KVR Audio

PurpleCatfishBettie · Post by **PurpleCatfishBettie** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:56 am

multicellular, that reverend looks tight. i like the 'dual fulcrum' sort of design on the vibrato/bridge. i'll bet those pickups are smooth/spanky/bell-like...

rockstar, you can put humbuckers in a 'strat', just by changing the pickguard, yes? that is to say, it's a large cavity, covered by a pickguard? or do you have to do a bit of routing to put the humbuckers in? that's going to be some switching. is the tapping going to be installed in the pots, or with additional toggles?

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:22 am

Something is wrong with me.

Anyways AGAIN, I'll try.....this is the best craftsmanship guitar I've ever had. Including Carvin and MM. And again, UPS didn't get here until after 7 pm so it will be tomorrow before a proper evaluation can be done (wound like a top waiting that long, usually it's about 4 pm)

A lot of low end and easy fret access and total bendability. I like the thick neck, it's easier to bend then say, and Ibanez.

Ok, hopefully this one gets through

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:05 am

Daimonicon wrote:Because no identical pickups sounds the same. Has nothing to do with wood.

You have a point. However, you say that as if the two things are mutually exclusive. Unless you’re using EMG’s, the acoustic tone affects the final tone. I’ve moved many pickguards between strats, where nothing was changed except the guitars themselves, and have heard firsthand how dramatic the change can be. It’s easy enough to test for yourself.

Also, FWIW, EMG’s and Fishman Fluence pickups are mostly identical.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:24 am

We'll just have to agree to disagree regarding the effects of wood types on tone. I've owned Basswood, Alder, Ash and Pine telecasters with the same pups swapped between them and with the exception of Ash/alder they do sound different enough. Same with Maple and mahogany vintage hollow body guitars and solid bodies. Those who use high gain amps lots of effects and high output pups will never know.

donkey tugger · Post by **donkey tugger** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:21 am

Getting one of these bastards delivered today;

http://uk.line6.com/variax-modeling-gui ... -standard/

I will mostly be playing banjo...

Daimonicon · Post by **Daimonicon** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:35 pm

Uncle E wrote:
Daimonicon wrote:Because no identical pickups sounds the same. Has nothing to do with wood.
You have a point. However, you say that as if the two things are mutually exclusive. Unless you’re using EMG’s, the acoustic tone affects the final tone. I’ve moved many pickguards between strats, where nothing was changed except the guitars themselves, and have heard firsthand how dramatic the change can be. It’s easy enough to test for yourself.

Also, FWIW, EMG’s and Fishman Fluence pickups are mostly identical.

So you're saying active pickups doesn't effect the tone but passive pickups do? Sorry but that's BS. Why? Because it's not the wood. It's the bridge, nut, frets and the electronics(when plugged in). I've swapped pickups, bridge, nuts and electronics on almost all the guitars I've owned and own and it sounds like a different guitar. FWIW? Wtf does that mean?

Can't comment about Fishman pickups but swapping pickups doesn't dramatically change the sound after all. Well unless if it's crap like V7,V8 in your Ibanez.

If you don't like how the guitar sounds unplugged it won't help with new pickups.
Here's a cool video to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQw9PoJz8sk

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:39 pm

rockstar_not wrote:2. Recently purchased a nearly-new Chinese made Squier Strat to become my first parts-caster. It's a full body size Squier. Plans are to make it into a Super Strat with humbuckers in all 3 positions, with switches for HB on, tapped on, off for all three pups.

Check out the Dimarzio Bluesbucker, I've found that it sounds better split than most humbuckers do.

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 4:44 pm

Daimonicon wrote:So you're saying active pickups doesn't effect the tone but passive pickups do?

No, that isn't at all what I said.

I've swapped pickups, bridge, nuts and electronics on almost all the guitars I've owned and own and it sounds like a different guitar.

