Author Topic: Replacement for SD Custom 5? (Read 7532 times)

Philly Q · « **on:** March 29, 2007, 09:58:29 PM »

After the ignominy of a failed attempt to hijack Sambo's SD Custom Custom thread :oops: , I've tucked my tail between my legs, marshalled my remaining ragtag troops and decided I should start my own damn thread:

I have an SH-14 Custom Five (which, I believe, is the same pickup as a Custom Custom, but with an AV magnet instead of AII).

It's medium output, bright and a lot less midrangey than the Custom Custom. A bit scooped, I suppose (Duncan say bass is 6, midrange 3, treble 8 but I'm never sure about their tone charts). Compared to a JB, it's sharper and less mushy. I quite like the clarity/transparency of the thing, but it does tend to sound a little harsh, even in mahogany.

Anyone familiar with the Custom 5, and is there a BKP that's in the same tonal ballpark but just a little fatter/warmer? I was thinking maybe the Emerald, but as usual I'm probably way off the mark.

sambo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2007, 10:00:07 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

After the ignominy of a failed attempt to hijack Sambo's SD Custom Custom thread :oops: , I've tucked my tail between my legs, marshalled my remaining ragtag troops and decided I should start my own damn thread:

I have an SH-14 Custom Five (which, I believe, is the same pickup as a Custom Custom, but with an AV magnet instead of AII).

It's medium output, bright and a lot less midrangey than the Custom Custom. A bit scooped, I suppose (Duncan say bass is 6, midrange 3, treble 8 but I'm never sure about their tone charts). Compared to a JB, it's sharper and less mushy. I quite like the clarity/transparency of the thing, but it does tend to sound a little harsh, even in mahogany.

Anyone familiar with the Custom 5, and is there a BKP that's in the same tonal ballpark but just a little fatter/warmer? I was thinking maybe the Emerald, but as usual I'm probably way off the mark.

i have no $%&#ing clue about the pickups mate... but that opening line was pure class.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

dave_mc · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2007, 10:19:28 PM »

^ I agree. :lol:

Brow · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2007, 11:31:33 PM »

I had a Custom 5 in the bridge of my Gordon Smith Graduate 60 (Les Paul) clone for about a week before I couldn't take the cr@pness anymore and had to take it back out! :shock:

It's the only pickup I've ever truly hated the tone of. I've tried alot of Duncans (Custom, Custom 5, Screamin Demon, Seth Lovers, 59s, JB etc) and I could get a tone I could live with from all of them except the Custom 5!

I kinda owe my trying BKPs in the 1st place to how much I hated the Custom 5 :lol: After I took it out, I tried a Screamin Demon' (which I had in my Epi LP and liked) but eventually took the Duncans out and bought a set of BKs off Ebay (a Black Bridge and a Riff Raff neck).

Little would I know that that set of pickups off Ebay would cost me alot of money in the future, just so all my other guitars could have BKs and all sound as great as that does :twisted: 8)

As regards what sounds similar to a Custom 5 in the BK range: nothing, all BKs sound better! :twisted: 8) :D

Philly Q · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2007, 12:38:18 AM »

:lol: Brow, It's interesting that you tried so many different Duncans and hated the C5 so much (hmm, C5, wasn't that the little Sinclair electric trike thingy?). I've owned all the ones you mentioned (except the Screamin' Demon) and I don't think the C5 is any worse than the others. I can live with the JB, but there's something annoying about the mids (Hunter called it "fizzy", which sums it up nicely) and the clean sound is horrible. So in that respect, I sort-of like the clearer Custom 5.

{Getting off topic (my own topic :roll: ), but my own most-hated pickup is the DiMarzio Tone Zone. I did try it in totally inappropriate guitars though.}

Quote from: Brow

As regards what sounds similar to a Custom 5 in the BK range: nothing, all BKs sound better! :twisted: 8) :D

Goes without saying

, and I'm certainly not looking for a direct replacement. I'm just curious if there's any BKP with that kind of bright/nasal tone (I guess the answer is "no" to nasal... :lol: ). I quite like a bright, clear bridge pickup matched with a warm, fat (even borderline mushy) neck pickup, so there's a big contrast between the two.

