In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

[some_dude]

Ever gotten rid of the wrong thing? I almost did this again yesterday.

Long story short, I was having a problem dialling in my amp. Sounded good at low volumes, then turned to sh*t as the volume increased. Bottom end was a blunt thud, no definition in the mids and the top end was either absent or sounded like undefined static, depending on how things were dialled in. Adjusting the amp to compensate didn't seem to be helping. I swapped strings to make sure they weren't dead and there was no change to the sound. Also swapped power tubes, changed cables and bypassed the pedalboard with no change.

So, I started researching new pickups. I currently use Burstbuckers 1 & 2. I loved the way this guitar sounded and have always been hesitant to change anything because it sounds so good. But, Burstbuckers have a reputation for being bright and lacking definition, so I figured maybe I've just started hearing what everyone else did and now that I know it's there I can't stop hearing it.

So, after a few days of researching Seths, Antiquities, Pearly Gates, A2P, and Slash models I'm about to make a trip to the store. I still don't know exactly what I want, but I'm so frustrated that I'm willing to drive down and buy whatever model they happened to have in stock. At the last minute I decided to cut the brand new set of NYXL strings off my guitar and install a set of Gibson Reissues on it. Problem solved. Mids restored, more punch, bottom end in check and with nice compression, and a smoother, more pleasant top end.

It's funny too, because when I first installed the NYXLs I left them on because there was something in the mids I liked. It took a little bit before I started to notice what was absent, and by then I was no longer connecting the string change to the difference in sound. A second guitar with NYXLs is exhibiting the same problem. The ones that still had nickel or nickel plated steel strings sound fine.


Reminds me of a number of years back when I bought and sold 4 guitar heads before I realized it was the speaker cab I didn't like. :chairshot

 

[JeffB]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Strings make a big difference. Its especially apparent when you are playing with some real volume cos you hear every little change loud and clear.

I love the stability of the NYXLs...just fantastic, but I think they sound pretty mediocre.

 

[Diego]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

I played Elixirs for years and switched to Dunlops about 9 months ago.
They sound sweeter in the high end, not as sharp as Elixirs and they're very low-tension. My new favorites.

Oh and answering the question...a few years ago I noticed my tone had gotten very dull. It was fine with my Strat but my humbuckers were pure mud. Changed strings, same deal. Adjusted the pickups and replaced the volume pot, same.

...it was a patch cable gone bad. :argh: and now my Strat sounded trebly as ****. Guess it's a good idea to use a cable that bleeds some treble out with those.
I'll never forget to remove all cables before assuming something went belly-up inside my guitar again.

I also had this one when I bought my Egnater Tweaker. Dialed in the harder sounds and got a spongy, saggy sound that I really disliked. Sharp as hell at the same time, too. Thought I'd screwed up with my head choice after 2 weeks of trying just about every trick I could.

It was my cab. Had a Emi Legend 1258 speaker which is IMO an absolute stinker of a guitar speaker. Replaced it with a Emi Wizard and BAM! Firmer, bigger bass, thicker mids and controllable highs. Way louder too. Now I love the damn thing.

 

[Kam]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

I haven't really gotten rid of the wrong thing but I've definitely been guilty of focussing on the wrong area. I've spent way too much time and money on building a collection of guitars and fiddling around with pickups when what I really needed was a great amp.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

I had a 70s era Gibson Les Paul Custom, a 60s era Gibson 345, a Fender Blonde Super Reverb.........like an idiot.......I let them go.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

I have gotten rid of a lot of pickups that probably would have been better if I tried them in different guitars.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

 

[devastone]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Hmm, too many times to count, I wish it were only pickups and strings... Back in the day (or maybe I should say "decade", it was the early 90s) I went through some sweet amps until I figured out the cabinet I was playing through sounded like crap...

One that really sticks out to me was an 80-something limited edition small box 50W JCM800 in factory green tolex, awesome amp. I traded it for a 50W JCM900, which was also a sweet amp, but...

