Charvel san dimas users : the sound

[always SD]

hi

i talk about the HH 2013 version with sh1, sh4 and floyd rose system
i noticed that this guitar had some great reviews but in my opinion, this is not the perfect guitar

1) if i want a warm dark sound for the neck position like Santana: it's not possible without a tone knob

and the tone knob was not there to have a better sound according to CHarvel

so ? is it a good option to add a tone knob?

2) the sustain seems not to be very good
pickups too high?

3) this guitar has less trebles (high ends if you want) than a strat or an ibanez js in basswood

i thought that the maple neck would give me a bright sound and no....

a js in basswood has a brigther sound
so ?

with this price, we can't have a brighter sound?:no1:

or must we add something in the electronics?

 

[Archer250]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

hi

i talk about the HH 2013 version with sh1, sh4 and floyd rose system
i noticed that this guitar had some great reviews but in my opinion, this is not the perfect guitar

1) if i want a warm dark tone like Santana: it's not possible without a tone knob

and the tone knob was not there to have a better sound according to CHarvel

so ? is it a good option to add a tone knob?

2) the sustain seems not to be very good
pickups too high?

3) this guitar has less trebles (high ends if you want) than a strat or an ibanez js in basswood

i thought that the maple neck will give me a bright sound and no....

a js in baswwod has a brigther sound
so ?

with this price, we can't have a brighter sound?:no1:

or must we add something in the electronics?

Oh yeah this is why some members recommended the SoCal over the San Dimas. The former is more mod-friendly.


You can definitely try a stacked pot and wire it as a volume and a tone pot, and that can help with issue number one. For issue number two, you'll want to get your guitar set up professionally first: action, strings, bridge, pickup height and all. If that doesn't help, then you're ****ed and will have to invest in either a big brass block (which some say is snake oil), or a compressor-sustainer pedal.

For issue number three... I dunno, a 1 meg pot? Is your amp's treble already maxed?

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

san dimas/so cal= the same price

i did not want a so cal because sh6-sh6 is loud for blues
i have played with these guitars in a shop

Charvel told me it was the same except the pickups

action is low and good
pickups have good height (except sh4 for the high notes, i had to put it lower)
neck is good

i don't want to use compressor just a boost sometimes

i will talk about that to the guy where i bought it

it's my first guitar with a maple neck (or fingerboard)
but it's not the sound of Clapton

 

[Archer250]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

The other difference is that the Charvel is top-routed with a pickguard. Modifying a pickguard is easier than modifying wood. Obviously it would not sound like any era of Clapton, as it is a different beast from LPs, SGs and Strats. But seriously, take it to a *good* tech, and have him set up the guitar, and MOST IMPORTANTLY talk to him about your sustain issues. If he's competent enough, he will start checking everything. You see, just having good action playability is half the story. It's all compromise: sometimes, a lower action is easier to play but robs sustain; sometimes, a higher action just makes the guitar sound a bit too full. A very good tech can find the best middle ground for the perfect blend of playability and tone *for that guitar.

Oh, and the best place you can go to isn't necessarily the place you bought the guitar from, but it's a start.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

It appears that the guitar is more resonate than the Ibby.

It could require a different amp and a different speaker.

The OP may have prefered the Distortion to the JB, but from his desrciption of what he wants, a Demon (depending on amp gain) or Full Shred might be better. A Pearly Gates neck might be better in the neck than the 59n.

A tone control might do the trick for his neck position but it will make the bridge pickup less bright.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

It appears that the guitar is more resonate than the Ibby.

It could require a different amp and a different speaker.

The OP may have prefered the Distortion to the JB, but from his desrciption of what he wants, a Demon (depending on amp gain) or Full Shred might be better. A Pearly Gates neck might be better in the neck than the 59n.

A tone control might do the trick for his neck position but it will make the bridge pickup less bright.

Unless you use a 1 Meg stacked pot.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

Backing the pickups away from the strings will make them sound brighter. Bringing them closer will make them sound darker.

Humbuckers will usually sound darker than single coil pickups, your guitar will not sound as bright as a strat with single coils without modifications.

You can get a similar tone knob 'rolling off the highs' effect by rolling the volume pot back and turning your amp up.





