What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

[alkeys]

Greetings all. I have heard in some threads here that the Custom Custom might have been actually related to EVH or that it was an old Dimarzio rewound that was planned to be used by EVH but it was scrapped or somethingorother.

Can anyone shed some light on the history of how the Custom Custom came about? Does it really differ that much from the Warren DeMartini pickup?

I'd like to give one a try because I've heard nothing but good things- thanks

 

[revolution]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

I've heard it's Ed's 1984 pickup but he didn't want to put his name on it. It's also a Duncan Custom with an AII mag. As far as the old "Super Distortion with an A2 mag" story, no one knows if it's true or a decoy story. I'm sure someone on here has the inside skinny.

 

[Aceman]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Once upon a time there was the Custom - a Hotly wound PAF. Someone put an A2 mag in it. It sounded cool. It became the Custom Custom. Does that work for you?

Also...

Once upon a time there was the Custom- a Hotly wound PAF. Someone put an A5 mag in it. It sounded cool. It became the Custom 5.

Haven't heard the DeMartini -But it's supposedly close to a JB. CC Is NOT a JB. I would not play RATT on my CC...

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Haven't heard the DeMartini -But it's supposedly close to a JB. CC Is NOT a JB. I would not play RATT on my CC...

You would play Ratt? :smack:

 

[appar111]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Haven't heard the DeMartini -But it's supposedly close to a JB. CC Is NOT a JB. I would not play RATT on my CC...

How do the JB & CC differ? I was looking at both of them as a choice to go into an alder superstrat.

 

[donnievaz]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

How do the JB & CC differ? I was looking at both of them as a choice to go into an alder superstrat.

If it were me, I'd go with the CC. I think a JB would likely be too bright for me in that guitar.

 

[appar111]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

even w/ a 250K volume pot? (no tone knob on this one).

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

How do the JB & CC differ?

Let me count the ways...
1.) The JB has a jangly, clear high end that sounds great when strumming chords. It really would work great for roots rock where the guitarist is strumming cowboy chords through a tweed amp with some overdrive going.
When used for lead playing, the high notes become ear piercing.
The CC OTOH lacks that jangle to make strummed chords sound "stringy" enough. The higher strings sound too fat for that kind of playing. But when playing lead, high notes sing insted of screech.

2.) Power chords on the CC sound fat and chunky.The CC has a beefy lower midrange that gives it a bit of that growl you hear in the distorted guitars on the first Boston album. Very satisfying when playing power chords. The JB has a glaring hole in its frequency spectrum in the lower mids. No grunt, no chunk. This does make strummed chords sound cleaner and tighter, but it makes power chords and riffs on the lower strings sound anemic and emasculated.

3.) When played clean, the JB is too harsh and edgy. Clean arpggios and chords are hard to control because of the icepick upper midrange. But fade in a clean chord or play an arpeggio using the CC, and you hear fullness, some bell-like upper midrange cut, and a smooth upper mid/high end that is very easy on the ears. Hold that chord and pluck the harmonics an octave above or slap the fretboard an octave above, and you'll hear each harmonic chime and swell, but no shrill high frequencies. You can't do that with a JB without anyone in the room wincing in pain.

I should qualify that I have two guitars in which the JB sounds good. One in which it sounds extraordinary in fact. You'd swear there was a Custom in that guitar. But that guitar may have 250Kohm pots, which some say turn the JB into a completely differnt animal. But I've removed the JB's in any of my other guitars.

As for the story of the CC, I only know what Duncan's ads say - that it used ot be a custom shop model made to order for pro players, and the demand got so great that they added it to the production line. Who those player(s) were, well, we've all read the rumors.

 

[Anficht]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

WOW!
Great description!!!! Thx a lot for that

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Let me count the ways...
1.) The JB has a jangly, clear high end that sounds great when strumming chords. It really would work great for roots rock where the guitarist is strumming cowboy chords through a tweed amp with some overdrive going.
When used for lead playing, the high notes become ear piercing.
The CC OTOH lacks that jangle to make strummed chords sound "stringy" enough. The higher strings sound too fat for that kind of playing. But when playing lead, high notes sing insted of screech.

