Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Nate

Nate

New member
It's a great guitar. It's incredibly beautiful and everyone I know is envious of me because of it. However, I just don't really like the sound of it. Stupid Blaze pickups...

My theory is that by selling it, I can score enough fundage to buy at least two ESP 7 stringers via ebay, and use whatever money I have left to buy pickups for them. I'm really digging the feel of ESP 7 strings again. On another hand, it's a Universe man...it's like....the guitar of guitars...THE one...maybe I should just replace the pickups with some non-EMG's (whole other story about this).

I've been looking through this site, as well as Dimarzio's site looking for some suitable pickups. The more I look at these sites, the more I think it's more worth it to spend $150 to replace the pickups in this guitar.

I dunno.

This whole thing is just weird.

I'm so lost. This sucks.

I want to be :dance: but instead I'm :blackeye: and I don't want to end up being :smack: and feeling like a :22:.

What do you guys think?
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Sorry for being dense, but what is a Universe?
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I agree that it's a nice guitar, dunno much about these so I can't support the guitar of gods thing... It depends, do you like the way it plays? If the answer is yes, then I would try to put different pick-ups in there to see how much you can improve it to suit your taste... If the answer's no, don't care about how much it's worth or whatever, sell it and get something else... Just my opinion of course...
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I do like the way it plays. My thinking about selling it is strictly for buying more guitars from it. I'm pretty sure I could get two other guitars from selling this one.

I'm playing it now, and aside from it sounding like a total piece of **** and the fact that I still have my 11 gauge strings on it, I really like playing it. I'd kinda like to try something different with it. Like some *gasp* Dimarzios or something. I dunno...I'm open for anything.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Well, if you think you can get the money out of it later, why not demo some pups in it before selling?
 
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Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Ken said:
Well, if you think you can get the money out of it later, why not demo some pups in it before selling?
Click to expand...
My thought exactly... Try some pick-ups first... If you like the guitar but sell it only to get more guitars, you'll probably end-up regretting it in a while... If you like the guitar, put some decent pick-ups in there... If you wanna get more guitars, save your money...
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Ahhh, the old "quality or quantity" question?

I'm not an ESP guy per say, but I'd still buy one if it felt right. I like everything about Ibanez guitars except their pickups. However, these use DiMarzio pickups. What exactly do you not like about the Blaze pickups? Too bright or muddy? Find out what it is you don't like about them, then go to the DiMarzio site and find a 7 string 'bucker who's tone chart bars differ from the Blaze.

My vote is for giving the different pickups a try. I'd rather have one high-end 7 string than 2 decent ones.

I own a 7 string and am looking to sell it. Never found a use for it, so it's hard for me to understand wanting 2! Hey, whatever works for you mate.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Nate said:
It's a great guitar. It's incredibly beautiful and everyone I know is envious of me because of it. However, I just don't really like the sound of it. Stupid Blaze pickups...

My theory is that by selling it, I can score enough fundage to buy at least two ESP 7 stringers via ebay, and use whatever money I have left to buy pickups for them. I'm really digging the feel of ESP 7 strings again. On another hand, it's a Universe man...it's like....the guitar of guitars...THE one...maybe I should just replace the pickups with some non-EMG's (whole other story about this).

I've been looking through this site, as well as Dimarzio's site looking for some suitable pickups. The more I look at these sites, the more I think it's more worth it to spend $150 to replace the pickups in this guitar.

I dunno.

This whole thing is just weird.

I'm so lost. This sucks.

I want to be :dance: but instead I'm :blackeye: and I don't want to end up being :smack: and feeling like a :22:.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...



I HIGHLY recomend keeping the guitar and investing in some new pickups. Basswood and maple are both naturally scooped, and blaze pickups are scooped as well. The problem? The 59, Jazz, JB, Custom, Distortion, and Invader are both high on bass and treble but not so much mids. My dimarzio PAF7's are actually pretty good, lots of mids, the ceramic mag gives it a tight bass but the treble can be a little brittle at times but so will any pickup with a ceramic magnet. The Evolution is supposed to be like a superdistortion only brighter so it's also a good candidate, perhaps with a PAF7 in the neck position.

If you really want to get crafty though, get a PAF7 for the neck then get a 7 string custom custom from the custom shop. But yeah... keep the guitar. You might regret selling it later on.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I hit up Dimarzio's site last night looking for some potential candidates that would seem worthy of using. I kinda like what the Evolution brings to the table. I might try it with an Air Norton or some other kind of neck pickup.

I think I'd rather try out every Dimarzio and Duncan in existance before I cut up this guitar and put EMG 707's in it. That's why I even started looking at other brands of pickups in the first place.

I guess this has pretty much been answered. :D Thanks guys.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I don't like the Blaze pickups at all... I love evos though. Why not try some Evo 7-strings? I think they still make them. Plus Duncan has some 7-string models as well.

If changing the pickups don't float yer boat, sell it and get some ESPs.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Are Evolutions made for 7 string neck positions, or is the one model out right now okay to use? I'm really liking what I'm reading about these things.
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

It completely baffles me how high-end Ibanezes played by guitar gods are made out of basswood. Is there something we're missing? Maybe this wood is the proverbial "holy grail" of tonewoods?


basswood? holy grail? say who?
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I had that thought too. It's apparently a 'balance of lows and highs' according to Ibanez's site. Either there is something special about this wood, or these guitar gods that are playing these guitars made out of this wood aren't extremists in any way.

Think about it.

A "balance" of lows and highs.

They aren't taking things to the extreme. Well, not everything.

Their technique is beyond extreme. But their wood? Blegh. It's just there.

You could look at it that way. :p
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

Nate said:
I had that thought too. It's apparently a 'balance of lows and highs' according to Ibanez's site. Either there is something special about this wood, or these guitar gods that are playing these guitars made out of this wood aren't extremists in any way.

Think about it.

A "balance" of lows and highs.

They aren't taking things to the extreme. Well, not everything.

Their technique is beyond extreme. But their wood? Blegh. It's just there.

You could look at it that way. :p
Click to expand...
I'd say they get a whole lot o' money for playing these guitars.... I also guess that these aren't exactly the same as what you can get in the catalog (different woods, whatever, as long as people think they're getting the same thing...)
 
Re: Can't decide on whether or not I want to sell my Universe

I generally avoid basswood because I find it to be too light, too soft, and lacking in sustain... howver one of my favorite guitars, The Ibanez JS1000, posesses none of these properties. :smack:

I think that the cuts of basswood in high-end guitars are undoubtedly much better than the stuff in the low-end axes. (you know like soft and hard rock maple?) Plus there is American and Asian Basswood.

Tonally its a good wood though. Kind of right in between alder an mahoghany tonewise although I generally prefer alder for my guitars.
 
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