ok so i got an ebony les paul custom and oringaly i was going to put a JB in the bridge. it just seemed like a natural fit THE gibson with THE duncan but then i was hearing that this combo didnt really work that it would produce ice picky highs and just sound real shrill. on the other hand i was hearing the sh-5was practicly made for the LPC. of course the sh-5 has its detractors as well and one the tone chart the sh-5 has slightly more treble than the JB. in a nutshell im really confused here. so what do you guys think, JB or SH-5 in the bridge of a les paul custom. i play mostly hard rock/old school metal like motorhead,ted nugent, ac/dc etc.
sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
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Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
I love the Custom in my LPC!!!
I love the Custom in my LPC!!!
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
Welcome aboard!
We don't go by the clips here (odds are your guitar/wood/amp are different from what was used in the clip), and there's a lot of guys that don't hear PU EQ's like the tone charts; remember, they give the EQ's for a PU set, neck and bridge both. Some of us here have a lot of hands-on experience with many models of PU's.
The way JB's are wound, they're notoriously picky about the woods they sound good in. They prefer bright woods. In mahogany they're hit or miss: can be great, can be atrocious. They can get an 'ice pick' spike and have a 'farty' low end. It's certainly not near the top of the list of PU's to try in an LP. Much more reliable in a Super Strat.
The Custom family likes mahogany much better. If you're playing hard rock/metal, the Custom SH-5 is a much better fit. To me (and I'm a blues player who loves LP's), the Custom is a bit bright, from it's ceramic magnet. That makes it cut thru heavy distortion better, but it doesn't endear it to most blues players. The best member of the Custom family is the C8, a Custom with an A8 magnet (not a stock PU, you have to do the mag change yourself). The A8 keeps the high output and aggression, but adds mids and shaves off the excess treble. C8's are great for many genres, blues, rock, metal, etc. I have a C8/'59N in an LP Custom, that sounds wonderful (I love Angus and am a former Detroit boy, so I like Nugent too, going back to the Amboy Duke days).
Welcome aboard!
We don't go by the clips here (odds are your guitar/wood/amp are different from what was used in the clip), and there's a lot of guys that don't hear PU EQ's like the tone charts; remember, they give the EQ's for a PU set, neck and bridge both. Some of us here have a lot of hands-on experience with many models of PU's.
The way JB's are wound, they're notoriously picky about the woods they sound good in. They prefer bright woods. In mahogany they're hit or miss: can be great, can be atrocious. They can get an 'ice pick' spike and have a 'farty' low end. It's certainly not near the top of the list of PU's to try in an LP. Much more reliable in a Super Strat.
The Custom family likes mahogany much better. If you're playing hard rock/metal, the Custom SH-5 is a much better fit. To me (and I'm a blues player who loves LP's), the Custom is a bit bright, from it's ceramic magnet. That makes it cut thru heavy distortion better, but it doesn't endear it to most blues players. The best member of the Custom family is the C8, a Custom with an A8 magnet (not a stock PU, you have to do the mag change yourself). The A8 keeps the high output and aggression, but adds mids and shaves off the excess treble. C8's are great for many genres, blues, rock, metal, etc. I have a C8/'59N in an LP Custom, that sounds wonderful (I love Angus and am a former Detroit boy, so I like Nugent too, going back to the Amboy Duke days).
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
My vote: Custom. Jus sayin...
...and that's not how the numbers work. They're the DC resistance of the coils, which is why the Custom, Custom 5, and CC have the same numbers. The C8 would be less compressed and more middy than the ceramic Custom.
My vote: Custom. Jus sayin...
...and that's not how the numbers work. They're the DC resistance of the coils, which is why the Custom, Custom 5, and CC have the same numbers. The C8 would be less compressed and more middy than the ceramic Custom.
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misterwhizzy
Well-known member
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
The magnet in the pickup does not affect the DC resistance. That's solely a function of the winding. The apparent output is what I believe blueman is talking about. And for the record, I think the Custom 8 is a much better pickup than the JB or the Distortion or the SH-5 Custom in my LP.
