Seymour Duncan Custom Tb-5 vs Black Winter?

[metal_master]

Has anyone compared a Duncan custom to a black winter in the same guitar? What were the differences?

They would be going into a mahogany body, maple neck with trem. Standard E tuning.

 

[311boogieman]

No. But I would go Duncan passive all day. They have so much to chose from now and very reasonable. I have a Custom Custom TB11 in my mahogany Schecter and it rips. Just slightly 'too' hot but controllable with the git vol.

They also have a great 'return swap' policy. At least they used to. Satisfaction guaranteed. I'm in C and kinda go between KSE and VH type gains. Good luck either way.

 

[stratjacket]

Yes, I have. I have a custom Charvel mahogany body, roasted maple neck that came with a Custom5. I tried a Black Winter in it and re-installed the Custom5.

The Custom5 sounded thicker, fuller and just felt great to play. Notes jumped off and pick attack was good, it could do anything and everything. It became one of my favorite pickups. I never even thought about a Custom5 until it came in that guitar, glad it did.

The Black Winter also sounded good in a different way. It was more trebly, pinch harmonics and metal tones were great. I think it was great in lower tunings. I just thought the Custom5 had enough of that plus a fuller spectrum of sounds if that makes sense.

 

[Shask]

I have a SH-5 Custom in a PR CU24 SE, and a BW set in a Kiesel SCB6.

The Custom is much lower output, and therefore more dynamic. It has a lot of chunky lows, and scraping upper mids. It can be too bright in some situations. It is more mid scooped in the lower mids.

The BW Bridge is more flat overall. To me, it kind of sounds like a mix of the Distortion and Invader. It is like an Invader that has been low/hi passed for more low end clarity, and less high end fizziness than the Distortion. It is more flat overall with big bass, decent highs, and a small mid spike in the mid-mids, kinda like having a Tubescreamer on all the time. It is more compressed since it is higher output.

I like them both, and it is hard to pick just one. I think I prefer the BW, just because it works in more situations. It is just kind of a flat, blank canvas to build upon. It is like the best qualities of every Duncan, with none of the annoying qualities each model has. It is kind of bland in that way, but works well. I think the Custom works amazing in the right situation, but it is picky. It can easily be too muddy, or too icepicky depending on the particular guitar,

 

[Rex Rocker]

I find the Black Winter to be sort of like the best of the JB and the Distortion, and then some more modern traits. It's got a present upper midrange ala JB, but it's tight and immediate like the Distortion. It's got a little bit steeper low-end rolloff than either, but it's not thin. It's tight, fast, bold and cutting with more output than either.

I have less experience with the Custom, but from what I remember, it has way less output. It's also got mix-slicing high mids, but there is a big bottom-end and sizzling highs with scooped lower mids. The Custom is sort of like a PAF on steroids in the sense that it's got a wide frequency response with a slight scoop, particularly in the low mids.

 

[metal_master]

Thanks guys. This is exactly the feedback I was after from people who have actually used both pickups.

 

[metal_master]

More comparisons by users of these 2 pickups are welcome!