Sh-6 or sh-5?

[AidanP13]

hey guys. I need some help. I can't decide on a pickup. the only question I had, was which one would hold up better in drop tunings? The lowest i play in is Drop C and D standard. I play through an epiphone les paul special ii, which i believe has a basswood body, and a rosewood fingerboard. I am playing through an marshall jcm 800(i know its not a great amp for drop tunings). From what i've read, the custom is more controllable, while the distortion is just in your face the entire time. the neck pickup is gonna be a '59. I want a sound that has a good mix between tone and distortion, but still be able to play heavier stuff. If I had to pick two sounds, it would be a stone temple pilots sound on the lighter side, and go as far as a little metallica as the heavier side. Thanks guys.

(i already made a thread about this, but i wanted to start over on this question)

 

[Despair]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

You should measure the bridge spacing, Gibson & Epi have used roughly Fender spacing for most new guitars for a while.

Distortion is more Metallica, Custom is more STP but can pull off heavier better than the Distortion pulls off lighter.

Metallica used to use the Invader and Dirty Fingers before switching to EMGs, and the Invader is the same wind as the Distortion, only with more magnets and wacky polepieces making it darker and beefier. The Distortion is a brighter, harsher pickup, terrific for thrash rhythms.

The Custom is one of the most flexible (and warmest) ceramics, very popular for rock and heavy blues, but quite comfortable for metal as well.

Both handle tuning down pretty well, just a matter of what tone you like better.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I wouldn't bother spending the money on a pair of Duncans for that guitar, get some GFS or Duncan Designed pickups for it and save for a new axe.....

 

[formula73]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I wouldn't bother spending the money on a pair of Duncans for that guitar, get some GFS or Duncan Designed pickups for it and save for a new axe.....

Best advice, right here.

 

[Despair]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Buying lowend pickups if you are saving for a new axe doesn't make sense to me, particularly if you are going to want the same pickups in the new one. Then it makes sense to get them first, so you have an improvement soon, then can transplant them later.

A better guitar probably is a better investment of your money. Agile makes a better Les Pauloid for the money than Epiphone usually does, particularly on the low end. More accurate in some respects as well, actually uses the right woods and construction. Plenty of other good ones out there, I can't recall any of the new entries.

If you love your current guitar and aren't concerned with resale value, new pickups are a great way to improve it. But you wont get your money back on the pickups if you sell an upgraded guitar. Most guitarists who care about pickups want their choice of pickups and the rest wont pay extra for a modded guitar.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Buying lowend pickups if you are saving for a new axe doesn't make sense to me, particularly if you are going to want the same pickups in the new one. Then it makes sense to get them first, so you have an improvement soon, then can transplant them later.

Yep. Some of the best tones in rock history came from junky guitars that were modded. When you get a better guitar... put the Duncan in that. Same goes for improved bridges, tuners, etc.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Thats a tough call, modding an epi special ii is not really a good way to prioritize improving your gear, a new guitar is desperately needed. However I totally get that it is only $70 for a pickup (or $50 used) so if you really can't swing a new guitar then I say go with the Custom.

 

[AidanP13]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Thanks guys. i'm still a kid, so if i were to save up money for a better guitar, id have to save up quite a while from birthdays,Christmas, etc. so pickups right now is the only way upgrade my sound. My dad has great guitars-'64 sg, tele, mustang, but i wanted to get my own sound from my guitar. the sg has p90's so not quite hot enough for what i want, the tele and mustang have hotrails, and thats not really the sound i am looking for. I think im gonna go with the custom and the '59. thanks guys.

 

[Dirtbagg]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I would go with the SH-5.
I ahve seen in the past that I have put the money into pickups and can make that guitar sing till you can get another axe.

The pickup add you will get a lot of bang for your buck

 

[Despair]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

You might be shocked at what a P-90 can do for metal. Some great examples are early Black Sabbath and some Corrosion of Conformity (I've heard most of "Albatross" was P-90s).

With a noise gate and a boost (overdrive or clean boost/preamp pedal) and/or hot amp, P-90s are great for metal. Amazing punchy tight snarl and grind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKjGnApeZE is a pretty solid example [check out the solo tones around 1:44].

Custom and '59 will add some nice options. But you probably want a TB-5 rather than SH-5, as I alluded to earlier. [It's mostly cosmetic, though it's possible to run into issues with tone shifts or volume drop on cleans when one of the Es is too far off it's pole.]

Good luck with your upgrades.

 

[Barron1]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I like them both but its been years since I played a Distortion. They are both good for heavy music. From what I remember the Distortion is easier to do pinch harmonics on, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Despair]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Barron1, depends a bit on your amp. Distortion's harmonics have a screaming tone that a lot of metal players love, not surprising considering it's a JB wind with a thick ceramic magnet.

Custom isn't lacking in harmonics, but they do have a different sound.

 

[surface54]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

get pickups first. i have a cheap guitar to most people. the quality of the duncans have greatly improved its playability and quality. though i still want a new guitar this will do for now and at least i have good pickups.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

screamin demon.

 

[Condemnedsoul]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Regardless of the pickup you choose, get a good set up on that guitar.
The set up can change a good playing guitar into a better playing and sometimes a better sounding guitar.

I agree with getting good pup's, they might stay with you longer than some guitars.

If you go with the 59 and custom, there is a good chance
you might stick with this combination for awhile.

 

[Gplayerzzz]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I just have two questions about the SH-5.
Is it as bassy as say a Dimarzio Super distortion?
Is it all low mids, or a good mix of both high and low?

 

[Despair]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Custom is a pretty balanced pickup, it's not as bassy as the Super Distortion, but it's far from thin.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I just have two questions about the SH-5.
Is it as bassy as say a Dimarzio Super distortion?
Is it all low mids, or a good mix of both high and low?

i hear it as having less high midrange, so i'd say it's bassier than the superD.
i think the consensus will be that it's a balanced pickup, but in my experience this depends heavily on the guitar it's in. guys love it in LPs but the best i've heard it sound was in a 25.5" bolt-on
:dunno:
that could be an amp thing though; i saw a gig where a guy had a custom in an LP custom into a mesa recto and a few effects and that actually sounded really good (check out sunk loto's between birth and death, although i believe this was recorded with marshalls)
i was most surprised, as i usually prefer the sound of explosive diarrhea to rectos

 

[Gplayerzzz]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

I'm trying to decide on these two for an alder strat. I know the Custom has good treble, but is it bright sounding?

 

[AidanP13]

Re: Sh-6 or sh-5?

Thanks guys. I think i'm gonna go with the custom. I went to my local guitar center yesterday, and I asked about my pickup, and the dude had no idea what he was talking about. I think the Sh-5 is exactly what i'm looking for.