Should I try a custom?

[Rowan]

Okay I'm thinking that I'll change out the nickel covered JB in my EC-400at. I want an uncovered pickup but don't have a dremel to take it off. B

But I have an uncovered JB and an uncovered custom.

I really like the way the JB sounds for leads and pretty much everything else in general. I've never really tried a ceramic I liked, except a hot rails in the neck of a strat, which was pretty sweet. IS the custom organic sounding? Also which has a higher output, JB or custom? I know the custom has lower DC resistance but it does have a ceramic.

[MikeS]

Both pickups push an amplifier fairly hard. They are pretty close in terms of output. To me the JB's strong upper mid range sure made it feel a little hotter than the Custom for lead work, but the Custom's low end seemed to have more sizzle. For my money, the JB was a sweeter lead pickup, but the Custom provided the huge chunky rhythms. Conversely, I found the high end on the Custom to be a little brittle for leads and the JB to be a little loose for an A5 on the low end.

There are many guys who are scared of the Custom, and still more who bash it for it's ceramic magnet, based solely on what they know from cheap import ceramic pickups. It does display ceramic qualities, such as more compression than A2 and A5 and a little more output, but it's still a very thick sounding pickup. Of the two, though, the JB is slightly more organic and sounds a little less compressed.

But, yeah, if you've got both laying around, give the Custom a shot. You can always go back to the JB if you decide you like it better.

PS - this should be in the Pickup Lounge.

[Rowan]

Well I ended up slapping in the custom and so far I'm really liking it for this guitar. I was afraid the custom would be inorganic and have a scratchy, fake sounding high end but that is not the case at all. I'm very impressed, it has a very natural sound for a ceramic pup.

I have the pickup set a bit lower than normal but it sounds really really good so far. Harmonics are louder and the low end is tighter with more cut. Even the solo tone is good! The JB was a bit sweeter but the custom has more treble and sounds a bit more aggressive. I really think the added treble is going to even out this guitar very nicely. The EC-400 archtop has a ton of lows and sustain, but its also a bit darker and rounder. So far I've only played through my shiesty little crate amp. I'll see how it sounds on the 5150 tomorrow

[Uk Ant]

Just remember you can always drop in a A5 magnet into the custom if you really don't get on with the ceramic edge to the sound.
Or you could do what I did and drop in an A8, which provides a much smoother mid range which is better of lead work but still maintains that tight low end of rythm.