What's in between a JB and a Custom?

[Dave Z]

I have a mahogany pseudo-PRS with a bolt on mahogany neck and rosewood board, Wilkinson trem. I've had a JB trembucker and a Jazz Neck in it for years and the JB was very smooth, never shrill, and split REALLY well, but weak and kind of flabby on bass. looking for a more neutral tone (less midrange honk) and a tighter low end I finally took the plunge and put in a Custom.

The Custom DEFINITELY has a tighter low end and more even response across the board but when played clean, needs a lot of treble control on the high E. Anywhere from 10th fret up is just harsh in a clean amp/direct line in. With a lot of gain it's fine, does what I want it to do. Also, when paired with the Jazz it is absolutely divine through a clean amp. So, I don't want to go far from this sound, but would like to tame the highs a bit. Since it is a PRS type setup it is a shared 500K tone pot. I'm wondering if a 250K tone pot would make sense, or would it screw with the tone of the neck pickup? Maybe add a 500K resistor to ground just for the bridge pickup (simulating a 250K tone pot)? I was thinking a magnet swap but the Custom 5 EQ chart looks really mid-scooped.

 

[Demanic]

You might want to try a Distortion Neck pickup in the bridge. It used to be called the Seymourizer II and it's ~12k with a double thick ceramic magnet. Plenty of tight bass and clear top but more neutral mids.

 

[Clint 55]

Just mag swap it.

 

[Dave Z]

thanks Demanic I'll check out some clips of that. You wouldn't think it'd be tight on the low from that EQ chart but I'm learning Duncan's EQ charts are more an art than a science.
Clint, what mag? Alnico 2 (custom custom) or a 5? Al8? Am I right they actually sell a custom with an 8?

 

[Blille]

Just mag swap it.

Let me guess… an A6

 

[Mincer]

What's between them might be able to be achieved with an EQ pedal, too.

 

[Dave Z]

true, and I have an old EQ pedal so I'll play around with that. I'd prefer to save the blunt force tone shaping pedals for specific tones. My goal is to get the clean sound of each guitar organically balanced first. Advantage of doing it externally as you suggest is I would not be messing with the N+B sound which is truly amazing.

 

[Ascension]

Might want to try a Perpetual Burn. I have a couple PB's on hand and have one in my Purple Carvin DC 127 with a Jazz neck. That is a surprisingly good match both in output and tone. Also the PB is one of the absolute Best Duncan's I have used when split with single coils. I pulled the PB out of my Kiesel DC thinking a Hybrid would be a better tonal match and split better with the Kiesel AP11 singles it had. Spent a month or so working with it and finally went back to the PB in the bridge.
The PB falls right between a vintage output PAF and a high output pickup like the JB. Very articulate tight and clear with gain but also not as compressed as a pickup like the JB or Custom. In a mahogany neck and body 25 scale guitar like your PRS it's one of my favorites.

 

[Ascension]

thanks Demanic I'll check out some clips of that. You wouldn't think it'd be tight on the low from that EQ chart but I'm learning Duncan's EQ charts are more an art than a science.
Clint, what mag? Alnico 2 (custom custom) or a 5? Al8? Am I right they actually sell a custom with an 8?

Swapped mags in the Custom winds a lot over the years and know them very well.
The Custom is hot and clear but the ceramic mag in some guitars can be harsh and overly bright and the cleans lack sweetness.
The Custom 8 is tight well balanced and very aggressive it also has some of the smooth singing mid qualities of the A2 Custom Custom on melodic playing but can lack sweetness on the clean side and doesn't split as well.
The A5 Custom 5 is very big sounding has a lot of bottom end and a sweet top however is pretty scooped and can have a hard time cutting through the mix for solos.The Custom 5 is really nice clean and is very responsive to touch with gain.I have a love hate thing with that pickup. Love them playing in say a 3 piece when i need a big chewy responsive tone but they frustrate me in a larger band when I'm doing a lot of melodic fills because with the lack of mids it just gets lost in the mix. This one is very good split and in particular split with a single coil or another split humbucker.The Custom 5 pairs very well with the Jazz IMO much better than a JB does.
The Custom Custom is very sweet and balanced with a smooth buttery mid and top end. It can be a little loose at times at very high gain but is tighter than the JB. Has good cleans and splits very well. The solo voice has a real sweetness to it and the mids cut quite well. IMO the Custom Custom pairs very well with the Alnico II pro which is just the Jazz with a mag swap to A2.
Hope this helps.

 

[Dave Z]

great ideas thanks Ascension, I've been out of touch with the SD lineup for some years, had not even heard of the PB. That appears to fill a hole in the lineup output-wise where only the Demon sits (I tried a demon long ago and even in an all-mahogany Gibson (SG) was nails on chalkboard...hence the JB). I might try an A5 mag swap first, never done a mag swap. That Youtube from iHeartGuitar is pretty impressive so the PB definitely on the radar.

 

[SweetClyde99]

I think a PATB-1 would be a good fit for you if you don’t mind the aesthetics.

 

[Synapsys]

I think a PATB-1 would be a good fit for you if you don’t mind the aesthetics.

I second this suggestion, it's, to my ears, the perfect middle ground between the JB and the Custom.

 

[Mincer]

I know people have had success with a JB/Custom Hybrid, but it isn't something I've tried.

 

[Aceman]

JB8

 

[chadd]

If you mag swap, I would consider A4. It's much flatter EQ than A5 and doesn't get lost as easily in the mix.

 

[misterwhizzy]

I think a PATB-1 would be a good fit for you if you don’t mind the aesthetics.

This man speaks the truth.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

+1 on the Perpetual Burn. A very good but underappreciated pickup.

 

[Dave Z]

SweetClyde99 & Synapsis - ya know, I'd tried a PATB a long time ago and liked it, but I went with the JB as it appealed to who I was at the time. I will some day put in a PATB in one of my strats, probably the old frankenstrat. It would pair well with the A2Pros in there.

But something odd today happened, the EQ sounded better and I played the hell out of the Custom and really dug it, and it still has that mojo with the Jazz. I did order an A5 but may not use it, we'll see.

 

[Synapsys]

Good to hear.

Note that putting an A5 magnet in a Custom will turn it in a Custom5, which is EQed very diferently when compared to the regular Custom.

I have experience with the PATB-1 in a basswood suoerStrat, and the Custom and Custom5 in 24 fret, mahogany-bodied axes. They all sound different, but they sound good!

 

[GuitarDoc]

I agree with everything that Ascension said in post #9 except..."The Custom 8... can lack sweetness on the clean side and doesn't split as well". In fact the C8 sounds VERY sweet clean and splits EXTREMELY well!

That being said, you will probably find the the Custom with an A5 will fit your bill much better than the ceramic Custom. However, I think that a UOA5 magnet is really what you want. It has a bit of a softer less shrill high end and slightly more mids than the A5 mag.