Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
All,
I've been thinking a lot lately about woods and guitars and pickups, and I'm looking for a combination, but not sure where to start. I hope you don't mind me describing this perfect guitar, if you could help me find it.
First, I would like this thing to be solid body and with two humbuckers. I'm hoping this guitar will be set neck, but if I have to go with Warmoth I know I won't have that, so I don't mind. I'd like this guitar to be a fixed bridge guitar, six strings, etc. Probably want a Les Paul look-alike, but a "soloist" body style (aka Showmaster) is ok too.
Sound is mainly what I'm wanting to find, in terms of wood and pickups. I want the guitar to be extremely well balanced and musical sounding. Wood choice is very important. For example, I find Les Pauls to be lacking in the high end (except the swamp ash special version). Anyways, present bass, tight enough but not ultra-tight. I love mids, but basswood with a '59 has almost too much mids. Basswood is musical to my ear, just would wish it sounded more "woody", i.e. more complex overtones. Ash is very nice to my ears, but doesn't have basswood's smoothed mid range. The sound I want is basically as close to a classical guitar as possible, just in a solid body electric
Something that is sensitive to my playing, like something you can easily hear differences in pick attack with.
The pickups I'd prefer on this guitar should accentuate that sound. I prefer the neck to sound ultra-clean and ultra-clear. The bridge should be powerful enough for 70s/80s metal with the right pedals/amp, but still clean and clear enough to be useful without effects. So far I have tried the '59, JB, Jazz, PG+, and Alnico II Pro single coil. I wouldn't mind a dual Jazz set, since I no longer own the Hot Rodded ESP.
I'll compare the sound to what I currently own (but remember, I want to add some tonal variety to my stable). The Lite Ash strat is nice, and so is the Showmaster (basswood). The bridge on the showmaster has too much mids (PG+ and basswood). The neck is too boomy (basswood and '59). Both my guitars are useful, and I use them both equally often,. and I love them both. I'd never part with them.
Anyways, I hope this wasn't too much of a long post, but I was just wanting advice as to what I should go with next. I'm also curious about other pickups I've never tried, like even some Filtertron SD copies.
I've been thinking a lot lately about woods and guitars and pickups, and I'm looking for a combination, but not sure where to start. I hope you don't mind me describing this perfect guitar, if you could help me find it.
First, I would like this thing to be solid body and with two humbuckers. I'm hoping this guitar will be set neck, but if I have to go with Warmoth I know I won't have that, so I don't mind. I'd like this guitar to be a fixed bridge guitar, six strings, etc. Probably want a Les Paul look-alike, but a "soloist" body style (aka Showmaster) is ok too.
Sound is mainly what I'm wanting to find, in terms of wood and pickups. I want the guitar to be extremely well balanced and musical sounding. Wood choice is very important. For example, I find Les Pauls to be lacking in the high end (except the swamp ash special version). Anyways, present bass, tight enough but not ultra-tight. I love mids, but basswood with a '59 has almost too much mids. Basswood is musical to my ear, just would wish it sounded more "woody", i.e. more complex overtones. Ash is very nice to my ears, but doesn't have basswood's smoothed mid range. The sound I want is basically as close to a classical guitar as possible, just in a solid body electric
Something that is sensitive to my playing, like something you can easily hear differences in pick attack with.The pickups I'd prefer on this guitar should accentuate that sound. I prefer the neck to sound ultra-clean and ultra-clear. The bridge should be powerful enough for 70s/80s metal with the right pedals/amp, but still clean and clear enough to be useful without effects. So far I have tried the '59, JB, Jazz, PG+, and Alnico II Pro single coil. I wouldn't mind a dual Jazz set, since I no longer own the Hot Rodded ESP.
I'll compare the sound to what I currently own (but remember, I want to add some tonal variety to my stable). The Lite Ash strat is nice, and so is the Showmaster (basswood). The bridge on the showmaster has too much mids (PG+ and basswood). The neck is too boomy (basswood and '59). Both my guitars are useful, and I use them both equally often,. and I love them both. I'd never part with them.
Anyways, I hope this wasn't too much of a long post, but I was just wanting advice as to what I should go with next. I'm also curious about other pickups I've never tried, like even some Filtertron SD copies.
