Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Developments; I started the testing process to see which pickup set I liked in this guitar and found that this Epi, with its tunomatic bridge is set up for use with F-spaced pickups.. None of my standard pickup collection will space right under the strings. So I loaded a Dimarzio Super 3 in the bridge position and went to open mic with it. I'm not sure if it was the guitar/pickup combo or the sponsoring guitarist's rig, but it had ridiculously emphasized midrange and really weak.. even compared to the middle and neck stock pickups. Bringing the pickup closer to the strings helped the output, but killed my sustain.. Drop D tuning and songs like "No More Tears" and "Suicide Messiah" came off weak and nonimpact. Embarrassing situation to say the least.. I thought about bringing the Dimbag loaded Ibanez 540 into play, but it was game over before I could get her tuned and back on stage.
I think next week I'm going to lead trump with my Ibanez Giger RG. ..redemption factor 100%. Neck through, loaded with the Seymour LW-MET set. Would be nice to use my own rig too, but I can't count on it.
On the bright side, the Crunch Lab/Liquifier combo are standard in F-space. Ordered a set and will try them in the Epi..
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

108Dragon said:
Developments; I started the testing process to see which pickup set I liked in this guitar and found that this Epi, with its tunomatic bridge is set up for use with F-spaced pickups.. None of my standard pickup collection will space right under the strings. So I loaded a Dimarzio Super 3 in the bridge position and went to open mic with it. I'm not sure if it was the guitar/pickup combo or the sponsoring guitarist's rig, but it had ridiculously emphasized midrange and really weak.. even compared to the middle and neck stock pickups. Bringing the pickup closer to the strings helped the output, but killed my sustain.. Drop D tuning and songs like "No More Tears" and "Suicide Messiah" came off weak and nonimpact. Embarrassing situation to say the least.. I thought about bringing the Dimbag loaded Ibanez 540 into play, but it was game over before I could get her tuned and back on stage.
I think next week I'm going to lead trump with my Ibanez Giger RG. ..redemption factor 100%. Neck through, loaded with the Seymour LW-MET set. Would be nice to use my own rig too, but I can't count on it.
On the bright side, the Crunch Lab/Liquifier combo are standard in F-space. Ordered a set and will try them in the Epi..
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If high output is your thing, The LW-MET is the way to go. Although I'm not a fan of the Super3, what it's not is weak. Mid heavy, yes. Compressed, yes. But not weak. I'm willing to bet the amp you used was the problem.
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Darth Nihilus said:
If high output is your thing, The LW-MET is the way to go. Although I'm not a fan of the Super3, what it's not is weak. Mid heavy, yes. Compressed, yes. But not weak. I'm willing to bet the amp you used was the problem.
Click to expand...

I agree. I practice at home with a Beringer Vampire modeling solid state amp. I get all the gain and saturation I need without the volume. Although still really middy, it hit hard. Even hit harder in my Jackson Dinky. Get this..
The sponsoring guitarist is a seasoned Tennessee touring artist with an established area cover band. As far as I could see, he was playing through a rack mount effects unit of some type, into a stereo solid state amp of some type, into a pair of homemade 2x12 cabs loaded with what looked like car speakers. He had that 80's style fizzy distortion with the heavy chorusing that everybody in thier right mind left back in the 80's.
When I played, I went straight for his "lead" setting and left it there. I guess it was ok for the Journey and Eagles stuff that he was doing. But not the hot ticket for the Ozzy, Black Label, and Godsmack tunes we were doing...
Like I said.. all thats gonna change next week. Although, a production axe, that Ibanez Giger is serious with that LW-MET pickup set. Coupled with the MP-1 3TM, a half tablespoon of reverb, and 40ms of delay, it should do exactly what I need it to... even through the remainder of his sad little rig.
High output pickups are the easiest way to achieve the headroom you need. Even if you don't need it all, its kinda like a condom. It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. :cool2:
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Darth Nihilus said:
@108Dragon

I knew there was something cool about you. I too, have an ADA MP-1 with the 3TM mod. Two of them to be exact and a third MP-1 with the 3.666 mod. I love that preamp!
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isnt that the unit that alot of 80's guys used? what does this add?
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Yes, the ADA MP-1 was used by tons of people over the years. It sounds like a modded JCM800 Marshall amp, it's awesome. Lots of people have forgotten about this unit and you can still get them at a descent price. I can get a tone similar to Dino Cazares of Fear Factory. His early tone was a modded JCM800 and this ADA preamp nails it.

As far as what it adds, it gives the user a hot-rodded Marshall tone and 128 presets. Hook this sucker up to a good power amp and you're good to go!
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

Darth Nihilus said:
Yes, the ADA MP-1 was used by tons of people over the years. It sounds like a modded JCM800 Marshall amp, it's awesome. Lots of people have forgotten about this unit and you can still get them at a descent price. I can get a tone similar to Dino Cazares of Fear Factory. His early tone was a modded JCM800 and this ADA preamp nails it.

As far as what it adds, it gives the user a hot-rodded Marshall tone and 128 presets. Hook this sucker up to a good power amp and you're good to go!
Click to expand...

Heck.. Hook it up to a sad @$$ amp and you're good to go too! hahaha
 
Re: Epi LP Custom 3 Plus

I first got to try the MP-1 back in like 1991. Steve Merchant's shop in Denver Colorado. He got that, and a Soldano SLO 100 rig in snakeskin.. Of course, I didn't have $3k in my pocket, so I bought the MP-1. We hooked it up to the effects return of a Marshall 4100 JCM 900 halfstack and compared it to the Soldano rig. Aside from the obvious purpose built nature of the Soldano tone, the only real difference was pick dynamics issues with the MP-1. I.E. pick hard or soft and it has the same dynamics. Might be the compression in the unit. But that has always been my only real drither with it.
You're right. Anyone who was anyone at that point used the MP-1 at some point. It was a great recording tool back then as well. I laid down some lushious stereo guitar tracks with it back in the day.
Now, you can make these things sound like a Mesa Triple Rec (3.666 mod) dimed out at bedroom listening volumes.. which makes it a nearly priceless practice tool. I also still run mine through the effects return on my Marshall 4100 rig. Cut to 50 watts by way of the switch on the back and driven with 3 12AX7A preamp tubes in a modeling preamp from hell, I get concert level harmonics and saturation at volumes that won't get me shut down at small venues.. which makes it a nearly priceless performance tool.. and a LOT more versatile than ANY power brake, hot plate included.

HAHAHA! How's that for a plug for a product that is no longer produced, of a company that no longer exists?
 
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