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All,
Listened very closely all night to sound samples and read the tone chart a couple times. My final decision is an Alnico II Pro (neck) and a Duncan Custom (bridge). I like how these seem smooth but bassy. Should give me a very round tone.

Not to disrupt a final decision and all --and really, I think I would like the combination -- but the Custom doesn't sound very smooth to me. It's got an aggressive, almost grainy top end that might sound harsh to someone seeking smooth. I happen to like that about it, but I wasn't looking for smooth, so...

That said, I do find it to be pretty versatile and with the right amp and the right settings, it might lend itself to much smoother operations than I typically find for it.


Originally Posted by St_GenesiusNot to disrupt a final decision and all --and really, I think I would like the combination -- but the Custom doesn't sound very smooth to me. It's got an aggressive, almost grainy top end that might sound harsh to someone seeking smooth. I happen to like that about it, but I wasn't looking for smooth, so...

That said, I do find it to be pretty versatile and with the right amp and the right settings, it might lend itself to much smoother operations than I typically find for it.going for thaqt combo myself for my les paul custom.
even a JB can sound grainy(as opposed to smooth) with some amps.sounds very smooth with my classic 50.
just check yur EQ.

I think you'll end up with a great tone but I never use the sound samples myself. Whenever I install a new pickup and then compare my tone to the sound samples, I never sound like the sound samples. The Custom has a great tone: fat solid tight bass, fat thick solid mids and toothy slightly aggressive highs. A great pickup. Lew


Originally Posted by St_GenesiusNot to disrupt a final decision and all --and really, I think I would like the combination -- but the Custom doesn't sound very smooth to me. It's got an aggressive, almost grainy top end that might sound harsh to someone seeking smooth. I happen to like that about it, but I wasn't looking for smooth, so...

That said, I do find it to be pretty versatile and with the right amp and the right settings, it might lend itself to much smoother operations than I typically find for it.

Well here's how I was testing: I connected computer headphone jack to Boss ME50 quot;AUX INquot; jack into my amp. (Don't knock it, lots of musicians have said that it sounds very nice when I'm playing high-quality ripped music into it). This is the closest I can get to it being more quot;real worldquot;. From there, I listened to all of them, clean and dirty, and fell in love with the Alnico II Pro and the Duncan Custom. Amp was with EQ at 5 for all bands and such, clean, etc. It could be your amp, you never know. In this same configuration I used, the JB samples sounded harsher than the Duncan Custom. Oh well. But thanks for your input though!


Originally Posted by LewguitarI think you'll end up with a great tone but I never use the sound samples myself. Whenever I install a new pickup and then compare my tone to the sound samples, I never sound like the sound samples. The Custom has a great tone: fat solid tight bass, fat thick solid mids and toothy slightly aggressive highs. A great pickup. Lew

True that!!!! I find the tone samples or folks recordings do not capture the ture personality of a pickup! My buddy runs a studio and we have experimented with making samples in the past. The recordings are much closer in tone than what you are hearing when you play them and hear them in the booth!

BTW, the custom and APH is a wondeful and solid combo!

I loved that combo in me Hamer. The only issue I had was that the Custom doesn't do low gain tones as well as other pickups. I turned it into a C5 and am happier with it for low gain and high gain tones.

If you want smooth and warm, the CC/APII may be the most dialed in combo for that sound. I'm a fan of the C5 the most, but it's more open sounding like a hotter 59, so it suits me. To me, the C-5 is the most versatile of all the Customs. I've tried overwound C-5, C-3, C-4, Custom, CC, and C-5, but still want to try a C-8. So far, I still like the regular C-5 and CC the best.


Originally Posted by St_GenesiusNot to disrupt a final decision and all --and really, I think I would like the combination -- but the Custom doesn't sound very smooth to me. It's got an aggressive, almost grainy top end that might sound harsh to someone seeking smooth. I happen to like that about it, but I wasn't looking for smooth, so...

That said, I do find it to be pretty versatile and with the right amp and the right settings, it might lend itself to much smoother operations than I typically find for it.

Oh yeah. Not exactly quot;smoothquot; if ya ask me.

I was thinking CC also.


Originally Posted by Benjy_26I loved that combo in me Hamer. The only issue I had was that the Custom doesn't do low gain tones as well as other pickups. I turned it into a C5 and am happier with it for low gain and high gain tones.

But there are no sound clips to hear of this pickup, so it automatically loses out because I can't hear it. Sorry.

Yea i am using a Custom and an A2P in my Les Paul Agile copy, and it is great. Versatile, smooth bottom and a nice strong attack on top.... can get a variety of sounds.

Dre

I have a bunch of clips, including a Les Paul with Custom/A2pro combo.
pickup samples
I have more of that combo also. I will post them if you'd like to hear them.


Originally Posted by neosadistBut there are no sound clips to hear of this pickup, so it automatically loses out because I can't hear it. Sorry.

Look at post #4 and #6!!!!!! I am telling ya, clips are overates in most cases!!!

As I said, I like the naturally agressive top end of the Custom, so you're probably right that I'm dialing in tones that emphasize that one the various amps and amp models that I use. And believe me, I know just how great a pickup the Custom is. It's pretty much my favorite bridge model pup for punk and metal. I can't help but go chugga-chugga everytime I plug in my FLP.