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Yeah, my most recent regret was trading a BlackStar HT5th anniversary I bought new for an LTD I wanted..
I really liked that amp. It was a 2x10 combo that was a limited run of 2500. I bought a new EVH 5150iii and it stopped getting played so I traded it..
That was a mistake..

 

[omg81]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

My tone was too shrill after changing pickups and strings. Pickups too bright? Wrong strings? Not the right amp for the pickups?

Then I tried an old thicker plek I had lying around somewhere. Problem solved. I recommend everyone who has problems with a too sharp/too dull tone to try a few different pleks first. Pleks make a huge difference, and are somewhat cheaper than a new amp.

 

[jacksen]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

replace the tone pot with bypass switch

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

I got rid of this bad boy because I couldn't dial it in...found out multiple guitars later that a JB in Basswood just doesn't sit well with me...wish I had it back because I really love the Screamin Demon in Basswood and I loved that guitar.

View attachment 68672

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

My tone was too shrill after changing pickups and strings. Pickups too bright? Wrong strings? Not the right amp for the pickups?

Then I tried an old thicker plek I had lying around somewhere. Problem solved. I recommend everyone who has problems with a too sharp/too dull tone to try a few different pleks first. Pleks make a huge difference, and are somewhat cheaper than a new amp.

I even use different picks to get different tones. My default is a Dunlop Delrin 2.0mm I love that pick!
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e=&network=g&gclid=CPjSxrjLvckCFYVFaQodkHIBDw

 

[LLL]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

"In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?"

No, but waaay back in the day, in my search for being allowed to live in my crummy apartment another month, I've gotten rid of
several wrong things.

 

[dystrust]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

"In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?"

No, but waaay back in the day, in my search for being allowed to live in my crummy apartment another month, I've gotten rid of
several wrong things.

I've done that a few times as well. The two I miss most are the Soldano SP-77 preamp, and the Charvel 25th Anniversary Limited Edition #49. I sold a '77 LP Custom and H&K Triamp for similar reasons, but I hadn't been getting along with them which certainly makes it easier.

 

[B2D]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Ohhhh yeah.

My Mesa Dual Rec Tremoverb - should've held on to that. That's the biggest one that stands out.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Glad you found your problem and that it was a cheap and simple fix!! stretching the topic a bit, but Ive gotten rid of several guitars searching for something better and now Id give about anything to have em back...

And as far as simple solution to bad tone.. Im embarassed to tell this, but I will... I normally play my Splawn using the loop as a master volume so I can get more hair without being heard for 3 miles.. Well, I started playing it louder and was getting this aweful farty sound out of it. Took it to tech.. no prob found. took it home, same thing.. Back, had him put new tubes in. home, same thing. So I plug it up in the store to show him and there is nothing wrong with the amp, it just breaks up like that cuz it isnt made to be opened up too much running the loop volume. Purely operator error.... I felt so stupid...

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

The only thing I currently miss is my LP Standard that I bought new in 2010. Can't afford another one:sad:

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

My tone was too shrill after changing pickups and strings. Pickups too bright? Wrong strings? Not the right amp for the pickups?

Then I tried an old thicker plek I had lying around somewhere. Problem solved. I recommend everyone who has problems with a too sharp/too dull tone to try a few different pleks first. Pleks make a huge difference, and are somewhat cheaper than a new amp.

Haha!
I liked Your post enough, I've added it to my sig

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: In your search for tone, ever gotten rid of the wrong thing?

Back in 2008 I had just one electric guitar by choice because of financial goals. This guitar was a mexican Fender strat, which I liked a lot both looks and feel wise (it Had a dark wine-red color that I really liked) and I had bonded with it pretty well over the 9 years I owned it up to that point. I decided I wanted to get a guitar that was suited for metal and because of my overzealousness in being frugal, I forced myself to trade that strat in towards the new guitar, but I knew in my gut that I really shouldn't because I really liked the strat, that holding onto it was justified because it made tones completely different from the metal guitar, and that I really could easily afford the new metal guitar without having to do the trade-in. And I've always regretted it, and within a year I ended up buying another strat to give me those tones that a metal guitar just can't.