So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

[foo3001]

My custom tele arrived a week ago (maple neck, alder body), and it has a Phat Cat neck and a Custom Custom bridge.

I must say the Phat Cat is the best sounding pickup I´ve heard in a long time. Period. Ok, it probably isn´t the loudest-most-middy-screamin´ P90 you´ll ever hear but the tone is just so damn sweet. Just enough treble (not spiky in any way, still clear), beautiful slightly-compressed mids, and soft, yet very articulate bass response. I would call it a pickup with the best qualities of a humbucker and a single coil combined with just the right amount of output. It sounds perfect clean and it distorts really well too. It´s all good for from funk to jazz to roots-rock to even hard-rock/metal (not a straightforward metal-pickup in any way, though). I love it.

Now I´ll just have to find a replacement for the CC bridge, as it lacks bass IMHO.. The mids and treble are very good but at least in my guitar it´s too ´twangy´.. The PC sounds so full and warm that the CC is a bit too thin sounding for me. The output level is fine though, it´s a good match for the PC output-wise. What would you guys recommend?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

What would you guys recommend?

Another Phat cat! Although I'm surprised that the Custom Custom isn't doing the trick...

Or you might prefer an alnico 5 or ceramic humbucker as alnico 5 and ceramic seem to have more bass than alnico 2. Maybe a 59, Screamin Demon, Custom, Custom 5 or JB.

Me? I'd go for another Phat Cat or a 59B.

Lew

 

[matt_transition]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Well the CC has a very unnatural Eq curve, low bass & treb but quite high mid, if your looking for similar output and want to keep the Alnico 2 magnet aswell, then i'd say the Seth Lover model, as this has pretty similar mids and treble, (slighlty less mid than CC) but the bass is quite prominently higher.

 

[foo3001]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Another Phat cat! Although I'm surprised that the Custom Custom isn't doing the trick...

Or you might prefer an alnico 5 or ceramic humbucker as alnico 5 and ceramic seem to have more bass than alnico 2. Maybe a 59, Screamin Demon, Custom, Custom 5 or JB.

Me? I'd go for another Phat Cat or a 59B.

I was kinda surprised too about the Custom Custom. In all the reviews etc it sounded exactly like my dream pickup.. The lack of bass was really surprising, as I didn´t come across anyone who would´ve experienced something similar with a CC.. Well, my guitar is alder/maple so the natural brightness could be the cause.

Have you tried the bridge Phat Cat? How does it compare to the neck PU?

 

[hacker]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

I strongly suggest a JB in the bridge. Here is a clip i did with the phat cat/JB combo in my tele (the one in my avatar). This is the middle position going into a boss od-1 and a blues jr. You can hear the warmth of the phat cat combined with the "cut" of the JB.

http://www.soundclick.us/fastkG/10/02/freemp3/mattb+slowbluesinc.mp3

 

[foo3001]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

I strongly suggest a JB in the bridge. Here is a clip i did with the phat cat/JB combo in my tele (the one in my avatar). This is the middle position going into a boss od-1 and a blues jr. You can hear the warmth of the phat cat combined with the "cut" of the JB.

Thanks for that! I think the JB might be a bit too bright for me though, as I´ve heard people complain about the treble of even in LesPauls, which usually are quite dark-sounding guitars. I think it might be too bright in an alder/maple tele.

Does anyone have clips of a phat cat in the bridge position? I´d like to hear what it sounds like, as the neck PU is incredible. I´ve never had so many people come up to me after a gig to compliment me on my sound than now when I´ve used the phat cat neck PU! The pickup is magic.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

A Phat Cat is still a single coil and will still sound thinner than a humbucker, particularly in the bridge position. If the CC didn't give you enough bass than a Phat Cat sure won't. The only pickup I can think of that will give you more lows and low mids than a CC is the Invader.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

I'm really suprised at the CC having bass issues as well. Did you make sure it was wired correctly and not out of phase or something?

The C5 will have more bass, and more highs, but some feel it's too mid scooped. I would think that would be the case in your Tele. You could try something more balanced, like an APH or a PG, but usually A2 buckers are not known for their overwhelming bass response.