(Edit: forget my initial guess about the Emerald at the top of the thread, I've been doing some more forum-scouring and I'm sure the Emmy sounds nothing like the C5. I saw the word "midrange" mentioned several times in connection with the Emerald.)

ericsabbath · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2007, 07:45:35 AM »

i think the bridge cold sweat is close to ceramic duncan custom
maybe it could sound as a custom V with alnico V

i had a duncan custom VIII (alnico 8)
the new holy diver sound as chunky and full as the custom VIII, but A LOT clearer and better
custom VIII was muddy on heavy chords
HD is a mid heavy pickup, like a jb, but balanced, thicker, and not overbright or fizzy
it's not dark to my ears like some people say here, but it has a lot of low and center mids

but if you want something strong but not too much and more scooped mids like your duncan or a gibson 498t, you could ask tim if a cold sweat would sound good with an alnico V magnet

Philly Q · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2007, 01:16:53 PM »

Quote from: Eric Hellstyle

but if you want something strong but not too much and more scooped mids like your duncan or a gibson 498t, you could ask tim if a cold sweat would sound good with an alnico V magnet

That's a very interesting idea :) . I don't particularly want to go the custom-wound route, but it's something to think about.

Forgetting about the Duncan Custom 5 for now, let's put my question another way. If (for the sake of argument) a Riff Raff is a slightly brighter Mule without the midrange hump/bump, and a Crawler is a beefed-up Mule, then:

Mule is to Crawler as
Riff Raff is to [-------]

:?:

sambo · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2007, 03:55:54 PM »

well im guessing it would probably be one of the Vintage Hot series... (VHII, Emerald, Black Dog, Abraxas)

as anything above that would be too hot?

gingataff · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2007, 04:11:48 PM »

REBEL YELL?
But I think you've already got one of those haven't you?

sambo · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2007, 04:14:24 PM »

ohh yer- his signature... Abraxas and Black Dog as well.... hmm i have no idea..

TwilightOdyssey · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2007, 04:35:07 PM »

Black Dog is what I'm thinking.

sgmypod · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2007, 04:37:19 PM »

had the duncun replaced with emeralds

Philly Q · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2007, 05:10:17 PM »

Quote from: gingataff

REBEL YELL?
But I think you've already got one of those haven't you?

Quote from: TwilightOdyssey

Black Dog is what I'm thinking.

Yeah, I was thinking Rebel Yell might be the answer - similar output to a Crawler, but a bit brighter. But I don't really want to get another one, variety being the spice of life and all that. :?

And I have - or soon will have - a Black Dog in my other V, so same applies there.

I was kinda hoping you'd all say Emerald because that's what I've half-decided on! :D (thanks sgmypod)

So.... one for the Ancient Of Metal, probably:

Emerald vs. Black Dog vs. Rebel Yell. Which is the brightest/most middly/most bassy? I remember on a thread somewhere Phil K described the Emerald as being between the Riff Raff and RY, which sounded highly promising.

Brow · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2007, 08:16:05 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

:lol: Brow, It's interesting that you tried so many different Duncans and hated the C5 so much (hmm, C5, wasn't that the little Sinclair electric trike thingy?). I've owned all the ones you mentioned (except the Screamin' Demon) and I don't think the C5 is any worse than the others.

I actually really liked the Seth Lovers I had in my Gibson Les Paul Standard (I replaced a set of Duncan 59s that came in the guitar, hated them!), until I tried a set of Mules at Music Live 1 year and decided I needed a set :D

Philly Q · « **Reply #14 on:** March 30, 2007, 08:42:11 PM »

I didn't like the Seths at all, but I had them in a semi-hollow Hamer Artist, before I realised hollowbodies aren't my thing. Maybe they'd have been better in a solidbody.