Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
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dystrust
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Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Cool Rails / Custom Custom
SSL-2 / SSL-2 / SSL-6T
Cool Rails / Custom Custom
SSL-2 / SSL-2 / SSL-6T
Newcenstein
New member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Except my MIJ Jackson WRMGs are alder, not basswood. In fact, all of the MIJ Jacksons I've owned over the last 20 years have been alder or poplar, including the Mustaine Pro, Warrior Pros and MGs, Soloist Pro, Concert V bass, and the Hot Rod and Hot Wheels Dinkys, just off the top of my head. Only the Charvels were basswood, except the 650XLs. The Killer KG-Pirate was basswood, and had the aluminumium Lo-TRS bridge, same as my Ibenhad EX350, and they had nearly identical tones. The basswood Charvel Model 2s (one black, one white), upon which I mounted genuine Made In Germany steel OFRs and Duncan Distortions, were tone monsters.
Crappy guitar companies like Cort, Hondo and Electra/Westone and People's Guitar Factory #3 in China during the 70s and 80s gave basswood a bad rep, because they were flooding the market with poorly made "affordable" guitars made of it. Period. That's the only reason basswood gets a bad rep these days. It's tradition by now. Not everyone who builds a guitar actually knows how to do it correctly, and CNC routing and automated assembly can only do so much. Machines are not kept in tolerance to meet those quotas, and who cares about a few hundred dogs getting out when you're turning out thousands a day and shipping them all over the world?
Except my MIJ Jackson WRMGs are alder, not basswood. In fact, all of the MIJ Jacksons I've owned over the last 20 years have been alder or poplar, including the Mustaine Pro, Warrior Pros and MGs, Soloist Pro, Concert V bass, and the Hot Rod and Hot Wheels Dinkys, just off the top of my head. Only the Charvels were basswood, except the 650XLs. The Killer KG-Pirate was basswood, and had the aluminumium Lo-TRS bridge, same as my Ibenhad EX350, and they had nearly identical tones. The basswood Charvel Model 2s (one black, one white), upon which I mounted genuine Made In Germany steel OFRs and Duncan Distortions, were tone monsters.
Crappy guitar companies like Cort, Hondo and Electra/Westone and People's Guitar Factory #3 in China during the 70s and 80s gave basswood a bad rep, because they were flooding the market with poorly made "affordable" guitars made of it. Period. That's the only reason basswood gets a bad rep these days. It's tradition by now. Not everyone who builds a guitar actually knows how to do it correctly, and CNC routing and automated assembly can only do so much. Machines are not kept in tolerance to meet those quotas, and who cares about a few hundred dogs getting out when you're turning out thousands a day and shipping them all over the world?
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
This. DMZ’s do very well in Basswood guitars. I recommend the Liquifire
This. DMZ’s do very well in Basswood guitars. I recommend the Liquifire
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
The Indonesian & Japan JEM's are nice guitars but for $2.2K id rather have a Gibson. At least with a Gibson if i decide to sell i can get my money back. Not so with an Ibanez.
I recall the early JEM's being Basswood too. Not sure why the alder thing changed and also not sure why Basswood is a dirty word here. Ive had alder guitars, like i said not particularly earth moving.
The Indonesian & Japan JEM's are nice guitars but for $2.2K id rather have a Gibson. At least with a Gibson if i decide to sell i can get my money back. Not so with an Ibanez.
devastone
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Yes, all the early JEMs were basswood, Steve decided he wanted to try something different and liked the alder prototype that became Evo, so all the white ones and short lived blue sparkle ones are alder. They made them out of alder because that's what Steve wanted, it's good to be da' king.
Yes, all the early JEMs were basswood, Steve decided he wanted to try something different and liked the alder prototype that became Evo, so all the white ones and short lived blue sparkle ones are alder. They made them out of alder because that's what Steve wanted, it's good to be da' king.
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Advice to try different bridges and especially sustain blocks might help, but isn't where I'd start. Though brass in an Edge Pro seems to do more to fix mids and smooth ugly high end without darkening. Titanium is supposed to be fantastic for brightening without making harsh. It's also got a fantastic price...
Right pots can help any pickup, and if the guitar runs dark, brightening it with 1M pots is probably the cheapest solution.
Next I'd look at pickups. PATB-1b & PATB-3 are great for getting beefier tones out of basswood superstrats that are sounding a little thin or lacking in high end. TB-5 Custom (if you want low end punch) or TB-6 Distortion (high mids with ceramic presence/bite).
I have a old basswood Ibanez RG570 that didn't get on at all well with either the stock pickups or a JB I tried in the bridge. PATB-1b is great in it, great for leads and rhythm. I'd probably like a PATB-2 in it just fine, but if you are looking for bright, that isn't it's strength. It's like a Distortion with more low to mid focus, and the ceramic presence rolled off.
I also put an oversize brass vibrato block in the RG570. It didn't brighten it, but it did help even out the mids (it had a weird lower mid spike, tended towards bloated) and help sustain. If your current block is eating high end, brass might be brighter.
Advice to try different bridges and especially sustain blocks might help, but isn't where I'd start. Though brass in an Edge Pro seems to do more to fix mids and smooth ugly high end without darkening. Titanium is supposed to be fantastic for brightening without making harsh. It's also got a fantastic price...