I was just a bit worried that for someone trying to find the best in SMOOOOTH, the Custom seemed an odd fit. It doesn't have the (imo) nasty upper mid honk that the JB has, so I can certainly understand your choice of the Custom over that pickup and it it certainly versatile enough to DO smooth; it's just not the first Duncan I think of when I hear smooth. Originally Posted by neosadistWell here's how I was testing: I connected computer headphone jack to Boss ME50 quot;AUX INquot; jack into my amp. (Don't knock it, lots of musicians have said that it sounds very nice when I'm playing high-quality ripped music into it). This is the closest I can get to it being more quot;real worldquot;. From there, I listened to all of them, clean and dirty, and fell in love with the Alnico II Pro and the Duncan Custom. Amp was with EQ at 5 for all bands and such, clean, etc. It could be your amp, you never know. In this same configuration I used, the JB samples sounded harsher than the Duncan Custom. Oh well. But thanks for your input though!

Originally Posted by theodieLook at post #4 and #6!!!!!! I am telling ya, clips are overates in most cases!!!

I know the sound clips aren't the perfect way to tell if it's right for you, but honestly it's all I have, and it's better than nothing. I value opinions, but the JB/Jazz and Alnico II Pro / Custom Custom crowds seem stuck in their ways sort of. I mean, I'll listen to more clips, true, and I am right now (Thanks networkvine.com) but still, it's almost all I've got. However, I'll keep researching.


Originally Posted by StevoI have a bunch of clips, including a Les Paul with Custom/A2pro combo.
pickup samples
I have more of that combo also. I will post them if you'd like to hear them.

Thanks. Sure, the more sound samples, the better. I'm looking at Alnico II Pro in neck mainly, Duncan Custom in bridge, and mainly interested in clean sound through tube amp for now, but I'm also interested in the A2P with other bridge combos, just out of curiousity. Thanks a ton! Nice clips, I listened to a bunch today.


Originally Posted by StevoI have a bunch of clips, including a Les Paul with Custom/A2pro combo.
pickup samples
I have more of that combo also. I will post them if you'd like to hear them.

Here's what my ears are hearing:
* Listened to Duncan Custom A2P clip, quot;Crop Elipsesquot;, the distorted sound was a little too kicking for me, but then again, it's probably due to what kind of distortion you were using. The background guitar at the beginning, that sounded ok.
* I listened to Custom Custom clean and dirty clip, and I didn't like how twangy it sounded, both clean and dirty. Not cool, in the sense of quot;what if I accidentally leave my guitar in 'bridge only' but we switch styles?quot;
* quot;Custom Frogquot; clip, is that a Duncan Custom bridge clean that starts off this clip? If so, it's a bridge pickup (still sounds slightly twangy) but it has some good depth and bass to it, so I actually like that sound.
* The clean and dirty Duncan Distortion track, quot;Kick Itquot;, the clean sound is actually tolerable. Almost too muddy clean, but tolerable.
* I tried listening to Alnico II Pro bridge clip, but almost immediately didn't like the sound.
* One thing I'm having a hard time understanding: are all guitars on the tracks in the same config? Or is it only the soloist?

I am VERY thankful you have that website! The only thing that I wish it had was some stuff through chorus, and more quot;clean and dirtyquot; with the bridge pickups, so I can hear them both in solos and in rhythm stuff. But honestly I like your site very much, and I'll keep listening to tracks.

More thoughts on network vine clips:

* The Jazz '59 clip, is most the solo through both or just the '59 in bridge? Dang that clip sounds great in distortion!
* JB Seth Lover, sounded good at first, but sometimes on some of the lows or different parts of the solo, it sounded weak. I didn't like the other JB track, so maybe it's that part that I'm hearing.
* The intro to quot;Warrior Shadowquot;, I like that sound clean, it has its place. Is that someone playing a tele/strat, or through bridge? It was a tad twangy, but tolerable. However, I did like how it sort of quot;shimmeredquot;.

I guess I'm interested in the bass and mids, not so much the highs. This is why I heard and thought that the Alnico II Pro and others with an EQ with less treble than a quot;9quot; sounded good, but I'm not sure.

Anyways, I still like the sound of the Duncan Custom A2P. Oh, and by the way, Stevo, your clips rock! The guitarists are quite talented!

Yet more clips:
* quot;A Dayquot;, dual seth lover, actually sounds very nice, as does quot;Wink Wackquot;, Seth lover (B) and '59 (N).
* quot;Amazing Instquot; sounds good, but a little too on the vintage side for me at some parts. Does sound good on most of it though.
* quot;Do 9quot;, dual '59, the beginning sounds good if it's the bridge position, clean it has a slight dirt to it but otherwise sounds excellent as a pickup combo. However, in reality, I know that I'm not going to be playing jazz and blues but rarely.
* I tend to hope that the pickups I like have 4-wire because I was hoping to have that capability down the road
* quot;Hidequot;, C5 bridge and '59 neck, sounds sort of ok, but at times quot;airyquot;, might be due to the distortion.

However, I have another question. Distortion boxes tend to have a way to control the EQ, like to add bottom end, etc. Do you find that on the JB/Jazz combo that you have to add bottom end to make it sound right? Just wondering how much sound altering is going on. Maybe if I could find someone or hear some clips that are clean through amp, like chords and other things, I'd have a better mental picture. The tone wizard and the SD representative point to the Jazz/JB combo, but I'm not happy with that sound on the website clips or any other. Oh well, I guess I'm not decided, so I'll continue to ask questions and research. I greatly appreciate all the help I've received on this forum, but alas I feel like I'm posting too much and not really getting something.