Saturday, October 2, 2010

Duncan talk: Custom Custom SH-11

Since I own/ have tried/ heard in action, majority of the Seymour Duncan humbuckers, it's only apt to document my experiences; I also find sharing to be therapeutic. Hopefully, after reading the notes here, it'd give you a better picture of the pickup performance & addresses your expectations.

First up would be the Custom Custom (SH-11) humbucker. This is a rather estranged model by the manufacturer as the CC proves to be a high output pickup featuring a polite magnet type- Alnico II. The pickup also sports a reduced bass range so there's lots of clarity on board, best used in the bridge position. The CC works well with high distortion settings & interacts with the amplifier's EQ controls rather impressively, especially for us dweebs who keep pumping up the bass. Do not expect to hear a boomy output when you do this, what you'd hear is the presence of the upper frequencies despite having the lower end enhanced. The CC specialty is its great voicing range when the player manipulates the guitar's volume pot. The more experienced player would tell you only vintage-type humbuckers would give good interaction when volume play is in application but let's not forget, the CC features a component used in those pickups- the sweet Alnico II magnet. Maybe this is the reason it works.

Manufacturer's notes:
  • Pickup's default EQ setting: Bass-3/ Midrange-7/ Treble 7
  • Magnet type: Alnico 2
  • Output: High

My experiences with this pickup:

Current resident guitar:
  • Ibanez: GRGR010
It used to be in the following guitar(s):
  • Ibanez: GAX70
  • Ibanez: SZ320
  • Gibson: Les Paul BFG
PS: The performance appraisal here was based on a guitar-amplifier set up, no effect units were in use.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

how do you compare the custom custom tonally to it's cousins? the custom and custom 5 i mean. =)

subversion.sg said...

custom & custom 5: appraisals are in the works (i own these pickups...) :-)

Marcus said...

Had the CCs in my yamaha pacifica 112K upon your recommendation 5 years ago. :)

Marcus said...

correction 112J

reuel said...

Hmmm but 2 of their prominent vintage-correct pickups, the 59 and the jazz feature alnico v magnets, which are supposedly not so polite magnets...what gives?? Is there more than meets the eye when it comes to pickups and their magnets?? 0.o

subversion.sg said...

the number of windings also contribute to output ratings, not just the magnet type- we tend to forget this :-)

reuel said...

ah ok...shall look forward to the next few pickup reviews to see the link. thx sub :)