SH-5 a bit too harsh...C8?

[Oceano]

I love the output and tightness of my Custom in my LP, but sometimes I find it way too cutting and shrill on some of the higher notes for lead playing. Is putting in an alnico 8 magnet the solution to this or should I try a different pot value (currently using stock alpha 500k).

[Oceano]

No one?

[dr. ad]

if you're finding the SH-5 cutting and shrill, consider putting an A2 in there

[Oceano]

I really like almost everything else about the Custom other than the fact that its kinda harsh. With an A2 I'm afraid I might lose the tightness I like out of it.

[chassless]

putting an A2 in it would make it an sh-11 custom custom. it's a bit loose for my taste.

[B2D]

Originally Posted by Oceano

I love the output and tightness of my Custom in my LP, but sometimes I find it way too cutting and shrill on some of the higher notes for lead playing. Is putting in an alnico 8 magnet the solution to this or should I try a different pot value (currently using stock alpha 500k).

The Custom with an Alnico 8, at least to my ears, retains the best qualities of the Custom while adding in some alnico-flavored smoothness and sag. The highs are smoothed out but they still have enough cut and chirp to really sing for solo work and make for detailed chords. I really liked it... much more so than the Custom Custom or Custom 5. It might be what you're looking for. Give it a shot!

[orpheo]

I tried out the custom, cause everybody said it was so bright and tight. well... in my les paul, it really stinks! Its muchy and warm, no 'scream' whatsoever. so, I put the custom in the neck (setup VERY low, kinda neat actually!) and a duncan screamin demon in the bridge; much, much better (though nothing close to the JB in the bridge... I love that pickup, and I hate the pickup for loving it!)

[Oceano]

Originally Posted by B2D

The Custom with an Alnico 8, at least to my ears, retains the best qualities of the Custom while adding in some alnico-flavored smoothness and sag. The highs are smoothed out but they still have enough cut and chirp to really sing for solo work and make for detailed chords. I really liked it... much more so than the Custom Custom or Custom 5. It might be what you're looking for. Give it a shot!

See that's sorta what I was hoping for. I love the custom it can just be a bit too bright and cutting. Did you try it with 500k pots or 300k? I don't know if that's part of the problem or not.

[Surgeon]

How about a lower value tone-pot? Never tried it but I'm thinking it would tame some of the highs out.

[uOpt]

The C8 is very loud and uncompressed, it isn't warmer.

Personally I think what you want there is a JB/A2. The CC is too dark in a LP.

[saladin]

C5 is my favorite Duncan bridge humbucker. Try replacing the ceramic mag in your Custom with an A5 mag and you'll have a C5. The Custom is ok if your playin' distorted all the time but the clean sound is sterile.

[Lewguitar]

I'd just turn down the treble and/or presence on the amp...

I don't hear the Custom as being overly bright or harsh or shrill or any of those words.

Cuz it's not.

But I guess we all have to go through this kinda thing and do the search for the pickup that's going to cure all ills - just know that most likely none of those ills are actually being caused by the pickup.

(Which doesn't mean you're not going to find a pickup you like better than the Custom. You probably will. )

[blueman335]

You have a PU that isn't quite what you want, common situation. First step is the no cost things like PU & pole piece height. Then different pots & magnets, which often gets what you want. If not, you're out of tricks & should start looking for a different PU. But don't give up on a PU without tweaking a few things first. You could spend a lot of money and not be any happier than you are now, another common occurence.

Like some other forum members, I also find the Custom sterile, bright, and harsh for my needs (blues & classic rock), even with 250K's. In an LP, putting in an A5 did the trick; I get some alnico flavor. In an SG, I usually seem to need more mids and body, & lean towards A8's. Other guys here use A4's and A2's in their Customs. It's a great platform to experiment with. Each magnet gives a PU a different EQ and personality. As I've found out thru trial and error: get a PU that in the ball park for your needs, and if needed, do a little tweaking. Often times I've had the right PU, just not the right magnet in it. That's a 10 minute fix that sets you back $5. Sure beats dropping $100 on a new PU that you might not like any better.

[Lewguitar]

I went over to a guy's house a few years ago who had just bought a Bogner and had a Hiwatt and Vibroking amp for sale.

I brought my own guitar to test them and wound up buying the VibroKing.

I asked the guy why he was selling such great gear and he said the tone of the Hiwatt and the Vibroking was to harsh and bright. He just couldn't get a good tone out of them.

