will work great. I prefer the SH-14 myself.

 

[Bones]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

I think cuomo uses a 59, but dont qoute me. I think CC (SH-11) would be the ticket. It is definetly a favorite in strats here. And I play Metal.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

The C-5 is not mid scooped, it's just not as mid prominent as most other medium and HO pickups. With 250k pots you will find the C-5 plenty thick and agressive for what you want to do.

I prefer the C-5 with 500k pots.

 

[Selmer]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

The C-5 is not mid scooped, it's just not as mid prominent as most other medium and HO pickups. With 250k pots you will find the C-5 plenty thick and agressive for what you want to do.

I prefer the C-5 with 500k pots.

Thanks for the replies. The C-5 sounds fine now. But I keep on reading complaints about the C-5 having too much and overpowering highs - what's you're take on this? Will this be an issue in an alder strat?

 

[kaknight]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

I think I'd go C5 for that weezer tone.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

I've actually built a Strat and I'm looking for the weezer tone too, this is a really strange coincidence...haha

But umm if the gear information at www.weezer.com is accurate, then all of Rivers' Strats have had the DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge and Duncan 59 neck since the Blue Album. Sooo if you want Rivers' tone I'd use Rivers' pickups

-X

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: SH-14 or SH-5 in an alder strat for super hard rock?

The custom 5 is my favorite. Not too hot not too cold (gain)
Alot of bass. Thanx Robert S. for troubleshooting my C5.