2.) Power chords on the CC sound fat and chunky.The CC has a beefy lower midrange that gives it a bit of that growl you hear in the distorted guitars on the first Boston album. Very satisfying when playing power chords. The JB has a glaring hole in its frequency spectrum in the lower mids. No grunt, no chunk. This does make strummed chords sound cleaner and tighter, but it makes power chords and riffs on the lower strings sound anemic and emasculated.

3.) When played clean, the JB is too harsh and edgy. Clean arpggios and chords are hard to control because of the icepick upper midrange. But fade in a clean chord or play an arpeggio using the CC, and you hear fullness, some bell-like upper midrange cut, and a smooth upper mid/high end that is very easy on the ears. Hold that chord and pluck the harmonics an octave above or slap the fretboard an octave above, and you'll hear each harmonic chime and swell, but no shrill high frequencies. You can't do that with a JB without anyone in the room wincing in pain.

I should qualify that I have two guitars in which the JB sounds good. One in which it sounds extraordinary in fact. You'd swear there was a Custom in that guitar. But that guitar may have 250Kohm pots, which some say turn the JB into a completely differnt animal. But I've removed the JB's in any of my other guitars.

As for the story of the CC, I only know what Duncan's ads say - that it used ot be a custom shop model made to order for pro players, and the demand got so great that they added it to the production line. Who those player(s) were, well, we've all read the rumors.

I totally disagree with your description of the JB. Clean, the JB is dull and muted in the highs. It lacks sparkle and character. Push moderate or more gain and the JB comes into its own. The best specific pup for leads ever made. (I would say a tele bridge is the all around best type of lead pup). The JB lacks body for chunky rhythm. The JB matched to a Jazz in the neck makes heavenly middle position tones ( full HB mixed HB and split or both split).

 

[martin6string]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

FWIW, the JB sounds fantastic in an Alder body Strat with a 250K Pot.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Once upon a time there was the Custom - a Hotly wound PAF. Someone put an A2 mag in it. It sounded cool. It became the Custom Custom. Does that work for you?

Also...

Once upon a time there was the Custom- a Hotly wound PAF. Someone put an A5 mag in it. It sounded cool. It became the Custom 5.

Haven't heard the DeMartini -But it's supposedly close to a JB. CC Is NOT a JB. I would not play RATT on my CC...

I think the custom 5 (custom custom custom) was developed for godin?

 

[martin6string]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

I think the custom 5 (custom custom custom) was developed for godin?

Not to my knowledge. It was developed here on the forum.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Not to my knowledge. It was developed here on the forum.

http://www.godinguitars.com/godinfaq.htm

What are the Seymour Duncan pickups that are being used in the LGX, LGX-SA & LGXT?
Seymour himself selected these pickups for us and chose a Jazz II for the neck position and put a new magnet in the Custom Custom for the bridge position. This pickup is unique to Godin and is arguably a Custom Custom Custom.

Whoever wrote the FAQ could have wrote this based on a misunderstanding.

 

[John Wymore]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

It was developed here on the forum.

This is true ...

From the description of the pickup on SD's website:

Developed by contributors to our web user group who replaced the ceramic or Alnico 2 magnet in an SH-5 Custom or SH-11 Custom Custom with an Alnico 5. Compared to the SH-5 and SH-11, the Custom 5's tone is more vintage, with less distortion, but it's still very strong and powerful. Clean sounds are rich and full with enhanced presence. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

 

[Aceman]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

JB is a cool pup - it's just not for me. I prefer the Distortion. It is however everything big haor 80's is all about.

CC is a unique pup. I might say things differently, but generally agree with Kosh. CC has a MONSTER mid boost ight in the middle of mid, and it's pretty wide as Q goes. Bass and highs can be an issue. The highs are just sooo fat people think it doesn't have enough - but you just turn the top three screws up. Fixed. Also - loosebottom can be an issue. People replace the bottom screws with short shaft hex (usually from a demon) or just regular short screws will work too.

