That Experiment Didn't Last Long

[misterwhizzy]

I've been listening to a lot of blues rock recently and decided I might have a try at getting some of those tones from my Les Paul. Bands like Dirty Honey, New Roses, LA Maybe, etc., specifically looking for the upper-mid bloom I hear when I listen to those albums. The 59 I have just doesn't do it in this guitar, even though I've heard them sound great for others. Mag swaps, height adjustment, pole piece tweaks, etc. None of them do the trick. It's possible I could get there by swapping the pots, but I really like the brightness that's available when I want it when I use 500ks. So I gave my Whole Lotta Humbucker another try.

My initial thought was the icepick was way too much, so I gave it an Alnico II and was satisfied temporarily, even though I knew I was compromising. Today, after three or four days tweaking the pickup and the amp, I decided I wasn't going to just deal with it not giving me what I've liked in the past or what I was looking for at present, so I put my old Duncan Custom back in the bridge. I recommend this pickup frequently in my posts here and was reminded immediately upon testing why. It's the right fit and a phenomenal pickup. Mids are where I want them, has tight bass and the right amount of sizzle, plenty of push, cleans up nicely, etc. I think I owe it an apology.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I also liked the Custom when I tried it, but if there's one thing I'd change about it is the low end was a tad much for me, my playing, my tuning, my string gauge, or whatever.

I do love the grind and aggression the Custom has, though. I also liked the slightly pulled back mids for clarity and open-ness. And I found it the right output level where it's by no means weak, but it's not overpowering either, and it balances well with many neck pickups. It was just too fat in the lows at times for me.

 

[jeremy]

the custom in a lp always sounds good to me. i dont really drop tune though other than drop d which im not sure counts these days

 

[Mincer]

I think a Custom is great in an LP. Actually, in any solid Gibson. I don't really like it anywhere else.

 

[misterwhizzy]

I also liked the Custom when I tried it, but if there's one thing I'd change about it is the low end was a tad much for me, my playing, my tuning, my string gauge, or whatever.

I do love the grind and aggression the Custom has, though. I also liked the slightly pulled back mids for clarity and open-ness. And I found it the right output level where it's by no means weak, but it's not overpowering either, and it balances well with many neck pickups. It was just too fat in the lows at times for me.

I like that the low end leans more towards sledgehammer than surgical. I love the fat low end crunch it gives me. If I do have one complaint, though, it’s that I can’t get those greasy bluesy sounds, but that could just as easily be flaws in my technique.

 

[Sam SG]

Allot of the harmonic bloom you hear from thst type of music has to do with the amps they use and the tubes they use in them.
Not sure what amps you use. But on a master volume amp you are best served cranking up the volune and using the gain control to hit Malcolm Young levels of OD then boosting with a pedal.
And as much as some may argue if you play a Marshall grab a lower priced 60s Mullard or Amperex bugle boy 12ax7 and pop it in V1 you will hear a harmonic swirl very reminiscent of classic recordings.( dont go by youtube tube demos you only hear slight eq variances you dont feel the change or hear harmonic swirl with sone guy plsying one riff over and over through 10 tubes)
As far as the WLH...yea it does have a bright pick attack. I left it stock in my Charvel...but in my SG i ever so slightly lowered the screw poles. It helped

 

[orpheo]

The SH5 is just not my thing. I never liked it. It's too fat. I love it as a custom5, or as a custom3 though! Gosh, that custom3 was addictive.

 

[marcello252]

I think a Custom is great in an LP. Actually, in any solid Gibson. I don't really like it anywhere else.

I tried it in my strats several times and it doesn't work as I expected, maybe it's the bridge type, don't know, too much sizzle, in those guitar the right 'paf on steroids' it works for me is the custom custom , but I remember when I had a les paul it worked, I don't recall any negative feels

 

[Mincer]

I tried it in my strats several times and it doesn't work as I expected, maybe it's the bridge type, don't know, too much sizzle, in those guitar the right 'paf on steroids' it works for me is the custom custom , but I remember when I had a les paul it worked, I don't recall any negative feels

Yeah, for a Strat-type, it is the Custom Custom for me.

 

[idsnowdog]

Try clipping a 1M resistor between pins 1 and 3 of the volume. That will turn it into a 333K pot.

 

[MikeS]

There are many days that I wonder how it is that I don't have a guitar with a Custom in it right now. I really liked it in my LP Studio and my Epi SG. It was also surprisingly fun in my 335-style guitar. I eventually found something I liked better in each of those guitars, but I have consistently liked the Custom.