By the way, if swapping out magnets scares you, which it should not, feel free to use the 21-day exchange policy to try any or all of the JB and the Custom and the Distortion. If you like the basic tone of the Custom and want to switch it around, feel free to try the Custom 5 or the Custom Custom. They're both the same wind but with Alnico 5 and Alnico 2 respectively, as opposed to the SH-5's stock ceramic.
Good luck, and I think you've come to the right place.
The magnet in the pickup does not affect the DC resistance. That's solely a function of the winding. The apparent output is what I believe blueman is talking about. And for the record, I think the Custom 8 is a much better pickup than the JB or the Distortion or the SH-5 Custom in my LP.
By the way, if swapping out magnets scares you, which it should not, feel free to use the 21-day exchange policy to try any or all of the JB and the Custom and the Distortion. If you like the basic tone of the Custom and want to switch it around, feel free to try the Custom 5 or the Custom Custom. They're both the same wind but with Alnico 5 and Alnico 2 respectively, as opposed to the SH-5's stock ceramic.
Good luck, and I think you've come to the right place.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
Odds are the C5 will work well; JB's have a noticeably lower success rate in LP's. Feel like gambling?
Odds are the C5 will work well; JB's have a noticeably lower success rate in LP's. Feel like gambling?
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
Yeah thats why I like the custom better. My friend has one, and he got a good one, and they sound nice, but I dont want to take the risk and getting a bad one. The Custom 5 is more hit and also is supposed to be more articulate, so its a win win. Also, what are the main differences between the custom, custom 5, and the custom custom?
thanks,
rjtm
Yeah thats why I like the custom better. My friend has one, and he got a good one, and they sound nice, but I dont want to take the risk and getting a bad one. The Custom 5 is more hit and also is supposed to be more articulate, so its a win win. Also, what are the main differences between the custom, custom 5, and the custom custom?
thanks,
rjtm
dazzlindino
New member
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
jb, custom, custom cutom...eddie has recorded with them all.....so if you love eddie...well!
jb, custom, custom cutom...eddie has recorded with them all.....so if you love eddie...well!
dazzlindino
New member
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
really wouldnt it be the soul difference of the pickup....thats why eddie screwed his pickups to the body, the pickup and the body became soul mates.....
really wouldnt it be the soul difference of the pickup....thats why eddie screwed his pickups to the body, the pickup and the body became soul mates.....
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
I like the jb in a lp with an ebony board, I don't know why but that seems to work really well as opposed to the jb in a lp with a rosewood fretboard....I've been toying with buying an albino Agile with the maple fretboard and giving the JB a whirl in the bridge.....
I like the jb in a lp with an ebony board, I don't know why but that seems to work really well as opposed to the jb in a lp with a rosewood fretboard....I've been toying with buying an albino Agile with the maple fretboard and giving the JB a whirl in the bridge.....
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
C5 - A5 mag, bright and mid scooped, tight low end
CC - A2 mag, warm, lots of mids, rounded high end, looser low end (too warm for most LP's), best in bright woods
Custom - ceramic mag, to me: bright, harsh, somewhat sterile, great for metal and hard rock, handles massive distorion well
C8 - A8 mag, warm but still has some treble to cut thru (more than a CC), ample mids, high output, tight low end, excellent PU
UO C5 - UOA5 mag, the 'Blueman Signature', warm (in between a CC and C8), lots of dynamics and responsiveness, more of a vintage feel
C5 - A5 mag, bright and mid scooped, tight low end
CC - A2 mag, warm, lots of mids, rounded high end, looser low end (too warm for most LP's), best in bright woods
Custom - ceramic mag, to me: bright, harsh, somewhat sterile, great for metal and hard rock, handles massive distorion well
C8 - A8 mag, warm but still has some treble to cut thru (more than a CC), ample mids, high output, tight low end, excellent PU
UO C5 - UOA5 mag, the 'Blueman Signature', warm (in between a CC and C8), lots of dynamics and responsiveness, more of a vintage feel
cvansickle
New member
Re: sh-5 vs JB in a les paul custom
The best Duncan I ever used in my Les Paul Custom was the Custom 5. Perfect balance of heat, highs and heft!
The best Duncan I ever used in my Les Paul Custom was the Custom 5. Perfect balance of heat, highs and heft!
