Sh-5 vs. Custom 8

[SGjammer5493]

Hey guys! I'm new here, and I am looking for a bigger, fuller, and heavier sound out of my sg standard that I play directly into my marshall dsl 50. I have already decided on a Jazz in the neck for my leads and clean sounds. I have been reading about the Alnico 8 mag swap some of you guys have done in the sh-5.

so I guess the question is how would the custom and custom 8 compare in tone and output in a setup like mine?

Im going for something a hair more aggressive than the 498t that comes stock. I would be playing stuff similar to (saosin, heavier paramore songs, red jumpsuit apparatus, new norma jean, three days grace ect...)

[Kam]

I found it quite similar to the Custom in terms of EQ balance, actually. I'm sure a couple of people will disagree with me on that, but to my mind it has a touch less treble and a healthy bit more mids. I like the stock Custom in a Les Paul or a thicker bodied instrument; but in a thinner mahogany guitar like an SG the C8 kicks it's ass.

The C8 keeps the beef and thickness from the Custom but adds a lot more of an organic nature. It has more natural sounding overtones and is a lot more musical to my ears. The treble is a lot fatter and warmer than the regular Custom. The mids are fatter and the bass is a lot warmer and more complex, while barely losing any of the tightness. It keeps about the same level of output as well, so if you're worrying about it not hitting your pre-amp as hard...don't.

It's a great pickup in an SG. My second favourite was the Custom 5. The point is that it's a really easy mod to make and reverse if you don't like it, and the experimentation and learning experience alone is well worth the price of the magnet itself. You should get the Custom and a couple of magnets. I'd be extremely surprised if at least one of them didn't work out for you.

I'd also be surprised if you didn't settle on the C8.

Welcome to the forum, by the way. Stick around.

[Despair]

Output is fairly similar, the Custom 8 may be slightly lower output mostly due to reduced highs and particularly presence. It doesn't wind up dark, though, just a bit smoother and more open sounding.

Custom 8 winds up with an interesting blend of alnico and ceramic properties. Huge punchy bass, but without the presence bite/gritty edge of a ceramic. Maybe slightly more upper mid bite than the standard ceramic.

SGs are usually fairly bright, especially if it's an ebony fretboard I'd go with the Custom 8. Easiest might be to just try it both ways. Get the standard Custom and install it, swap the magnet if you want to try it the other way. Swapping the magnet just requires a bit of care to make sure you don't scratch the guitar, you don't need to desolder the pickup unless you've clipped the wires too short.

I'd measure the bridge spacing and make sure your bridge is narrow enough to want the SH spacing, even most Gibsons (excluding classic reproductions) have wider spacing now. Not world-ending for most people, but some peopel find the cosmetics of the strings not lining up perfectly annoying, and some find it causes a tone or volume change over some strings (typically one or both of the E strings).

[karpathion]

The C8 sounds bigger. The bottom end gets huge, but stays tight. There is an increase in mids, but it's a good increase, very smooth. The high end seems to loose any ear piercing bite it had, but still shines very gracefully. I loved my Sh-5 for 3 years, but after the A8 was installed I love it even more. It's a good choice.
I'll bet it sounds beter in an SG.

[symptom]

I play classic rock and blues on my SG and I like the Custom UOA5 better the the C8, BUT for what you want from the pickup, I think the C8 is the best choice. Go for it.

For the neck, I use a 59n and a lot of players here recommend the Pearly Gates neck. I've never seen anyone recommending a Jazz neck for SG's, but it doesn't mean that's a bad choice.

[blueman335]

I found it quite similar to the Custom in terms of EQ balance, actually. I'm sure a couple of people will disagree with me on that, but to my mind it has a touch less treble and a healthy bit more mids. I like the stock Custom in a Les Paul or a thicker bodied instrument; but in a thinner mahogany guitar like an SG the C8 kicks it's ass.

The C8 keeps the beef and thickness from the Custom but adds a lot more of an organic nature. It has more natural sounding overtones and is a lot more musical to my ears. The treble is a lot fatter and warmer than the regular Custom. The mids are fatter and the bass is a lot warmer and more complex, while barely losing any of the tightness. It keeps about the same level of output as well, so if you're worrying about it not hitting your pre-amp as hard...don't.

It's a great pickup in an SG. My second favourite was the Custom 5. The point is that it's a really easy mod to make and reverse if you don't like it, and the experimentation and learning experience alone is well worth the price of the magnet itself. You should get the Custom and a couple of magnets. I'd be extremely surprised if at least one of them didn't work out for you.

