Fly_with_v
New member
I did a trade for service for an Epiphone Pro/FX to fill the need for a Floyd equiped guitar. I play mostly Gibson LP's so I thought this would be a good match. I really like the feel and playability of the guitar but.....
When I first purchased the guitar I played it with the Epiphone pickups to make sure I liked it from a feel standpoint. It did not sound to bad but I planned on changing the pickups to something better. It was a little muddy and dark in the bridge position but I equated that to the pickups. So before buying anything I swapped in some P-rails that I had in a standard Epi LP. The neck was great as expected but the bridge was REALLY dark in this guitar. I turned the bridge pickup around to get the rail next to the bridge and it was better but still a little dark. I know the P-Rails aare a little dark. I thought well a JB certainly is not a dark pickup so I well try it. I put a 59 in the neck and it is steller as expected. But the bridge is still dark. Basically it doesn't sound bad, it just sounds darker and warmer then i would expect. Yes a LP is a warm guitar but it just isn't perfect for me.
So I started trying to examine the guitar a little more and comparing the pickup location. Becuase of the fact that this is a Les Pual design with a Floyd the measurement between the intonation point and the pole pieces of the pickup are about 1/8" further then a standard Les Paul. On the Pro/FX the pickup ring is about 1/8" away from the end of the Floyd. In fact, it is about the same spacing away from the end of the Floyd that it would be from a tune-o-matic. Sounds good right? No, on the Floyd the saddles are about a half an inch back from the front of the Floyd. On most Floyded guitars I have looked at pickup ring is within an 1/8" or so of the Floyd and they usually have thinner rings then the LP. The saddles on this guitar are about 1.75" on the high E and 1.9 inches on the low E away from the pole pieces. I have never measured the pole piece to saddle distance on a Floyd equiped guitar so I am not to sure what is normal.
I want my bridge to soung like a bridge pickup, but it is much closer to the neck sound then I would like. I equate this to the placement of the pickups and the fact that this is just a comparitively dark guitar. I could live with the darkness becuase for the most part I can EQ that out. But I do not think I can live without picking up the sound that you get when the pickup is closer to the bridge. Think picking closer to the bridge.
Has anyone experienced this or can anyone confirm that this is causing me to feel it is just not right? Could it be something else?
I love the JB in my Jackson, I know it is Alder, but I am no where close. I feel like I put a dark PAF in here, not an 80's hair metal pickup. I also know there are mixed reactions to the JB in a Mahogany guitar.
Just to complicate the issue, I ordered an Ibanez S570 becuase I think the Epi is going back unless I can get it like I want. So I am also debating wheather or not to even bother putting the JB in that. Maybe a magnet swap?
When I first purchased the guitar I played it with the Epiphone pickups to make sure I liked it from a feel standpoint. It did not sound to bad but I planned on changing the pickups to something better. It was a little muddy and dark in the bridge position but I equated that to the pickups. So before buying anything I swapped in some P-rails that I had in a standard Epi LP. The neck was great as expected but the bridge was REALLY dark in this guitar. I turned the bridge pickup around to get the rail next to the bridge and it was better but still a little dark. I know the P-Rails aare a little dark. I thought well a JB certainly is not a dark pickup so I well try it. I put a 59 in the neck and it is steller as expected. But the bridge is still dark. Basically it doesn't sound bad, it just sounds darker and warmer then i would expect. Yes a LP is a warm guitar but it just isn't perfect for me.
So I started trying to examine the guitar a little more and comparing the pickup location. Becuase of the fact that this is a Les Pual design with a Floyd the measurement between the intonation point and the pole pieces of the pickup are about 1/8" further then a standard Les Paul. On the Pro/FX the pickup ring is about 1/8" away from the end of the Floyd. In fact, it is about the same spacing away from the end of the Floyd that it would be from a tune-o-matic. Sounds good right? No, on the Floyd the saddles are about a half an inch back from the front of the Floyd. On most Floyded guitars I have looked at pickup ring is within an 1/8" or so of the Floyd and they usually have thinner rings then the LP. The saddles on this guitar are about 1.75" on the high E and 1.9 inches on the low E away from the pole pieces. I have never measured the pole piece to saddle distance on a Floyd equiped guitar so I am not to sure what is normal.
I want my bridge to soung like a bridge pickup, but it is much closer to the neck sound then I would like. I equate this to the placement of the pickups and the fact that this is just a comparitively dark guitar. I could live with the darkness becuase for the most part I can EQ that out. But I do not think I can live without picking up the sound that you get when the pickup is closer to the bridge. Think picking closer to the bridge.
Has anyone experienced this or can anyone confirm that this is causing me to feel it is just not right? Could it be something else?
I love the JB in my Jackson, I know it is Alder, but I am no where close. I feel like I put a dark PAF in here, not an 80's hair metal pickup. I also know there are mixed reactions to the JB in a Mahogany guitar.
Just to complicate the issue, I ordered an Ibanez S570 becuase I think the Epi is going back unless I can get it like I want. So I am also debating wheather or not to even bother putting the JB in that. Maybe a magnet swap?
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