Post your best guitar

JB_From_Hell

Jomo's Nimions
Mine is a Carvin DC-something, wanting to say 135. Got it along with a DC-125 in a trade last summer, and it became the surprise favorite of all my guitars. Never liked neck-thru before, but they're both fantastic. This one is mahogany body and neck, flame cap, pretty flat (maybe 16") ebony board, abalone blocks, Sperzel tuners, Fishman bridge, and Kiesel Lithium pickups. When I got it, it had the piezo pickup, active volume and treble boost/cut, balance knob for the magnetic and piezo, treble boost/cut for the piezo, and 3 mini-toggles (2 splits and phase).

It sounded great as it was, but the controls are all placed too close together, and I really wanted to hear it completely passive. I also couldn't figure out how I wanted to deal with the absurd amount of holes if I took out the knobs (and obviously still haven't). A couple weeks ago I said to hell with it, ripped out all the PCB nonsense, the piezo saddle and second output, picked a better location for the volume knob (had to open up the hole very slightly), and replaced all the active stuff with a 500K Dunlop Super Pot and a Pure Tone jack (both of which are awesome).

I got everything I wanted tonally. Absolutely love the Lithium pickups. The bridge is 13-ish K, A5 with ceramic boosters, has all the chugz and does harmonics effortlessly. The neck balances with it output wise, does the liquid lead tone, and the middle is all sorts of percussive for cool funky chord stuff. The pickups split very well, so I may end up putting a single mini-switch back in for that, but I love the simplicity of the layout.

Another bonus of ripping out all the BS is it took a little over 7 oz off the weight, bringing it down to just over 7 lbs (the other Carvin is alder/maple, 1 pickup, tune-o-matic bridge and like 6.5 lbs). It's overall tone is very much in the Les Paul realm, with all the sustain you'd expect from a 10 lb Gibson.



IMG_3938.jpg IMG_3939.jpg IMG_3940.jpg IMG_3937.jpg IMG_3942.jpg IMG_3941.jpg
 
Screenshot_20221018_173300.jpg - Click image for larger version  Name:	Screenshot_20221018_173300.jpg Views:	0 Size:	39.7 KB ID:	6235012

Just this wolfgang rn. Don't have a picture that I actually took of it, but this is the picture the vendor took. It's got a darker, richer color in person.

No gaudy hardware, only $700. Came with a treble bleed, tweaked CC bridge, and Custom made neck pickup to match a CC (I put an A3 in there) graphite rods in the baked maple neck, asymmetrical barely finished neck with a neck cutaway, pickup height is not adjustable, all 3 positions sound perfect, the top is a veneer and the binding is actually just the part of the side they didn't stain.

Only thing I'd change would be to drop the fret markers.
 
I call it #1 for a reason: 1979 LP Standard. Duncan Distortion bridge, T-Top neck, Gotoh 22:1 tuners, 50's wiring and CTS 500k pots.

j2tUWzc.jpg



Honorable Mentions include: 1973 Tobacco LP Standard, 2011 Les Paul Custom Aged Budokan, Natural BC Rich Classic Bich, 1992 Fender Shoreline Gold/Rosewood Lonestar Strat, Ibanez PS120 Iceman, and a Jackson JS32 Nuclear Orange Dinky
 
That's my favorite. 2004 standard 60s style neck. Changed pots and caps. Pgn and C8 are the pick ups. I have played all the gigs with her since 2014.
 

Attachments

  • photo109621.jpg
    photo109621.jpg
    60.7 KB · Views: 0


Just this wolfgang rn. Don't have a picture that I actually took of it, but this is the picture the vendor took. It's got a darker, richer color in person.

No gaudy hardware, only $700. Came with a treble bleed, tweaked CC bridge, and Custom made neck pickup to match a CC (I put an A3 in there) graphite rods in the baked maple neck, asymmetrical barely finished neck with a neck cutaway, pickup height is not adjustable, all 3 positions sound perfect, the top is a veneer and the binding is actually just the part of the side they didn't stain.

Only thing I'd change would be to drop the fret markers.

I bought 2 EVH wolfgang lately. One special brand new and one standard, used but ion mint condition, a couple of months after for 350 euro. And I can't be more happy. The neck shape is a bit different. The standard has a thinner neck (that I prefer) but I like more the feeling of quartersaw maple of the special. Same pickups, hot and punchy.
 
Mine is a Carvin DC-something, wanting to say 135. Got it along with a DC-125 in a trade last summer, and it became the surprise favorite of all my guitars. Never liked neck-thru before, but they're both fantastic. This one is mahogany body and neck, flame cap, pretty flat (maybe 16") ebony board, abalone blocks, Sperzel tuners, Fishman bridge, and Kiesel Lithium pickups. When I got it, it had the piezo pickup, active volume and treble boost/cut, balance knob for the magnetic and piezo, treble boost/cut for the piezo, and 3 mini-toggles (2 splits and phase).

