NGD(s) x2

[Phantasmagoria]

Picked up two new mid-priced/very cool axes at my local music store yesterday. I went in for just the one, but I ended up walking out with this one too.

Thought it was great bang for the buck...looks sounds and plays totally awesome. Besides, I don't have any ash-bodied or blue guitars so it was high time I got myself one

The "Quantum" pickups are probably the only thing I'm not crazy about. They're a bit dull somehow. I did mess around with their hight a bit but have'nt got them sounding/feeling right yet. I swapped those out asap in the Ibanez SA I bought a couple of years ago as well. Theyr'e missing something & don't feel right under the fingers though they record OK and are usable. I'm thinking of a Tone Zone in the bridge or maybe a SD custom custom/Custom5. Lets see...maybe something else (suggestions for an ash body/maple neck?), who know's??

The other axe is'nt unpacked yet and will be featured in here soon ..it's what I've been gassing for for a while now and while this is the 2022 "upgraded" model... it definitely lived up to my expectations when I played it at the store yesterday,. Looks sweet af too :bigthumb:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Broke a string while messing around (high e), changed it...lowered the pickup height a ton ...they came pushed right up practically against the strings like EMG's ..still don't sound perfect (they're kinds dull) but they feel a lot better/more in the sweet spot so I'll keep them this way until I decide what to swap them out with

 

[Phantasmagoria]

On the plus side ..the fit & finish is flawless/gorgeous. Neck is greased lightning, action/s low with no dead spots/high frets/sharp ends etc... the fret job's absolutely 100% perfect. Sustains for day's & I do love the Zero II trem, it keeps perfect tune and is very effective for all teh nice whammy trix!! Also one of the easiest trem's to set up quick & level out when you switch string gauges/tuning's etc..

The pickups while not the best are usable/decent tbh, when adjusted right...

 

[Phantasmagoria]

eh, turns out it sounds and plays just fine..

They're (Quantum pups)just very sensitive to height, with a bit of time and patience getting the sweet spot right, they actually sound great. I probably won't swap them out at all now :bigthumb:

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Nice score. In the past years, Ibanez have upped their game with lower-mid priced instruments, including in the looks department - lots of nice/flashy colours available. I like that they only did the top coloured with this one.

Never played the Quantums but yes, if they were set very close to the strings they were probably choking them, hence the dull sound, as they're wound to be hot and use ceramic magnets (I think 15k and 18k for the neck and bridge respectively).

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Thanks! It's a sweet sounding and great palying axe (andd yeah ... certainly a looker too :bigthumb My old S-540 from the early 90's actually came with the old Quantum's (QM1 & QM2) which I swapped out, but they definitely are'nt the same pups, or even close. These are certainly higher output/hotter & have a different EQ curve & a bit of a rounder/sweeter "elastic" (Satriani-ish) feel to them for solo's while the older ones sounded a bit more grainy/harsher. I actually quite enjoy them now that I have them squarely in the sweet spot. Can't believe how high they'd set them from the factory. Unfortunately my eyesight is'nt what it used to be and I actually did'nt notice they were up all the way until I put on my reading glasses this morning :laugh2:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

They sound really nice & thick/meaty/growly for hard rock/metal rhythm too, unfortunately my rhythm playing is still pretty awful so you'll have to take my word for it

 

[Phantasmagoria]

..& here's the neck Quantum after height adjustment....

..all's well that ends well (saved myself the $$$ for replacement pup's) :bigthumb:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

And now the nippy version

Can't beat a wizard neck for shreddliness. Man, I love them :bigthumb:

 

[GuitarDoc]

Of the 9 posts in this thread, 8 of them are yours. Trying to build up your numbers?

I have to admit that it is a beautiful guitar.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah,, cuz numbers on this forum mean so much to me

And thanks..it is beautiful is'nt it??

..what can I say... I love shredding like fuck w/ it and posting up teh fruits of my efforts :laugh2:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

...more of those fruits:

The thing w/ NGD posts is, most people will just post a bunch of pics ..front , back, side etc and call it a day, which is fine and all .. but with me I need to get more into the actual playability aspect of things..

Now some might say it's just plain self-indulgence, but no ..it's all about me sharing all the subtle tonal nuances of the instrument in a positive & enjoyable way :bigthumb:

So here I am enjoying myself some more while at the same time being helpful, considerate and informative

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Now on to the second part of the NGD..

Unboxed it this morning ..it's a brand I've always been partial to. I own four other Cort's and they're all great player's . This one play's pretty amazing right out of the box & looks/feels awesome as well.. The pic does'nt do it any kind of justice . It's dark and rainy outside & I have a really crappy phone camera that work's even worse in bad light, so it's the best I can do.

Here's what it sounds like right out of the box..

I's got a rich smooth tone & a beautiful neck....very nice player

Specs:

• Body: Alder
• Top: Flamed maple
• White body binding
• Bolt-on neck: Roasted maple
• Fretboard: Roasted maple
• Neck profile: Ergo-V
• Black dot fretboard inlays
• Flurescent side markers
• Scale length: 648 mm (25.5")
• Compound fretboard radius: 305 mm (12") to 400 mm (15.75")
• Nut width: 42 mm (1.65")
• Nut: Graph Tech Black TUSQ
• 22 Frets
• Pickups: 2 Cort Voiced Tone VTH77 humbuckers (bridge and neck)
• 1 x Volume and 1 x tone control
• 5-Way switch
• Cort CFA-III tremolo
• Cort locking machine heads
• Chrome hardware
• Strings: D'Addario EXL120

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Couple of demo's I came across on YT (comprehensive info + rhythm/clean tones etc)

Bottom line ...great bang for the buck guitar... I was gassing for one since they relased the original G series FAT (Mk I) guitar a few years ago..

....sounds incredible, looks pretty sweet & plays like a dream :bigthumb:

 

[Demanic]

Cort has come a long way since the 80's. Even then, my first electric was a Cort double cutaway in tobacco burst. It had two humbuckers, 2v 2t and a three way toggle. The body was some sort of fiberboard with a veneer. But the neck, tuners and bridge were serviceable. And it cost around the same price as my Hohner classical nylon string acoustic.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I'd never heard of Cort in the 80's tbh . Bought my first one in the early 2000's. It played really well & sounded/looked great. Since then I've bought a few more. Chances are the Ibanez RG370 ^^ I just bought was made by them too

They 're great guitars..& not just for the price either :bigthumb:

Here we have this one passing the all-important "Shreddability factor" test w/ flying colours

As Fluff said up there, the neck, though not "wizard thin" is still very fast and comfortable to play. It feels "right" under the fingers & I love the pup's in this thing, they really sing. It feels like a really comfortable & "solid" guitar (like it's already been played in a whole lot) when you're playing it :bigthumb:

 

[Demanic]

On a side note, I have an old RG with a Wizard neck. A 120 out of the early 00's. Is that what you're talking about?

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[Phantasmagoria]

Yeah the one on my Saber from the early 90's is the holy grail of shreddability for me :bigthumb:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

The one on the new Cort feels chunkier but's it's very comfortable to play fast stuff with all the same...& the roasted maple smells good too..makes me feel like snacking :laugh2:

 

[GuitarDoc]

OMG, beautiful guitars, but my ears can't take any more of the three note spread vibrato. I guess if you can't hit the right note, just hit everything around it. Right?!