Hoping the collective wisdom of the forum can point me in the right direction.
About me: I'm an obsessive researcher. Before I make a purchase of any kind (only slight exaggeration), I scour the internet, looking for as many articles and reviews that I can find. I once spent a month researching multivitamins and fish oil.
Coming to the point, I've spent the last few weeks digging through the forums here, DiMarzio, BKP, TDPRI, EverythingSG, TGP, and probably more. Listened to so many clips on soundcloud and YouTube (Which I know is not a great reference of a p/u's true sound). Now I need your help.
I'm looking for recommendations for 2 guitars. The sounds tones I'm looking for are similar, but still within their own realm. For example:
Guitar 1 is an Aerodyne Tele from the early 2000's. Basswood body, maple neck with rosewood board. This is my first guitar with a P90 in the neck and I'm not impressed. It actually sounds like I always thought it would, just kinda raunchy and a bit too much for my taste. The bridge is...okay. Not unusable by any means and much better than the P90 from where I'm standing. The neck has to go and if someone can recommend a nice matching bridge, I'll swap it too. I looked a lot at the DiMarzio P90-sized humbuckers, but still wonder if there is a better P90 out there. I had looked at the BKP Supermassive, but BKPs always have a high buy-in, even though I have enjoyed most of their offerings that I've tried.
Guitar 2 is an '05 SG Special. The stock 490T was terrible. Like starting out, it was great because it was all I had. Over the years though, as I've owned more and more guitars with all kinds of different pickups, I've noticed how lacking the bridge really was. The 490R in the neck was actually much better and had a nice, thick, gong like quality even with the thin bodied SG. Fast forward, I took the repeated advice from across this forum and bought a Custom 5 and put an A8 magnet in it. Truth be told, I thought the A5 magnet sounded better. Neck is now a 59 I think. Or a Jazz. I cant remember right now. Either way, it's ok. Not quite as gong-like as the 490R but still pretty good.
So like I said, the range of tones for both is similar, but still different. For the Tele, I want a pop-punk kind of sound (mid-2k Fallout Boy and Paramore) when the knobs are at 10. But I want to be able to still pull a decent twang out of it with the knobs backed off a little. Not a super clean, piercing twang. More of a low to mid gain twang like Brad Paisley or Keith Urban, with an early Eagles country-rock vibe. I know it can be done, Teles are versatile af. I've seen the video of Rodney Gene demoing the Quarter Pound doing a decent twang, but I also read that he ended up removing them. As for the neck P90, I don't know. Something that will compliment the bridge tone im looking for. Make me not hate P90s if you can.
For the SG, I'm also looking for the same thing, but heavier. Like less Eagles country-rock and more Eagles "Life in the Fast Lane on the way to Hotel California with my Witchy Woman". Still pop-punk, but with a little bit of Coheed and Cambria "not quite as heavy as Welcome Home because they have other songs" thrown into the mix. Wondering if I should put the A5 back in the Custom and give it a better chance, also wondering if an overwound A2 would get me there.
God I hope someone can offer some opinions and insight. My obsessiveness is going to drive me insane.
About me: I'm an obsessive researcher. Before I make a purchase of any kind (only slight exaggeration), I scour the internet, looking for as many articles and reviews that I can find. I once spent a month researching multivitamins and fish oil.
Coming to the point, I've spent the last few weeks digging through the forums here, DiMarzio, BKP, TDPRI, EverythingSG, TGP, and probably more. Listened to so many clips on soundcloud and YouTube (Which I know is not a great reference of a p/u's true sound). Now I need your help.
I'm looking for recommendations for 2 guitars. The sounds tones I'm looking for are similar, but still within their own realm. For example:
Guitar 1 is an Aerodyne Tele from the early 2000's. Basswood body, maple neck with rosewood board. This is my first guitar with a P90 in the neck and I'm not impressed. It actually sounds like I always thought it would, just kinda raunchy and a bit too much for my taste. The bridge is...okay. Not unusable by any means and much better than the P90 from where I'm standing. The neck has to go and if someone can recommend a nice matching bridge, I'll swap it too. I looked a lot at the DiMarzio P90-sized humbuckers, but still wonder if there is a better P90 out there. I had looked at the BKP Supermassive, but BKPs always have a high buy-in, even though I have enjoyed most of their offerings that I've tried.
Guitar 2 is an '05 SG Special. The stock 490T was terrible. Like starting out, it was great because it was all I had. Over the years though, as I've owned more and more guitars with all kinds of different pickups, I've noticed how lacking the bridge really was. The 490R in the neck was actually much better and had a nice, thick, gong like quality even with the thin bodied SG. Fast forward, I took the repeated advice from across this forum and bought a Custom 5 and put an A8 magnet in it. Truth be told, I thought the A5 magnet sounded better. Neck is now a 59 I think. Or a Jazz. I cant remember right now. Either way, it's ok. Not quite as gong-like as the 490R but still pretty good.
So like I said, the range of tones for both is similar, but still different. For the Tele, I want a pop-punk kind of sound (mid-2k Fallout Boy and Paramore) when the knobs are at 10. But I want to be able to still pull a decent twang out of it with the knobs backed off a little. Not a super clean, piercing twang. More of a low to mid gain twang like Brad Paisley or Keith Urban, with an early Eagles country-rock vibe. I know it can be done, Teles are versatile af. I've seen the video of Rodney Gene demoing the Quarter Pound doing a decent twang, but I also read that he ended up removing them. As for the neck P90, I don't know. Something that will compliment the bridge tone im looking for. Make me not hate P90s if you can.
For the SG, I'm also looking for the same thing, but heavier. Like less Eagles country-rock and more Eagles "Life in the Fast Lane on the way to Hotel California with my Witchy Woman". Still pop-punk, but with a little bit of Coheed and Cambria "not quite as heavy as Welcome Home because they have other songs" thrown into the mix. Wondering if I should put the A5 back in the Custom and give it a better chance, also wondering if an overwound A2 would get me there.
God I hope someone can offer some opinions and insight. My obsessiveness is going to drive me insane.
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