I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

[JimRayden]

I haven't actually selected the body wood yet (I'll let you know later on) but I'm trying to get the pickup selection done.

I'm trying to make the pickup sounds like this:
bridge: cool whining-screaming solos
mid: a nice strat-mid-pickup sound for those blues rythm and solos
neck: clean acoustic-sounding full chords

Now, I've picked those:
bridge: Full Shred
mid: Either Duckbucker or Stag Mag (or the usual single-coil but I think it has too low output compared to others)
bridge: this I haven't decided yet but I think it'll be the classic '59

Well, what do you think? What do you suggest to put on the mid position and what on the neck?


----------
Jimbo

 

[JimRayden]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

and... up we go... up to the top of the list where everyone can see the thread and help

EDIT: or maybe a Custom 5 on the neck position...
come on, ppl, help Jimmy get his Tonemachine built :dance:


-----------
Jimbo

 

[JimRayden]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

OK, ok... this is an early drawing of what it'll be like. Later I decided it'll have a middle pickup too.

It's called The Peteryan...

Don't copy the design and claim it yours, it's copyrighted...

 

[fusion101]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

nice soft acoustic like tone in the neck, well the c-5 sure wont get u that if u stick it in a neck(way way way to much bass). An alnico pro in the neck or maybe something diffrent like the humbucker from hell from dimarzio. by the way the best pickup in mid would probably be the cool rails because it wont be too much of a drop off in output and its great sounding. by the way its sort of hard to help u out here because we dont know the body wood. and the jb is what i think you would want in the bridge for what your asking for.

 

[JimRayden]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

Do you mean the Alnico Pro single coil or humbucker?

Hmm... i think I made my mind up... It'll be alder or ash... No particular reason.

ok, I trust you about the JB. And the Alnico. Now, what about the mid? I want a nice blues / rock'n'roll mildly overdriven sound. Should I go with a strat-kinda pickup or a soapbar? Also wich one?

Hmm... wich soapbar would be good for the mid position, neck or bridge version?


----------
jimbo

 

[Artie]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

I like your guitar design. When I first looked at it, I thought it looked like a piece to a jig-saw puzzle. But I like it.

As for pups, maybe some Cool Rails/Vintage Rails for the neck/mid.

I'm basing that off of other folks recommendations. I haven't actually got mine yet.

 

[Chi3f]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

yea i like that body style alot. Make me one of those bodies so i can have my fun :wink:

 

[MikeS]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

I love the Cool Rails/Vintage Rails in the neck/middle of my strat. The only downside to that setup is that the lower output VR will not likely mix well in the notch position with a pup like the JB, Full shred, C5, etc, etc. If I had to do it over again I would have bought a bridge version of the VR for it's slightly higher output.

Jim, also consider the Screamin Demon as well. It's a little more PAF-like than the Full Shred and JB, does have slightly lower output, but it still screams. I'm not a big fan of the full shred, just way too bright for my ears. Don't be afraid to consider the Custom Custom, as well.

 

[JimRayden]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

So, how does this sound:

Alnico II Pro HB / Vintage Rails / Screamin' Demon

I started to more concider the Tone Guide low/mid/high and I saw that JB might have maybe too much highs for me. Don't know about Duncan Distortion...

What do you think, what's the best pickup for that clean unfuzzy solo tone when overdriven? (like the solo in "Bohemian Rhapsody") Or is it the amp that does that sweet sound?

Sorry I don't know much about stuff because all I've built have been strats with simple single coils and I have no much experience with amps.


------------
Jimbo

 

[JimRayden]

Re: I'm making a custom guitar and I need advice

I'll buy them in a few days, if you have any suggestions or recommendations, let them out.