Has anyone ever tried the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop RTM?

Jayy

Jayy

New member
I'm thinking about picking one up, but am curious what thoughts others who have tried it have. Some say it is similar to a JB, but with an A2 magnet, tighter, more defined low end, and less harsh in the upper mids and high end. That doesn't tell me much though because I have never personally played a JB pickup. I'm debating between the RTM and an IM1 for a guitar I am preparing to build. Thanks for your input!
 
I've had one in the Charvel skull model and it sounded great!
I just picked up the single coil version of it for one of my incoming strats. Hope it sounds as good!
 
Thanks for the input. I may have to bite the bullet and give it a try. I have an EVH Frankenstein that measures 14.4K and has an A2 magnet and really like it. I know the RTM is a different beast and is also wound a bit hotter. I'm planning to put it in a single humbucker alder body guitar with a maple neck and Floyd bridge. I guess I'll give it a try. I'm hoping the low end is fairly articulate and not boomy.
 
I love the RTM in my Demartini snake as well. And let me tell you, it is killer through a Soldano. That amp just loves JB's and its offshoots.
 
Padre Bonic":2b2td190 said:
I love the RTM in my Demartini snake as well. And let me tell you, it is killer through a Soldano. That amp just loves JB's and its offshoots.
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Sweet! Thanks for your input! I guess that settles it. The GAS is killing me and I gotta try one! LOL. :rock: I have read where people say the RTM is not as compressed as you would expect and is more open than most pickups with such a high output and DC reading. How are the lows, mids, and highs on this thing? I have never used a JB, so I really have no reference for comparison to a JB pickup.
 
There use to be a great video on YouTube showing all 3 JB versions, I remember liking the Custom Shop version better than the RTM...but you cant go wrong with any of them for that sound..
 
I had them in at least 8 WDM guitars. I don't really get the fuss over these. I actually prefer the JB to the RTM. I couldn't pick out anything with them that just made me go "WOW". Maybe I needed to mess more with the pickup height or something, which I did a little but just never found it to be all that awesome.
 
mixn4him":yu95s8dz said:
There use to be a great video on YouTube showing all 3 JB versions, I remember liking the Custom Shop version better than the RTM...but you cant go wrong with any of them for that sound..
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Is this the vid your thinking of ? No RTM in there

 
Nice p'u but i prefer my $50 JB with a A2 in it to the $150 RTM.
The JB with a A2 is very Demartini sounding.
The IM1 is a different beast and has a more of a old school VH vibe.
This is the same p'u as the EVH Frankenstein p'u fender sells.
Seymour Duncan makes them for Fender.
 
Honestly, I think it is tough to get a read on something like this without experimenting a little. I've had RTM's in a number of guitars, and I do like them in general, but the A2 magnet still gives a little bit of sponginess on the low end I never got comfortable with. But I liked that they did take the edge of the spiky mids of the stock modern JB (I know you said you don't have experience with the JB, but hard not to compare).

Ultimately, I found the Antiquity JB the best of both, with the A5 magnet tightening up the low end, and the mids smoothed pleasantly. And I could name a couple of other "JB-ish" alternatives I like even better.

If you weren't opposed to the extra bit of cost and time and effort, I would actually recommend getting a stock JB to start with just to get that reference point. The RTM might be great for you in the long run, but it is not a given by any means that it is a superior pickup or simply a "better JB" for all intents and purposes.
 
Padre Bonic":37y83uc5 said:
I don't feel the RTM is spongy on the bottom. I guess results will vary depending on your setup.
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Not terribly spongy in my experience, but after spending some time with it, still a little missing tightness for my tastes. I agree, results can certainly vary, I have no doubt for some it is plenty tight. I do find it less spongy than some other A2 based pickups, better in this regard than say a Custom Custom IMO.
 
Rock Bodom":85psfo9h said:
Padre Bonic":85psfo9h said:
I don't feel the RTM is spongy on the bottom. I guess results will vary depending on your setup.
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Not terribly spongy in my experience, but after spending some time with it, still a little missing tightness for my tastes. I agree, results can certainly vary, I have no doubt for some it is plenty tight. I do find it less spongy than some other A2 based pickups, better in this regard than say a Custom Custom IMO.
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Thanks for your input! Yeah, I don't like the sponginess of the Custom Custom. I have tried that one and it is a bit too soft, but the EVH Frankenstein is "supposedly" close to the Custom Custom according to internet chatter and I can tell you first hand from having both that it is not really that close. The Frankenstein pickup is an A2 mag, but has a lively feel to it with better highs and tighter lows than the Custom Custom. The Frankenstein is a cool pickup. I have a SD Custom 78 as well that is an A2 and it is slightly just a little spongy on the lows, but still tight and bouncy, if that makes any sense. It has a really good feel to it IMO. I'm hoping the RTM will have a low end at least that tight or in the ball park of that.
 
A2 has a comfy feel regardless of windings. There is some give. It is not the magnet for chugging. I think that A5/A8/Ceramic are much better for those applications. Here are two videos of my old Demartini with the RTM - two different amps, speaker setups, volumes. The first is through an old Kasha Rockmod 50w running EL43s through a ported V30 cab. The second is low-volume Soldano through a THD 2x12 with a CL80 and '80s G12-65. I like both.

This is in my old office so forgive the office attire:



You won't be able to see anything in the video below - I just set my iPhone down by the THD speaker grill cloth:

 
Rdodson":9m1g1re8 said:
A2 has a comfy feel regardless of windings. There is some give. It is not the magnet for chugging. I think that A5/A8/Ceramic are much better for those applications. Here are two videos of my old Demartini with the RTM - two different amps, speaker setups, volumes. The first is through an old Kasha Rockmod 50w running EL43s through a ported V30 cab. The second is low-volume Soldano through a THD 2x12 with a CL80 and '80s G12-65. I like both.

This is in my old office so forgive the office attire:



You won't be able to see anything in the video below - I just set my iPhone down by the THD speaker grill cloth:

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Those vids sound great! The RTM sounds like a fun pickup! I ordered the RTM a few hours ago, so we will see when it gets here I guess!
 
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