I'm going to have to to with C5 or 59', unless you want to go Invader or Distortion.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

I use the Custom Custom...I love it, but compared to an alnico 5 humbucker like the 59B or JB or Custom 5 the alnico 2 Custom Custom has less bass. It's an alnico 2 humbucker and that's what alnico 2 sounds like compared to alnico 5. I don't think of it as a problem myself...it has plenty of bass, just not as much as a comparable alnico 5 humbucker. Lew

 

[foo3001]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

I use the Custom Custom...I love it, but compared to an alnico 5 humbucker like the 59B or JB or Custom 5 the alnico 5 Custom Custom has less bass. It's an alnico 2 humbucker and that's what alnico 2 sounds like compared to alnico 5. I don't think of it as a problem myself...it has plenty of bass, just not as much as a comparable alnico 5 humbucker. Lew

Hmm.. Maybe I should have the electronics checked then.. It could be that the pots are wrong or something. I´m getting the feeling that the PhatCat is WAY more powerful in my tele than the CC, even though the CC is pretty close to the strings.. There could be a wiring issue. Also, the CC sounds kinda ´tinny´ , not very full.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Hmm.. Maybe I should have the electronics checked then.. It could be that the pots are wrong or something. I´m getting the feeling that the PhatCat is WAY more powerful in my tele than the CC, even though the CC is pretty close to the strings.. There could be a wiring issue. Also, the CC sounds kinda ´tinny´ , not very full.

There was a typo in the post you quoted of mine and I corrected it: the Custom Custom is an alnico 2 pickup as we all know. I sure as heck have never thought of it as being "tinny". No way in the world is it a thin sounding or tinny pickup.

Do you have the red and white wires soldered together as they should be? And the black wire going to either the switch or the volume pot and the green wire attached to ground as it should be?

Lew

 

[foo3001]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Do you have the red and white wires soldered together as they should be? And the black wire going to either the switch or the volume pot and the green wire attached to ground as it should be?

Well I have to say I don´t know, as the guys who made the guitar for me have done all the wiring also.. I haven´t yet checked what´s under the pickguard, as it´s a pain to remove (it´s similar to the ´72 telecaster Deluxe).

Do you have a diagram/advice on how the PUPs should be wired? It´s a lespaul-style (3-way) mic select switch, a PhatCat in the neck and the CC bridge. It has lespaul-style controls aswell (volume and tone for both pickups) with the bridge PU being splittable by pulling the bridge PU´s tone knob. I basically know nothing about how the wiring should be done.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Well I have to say I don´t know, as the guys who made the guitar for me have done all the wiring also.. I haven´t yet checked what´s under the pickguard, as it´s a pain to remove (it´s similar to the ´72 telecaster Deluxe).

Do you have a diagram/advice on how the PUPs should be wired? It´s a lespaul-style (3-way) mic select switch, a PhatCat in the neck and the CC bridge. It has lespaul-style controls aswell (volume and tone for both pickups) with the bridge PU being splittable by pulling the bridge PU´s tone knob. I basically know nothing about how the wiring should be done.

Basically the way I described. But the red and white wires would be soldered together and attached to one pole of the push/pull switch you mentioned so that when the switch was pulled up theyed be connected to ground. That would ground out one coil and leave the other coil on...so your humbucker would become a single coil.

Lew

 

[foo3001]

Re: So I got a Phat Cat neck PUP and a CC bridge

Basically the way I described. But the red and white wires would be soldered together and attached to one pole of the push/pull switch you mentioned so that when the switch was pulled up theyed be connected to ground. That would ground out one coil and leave the other coil on...so your humbucker would become a single coil

Thanks for the advice, I think I´ll drop by my regular guitar tech and ask him to take a look at the wiring. I really want to like the CustomCustom as I did a lot of research when choosing the pickups and the description of the CC was like the ultimate PUP for me. Now it sounds kinda weak compared to the phatcat.

Still looking for those PhatCat in the bridge-clips BTW. :burnout: