SH-5 magnet swap

[heymcz]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

Everybody is talking about the FS, but why not a Demon? That's a pickup I think this guy might like.

B

Because the FS will push the amp *much* harder, and the Demon can sound thin in the wrong guitar. Been there, done that. Would not care to use the Demon again, yet I keep coming back to the FS.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

I've too tried them both. And my experience has been somewhat the opposite of yours. I thought the FS was a one trick pony, screaming uppermids, tight and clear. Whereas, the demon I think has those characteristics, yet still its a 10K PAF pickup. Thus, can do much more. And since this guys is basing this comparison on a Custom, I sincerely think that the demon is more appropriate in this situation.

BTW, I think both can sound thin in the wrong guitar.

Peace,

B

 

[SoundAt11]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

I'd suggest either using a 1-meg pot on your bridge pickup (extra highs and output) or swapping in a coil from a JB (so you'd have a Hybrid: one Custom coil, one JB coil, and the ceramic magnet).
Or the EQ pedal.....

 

[SoundAt11]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

As a Custom-lover, I gotta say that I thought the Demon was thin and weak, not as thick and aggressive as the Custom. I don't know if that's the direction he's wanting to go.

 

[heymcz]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

I've too tried them both. And my experience has been somewhat the opposite of yours. I thought the FS was a one trick pony, screaming uppermids, tight and clear. Whereas, the demon I think has those characteristics, yet still its a 10K PAF pickup. Thus, can do much more. And since this guys is basing this comparison on a Custom, I sincerely think that the demon is more appropriate in this situation.

BTW, I think both can sound thin in the wrong guitar.

Peace,

B

Huh, weird...must be the guitars we put 'em in...I've had mine in Ibanez superstratty looking things, and I always got a big bottomy grunt for rhythm tones...tight, overcompressed, and clear, yes, but more lowermids in my experience, no matter what amp I play it through. It was my main bridge pickup for 7 years, and I did my whole album with just that and a '59. I'll admit that I didn't give the Demon much of a chance at all...the specs looked great on paper but when I stuck in it my guitar, I was horrified....oh, well, as we say, your mileage may vary....

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

SoundAt11, you are right the Demon is not as huge as a ceramic Custom, but the Custom is over the top. In some guitars its hard to balance out. The Demon is the cream of the crop of the A5 pickups. For me the harshness of an ceramic spoils the tone.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

Huh, weird...must be the guitars we put 'em in...I've had mine in Ibanez superstratty looking things, and I always got a big bottomy grunt for rhythm tones...tight, overcompressed, and clear, yes, but more lowermids in my experience, no matter what amp I play it through. It was my main bridge pickup for 7 years, and I did my whole album with just that and a '59. I'll admit that I didn't give the Demon much of a chance at all...the specs looked great on paper but when I stuck in it my guitar, I was horrified....oh, well, as we say, your mileage may vary....

Cool.

It's gotta be the guitars. And basically our observations don't contradict. I know that Demons might be a bit thin on Floyd equipped guitars. Happened to me too. That I can understand. I myself love the Custom Custom actually, and I have admit that am not a big fan of that tight tone. But the demon was at least a "PAF" kinda pickup, flat on the eq. The FS on the other hand I found too compressed, tight. It wasn't thin.

Its all tastes.

B

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: SH-5 magnet swap

My advice of a long time pickup tweaker :
put some allen head screws in the place of fillister screws near the bridge .
Those screws bring more high mids and make the bass tighter with more harmonics .
But before I would get rid of the ceramic magnet and slap an alnico 8 in to get more rounded highs .
That would be a monster !

( I tried myself a set of allen in a Custom (alnico 5) it did what I described but I didn't know about alnico 8 magnet - that would have bring more mids -
t this time and got rid of the guitar .
Since I use exclusively Demon with alnico 8 :firing:
and jazz neck with air gap and alnico 8 :firing: )