Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

[gtrgrl]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

Ok, I have been playing my C5 for about three months (Well, maybe one if you take out life craziness / work insanity!) and I love it!!!

What is a Cuo5? I really like the clips with that better than the Custom. That makes me feel good I got the C5 instead!!! Is the Cuo5 the same thing but another name?

PS - It drives me crazy :argh: when you guys go around interchanging SH this and C that!!! Can't we just use the names?

 

[Kam]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

Ok, I have been playing my C5 for about three months (Well, maybe one if you take out life craziness / work insanity!) and I love it!!!

What is a Cuo5? I really like the clips with that better than the Custom. That makes me feel good I got the C5 instead!!! Is the Cuo5 the same thing but another name?

PS - It drives me crazy :argh: when you guys go around interchanging SH this and C that!!! Can't we just use the names?

It's a Custom (or a Custom Custom or a Custom 5 - they all have the same wind but different magnets) with an unoriented Alnico 5 magnet swapped in, in place of the regular magnet (an Alnico 5 in your case).

Unoriented A5 will have a little more mids, a little more warmth, some added dynamics and a much more vintage character than the regular A5. You lose a bit of cut and snap, though, and the treble becomes a lot more rounded.

Swapping mags is a simple operation, though it might be a good idea to try it out on some cheap import pups you probably have lying around if you're unsure of yourself.

Here's a good tutorial on how to go about it.

Replacement magnets can be had for cheap on Ebay from this seller.

And we can't just give everything one simple name. How else are we gonna convince the newbies that we're all super-intelligent tone-masters.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

I'm very interested in the COC, but I don't think I can handle that treble in this particular guitar. I have a detonator that will become a deton8tor, so that will leave me with an OC for future use :33:

It actually isn't all that bright, and it's more compressed than the regular Custom. It's so much bigger sounding, especially on the low end, and more grindy.

The A8 Deto is freaking cool too, both are really good metal pickups, A8 Deto especially for doom/sludge, it is kinda dark though. You'll see. Tell us what you think when you try it, me and Dom have been raving about it for a while.

 

[gtrgrl]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

It's a Custom (or a Custom Custom or a Custom 5 - they all have the same wind but different magnets) with an unoriented Alnico 5 magnet swapped in, in place of the regular magnet (an Alnico 5 in your case).

Unoriented A5 will have a little more mids, a little more warmth, some added dynamics and a much more vintage character than the regular A5. You lose a bit of cut and snap, though, and the treble becomes a lot more rounded.

Swapping mags is a simple operation, though it might be a good idea to try it out on some cheap import pups you probably have lying around if you're unsure of yourself.

Here's a good tutorial on how to go about it.

Replacement magnets can be had for cheap on Ebay from this seller.

And we can't just give everything one simple name. How else are we gonna convince the newbies that we're all super-intelligent tone-masters.

Thanks. I just started swapping pickups. I think I'll get the hang of that first.

What does unoriented mean? Is it sexually confused? :laugh2:

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

In a "normal" A5 magnet the molecules are aligned magnetically during the molding process. In an unoriented magnet this step is skipped. Industry standard A2, A3 and A4 magnets are all made in an unoriented fashion, so it's not some goofy thing someone made up.

The audible differences are pretty pronounced in a pickup, UOA5 sounding like a cross between an A2 and a normal A5.

 

[Despair]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

Thanks. I just started swapping pickups. I think I'll get the hang of that first.

What does unoriented mean? Is it sexually confused? :laugh2:

It refers to the magnetic grain not being aligned. Aligned is standard in A5, A8 or ceramic magnets rather than unoriented as in A2 or A3. [I can't recall for sure, but I'm pretty sure A6 is aligned. Not sure about A4, though given how middy it is, probably not.]

Unoriented gives a softer magnetic field, softer attack with less harsh transients. A big chunk of the character of an A2 magnet is not being oriented.

There's some evidence that unoriented A5 was actually used more than oriented back in the eras generally considered vintage PAF. Certainly scans of old Gibson magnet orders for unoriented A5 have turned up on some pickup-maker forums... (As well as A4, A2 and the now most common oriented A5).

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

One more recording with the UOA5, this is modeling/impuse recording (thanks to surface for hooking me up!), no real amps, but a fun recording of the UOA5 regardless.

http://netmusicians.org/index.php?section=id&value=11301

 

[surface54]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

i personally would say that UOA5 sounds tight, and has just the right amount of mids (not too many). it cuts and feels so nice to my ears.
i gotta try that one some time. how does the lead tone feel to you compared to the C8 on the the top three strings?

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

I can't really compare c8 and cuoa5 because I haven't had them in the same guitar. The agile has a ebony board and it really imparts a bright snappy tone to the guitar that was exaggerated even further by the ceramic, but tamed by the UOA5. It is a bit spongey, like an A2. I'm loving it at the moment, but might consider a roughcast a5 in the future. UOA5 sounds very tight with the amp modeling (pretty much anything would I think) but through my unboosted amp it is pretty loose.

 

[rocksoldier]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

The regular Custom sounded about 63% better in my opinion. Balanced, and with a nice bite to it.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

I totally agree, with regards to the recordings, but that is mainly a recording setup problem. In actuality, the custom is nearly unusable in a live situation unless my treble is near zero. If I tweaked my settings for the uoa5 and recorded it at the proper pickup height I think it would have come out much better.

 

[surface54]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

I totally agree, with regards to the recordings, but that is mainly a recording setup problem. In actuality, the custom is nearly unusable in a live situation unless my treble is near zero. If I tweaked my settings for the uoa5 and recorded it at the proper pickup height I think it would have come out much better.

if the custom is unusable live then maybe its a XXX problem. i always hear its super bright amp, like the mesa stilleto.

 

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

definately like the second pickup better!

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Soundclip Shootout: Custom vs Custom UOA5

definately like the second pickup better!

Me too! I'm not looking back at this point. The UOA5 is there to stay. Now I'm just trying to get the neck to have the same attitude. I suppose I could put a uoa5 in the jazz as well, but I'm trying to trade it for something else instead.