Right pots can help any pickup, and if the guitar runs dark, brightening it with 1M pots is probably the cheapest solution.
Next I'd look at pickups. PATB-1b & PATB-3 are great for getting beefier tones out of basswood superstrats that are sounding a little thin or lacking in high end. TB-5 Custom (if you want low end punch) or TB-6 Distortion (high mids with ceramic presence/bite).
I have a old basswood Ibanez RG570 that didn't get on at all well with either the stock pickups or a JB I tried in the bridge. PATB-1b is great in it, great for leads and rhythm. I'd probably like a PATB-2 in it just fine, but if you are looking for bright, that isn't it's strength. It's like a Distortion with more low to mid focus, and the ceramic presence rolled off.
I also put an oversize brass vibrato block in the RG570. It didn't brighten it, but it did help even out the mids (it had a weird lower mid spike, tended towards bloated) and help sustain. If your current block is eating high end, brass might be brighter.
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dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
I tried it in my Charvel Model 2 & Model 4. It sounded like you'd expect, but I ended up liking the Custom Custom better.
If I were the OP, I'd get rid of the brass blocks and consider swapping the JT-6(s) to either OFR or Gotoh. BITD switching from alder to basswood was a solution for thin, nasal OFR tone. Grover Jackson was particularly fond of the OFR / basswood combo, so Vai's Green Meanie and the Model series were all intentionally made from basswood. Later on oversized brass trem blocks also caught on as a Floyd Rose tone solution, but using one with a basswood body amounts to trying to solve the same problem twice.
The Model 1A I posted earlier has a basswood body along with a 6-bolt vintage trem and a rather small zinc block. Going by conventional wisdom you wouldn't expect much from it, but it sounds exactly how you'd expect a Strat to sound. I've heard that James Tyler is also a fan of basswood / zinc block.
I tried it in my Charvel Model 2 & Model 4. It sounded like you'd expect, but I ended up liking the Custom Custom better.
If I were the OP, I'd get rid of the brass blocks and consider swapping the JT-6(s) to either OFR or Gotoh. BITD switching from alder to basswood was a solution for thin, nasal OFR tone. Grover Jackson was particularly fond of the OFR / basswood combo, so Vai's Green Meanie and the Model series were all intentionally made from basswood. Later on oversized brass trem blocks also caught on as a Floyd Rose tone solution, but using one with a basswood body amounts to trying to solve the same problem twice.
The Model 1A I posted earlier has a basswood body along with a 6-bolt vintage trem and a rather small zinc block. Going by conventional wisdom you wouldn't expect much from it, but it sounds exactly how you'd expect a Strat to sound. I've heard that James Tyler is also a fan of basswood / zinc block.
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devastone
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Another one of the "interesting" things. Basswood seems to be focused on the midrange, so you (at least "I") would think you would want a scooped pickup to even out the frequencies, but usually it's mid-heavy pickups that sound the best.
Another one of the "interesting" things. Basswood seems to be focused on the midrange, so you (at least "I") would think you would want a scooped pickup to even out the frequencies, but usually it's mid-heavy pickups that sound the best.
dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Definitely. Over the course of several years that Model 4 (later swapped to maple fb) has had a Full Shred, JB, '59, Custom 5, Invader, Custom, & Custom Custom installed. Of those the '59 and Custom 5 are probably the most scooped, and they were definitely my least favorite. The Custom was good and probably my second favorite, but just a little too bass-heavy.
Definitely. Over the course of several years that Model 4 (later swapped to maple fb) has had a Full Shred, JB, '59, Custom 5, Invader, Custom, & Custom Custom installed. Of those the '59 and Custom 5 are probably the most scooped, and they were definitely my least favorite. The Custom was good and probably my second favorite, but just a little too bass-heavy.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
I would figure a "mid-focused" pup would enhance midrange in a pronounce midrange body.
devastone
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
My point exactly, seems like it would be too much, but it usually works, at least for the DiMarzios.
My point exactly, seems like it would be too much, but it usually works, at least for the DiMarzios.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
Well in the early 90's i was inroduced to the SH-5 Duncan Custom and a star was born. The Jackson Dinky Reverse i put that pup into went from being a pretty good guitar to an OUTSTANDING guitar.
SH-5 is the only pickup in 40 years that has never let me down nor disappointed me.
Well in the early 90's i was inroduced to the SH-5 Duncan Custom and a star was born. The Jackson Dinky Reverse i put that pup into went from being a pretty good guitar to an OUTSTANDING guitar.
SH-5 is the only pickup in 40 years that has never let me down nor disappointed me.
Samick Lover
Member
Re: Basswood Charvels-cant get a decent tone
I own a Rondo Music Explorer style guitar without the Floyd Rose clone that is basswood. I like it myself. Nothing wrong with basswood.
Well in the early 90's i was inroduced to the SH-5 Duncan Custom and a star was born. The Jackson Dinky Reverse i put that pup into went from being a pretty good guitar to an OUTSTANDING guitar.
SH-5 is the only pickup in 40 years that has never let me down nor disappointed me.
I own a Rondo Music Explorer style guitar without the Floyd Rose clone that is basswood. I like it myself. Nothing wrong with basswood.
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