The Custom Family Confuses Me

[daenius]

SH-5 Custom
SH-14 Custom 5
SH-11 Custom Custom

Seriously?????? Custom and Custom 5 both have a "5" in their name somewhere.
I installed one of these years ago and I remember it had "5" in the name... So I thought I had a Custom 5 for quite a long time until I later figured out I had an SH-5, which is the Custom, not the Custom 5... see what I mean here?

Then there's the Custom Custom! How does one do a "custom" on something that's already "custom"? I customized the Custom so now it's a Custom Custom? What if I then modify that thing again? Does it become a custom version of a Custom Custom, hence making it a Custom Custom Custom? Do I then change it some more and make Custom Custom Custom Custom??????

:eyecrazy::eyecrazy::eyecrazy::eyecrazy::eyecrazy:

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

This has been explained before but here ya go ...

Custom came first - sh-5 - ceramic mag
Custom custom next - sh-11 - A2 magnet. Someone thought they needed to customize the custom.
Custom 5 last - sh-14 - A5 mag. Created here on the forum after someone put an A5 in either a custom or custom custom. Originally called the custom custom custom but that was ridiculous. It was dubbed the Custom 5.
Custom 8 has an A8 mag and can be made by changing the mag in any of the above or call the custom shop.

 

[daenius]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Someone thought they needed to customize the custom.

Thanks for the info! I didn't even know there's a Custom 8!

So it was true after all, someone wanted to customize the custom, and started this whole mess by creating the Custom Custom.
And so there really IS a Custom Custom Custom... wow...
So technically the Custom 8 would be a Custom Custom Custom Custom?

Let me call the Custom Shop and have them make me a Custom 8 but with a Ceramic Magnet, so it can come full circle to be the Custom, but yet I'll insist they call it the Custom Custom Custom Custom Custom.

All jokes aside, it seems like "Custom" just denotes the wounding spec with the original ceramic version, and all the new ones are just magnet swaps right? I now wonder what would happen if I put a Neodymium magnet in it

 

[dave74]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Good "custom"ers don't ask so many questions. lol

 

[Demanic]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Don't forget the Big Custom with a thick ceramic, the UOA5 Custom and the Custom 4.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

I now wonder what would happen if I put a Neodymium magnet in it

You zipper will fly off. Only try this at home.

 

[JCM]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Don't forget the Big Custom with a thick ceramic, the UOA5 Custom and the Custom 4.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

I'm getting my first Custom in the mail tomorrow, and have a few UOA5's ordered. I'm ready to try em all. I'm putting it in an LP so I'll give the CC a decent spin before modding, but I'm dying to try the UOA5 from what I've read about it. I'll probably stick one in a JB while I play the CC for a while.

How does the Big Custom compare to the DD? I love the DD as my go to metal pickup.

 

[Demanic]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Never used a Big Custom but I can attest that the UOA5 in the JB is a win.

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[Demanic]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Funny thing is, I originally put a double thick ceramic in the JB. But it had too much top and bottom. The modded MT-2 that I generally use for distortion has plenty of power throughout it's range. Putting the UOA5 in the JB gave it a bit more midrange but it still sounds plenty tight for stop and chop and the lead tone is incredible.
Oh and the guitar that it's in is now and for the foreseeable future, tuned to C standard.

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[daenius]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

What's a UOA5? O__O

 

[allstarrme]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

It's an unoriented A5, it similar to the A5 but many swear by them being better. Also there's roughcast vs polished.

The custom also has many other variations, the distortion neck is an underwound ceramic custom, the full shred is a custom 5 with Allen poles, I think even the screamin demon is a custom variant.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

The Demon is wound to quite a bit less DCR vs. the Custom; I don't know if that just means it's an "under-wound" Custom, or if the wind is different in a substantial way, that said, they're both the same wire gauge I think?

I understand that yes, the Full Shred is just a Custom 5 in drag. If the "Seymourizer" is just a neck Custom, funny it became the Distortion neck...

 

[dystrust]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

The Demon is wound to quite a bit less DCR vs. the Custom; I don't know if that just means it's an "under-wound" Custom, or if the wind is different in a substantial way, that said, they're both the same wire gauge I think?

I understand that yes, the Full Shred is just a Custom 5 in drag. If the "Seymourizer" is just a neck Custom, funny it became the Distortion neck...

The Demon, Custom, & Seymourizer (aka SH-6n) are all wound with 43 gauge, but that's about all that they have in common; the winds are different. The general consensus is that a Full Shred is a Custom 5 with hex poles, but I'm not aware that it's even been officially confirmed.

 

[dystrust]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

Regarding the different types of alnico magnets:

My take on magnets, others may have different opinions:

A2 - low output, mainly mids, little treble or bass, smooth top and a loose low end. Ideal for a warm bridge PU where low end isn't a big deal. In the neck it needs a PU wound with extra brightness to avoid sounding dull and muddy (PG is an example of a brightly wound A2 PU).
A3 - low output, like an A2 but with a bit more treble and bass. Perfect when you need a little more definition and clarity than an A2 has.
A4 - medium output, the most balanced EQ of the guitar magnets. Nicely warms a PU with an A5. Some guys call them cold sounding, others love them. Good in the neck or bridge position.
A5 - semi-high output, bright, tight low end, less mids ("scooped"). Great for the neck position if the PU isn't too bassy. Gives cut, bite, and sparkle to a bridge PU. Can be too bright in some woods, if so 250k pots can usually solve that.
A8 - high output, lots of mids, smooth top. Nice replacement to warm an overly bright ceramic PU and still retain the power. Really only suitable for the bridge position.
Ceramic - bright, tight, thin, and lacks the warmth and organic character of alincos. Ideal for metal, as it can handle massive amounts of distortion and effects before getting muddy. Cleans are harsh.

Magnets are one part of the formula, the PU's windings, wire gauge, and coil size have a big impact, as does the guitar wood, amp, and speaker. Wood is the wild card that makes the same PU sound different from guitar to the next.

Roughcast & un-oriented:

Roughcasts are lumpy, bumpy, and have sand pitting on them, which impacts the magnetic field, makes it more complex. A roughcast A5 has a slight difference in tone, smoother highs. Most of my bridge PU's have RC's now to take off any harshness. I prefer polished in neck PU's for the slightly sharper highs. RC's are good for minor fine-tuning of EQ's.

An unoriented A5 is like a cross between an A2 and A5; you'd never think it was an A5 if you heard it and had to guess what mag it was. Because the internal 'grain' of the metal is random, the magnetic field is very complex, and the output not as strong. All of the UOA5's I've seen are also roughcast, which adds to the tonal qualites. Polished UOA5's do exist.

A2, A3, and A4 are all unoriented, which is part of the reason for their softer highs and lower outputs. The vast majority of A5's are oriented (and polished).

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: The Custom Family Confuses Me

This has been explained before but here ya go ...

Custom came first - sh-5 - ceramic mag
Custom custom next - sh-11 - A2 magnet. Someone thought they needed to customize the custom.
Custom 5 last - sh-14 - A5 mag. Created here on the forum after someone put an A5 in either a custom or custom custom. Originally called the custom custom custom but that was ridiculous. It was dubbed the Custom 5.
Custom 8 has an A8 mag and can be made by changing the mag in any of the above or call the custom shop.

Yep...