Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

[aris17561]

Hello from Greece , I have an esp horizon nt alder body...

I play with an evh 5150 iii. The reason I want ro replace the Jb is because in combination with the 5153 the sound is very very very tight , and it has lot of attack and hard highs. Attack its not bad because I am playing music like Iced earth etc but this is way too attacky and presence...

I do not want to cut a lot of high from my amp because I like brightness... So do you have any good recomandation ? It is not nessecary for a super high output pup cause evh has plenty... I like clearness in my distortion...

To make it clear , I am playing with lot of distortion but I need a clean distortion... No fizz !!!

I hope I have describe it well

[agentzero12]

Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

If the problem with the jb is just the highs you may consider just changing the pot value. 500k is standard but a 250k will warm it alot. It's cheaper and very easily reversible.

[aris17561]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

If the problem with the jb is just the highs you may consider just changing the pot value. 500k is standard but a 250k will warm it alot. It's cheaper and very easily reversible.

Thank you very much... Thats a good first thing to do...

[Adieu]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

I'm inclined to disbelieve that statement.

Maybe if you use your tone a lot, yeah, it'll give you different options... but with tone wide-open, like a lot of people play, it shouldn't do much. Because even DROPPING the pot entirely just adds a bit to the signal, but without CHANGING the sound's tone much at all - No Tone w/ Volume 10 will just sound like Tone 10 w/ Volume "11". [prepare for stampede of the electrically ignorant in 3..2..1]

Explanation: No, a tone control isn't necessary. Lotsa guitars did without them altogether in the 80's. A wide open tone control isn't SUPPOSED to change your sound anyway, anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand how the thing works... cuz what we call "Wide open/tone 10" is actually "CLOSED tone/ tone 0" electrically speaking, it's essentially taking the tone capacitor and 'turning it off', so to speak, while "lowering" the tone control increases the participation of the cap in the sound...

Maybe replace the amp? Even when I normally disagree with ESP's favourite pickups (JB? 81? not my cup of tea at all), somehow, in real ESPs, they work surprisingly well. That and my personal impression of the 5150 is that it's one of those amps that it's often pretty darn hard to get to sound at all good at most settings... imho, it's a one-trick pony, while your ESP is a versatile beast.

[aris17561]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

I'm inclined to disbelieve that statement.

Maybe if you use your tone a lot, yeah, it'll give you different options... but with tone wide-open, like a lot of people play, it shouldn't do much. Because even DROPPING the pot entirely just adds a bit to the signal, but without CHANGING the sound's tone much at all - No Tone w/ Volume 10 will just sound like Tone 10 w/ Volume "11". [prepare for stampede of the electrically ignorant in 3..2..1]

Explanation: No, a tone control isn't necessary. Lotsa guitars did without them altogether in the 80's. A wide open tone control isn't SUPPOSED to change your sound anyway, anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand how the thing works... cuz what we call "Wide open/tone 10" is actually "CLOSED tone/ tone 0" electrically speaking, it's essentially taking the tone capacitor and 'turning it off', so to speak, while "lowering" the tone control increases the participation of the cap in the sound...

Maybe replace the amp? Even when I normally disagree with ESP's favourite pickups (JB? 81? not my cup of tea at all), somehow, in real ESPs, they work surprisingly well. That and my personal impression of the 5150 is that it's one of those amps that it's often pretty darn hard to get to sound at all good at most settings... imho, it's a one-trick pony, while your ESP is a versatile beast.

Thank you very much... 5150 its not the only amp I have.... Ia lso have a recto dual... But I feel 5150 is a very good versatile amp for needs... The thing is that the amp has plenty of attack , the same the esp... So I would like just to smooth the highs... I just tested what you told me with the tone control but I am loosing attack .

Here is a test of my esp and 5150 and a post eq showing in the picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agUvlb11Sdk

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Adieu]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Me? I never said anything like that.

I *meant* to say that SWAPPING tone control values (250k, 300k, 500k, etc.) won't have much effect, because they sound the same with tone control set wide open. The rest was just logical explanations for why and proofs, because I expected to have another run-in with the "you MUST MUST MUST have a tone control" crowd or the "sure it's set to 10 always, but it MATTERS what value it is in koms" subset.