There are many things you can play with to modify your guitar more drastically, but take a little time doing the free stuff first. It may turn out to be all you need to do.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

Also, if you decided to get a push pull volume pot for coil splitting (single coil-ish sounds), and to drill a hole for a tone pot, I recommend you use a no load tone pot. The resulting tone will be identical to that of a guitar without a tone pot provided that you set the pot to ten.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

if I were you, I would replace the neck, the body, the pickups, add a tone knob, and quit posting a thread every other day about a Charvel San Dimas.

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

The other difference is that the Charvel is top-routed with a pickguard. Modifying a pickguard is easier than modifying wood.

good answer :9::clap::clap:

i am ok with you

i send some guitars to a tech (not in a guitar shop) but my guitars had high action
an Ibanez js with high action is horrible !!
but i put the strings lower and the notes could not be played well
so, i must play with too much high action for me

or the trussroad may be set up again too :headache:

but the san dimas shows me that a low action could be perfect for the notes too

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

It appears that the guitar is more resonate than the Ibby.

It could require a different amp and a different speaker.

The OP may have prefered the Distortion to the JB, but from his desrciption of what he wants, a Demon (depending on amp gain) or Full Shred might be better. A Pearly Gates neck might be better in the neck than the 59n.

A tone control might do the trick for his neck position but it will make the bridge pickup less bright.

IBby= ?
OP=?

changing pickups : i don't know to do that, it can be good but i am tired of changing pickups

i don't understand why

A tone control might do the trick for his neck position but it will make the bridge pickup less bright.

You can get a similar tone knob 'rolling off the highs' effect by rolling the volume pot back and turning your amp up.
.

yes it's true and i use it but you loose dynamic

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

if I were you, I would replace the neck, the body, the pickups, add a tone knob, and quit posting a thread every other day about a Charvel San Dimas.

it's funny to say that with your amazing and incredible 43 512 posts lol :9::big laugh: and i don't see a thread every day about a san dimas
funny too
^^^^^^^^^^
it's always the same: low price= bad clean sound except a strat

 

[Muffleberry]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

if I were you, I would replace the neck, the body, the pickups, add a tone knob, and quit posting a thread every other day about a Charvel San Dimas.

Remind me later not to ask any questions about the same guitar more than once. This guy doesn't seem to like that too much. lol!

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

A San Dimas is a San Dimas. There's some great sounds to be had (including clean), but Santana won't be one of them obviously.
If you want an even brighter sound, get a push pull pot and split the the humbuckers.

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

"1 - unlike other brands operating in this musical register, Charvel has chosen to offer a wider neck profile 'San Dimas Wide C' Maple 'Quartersawn', which remains completely affordable in terms of grip, and exacerbates its size.

2 - the bodies are cut from the Alder 'Medium-Weight' (average weight) providing frequencies warm and punchy mids, bass very present and pronounced harmonics.

3 - not spoiling in terms of quality, the electronics are entrusted to a duo humbucker coil Seymour Duncan JB TB4 (bridge) + 59 SH1N (stick) to the connotation significantly Hard-Heavy-Blues as T6 6 Distortion and SH-6N Distortion of the So-Cal, which have a Hard-Heavy color more radical. A story of shades.
The usual tone knob is obscured to avoid losses and its dynamics."

maybe the Japan series were better than the Mexico series

 

[Archer250]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

You're gonna piss off a lot of people by suggesting they're wrong with some manufacturer literature.

 

[always SD]

Re: Charvel san dimas users : the sound

you are wrong with this very strange interpretation of what people think (without knowing them) instead of just talking about music

i just said that no tone knob is a good solution for CHarvel but i don't like the final result
and i read USa and Japan models were better too
when i listened to videos, the clean sound is different from what i have
i look for a way to have a better clean sound without split or changing the space between pickups/strings because i know it's not the solution

changing pickups maybe a good thing but i would prefer add some things in the electronics
because i read that and i tested orange drops and it was good
so
i don'' want a better clean sound with split
i want a better clean sound with humbuckers like the a ibanez js for example

this guitar could be good if the clean sound had a brighter sound
i don't like guitars with dark clean sounds : bad quality and i don't want to set up my amp because my others guitars don't need that

i remember an old guitar a cheap Steinberger gt pro deluxe
the sounds were very bad and very dark
changing pickups had not given to me a brighter clean sound:9: and my Stein has a warmer sound with maple body

clean sounds for the san dimas is better but this is not what i wanted

i played with a DSL 5
wrong solution: all guitars sound good with 10 on trebles