The Custom 5 didn't work for me

A

andrew_one86

New member
Hey all,
I installed a custom 5 on my PRS custom 24 but i found that the it was too harsh and the highs were too shrill.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

I was thinking (though i could be wrong)
invader = too dark in a mahogany guitar
jb= sounded too thin, but i liked the clarity

I really like the tone of behemoth on demigod...diggin opeth's tone too. I guess i like that thhick heavy organic tone but not with an extremely tight bass response (but not really loose either). It's gotta have great lead tones too (love that 'singing' soilwork lead tone on chainheart machine)

I'm not interested in actives either.
I'm playing metal/blues through a 5150II.


Thanks! \m/
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

did ya try it through 250K pots? That oughtta tame those highs, but you'll still have enough to cut through for solos
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

I got several PRS guitars. I keep them stock even though I don't think the stock pickups are anything special. I had a CE 24 and didn't like the stock HFS pickups. Ceramic mags in those. Not harsh at all. Pretty nice clear tones and good mids. Still I wanted something a little more boomy so I tried a Super Distortion & PAF Pro combo.

It turned out great. I ended up selling that guitar to someone for a profit but I miss the sound of it. One thing I would definitely have tried was to put Burstbucker Pros in it. Found an obscure video on the Internet. No idea how to search for it now tho. A guy put Burstbucker Pros in his PRS Santana and the tone was fantastic!
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

Have you tried a Custom? Some people here who arent getting what they need outta the C5 migrate to the Custom.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

If you like the Custom tone you have a few options.

1. Roll back the tone knob and play it like that all the time
2. Put in a 250k or 350k pot
3. Go with the Duncan Custom. It has more of a balanced EQ range and may give you what you need
4. I think you also may be able to change one of the capicitors. Not sure if this would help or not, someone chime in here!

Hope that helps.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

andrew_one86 said:
gahh...i just sold it. I'm not sure what pots im using...what ever is stock on prs.
Click to expand...

You need to learn about swapping magnets (i.e. the Custom, C5, and Custom Custom are the same PU with different magnets). You'll waste a lot of money and time if you automatically dump a PU without trying a 2 or 3 different magnets. Plus, you should always know what value pots you have in your guitar.

Stick around, we'll get you up to speed.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

Alt 8 eh? Is there a reason why its difficult to find reviews/ppl who've tried it?
I hear alnico 8 is the new 'in' thing.

I don't think changing cap values will do anything - my tone knob has become a switch/vol for graphtec piezos that were retrofitted on the guitar. It was to prevent any drilling for another switch.

Dimarzio SD sounds like an option, thoguht ive never really been a fan of dimarzio, with absolutely no good rational behind that. :P I was suggested a Norton or an Evo2 from that camp....

sixtstringsales:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX0iVzVwbUY
does sound good! maybe too much bite for my tastes tho!

I'll be sure to do some forum searches about swappin out mags...sounds like fun too.


in the mean time, thanks everyone for your input, i went down to my local guitar store in Toronto...Steve's. Asked them about suggestions and they just started taking out pickups and reading their blurbs on the back to me....:smack:
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

Something to think about---

I re-wired my Santana SE to have a volume control for each pickup, with no tone controls in the circuit.

-result- The guitar sounded MUCH brighter. It made the guitar come alive, at least at the neck pickup. With this circuitry, every bridge pickup I tried was bright and brittle sounding. C5, Custom, EVO, PAFpro. I had to put 250k volume pot on the bridge pickup to make it usable.

Since you have a similar circuit, this could certainly be your problem.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

The treble cap on PRS guitars just needs to be removed as matter of course in my opinion. It seriously causes issues in the highs similar to what you describe.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

andrew_one86 said:
Alt 8 eh? Is there a reason why its difficult to find reviews/ppl who've tried it?
I hear alnico 8 is the new 'in' thing.
Click to expand...


There should be several reviews about the alnico 8 magnet in other pickups but I can understand about the alt 8. I think only a handful of people on this board have tried it out.

Concerning the alt 8, I would say in terms of output its maybe a touch hotter than a custom. But I like its lead voicing and tone wayyyyy more than the custom. The custom's lead tone got thin and shrill for me and this was in a very warm, dark guitar through a 5150 II. The alt 8's solo voice is more akin to the JB but thicker. Its a very thick sounding pickup through out all the frequencies. Good solid bass and lots of low mids. Its quickly becoming my favorite duncan. Lots of clarity under high gain, versatile when the volume's rolled back, and a rounded singing solo voice.

Oh and I forgot the harmonics! Very different but they sound very cool. They also sound huge :wizard:
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

If I were You, I would first try to change/remove that cap as those guys instructed you. If that fails, I would try Custom 8 (easiest mod) and if that fails too, I would try Full Shred.

Something tells me you could love Full Shred there, talking about love for clarity and Opeth.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

Messing with pots and caps doesn't make enough of a difference for this level of dislike.

The Duncan Custom (ceramic) is a safe bet.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

alrightttttttttttttt
its down to the custom and the alternative 8.
i wish there were more sound clips for the a8!

what are harmonics like on the alt 8? i keep reading 'different'...what does that mean? is that in a bad way? what about on the custom?

thanks!
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

andrew_one86 said:
alrightttttttttttttt
its down to the custom and the alternative 8.
i wish there were more sound clips for the a8!

what are harmonics like on the alt 8? i keep reading 'different'...what does that mean? is that in a bad way? what about on the custom?

thanks!
Click to expand...

Dude go with the alt 8. I played blues and rock and metal thru the 5150 II before I switched to ENGL. The alt 8 is much more friendly with that amp than the custom or the distortion. The Sh-5 and Sh-6 are too shrill. But I've never been a huge ceramic magnet fan. The harmonics on the alt 8 aren't sharp or piercing, but they are huge and yet somehow steal the frequency territory.

The Alt 8 will have a better solo tone and will be thicker for modern music.
 
Re: The Custom 5 didn't work for me

Man, I`m not so sure about ceramic custom will be the cure If C5 was harsh, as you said. In my experience custom was always harsher than C5. Punchier, more strong with even eq, but harsher.
 
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