It sounded great as it was, but the controls are all placed too close together, and I really wanted to hear it completely passive. I also couldn't figure out how I wanted to deal with the absurd amount of holes if I took out the knobs (and obviously still haven't). A couple weeks ago I said to hell with it, ripped out all the PCB nonsense, the piezo saddle and second output, picked a better location for the volume knob (had to open up the hole very slightly), and replaced all the active stuff with a 500K Dunlop Super Pot and a Pure Tone jack (both of which are awesome).

I got everything I wanted tonally. Absolutely love the Lithium pickups. The bridge is 13-ish K, A5 with ceramic boosters, has all the chugz and does harmonics effortlessly. The neck balances with it output wise, does the liquid lead tone, and the middle is all sorts of percussive for cool funky chord stuff. The pickups split very well, so I may end up putting a single mini-switch back in for that, but I love the simplicity of the layout.

Another bonus of ripping out all the BS is it took a little over 7 oz off the weight, bringing it down to just over 7 lbs (the other Carvin is alder/maple, 1 pickup, tune-o-matic bridge and like 6.5 lbs). It's overall tone is very much in the Les Paul realm, with all the sustain you'd expect from a 10 lb Gibson.




That's a mid 90's to very early 2000's DC 400 hardtail that has had the active electronics removed. Have owned several of those guitars over the years. Educated guess would be built between 1995 and 1998. The radius is a 16. Glad you like the Lithiums I hate the things in a burn with fire kind of way as they just don't work for the way i play and the amps I'm running. Right now my favorite 2 humbucker set up however is all Kiesel. the Greg Howe bridge with a Frank Gambali neck. Pretty spot on a Tele tone in 2 and 4 with the buckers split then some killer full bucker tones in the other 3.
 
These 2 are my main players right now. The 2017 rounded body true DC on the bottom is the number 1. Simply perfection and flawless in fit and finish plays like a dream and sounds fantastic. Best guitar I have ever owned. Not the prettiest but what a killer player it is! However this new Kiesel Delos I just got is really giving it a run surprisingly.
 

Attachments

  • photo104661.jpg
    photo104661.jpg
    71.1 KB · Views: 0
Plenty of superstrats so far :D. For me, it's probably my Ibanez PL1770. Alder body, ebony board, oiled neck (Ultra type profile, like what came on the later Radius models), Edge trem is non-recessed, per first year spec.

It was mostly factory when I got it but the pickguard was broken, there were some wiring goofs, and the pups were ok but was looking for something else. So I made a new pg, slapped in some new electricals, a pair of old SSL2s and made a self-made 59/C. The push-button switches are still original and work, and I pray it stays that way, since it's an unobtainium part!
IMG_2991.jpg
 
That's a mid 90's to very early 2000's DC 400 hardtail that has had the active electronics removed.

Thanks for identifying it. I'm the one who gutted the active electronics, and it's improved considerably for it. Sounds more raw and "real" now. Shouldn't have been a surprise, same thing happened when I pulled the preamp out of my bass and let the Delano MM do it's thing unobstructed.
 
I bought 2 EVH wolfgang lately. One special brand new and one standard, used but ion mint condition, a couple of months after for 350 euro. And I can't be more happy. The neck shape is a bit different. The standard has a thinner neck (that I prefer) but I like more the feeling of quartersaw maple of the special. Same pickups, hot and punchy.

Usually Alnico 2 vs 3 magnets don't make too much of a difference to me, but given there's not too much height adjustment you can do, this made a major difference on the neck. The neck pickup is great as is, but trimming off a little bit of bass takes it over the edge. I think the made in USA versions of the Wolfgang do this from the factory.
 
Mine is in my Avatar -1979 Pedulla MVP -Basically a super powered version of a LP Special with Bartolina Beasts, Hexagon Inlays, Ebony Fretboard and the best feeling neck Ive ever played.
 
Can't do just one .from the 40 or so I have so..

I judge them by how nippy they play and by tone...


And these are all total ripper's w/ sweet tone!


All-time faves:


MIJ '94 Ibanez S540



MIJ Jackson Dk2 (unfortunately out of action/needs repair atm) :



MIJ Charvel Traditional Pro:



Best Value:

Indo Kramer Baretta Special



Fave new/recently acquired axe:

Indo Ibanez SA460MBW



Special mentions:

Indo Cort WX something w/ killer graphic & cheap/awesome Oripure A2 pup's



Also my MiC Grote Semi-Hollow, My MiC AXL 1216 & my MIJ Ibanez RG 652 Prestige
 
How it started...
00Original.jpg

How it finished...
iFinished.jpg

I have to really be in the mood to play this because it's GIANT, but I know just looking at this it's the best guitar I own.

Tonerider Octane AlNico 8 pickup with a bypass/kill switch depending on volume position.
 
Back
Top