Yes, that's accurate. And if you put all those parts on a different guitar, it would sound different from the first guitar. The best way to test this is by swapping complete pickguards, that way pickup height doesn't come into play.

If you don't like how the guitar sounds unplugged it won't help with new pickups.

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:10 pm

I'm not saying that changing pups doesn't change tone. I am saying that woods do make a difference in tone and it is more evident in passive pups than active pups.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:41 pm

Everything sounds different, but I've noticed that pickup madness doesn't seem to work for me. Every single time I change the pickups I feel there is little to no difference. Now I know that it's true, I never get that "ah, yeah, that's the ticket" and as you all know I've spent a FORTUNE doing it.

The only thing that has every been like "whoa" to me getting that Emerson kit in the strat. But you saw the pics of the rats nest, I think that was the real reason.

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:52 pm

It really depends on what you are going for.... When I bought my strat (plus) close to thirty years ago... It didn't sound a damn thing like strat tones I'd been used to before. It took me years to realize how much I loved that tone. It was no gilmour or hendrix or srv or even 70's clapton tone. Clapton wanted a different tone than he had on blackie when he went for his Fender signature. The closed thing I've ever heard resembling blackie tone is "Vintage V6" which is Trevor Wilkinson (parts maker) company.

The first time I had a "coming to tone" moment was when I replaced my magnum (anyone remember those lp copies) pups with a JB and a Jazz. Totally blew my mind on how full and sweet they sounded. This was back in the early 80's. Later I acquired a 78 LP custom and had thought of swapping the OEM's for the SD's but never did.

My Chinese Telecaster Modern Player Plus plays great but the pups are for crap. It's a HSS design and the only tone I can tolerate is position 4. Whenever I think about getting another guitar I think about the promise I made to myself to swap out the CIC pups and replace them with SD stacks hot for tele and stag mag humbucker.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:41 am

Well, allow me to talk about the newb. I have no idea how a Caparison pickup is wound, but whatever the combo is is kinda bright, really deep and very articulate.

But, my Ibanez is kinda bright but with nowhere near the bottom ... not even close (similar size shape)

The Carvin (those are my three two bucker 6 strings) is still not as tight on the bottom end even though it's mahogany.

I'm not even going to try and pretend I know pickups. But my logical brain would have thought that the Caparison would be airier considering it's kinda a smaller guitar. Of course as the one dude mentioned, it baseball bat for a neck (which is oddly easy to play) so .... my brain is like jellow after years of trying to figure that out.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 4:16 am

I just think its all just a crap shoot of parts that may or may not work well together. I personally like my baseball bat necks on 58 LP and 57 Strat. I’ve never had a problem playing them. Then I pick up my Ibanez with the skinning neck and near flat fretboard and it feels great in a different way.

incubus · Post by **incubus** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:09 am

SJ_Digriz wrote:I just think its all just a crap shoot of parts that may or may not work well together. I personally like my baseball bat necks on 58 LP and 57 Strat. I’ve never had a problem playing them. Then I pick up my Ibanez with the skinning neck and near flat fretboard and it feels great in a different way.

You want baseball neck? Get a Caparison.

I was like WHOOOOOOAAAA, at first (but the radius and width are cool, so)

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:04 am

incubus wrote:I'm not even going to try and pretend I know pickups. But my logical brain would have thought that the Caparison would be airier considering it's kinda a smaller guitar. Of course as the one dude mentioned, it baseball bat for a neck (which is oddly easy to play) so .... my brain is like jellow after years of trying to figure that out.

That's surprising to hear. Still, the two best sounding Telecasters I've played both have baseball bats for necks and I've always assumed that was part of why they sounded so great. One of them is a Warmoth fatback with the compound radius fretboard so I know what you mean about a fat neck with a flat fretboard, it's an odd and strangely cool combination. The other one, a mid-50's Fender, also has a baseball bat for a fretboard (super round) and was very difficult for me to play.

Your next guitar?