TB-5 Custom in an Alder or Basswood Strat

[Turbine X-2000]

Would a TB-5 custom be compatible in an Alder or Basswood Strat body with plastic pickguard,with a maple neck/rosewood fingerboard combination? Would this combination be too thin sounding with a Wilkinson Trem with Sperzel locking tuners? Would a 59 neck model be compatible with this combination? This is for a high gain pedal/amp combination,while playing '80's Hair Metal,and harder edged Classic Rock covers. Anyone out there have or tried this combination? Thanks.

[Funkfingers]

Er, exactly which model of Wilkinson vibrato bridge are you using?

I have an Ash/Maple self-build guitar with the Wilkinson VS100 bridge. Mine is the original "locking" version of this bridge with the aluminium spring cavity cover plate and a metal receptacle that was supposed to receive the end of the vibrato arm so as to fix the bridge when not in use. My instrument also has Sperzel locking machineheads.

Over the years, I have tried various dual humbucker combinations. I found that really hot humbuckers sounded "constipated" compared to traditional output humbuckers.

My anecdotal recommendations;
Gibson '57 Classic
Tokai/Gotoh PAF clones
DiMarzio Bluesbucker
D-I-Y Bluesbucker clone built from remains of damaged Gibson 490R/498T

NOTE: I use high-gain valve amplification rather than overdrive/distortion pedals.

The other pickups that sounded wonderful on this guitar were three DiMarzio Brian May model single coils, wired permanently in series - like Brian's legendary Red Special. Bridge and centre coils, in series, in phase sounds at least as fat as a humbucker.

Like a twerp, I sold that pickguard assembly. Somebody kick me!

[Lewguitar]

Would a TB-5 custom be compatible in an Alder or Basswood Strat body with plastic pickguard,with a maple neck/rosewood fingerboard combination? Would this combination be too thin sounding with a Wilkinson Trem with Sperzel locking tuners? Would a 59 neck model be compatible with this combination? This is for a high gain pedal/amp combination,while playing '80's Hair Metal,and harder edged Classic Rock covers. Anyone out there have or tried this combination? Thanks.

Yes. I have one in two Strats. I prefer vintage output humbuckers under 9K but for a "hot" rock or blues/rock humbucker, of all the Customs (custom, Custom Custom, Custom Custom, etc.) I like the Custom best.

It NEVER sounds thin to me.

A 59 neck pickup would balance very well with the Custom. I have a Jazz neck pickup with my Custom in one Strat and the Jazz is similar to the 59N. In my other Strat with the Custom I have a PG neck pickup. I like the PGn a little better - it's a favorite neck humbucker for many here on the forum. (But so is the Jazz neck and 59 neck!)

I also want to say that the tone of the Custom strikes me as being very strong and full. It has a very balanced tone to my ears with plenty of tight bass, plenty of thick mids and plenty of smooth highs.


Some guys claim they hear the Custom as being sizzley or bright or grainy in the treble range but neither of mine sounds that way at all. It's very smooth.

I think a lot of misinformation gets regurgitated on the internet by folks who are influenced by what they've read other misinformed players write, or by taking advertising verbage to seriously. The PG is another one accused of being bright and sizzley but it's just not true. To compare the PG to a sizzling steak grilling on a Texas Barbeque might make for good marketing but it's not what the PG (or the Custom) sounds like.