I dig the CC - but it's not for everything. I'd play VH I with it through a browned out mega marshal - but not 5150. I'd play Allmans, but not ZZ Top, I'd play Blues but not metal with it. Sometimes I can get a nice page rhythm through a Vox or Bassman model....but not leads.

 

[Aceman]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

BTW - I'm wondering how much the DeMartini sounds froa JB with a 250k pot, or the tone down just a touch!

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

When was the Godin released? Because as early as '98 I remember coming on the old User Group Board and reading about the Custom Custom Custom (Current C5).

 

[noremorse]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

Let me count the ways...
1.) The JB has a jangly, clear high end that sounds great when strumming chords. It really would work great for roots rock where the guitarist is strumming cowboy chords through a tweed amp with some overdrive going.
When used for lead playing, the high notes become ear piercing.
The CC OTOH lacks that jangle to make strummed chords sound "stringy" enough. The higher strings sound too fat for that kind of playing. But when playing lead, high notes sing insted of screech.

2.) Power chords on the CC sound fat and chunky.The CC has a beefy lower midrange that gives it a bit of that growl you hear in the distorted guitars on the first Boston album. Very satisfying when playing power chords. The JB has a glaring hole in its frequency spectrum in the lower mids. No grunt, no chunk. This does make strummed chords sound cleaner and tighter, but it makes power chords and riffs on the lower strings sound anemic and emasculated.

3.) When played clean, the JB is too harsh and edgy. Clean arpggios and chords are hard to control because of the icepick upper midrange. But fade in a clean chord or play an arpeggio using the CC, and you hear fullness, some bell-like upper midrange cut, and a smooth upper mid/high end that is very easy on the ears. Hold that chord and pluck the harmonics an octave above or slap the fretboard an octave above, and you'll hear each harmonic chime and swell, but no shrill high frequencies. You can't do that with a JB without anyone in the room wincing in pain.

I should qualify that I have two guitars in which the JB sounds good. One in which it sounds extraordinary in fact. You'd swear there was a Custom in that guitar. But that guitar may have 250Kohm pots, which some say turn the JB into a completely differnt animal. But I've removed the JB's in any of my other guitars.

As for the story of the CC, I only know what Duncan's ads say - that it used ot be a custom shop model made to order for pro players, and the demand got so great that they added it to the production line. Who those player(s) were, well, we've all read the rumors.

I must agree. That is a very accurate description of my experience with the JB. That has been my favorite PU for over 20 years (yes, I'm very old) and I have used that PU to compare to all others. I still have one very old JB installed in an early '80s Kramer (Floyd Rose, maple neck, alder body) which sounds amazing. For the rest of my guitars (mostly Gibsons) I have installed Custom Customs. I feel they give me a fatter, chunkier sound with plenty of clarity.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: What's the history story on the Custom Custom?

How do the JB & CC differ? I was looking at both of them as a choice to go into an alder superstrat.

I'll tell you how they differed in a maple Ibanez wannabe-strat RX240.

The JB was very bright in this guitar (but soft maple body was the main reason). But otherwise, the JB is a hot, fat, stereotypical hard-rock/old-metal pickup. Tight lows, enough highs, and lots of mid range. It splits well.

The CC tamed the brightness of this guitar. The sound was just a little less compressed, but with a mid range crunch (think Queens of the Stone Age: I saw them live and the mid range was brutal and cool in a way) that was almost too much mids. Otherwise, it just sounded like an overwound vintage pickup to me. It splits well.

It depends on the music, really, to me. If you want a huge mid range crunch and saturation, and/or you want to tame a bright guitar, get a CC. Otherwise, if this is KISS / Megadeth or any other stereotypical hard rock / old metal band, the JB should work better in my opinion, but not in a bright guitar. Most strats seem balanced to me pretty much.

The only other guitar I had a JB in was my agathis body LTD EC-100QM. Pickups for an agathis guitar, especially good ones, are literally their life blood. Agathis has (in my opinion) no tonal credibility at all of its own, so pickups make or break the guitar if it's agathis.