I'd also be surprised if you didn't settle on the C8.

Welcome to the forum, by the way. Stick around.

+1 to all of the above, and yes, stick around. C8's in SG's are wonderful things for many genres of music.

[surface54]

i have a C8 and a DSL100. i have no complaints.
other then the C8 crunch is very different then other pickups ive had in the same guitar.
JB was near perfect in the overall crunch imo.
Alt8 was a little dry but still had power behind it.
CC was nothing special the pickup has no identity.
C8 sounds like it has a big crunch but it almost disappears in a mix, had to readjust the presence on my amp to really get it to cut through leaving a little thinner sound but still better overall then the pickups i mentioned. the lows are big. the mids are very big and highs are tamed, nothing scratching, very bloomy with decent crunch high up the neck.

[Despair]

Is it only problematic live? Because it sounds amazing in your old samples...

[SGjammer5493]

I like what i'm hearing so far! I might just have to try them both! But i definitely need something really punchy and tight that cuts through the mix like butter. I like the grainy sound the 498t has, but I need something a little better for high gain, but nothing over the top. For this particular guitar, I am looking some real balls at the bridge position ranging from classic rock and pop rock crunch to more aggressive modern rock.

Thanks guys! keep the responses coming!

[surface54]

I like what i'm hearing so far! I might just have to try them both! But i definitely need something really punchy and tight that cuts through the mix like butter. I like the grainy sound the 498t has, but I need something a little better for high gain, but nothing over the top. For this particular guitar, I am looking some real balls at the bridge position ranging from classic rock and pop rock crunch to more aggressive modern rock.

Thanks guys! keep the responses coming!

you have perfectly described the C8
look no further i assure you

[surface54]

i become indifferent about my tones once in awhile, only to find out how good what i have really is. i wont ever get rid of the C8, even if i bought another pickup to try, C8 is staying. it just has too much range. only reason i may blotch the crunch aspect is cause im really overdoing it with all the external eqs and boosts with this DSL, which really isnt a metal amp but i want it to be.
so its all relative to my never ending tone searching.
which is the reason the C8 is mega awesome, as stated in a really old thread the "you can overload the C8 with gain and it just keeps asking for more" it stays under control. perfect for alot of genres cause alot of people are tone tweakers out there, this pick allows progress at any level.

[misterwhizzy]

I'll just give one more approval post for the Custom 8. I love it. I stopped searching for bridge pickups after I got this one installed. It's great for hard rock and classic metal, and it cleans up pretty nicely too for a warmer bridge clean. And if you want a punchy pickup, this is it.

[cheameup]

The c8 is worth a try for sure for what it costs. I tried it In 2 guitars and didn't like it and changed it back to a c5

I also tried an alt8 in the same 2 guitars and it found it's home in the tele. The alt8 and c8 are pretty similar but something about the c8 mids grated on me. It sounded great for leads but rhythm sound wasn't my vibe while I think the alt8 covers both better. That said I didn't love the alt8 till it got in the tele with 250k pots. Maybe a8 mags just arent for every guitar

[Soulcrusher_X]

Im thinking about doing the C8 swap for my LP Custom. I really like the SH5 Custom, but I just cant get along with ceramic mags in this guitar. It was AWESOME in my old SG though. I found my old SH5, now I need to buy a few magnets.

[blueman335]

I like what i'm hearing so far! I might just have to try them both! But i definitely need something really punchy and tight that cuts through the mix like butter. I like the grainy sound the 498t has

I have A8's in a 498T, works very well. Definitely worth a try.

[Franknfilms]

I have A8's in a 498T, works very well. Definitely worth a try.

Agreed, if you're going to go to the trouble of making a Custom 8, might as well buy an A8 magnet, put it in your 498T first. If you're still not happy then order the Custom. This is what I did with my duncan distortion, didn't pan out, but at least I could have potentially saved a lot of money.

[SGjammer5493]

swapping the mag in the 498t actually sounds like a good idea...how does it compare to the c8??

[blueman335]

swapping the mag in the 498t actually sounds like a good idea...how does it compare to the c8??

They're similar, but the 498T seems slightly brighter and has that grainy quality. I take the infamous 498T/490 pair (that so many complain about - bright bridge/dark neck), and put an A8 or UOA5 in the bridge for warmth, and an A5 in the neck for clarity, and I have Gibson's version of the C8/'59N. I like it a lot.

[SGjammer5493]

hmmm i think i will just have to try that then! Saves money that way too i guess.

[Barron1]

I have an SD Custom in my Ibanez SZ520, I wonder how it would sound if I changed it to a C8