New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

[Gr8Scott]

The new to me Korean Hamer Archtop SATF that I got off ebay is very very muddy. This guitar is very resonant and has a very good tone when not plugged in. When plugged in, the neck 59 duncan designed sounds like pure mud and the duncan designed JB sounds less than sparkly itself in the bridge. Something's rotten in denmark... I'm thinking that either bad pots or too many tone pots (one for each pickup) are to blame here for the muddy sound. I'm thinking of taking them out of line and then eventually replacing them with higher quality and higher valued pots to increase the top end on these until I replace them with other pickups. I want to make this guitar sound good until I get replacement pups in that do what I want. I know the JB has plenty of sparkle and snap, so something has to be wrong elsewhere. The 59 in the neck should be pretty balanced, but it's pure mud at the moment.

[Jeff_H]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

Hey Bro..... did you pull the pull the pups out to make sure what was in there? I thought mine had the 59 set, but it was actually the distortion set! I don't have a muddy issue, but the neck it just too raspy and overbearing....not smooth like I like it. I'd check to make sure that's what's really in there.

I guess for the time being you could remove the tone caps and see what that does. Messing with the height would be the only other thing that's basic. Move the pups farther away from the strings until it clears up. That's a wierd problem though. Mine is also resonant and lively unplugged...almost bright...and loud.

[rspst14]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

The imports have two tones? That's weird, I would assume they'd have two volumes and one tone, like the American models. Try backing off the pickup height a little bit, see if that helps. But honestly, the pickups and electronics are probably the weak points of the import Hamers. In general, even the best constructed import guitars tend to have that problem. I'd rewire it with some CTS pots, Orange Drop caps, and a set of Duncans.

Ryan

[Benjy_26]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

The imports have two tones? That's weird, I would assume they'd have two volumes and one tone, like the American models. Try backing off the pickup height a little bit, see if that helps. But honestly, the pickups and electronics are probably the weak points of the import Hamers. In general, even the best constructed import guitars tend to have that problem. I'd rewire it with some CTS pots, Orange Drop caps, and a set of Duncans.

Ryan

What he said.

If you still find too much low end in the 59 at the neck, you can do like I did once and put an Alnico II mag in it. It really softens the lows and gives a much sweeter high end response.

[Gr8Scott]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

What he said.

If you still find too much low end in the 59 at the neck, you can do like I did once and put an Alnico II mag in it. It really softens the lows and gives a much sweeter high end response.

There are no highs at all on the neck. I'll try what was suggested thus far and see what the situation is. If the mud doesn't clear up after that, I'll take more drastic measures...

[Mkf411]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

I'm assuming you put new strings on it when you got it?

Also, like everbody said, lower the pickups from the strings.

[Jeff_H]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

Any luck at all Scott????

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

If those pickups are the licensed type, sell'em. Get new pots, wire, caps, and get some more articulate pickups like a Jazz neck and C-5, Custom, or CC.

[Norman_T]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

I have tried the Korean SATF and whilst I found the guitar was nice they were lacking when you put it up against a US Hamer Studio.

I am probably going to get my knuckles wrapped from above (?) but the pups that were in there do not do justice to the guitar. Initially they sound quite good if you are pushing them through a cranked Marshall but, it soon gets quite fatiguing because no matter what you do you will get some very indistinct muddy tones and loss of clarity. I can very easily get the "women tone" and others ranging from rock, blues, country lead lines from the '59 pups in my Hamer Studio Custom.

The pups that are in the SATF cannot be compared to proper SD '59 pups and I think that they are made for a particular market. If you are thinking of replacing them then get a '59 bridge and neck - you will soon hear the difference.

[Travis]

Re: New Hamer SATF sounds very muddy...

The first thing I would do with that guitar is swap out the pickups. My brother actually got a guitar just like yours and he complained about the tone as well. I told him to yank out the stock pickups and put some good ones in there. Of course, he was thinking about a Dimarzio Evolution. Poor hapless bastard.