Tell me about the Custom 8 and the big ceramic Custom... any input?

[Rex_Rocker]

I love the Custom on my LTD. It's open, aggressive, and bright.

But "the grass is greener on the other side" kinda deal. I mean, the pickup is great, but it's always fun to experiment with pickups and whatnot.

As far as I know, Alnico 8 has about the same power as ceramic, right? Similar kinda gauss? So I wouldn't lose too much output from swapping out the ceramic magnet and dropping in an A8 magnet? How about the bottom-end? I wouldn't want to make the low-end softer/spongier than it is right now. Is Alnico 8 still bold and tight-sounding? What else can I expect from the change?

I have the double thick ceramic at hand, so I could drop it in. But I kinda want to know what to expect from the change first if it's even worth it. Will the EQ change or will I just boost the output? If so, what kind of change can I expect?

Thanks. It's always fun and entertaining to hear other guys' experience.

 

[htrd]

I'm measuring 1477G at the ceramic bar (regular thickness) and 1490G at the Alnico 8, both are from Mojotone. Both readings are peak.
Lows should remain the same, but with A8 pickup will be darker (more inductance and eddy currents), that can make you feel that it has more lows.

With a double thick ceramic you will get something closer to Nazgul. Louder and a bit more highs. More of everything I'd say.

 

[Chistopher]

I like to compare an A8 to an A2 even though they really aren't all that similar. A8 has less treble but the upper mids that a lot of people perceive as treble are brighter. More bass than an A2, not flubby though.

A4 would also be worth experimenting with if you are gonna try magnets out. The Custom is a good baseline to understand how magnet swaps affect a pickups sound

 

[xxxplorer]

Best way I can describe A8 is that it has a strident midrange

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Alright, double thick is in the Custom.

Damn!

Pretty cool. The pickup sounds overall bigger and fatter. The low end is big, the mids filled out a tad, and it seems like the treble spike shifted down a little towards, bringing the attack a bit forward.

And the output is HOT.

But not sure if I love it. It's cool... but it's also fatter than what I'm used to.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Honestly, I like it, but I bet I could tame it a bit with some hex poles ala Full Shred.

 

[htrd]

Just a little. Better try to lower it farther from the strings.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Just a little. Better try to lower it farther from the strings.

Already did. The sledgehammer quality is just an attribute of the pickup, no matter the height. Of course, it's better further off from the strings, but it still sounds like a sledgehammer, just a sledgehammer that's further off, LOL.

I think I might try just some shorter screws. That ought to do the job, right? Like... the pickup is sooooo close to what I want, and I've already gone down down the modding rabbit hole, I might as well get it to where I want, right?

 

[EmiAba]

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/161763-custom-8-paradise/page3

Rex take a look at this old thread. A lot of opinions there. I prefer the C8 over the regular Custom. Some one else reported ear fatigue after a while. I have no problem with it maybe because I found the sweet spot in terms of pick up height. II have spent a lot of time adjusting pickups to have the bridge not overpowering the neck. I have the C8 paired with a PGn in a 2004 les paul standard. Actually it's my main stage guitar. It sounds huge and aggressive straight into my orange.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/161763-custom-8-paradise/page3

Rex take a look at this old thread. A lot of opinions there. I prefer the C8 over the regular Custom. Some one else reported ear fatigue after a while. I have no problem with it maybe because I found the sweet spot in terms of pick up height. II have spent a lot of time adjusting pickups to have the bridge not overpowering the neck. I have the C8 paired with a PGn in a 2004 les paul standard. Actually it's my main stage guitar. It sounds huge and aggressive straight into my orange.

Thank you!

I think I'm trying out the C8 next. In the meantime, I'm putting the stock Ceramic in the Custom. I liked it better that way. Big Ceramic is just too fat.

 

[Artie]

I think I'm trying out the C8 next.

Let us know how it sounds. If I don't get any bites on my C5, I might pop the A8 in it that's stuck to my file cabinet.

 

[htrd]

I think I might try just some shorter screws. That ought to do the job, right?

Longer screws pull the magnet field away from the strings. Shorter ones will make you pickup even stronger

I'd try shorter screws with the stock magnet. Maybe it will do the trick.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Longer screws pull the magnet field away from the strings. Shorter ones will make you pickup even stronger

I'd try shorter screws with the stock magnet. Maybe it will do the trick.

https://www.mojotone.com/Short-Humbucker-P90-5-40-Polepieces-Nickel

These are shorter. I think I will order those.

Another thing that I tried during this experiment was the ceramic magnet on the '59N. The high-end did become kinda plinky and shrill, but the output was killer, and it matched the ceramic feel/tone of the bridge well. So what I think I'll do is I'll drop another ceramic magnet on the '59 (I returned the magnet to the Custom where it came from), and maybe tame it with a 250K volume pot.

 

[htrd]

The high-end did become kinda plinky and shrill, but the output was killer, and it matched the ceramic feel/tone of the bridge well.

I'd try A8 instead of ceramic in that case. It can do the trick.