Yeah, you'll never have much attack if you cut highs with the tone control. Attack's all about the highs. If your amp and your guitar don't get along properly in that regard, switch one or the other, or mod one or the other (pickup swaps, amp modifications, etc.).

...well, either that, or try getting some gain or overdrive from a stompbox. I recall my problem with the 5150 was just that, I did not for the life of me even vaguely like the way its gain sounded. And yes, it did sound thin and bright and hissy. From a totally different guitar, btw. I hated that about it. (well, that and I found nothing lovable about it, either)

[aris17561]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Me? I never said anything like that.



switch one or the other, or mod one or the other (pickup swaps,

Το be honest that was the first thought I had. To change pup... The bridge one... Is there any good recomendation to solve the problem ?

[agentzero12]

Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

I agree that changing the tone control doesn't have much effect because it is a variable control for a fixed capacitor. I don't use tone controls myself. But changing the vol control will trim the high end. That's the purpose of different pot values with different pickups. Maybe I should have been clearer about that. Going with a lower value volume control will trim some highs.

Also, the 5150 is pretty versatile. I have one. It's not Marshall or fender versatile but it's far from a one trick pony. An option I use alot is the low gain input. It tames the gain but I don't feel that it looses any response. If you want something less bright and changing the pickup is the way you want to go, the distortion or full shred may be a bit less bright. But I have a jb in a lp and I think the highs are quite pleasant on it. Maybe even balance the high and presence controls some. Working the two together may help you get the high end clarity without getting brittle.

[aris17561]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

I agree that changing the tone control doesn't have much effect because it is a variable control for a fixed capacitor. I don't use tone controls myself. But changing the vol control will trim the high end. That's the purpose of different pot values with different pickups. Maybe I should have been clearer about that. Going with a lower value volume control will trim some highs.

Also, the 5150 is pretty versatile. I have one. It's not Marshall or fender versatile but it's far from a one trick pony. An option I use alot is the low gain input. It tames the gain but I don't feel that it looses any response. If you want something less bright and changing the pickup is the way you want to go, the distortion or full shred may be a bit less bright. But I have a jb in a lp and I think the highs are quite pleasant on it. Maybe even balance the high and presence controls some. Working the two together may help you get the high end clarity without getting brittle.

I think les paul is a different story . All pups are not so brught in a les paul... The distorion I have it in a jackson sl2h and its very very cool. But It doesnt have attack as Esp... So I would like another option except distortion cause I allready have it... I give a try to full shred if you dont have another recomandation...Tnx anyway

[jorge5150]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Try a custom custom. It has warm, sweet highs and loose bass. And the chords with distortion are pretty clear.

[Chad]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Changing a tone control pot to a different value does affect the tone a decent degree. For example, if you set a 500K tone control to a setting that is 250K along the resistance path (let's say that is a setting of 7 on the knob), that is the same as a 250K pot being turned all the way up. Are you saying that a 500K pot set to 7, in this hypothetical example, sounds exactly the same as it being set to 10?

Also, I have experimented with no-load tone pots. It's all subjective, but the difference is rather noticeable when the tone pot is in and out of the circuit.

[Adieu]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Different? Yes... Sometimes, VERY.

But it's better output, not EQ-curve-different. Well maybe just a teeeeny tiny bit more highs, compared to a pot that for whatever reason isn't going to full-10 properly and acting like setting 10= setting 9.... Still, this guy's trying to TAME his highs, not let em all hang out!

Hey, here's a thought: 7+ band EQ pedal?

As to a tamer highs pickup, well, the JB's kinda there to have those highs, no? Depends on your style, really, you could be looking at anything from Invader or Distortion to Demon or Pearly8....

[Aceman]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

Try turning the 500k to 7. If you like that, think about getting a 250k pot. Also, try an A2 magnet in the JB. I have never done that, but many seem to like it.

[rumblebox]

Re: Esp Horizon and JB replacement ?

leave the 500K pot in it and put an alnico 8 magnet in the JB... or put a custom or custom8 in it.