The '59 Bridge in my Studio Custom Sounds Awesome Because...

atquinn

atquinn

New member
So I was taking the pickups out of my Studio to swap them with something else (which didn't end up happening, but that's another story) and it turns out that what I thought was a 59 bridge is actually a Custom Custom!! Now the fact that it's almost as hot as the Aldrich pickup in my other Studio makes sense! This is doubly embarassing because I was ripping on someone a month or 2 back for being clueless enough to confusing a hot SD bridge pickup with a 59 model! /emoticons/default_dry.png Anyway, the 59/CC combo works so much better than the 59/JB combo (which I've played in a couple other guits) it's not funny!

-Austin

 
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You know, when you said that you loved how the '59 sounded in the bridge postion, I was truly stumped! I was thinking "how can he possibly like that pickup in that position?".

Makes a ton of sense now. The Custom Custom rocks in the bridge for mahogany/maple guitars. I remember the first time I plugged in my Monaco Elite, I was amazed at how good it sounded.

Glad you like it.

 
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Yeah, the CC is one of my favs. Very close to a Rio BBQ I believe which is also nice. Anyone know how those 2 compare to a Dimarzio Tone Zone?

 
I've tried the Tone Zone in a couple different guitars, but they were all alder bodies. Sounded quite a bit different than my CC there.

-Austin

 
Assuming we're talking a maple top/mahogany bodied guitar, what are the differences between the CC bridge pup and the rio grande BBQ and the JB?

I had a JB in a Studio Custom I sold. I know this won't be very popular, but I liked it. Whenever I let someone else play it, they would always comment about how hot the pup was. I've also got a JB in the bridge of my Centaura. Sounds like pure hairband heaven to me. I've got a Rio Grande in a 3 hole DuoTone, but that is a completely different top. I like the harmonics that I get with that pup - a very rich sound. So how does that CC compare?

 
I seem to remember someone saying that the Rio BBQ is basically their take on the CC. The JB would be brighter than those two. I'm thinking that the Tone Zone is noted for big bass and slightly muted highs as compare to the JB's sizzle. Does the BBQ have the same big bass as the Tone Zone?

 
I'm a big fan of the Custom/Custom and the Custom 5 in the bridge position. The Custom/Custom has more midrange and a buttery high end while the Custom 5 has that great lower end thump and hot PAF style tone. I don't htink you could go wrong with either one of those.

 
I like the Custom 5 with a '59 neck.

Hamer used the Custom Custom in the 25th aniversary LTD with a Pearly Gates in the neck. That sounds like a good combo to try - both pickups have Alnico II magnets. An Alnico II Pro in the neck might work too.

I just installed the Tone Zone / Air Norton combo in my Diablo, along with the Schaller Megaswitch P-model (PRS style switching). I've never used DiMarzio pickups before, but I'm pretty impressed so far. A 7/8 sized Alder body can be a bit thin sounding, and that was the case with the stock JB. The Tone Zone is almost perfect. It's not as dark as I thought it would be - it's got a lot of mids but it isn't as nasal as the JB.

 
Mike Lee said:
An Alnico II Pro in the neck might work too.
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The AlNiCo Pro II works very well in the neck of a Studio. I had the Custom/Custom Custom mix in the Monaco Elite I had and it was a very nice factory set-up - 10X better than a '59/JB to these ears.

 
I think the BBQ is much fatter sounding than any Duncan pickup. I like all the pickups mentioned, with my all time favorite being the JB. People rag on it, but I play it through old Fender amps, or my newer Pro Jr., and it always rocks.

The JB has much more mids than it does high end, and really is not bright at all, compared to the 59.

 
You're right about the JB having lots of mids rather than true brightness. But they are upper mids that sound nasal clean, if played on an amp with lots of mids, and they sound very cutting with distortion.

Looking at HC reviews, it seems a lot of poeple (kids mostly) rate pickups based on the distortion sound. Bright pickups without a lot of mids (PAF style) lose cut and definition under heavy distortion. The JB never does no matter how much distortion you use.

 
How does a Custom compare to the Custom/Custom? I have a bud who swears by the Custom.

 
The CC is made w/ an Alnico II magnet instead of 5. It has more mids and softer bass and treble. I think they work especially well in a bright sounding guitar. For reference, the pickups Slash endorses (and I guess uses?) are also made with Alnico II magnets.

 
Mike Lee said:
You're right about the JB having lots of mids rather than true brightness. But they are upper mids that sound nasal clean, if played on an amp with lots of mids, and they sound very cutting with distortion.

Looking at HC reviews, it seems a lot of poeple (kids mostly) rate pickups based on the distortion sound. Bright pickups without a lot of mids (PAF style) lose cut and definition under heavy distortion. The JB never does no matter how much distortion you use.
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Hey Mike, was it the Custom 5 (SH-14) you recommended for a Studio Custom for the bridge? This pickup sounds good to me. (See link. Seymour Duncan needs to stop future use of numbers and the word custom for pickup names I think.)

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2002/...4-Custom-5.html

 
Let me rephrase my question: which one chugga chugga chuggas best? /emoticons/default_dry.png

 
it's a little confusing ... but there is a regular custom (SH-5) which is a hot PAF with ceramic magnets ... my favorite (sounds amazing in my all mahogany blitz)

A custom 5 which is a custom with alnico 5 magnets and a custom custom, which is a hotter reg. custom

Queens of the Stoneage/a perfect circle guitarist uses the reg custom (through a old tube screamer) good enough for me!

 
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