NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

[man-in-moon]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

I've been eyeing one of those. Nice score

[80's_Metal]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

That thing looks killer! Congrats!

[BloodRose]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Ok, about the neck. I learned to play on Ibanez necks, and up till now only bought 60's neck Gibson stuff. When I first started playing it the neck feel had me worried a little. Fatter than a '59, but slimmer than the baseball bat LP '58 stuff I had played and passed on. Once got past the first 5 minutes I didn't really notice it any more. I only played it for an hour last night but it was comfortable and probably helps it out it the tone department. I do have some XXL glove size hands though, so I'm probably less sensitive to fat necks than most people. It's a big neck but I will no longer dismiss guitars with a big neck for the possibility that my ear likes the tone that a big neck may help produce. I'm still finding out things on this guitar player journey.

Thanks for the info!!! Yeah, my hands are alil smaller than that. Not tiny tho. I like the 60s neck. But not much bigger

[Jermo3178]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Man, those things are dead sexy... I'm not big on V's but have thought about acquiring one myself. Congrats!

[Thundermtn]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Thanks for the compliments everyone. One last thing.

Order the Epiphone hard case. It's a nice enough guitar to avoid a gig bag and it doesn't fit in my standard Gibson USA flying V hard case. It's a little longer and wider than the Gibson V.

[stratguy23]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

The only other pickup I own that i like as much as these is my Pearly Gates neck. They're different sounding though, not the same animal for sure. As a set they are effin amazing, especially in the middle position blends with the volumes. Minor power chords with an octave thrown on top of it sound like heaven/hell.

Nice score! I love the beefy neck and classy look of this V. It is definitely one of Epiphone's best offerings in recent years.

Can you go into more details about the Hammer Claws? There aren't many reviews of this set out there. Low/medium/output? Saggy or tight? Can you compare them to any other known pickups, like 59/Jazz/JB/Super Distortion/etc.? Cleans, dirt, etc.?

[Thundermtn]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

That's kind of tough to do. To my ear they sound nothing like the demos you can hear from several people linked to on the Epi website. Those all make it sound thin and tinny, they are NOT that! Those demos had me planning a SH-5 & '59 swap. That's not happening now!

I play metal, hard rock, sludgey/doom type stuff so some of my descriptions will be from that ball park.

First off they are super low noise! I suspect that I may be able to run these without a gate for the really high gain stuff I do. They'll still feedback but not as bad as anything else I've played.

Output I would say is blurring the line between medium and high. However they respond so well to volume adjustment that they swing equally well towards what you want with a little roll up or down, with the break @ 6-7 on the dial. They can do classic rock or high gain metal type output with equally ability. They sound good clean and dirty, with the cleans laking a little sparkle unless you're on the bridge with the tone dimed. Demoed it through a Fender twin @ the dealer and it could sound like a bridge around 8k, to maybe up around the 12-13k range with just volume knob adjustment. Specs are 12k on the neck and 18.3k on the bridge.

Lows are POWERFULL & dynamic, responds really well to pressure/attack changes. The low end just sounds big. They don't overpower the rest of the tone though. Not super tight like my DiMarzio Evolution but tight enough that speed picking doesn't sound like mush at all. I have it in C# and there is no mush even downtuned.

Mids are pretty strong but can be smooth or crunchy depending on how hard you're hitting them. Chords sound big and powerfull, but the mids still have a pretty equal share compared to the lows. It'll cut through the mix pretty well.

Highs are smooth and maybe a little subdued. Single note highs shine a little brighter than when they're played in a chord. Not ice picky at all though. Take a notch or two down from the highs of a Pearly Gates neck and that's pretty close, not as shimmery, more creamy if that makes any sense.

They are very musical sounding, that sterility that a set of EMG 81/85 have isn't a factor here. All the notes can be heard all the time, including some oscillation from hard attack until the string calms down. Kind of Seth Lover-esque in this tonal regard. If you want they'll let you put the emphasis where you want to eq wise in a chord with attack as well. The only thing that was just a little lacking for me personally was that I had to concentrate harder and be more precise to get pick harmonics. They just don't want to jump off the strings like they do with my EMG'S, I can still make them happen, they're just not as in your face. These things will palm mute chug better than anything else I've ever played, there is not a comparison available for how good they'll chug. They are medium tight for response time, and overall more forgiving of small mistakes than an Evolution, but still a decently tight pickup.

Lol, how's that for my first serious pickup review, hope it made some sense.

[stratguy23]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

That was a really good review! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

The Hammer Claws sound like a good all-around set, which makes sense given the different styles Brent Hinds plays.

I really like the fact that you're getting different sounds and feels with different attacks and volume levels. I like pickups that you can interact with meaningfully instead of just getting their one sound.

It's interesting you're getting some tightness out of the set - not my first guess given the general Mastodon realm.

My stylistic reference points are similar to yours, so I appreciate the review and now have this set on my radar.

[Thundermtn]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Thanks, If I was to rate the tightness of these it would be a 6.5-7 on a scale of 10 with the Evolution being a 10. I'm putting the Dissonant Aggressors on my try list next. They're supposed to be a tweaked Drop & Gain set, which is right up my alley.

[RorySquier]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

That's a beautiful looking V. I own a Jackson King V myself and I love the upper fret access on these guitars. Is the fretboard ebony? I can't believe that Epiphone can make such great guitars. Congrats.


;>)/

[Thundermtn]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Thanks. Yes, and it is a half shade darker than the other ebony boards I have, maybe b/c it's new or they darken them a little or it could just be a superior piece to the others I have. If they're faking the ebony they did a great job, the grain shape/look seams to be the same and the feel is spot on. The board, inlays, and fretwork are all excellent.

It seems my week spot is ebony boarded, black finished V's. I didn't plan it out or anything it just sort of happened. With the cool finish, ebony board, and upgraded pups at the price of this guitar, it was really calling my name. I'll get some pics of my trio up in another thread before too long.

[BWK]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V

Friggin' Sweet!!! I have the Eppi LP in that color, but would love to have the entire collection!

[Thundermtn]

Re: NGD win! Silver-burst Epi V



3rd channel, modern, hard bypass the FX loop, silicon diode

NYXL 49-11, C# standard
Middle position
Bridge volume 10
Neck volume 7 tone 8