Then he showed me his new guitar which he had done a fret level on a few weeks earlier. The fret level was about half finished but he thought it was fine. He hadn't rounded the fret tops, hadn't even sanded out the file marks in the frets and certainly hadn't polished the fret tops to a mirror finish. When you played anything on that guitar it rattled and scraped and sounded like crap - so naturally he blamed the amp.

His amps were fine. His guitar was not.

I think there's a lot of this that goes on - especially with the young and inexperienced.

And the Custom is NOT bright, harsh and sterile...although I can believe some players playing is bright, harsh and sterile.

[blueman335]

Originally Posted by Lewguitar

And the Custom is NOT bright, harsh and sterile...although I can believe some players playing is bright, harsh and sterile.

Whether the Custom is 'bright, harsh, and sterile' is a matter of taste, not a matter of fact. We all hear with different ears. This forum is all about different opinions. Let's agree to disagree.

[B2D]

Originally Posted by Oceano

See that's sorta what I was hoping for. I love the custom it can just be a bit too bright and cutting. Did you try it with 500k pots or 300k? I don't know if that's part of the problem or not.

I used mine with 500K pots.

[Oceano]

Ok here's the deal its not that bright for me as I use my amp to eq certain things out. I just find the highs to be a bit too cutting I guess is the word. I'd like the highs to be a bit more rounded. Not too much like an A2 cuz those are flabby on the low end of things. I was just wondering if the A8 would round out the highs while keeping the output, mostly the same EQ, and some of the tightness as the regular custom.

Lew, you're right harsh isn't exactly the word for it. I like the custom for rock and metal, but its just a bit too much for some of the stuff I play with my band (pop-rock and punk-ish with alternative and some clean work occasionally). And, I know you weren't necessarily directing this toward me, but I am well aware that more than just pickups go into what you get out of your tone and that there are a lot of variables that play into that

[Oceano]

Originally Posted by uOpt

The C8 is very loud and uncompressed, it isn't warmer.

Personally I think what you want there is a JB/A2. The CC is too dark in a LP.

I think you may have misunderstood. I like the Custom (which is what I have I would just like to do a little bit of tweaking to it, not completely buy a new pickup

[Lewguitar]

Originally Posted by Oceano

Ok here's the deal its not that bright for me as I use my amp to eq certain things out. I just find the highs to be a bit too cutting I guess is the word. I'd like the highs to be a bit more rounded. Not too much like an A2 cuz those are flabby on the low end of things. I was just wondering if the A8 would round out the highs while keeping the output, mostly the same EQ, and some of the tightness as the regular custom.

Lew, you're right harsh isn't exactly the word for it. I like the custom for rock and metal, but its just a bit too much for some of the stuff I play with my band (pop-rock and punk-ish with alternative and some clean work occasionally). And, I know you weren't necessarily directing this toward me, but I am well aware that more than just pickups go into what you get out of your tone and that there are a lot of variables that play into that

Cool. I'm a little under the weather. Sorry if my posts came across as harsh, sterile or to bright!

There's so much good information shared here - but also a lot of bad misinformation being handed out and good sounding pickups (that I have a lot of experience with) being blamed for bad tone. Sometime both good information and bad information comes from the same source!

When I know better from my own experience, I can't help but suspect the bad tone being blamed on what I know is a good pickup design is caused by a lack of touch and good playing technique or very mediocre amps with cheap speakers or amps and /or guitars that are just not set up properly or by players who just haven't been playing long enough to really know what's what.

You just never know unless you get a chance to meet the guy or hear him play. But I'm extremely curious about what some of the tone connoiseurs here really sound like. Aren't you?

I might be in for a real surprise! Wouldn't be the first time.

I do know that, to paraphrase what Jol Danzig said, most of the music we love that was created in the 50's was created on equipment that we would think was very poor gear indeed. The gear is not as important as the feel, touch, talent, skill and artistry of the player.

[Oceano]

Cool. I'm a little under the weather. Sorry if my posts came across as harsh, sterile or to bright!

I literally laughed out loud so hard when I read that lol.

But I totally understand what you're saying and agree with you 100%. It would be really interesting to really hear what some people on this forum really sound like

As far as the pickup part goes I'm kind of just into tweaking like everything right now in a sort of experimental stage so that I can learn as much as I can about a lot of the different things about electric guitars and pickups in general. I do agree that magnet swapping and pot changing often get recommended too much here when in reality someone probably just needs to turn down their treble knob (which i have already done just so you know)

I really just want to know what I can expect from swapping out the ceramic for an A8.