Closest match
darker · more midrange · tighter low end
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared directly.
high confidence
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan Custom (SH-5)
Hot, tight and aggressive, with a bright top end and a big low end.
Hotter than 76% of the 280 bridge humbuckers we have
- Ceramic magnet: the strongest pull: tight lows and a sharp attack
- Brighter than a typical Seymour Duncan
- More low end than a typical Seymour Duncan
“Duncan Custom 5 or Gibson 498T (these are similar sounding/feeling pickups, and would be darker/growlier/not as smooth sounding overall).”
Like the Seymour Duncan Custom (SH-5), but…
- WarmerSeymour Duncan Invader (SH-8)darker · +10% output86 match
- HotterSeymour Duncan Dimebucker (SH-13)+12% output · Ceramic magnet82 match
- Less hotDiMarzio Super Distortion−13% output · Ceramic magnet83 match
The closest pickup in each direction that still fits the same slot. See every match
Specs
- DC resistance
- 14.1k
- Inductance
- 7.73 Hmeasured, 1 reading
- Magnet
- Ceramic
- Coil
- Hum-cancelling
- Resonant peak
- 6 kHzSeymour Duncan's own test load
high outputbrightbig low endtight & aggressive
From Seymour Duncan's published specs ↗ (opens in a new tab). Traits come from these specs by stated rules.
Fits the bridge of a Les Paul, SG, PRS Custom 24, Superstrat (HH) or HSS Strat.
Similar pickups
280 fit the same slot · ranked on measured specs · top 40 shownUpgrading from the Seymour Duncan Custom (SH-5)? Put it on the map and see what sits where you want your tone to go.
Each score is how close a pickup is on measured specs, out of 100. The meter shows how many of those specs we could compare; a grey score means few could be. Filters cover the top 40. How scoring works
- Compare →
darker · more midrange
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared directly.
Compare →high confidencescooped mids
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared against each maker's average.
Compare →high confidencedarker
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared against each maker's average.
Compare →high confidencedarker
No inductance for one of them, so output leans on DC resistance; tone charts compared against each maker's average.
Compare →medium confidencelower output · darker
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared against each maker's average.
Compare →high confidence
What others say
Demos, reviews and forum posts, quoted word for word and linked to where they were published.
Seymour Duncan CUSTOM SH-5 vs JB SH-4 - Bridge Guitar Pickup Comparison Tone Demo
Seymour Duncan CUSTOM SH-5 vs BLACK WINTER - Bridge Guitar Pickup Comparison Tone Demo
Seymour Duncan CUSTOM SH-5 vs DISTORTION SH-6 - Bridge Guitar Pickup Comparison Tone Demo
“Duncan Custom 5 or Gibson 498T (these are similar sounding/feeling pickups, and would be darker/growlier/not as smooth sounding overall).”
“When I changed to the Duncan Custom, I had to raise OD1 to about 8.5, but the sound is still clear, punchy and round.”
“A Duncan Custom (ceramic for a bright, tight sound best for metal) or C5 (A5 with more color, for rock & blues) would be a good fit.”
Played the Seymour Duncan Custom (SH-5)?
Tell other players how it sounds in your guitar. These are visitors' own comments: checked for spam before they appear, but not fact-checked like the sourced quotes above.
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