I just got my RS Kit, put it in my 335, and played. Well......I don't like what I hear.:yell: The kit does exactly what it says....note clarity, but they fail to tell you that you sacrifice note fullness. My tone lost the "zing" literally. I guess tone is very subjective and they may have a different philosophy about their tone. Guitar players I listen to that help shape my tone are : Derek Trucks, Jimmy Herring, Santana, Trey Anastasio (Phish), John Scofield, Wes Montgomery, and a few more that have a thick tone. This kit just stole all of my fullness and bass, especially from my leads. The feel of the strings even feel different. They feel light....without fullness. This kit just wasn't for me. Now I'm pissed because I'm gonna have to spend an entire f***ing day again rewiring the 335. Sorry, for the ranting. Are there any others that haven't found luck with the RS kit with their special Hovland caps and their special Super pots??
RS Kit Review.....
- Thread starter dtbman
- Start date
man-in-moon
New member
Re: RS Kit Review.....
i bought one for my epi les paul and 3 of the pots were bad. i probalby could have sent it back but i had it for about 2 months before i could get it installed.
i bought one for my epi les paul and 3 of the pots were bad. i probalby could have sent it back but i had it for about 2 months before i could get it installed.
JumpMarine
18 watts of Mayhemologist
Re: RS Kit Review.....
The kit I put in my old R7 was amazing, it really opened up the fullness and clarity. Sorry that it didn't work out for you, but I had just the opposite experience.
The kit I put in my old R7 was amazing, it really opened up the fullness and clarity. Sorry that it didn't work out for you, but I had just the opposite experience.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
What kind of amp are you using? Do you use pedals and all that or just straight in? Are both pickups Antiquities? I'm a big DTB fan myself ... I been on a project trying to get a similar tone out of an SG like Washburn. I'm getting closer and closer. Give us some more info about your equipment?
What kind of amp are you using? Do you use pedals and all that or just straight in? Are both pickups Antiquities? I'm a big DTB fan myself ... I been on a project trying to get a similar tone out of an SG like Washburn. I'm getting closer and closer. Give us some more info about your equipment?
Re: RS Kit Review.....
I've got the Derek Trucks tone done and down to a T. I play a custom Clark Belmont(super reverb) modded to Derek's specs. Got the extra specs from Lord Valve who is Derek's amp tech. It has the custom Derek speakers that you can only order from Lord Valve as well. Also have it tubed out by Lord Valve. The SG is a 61' RI with a SD Antiquity in the neck. I only use the neck. The wiring is stock with Hovland .1 capacitors. This is a key to Derek's tone that no one seems to recognize. I got this tip from his old guitar tech Joe Main. It adds balls to a bright guitar in combination with the amp. The RS kit doesn't work well with the SG. It takes away everything that makes Derek's tone so wonderful. I'm done searching for Derek's tone.......I OWN IT thanks to some help on the message boards.
As with the 335 w/SD Antiquity neck 57' classic bridge, I play into a: Boss tuner, Teese Picture Wah, Keeley Compressor, Keeley Modded TS-9, Ernie Ball volume, into amp. I WAS happy with the stock wiring and thought I would be upgrading everything with the RS Guitar kit. I'm not happy anymore. I lost that full thick lead tone. It now sounds snappy instead of percusive. I can't play jazz anymore. I had to change all my settings on my amp and pedals. On the amp I used to have the bass no higher that 6. Now I have the Treble on 1, the Middle on 5(doesn't really matter), and the Bass on 10.......and the guitar still sounds snappy and bright. I don't know if its the 500k Super pots, the Hovland Caps, 50's wiring, OR not having the original 250k pots( I think) and the RI wiring. I don't know. I would just like to get it right this time because ITS A 335 and wiring it is a bitch. Any help would greatly be appreciated.
I've got the Derek Trucks tone done and down to a T. I play a custom Clark Belmont(super reverb) modded to Derek's specs. Got the extra specs from Lord Valve who is Derek's amp tech. It has the custom Derek speakers that you can only order from Lord Valve as well. Also have it tubed out by Lord Valve. The SG is a 61' RI with a SD Antiquity in the neck. I only use the neck. The wiring is stock with Hovland .1 capacitors. This is a key to Derek's tone that no one seems to recognize. I got this tip from his old guitar tech Joe Main. It adds balls to a bright guitar in combination with the amp. The RS kit doesn't work well with the SG. It takes away everything that makes Derek's tone so wonderful. I'm done searching for Derek's tone.......I OWN IT thanks to some help on the message boards.
As with the 335 w/SD Antiquity neck 57' classic bridge, I play into a: Boss tuner, Teese Picture Wah, Keeley Compressor, Keeley Modded TS-9, Ernie Ball volume, into amp. I WAS happy with the stock wiring and thought I would be upgrading everything with the RS Guitar kit. I'm not happy anymore. I lost that full thick lead tone. It now sounds snappy instead of percusive. I can't play jazz anymore. I had to change all my settings on my amp and pedals. On the amp I used to have the bass no higher that 6. Now I have the Treble on 1, the Middle on 5(doesn't really matter), and the Bass on 10.......and the guitar still sounds snappy and bright. I don't know if its the 500k Super pots, the Hovland Caps, 50's wiring, OR not having the original 250k pots( I think) and the RI wiring. I don't know. I would just like to get it right this time because ITS A 335 and wiring it is a bitch. Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
So you liked the 335 with the Antiquity/57+ and standard wiring. I might just put it back. I know that sounds bad ... but if you liked it ... it's all about how it sounds. Anything that has your amp treble on 1 can't be good. Maybe any of the adjustments would have helped BUT all of them went over the top. Good luck!
As a side: I find I have better luck with the Derek tones using a mix of two pickups. I've read all of the info you mentioned ... neck only ... the amp deal ... .1uf bass caps. For me ... A5 pickup in the bridge with a lot of bass mixed with a woody A2P is getting me something I like. Maybe it's the amp but my AP2 neck is a bit too bassy with .015uf ... a .1uf would kill it. Glad you found it for yourself ... sounds like you put a lot of effort into it ... not to mention some $ and shoe leather probably. You are the only person I heard that claims he "owns" Derek Truck's sound ... getting even close would be quite a feat for most! I'd love to hear some clips sometime when your mind is off the 335 crisis. Again, good luck!
So you liked the 335 with the Antiquity/57+ and standard wiring. I might just put it back. I know that sounds bad ... but if you liked it ... it's all about how it sounds. Anything that has your amp treble on 1 can't be good. Maybe any of the adjustments would have helped BUT all of them went over the top. Good luck!
As a side: I find I have better luck with the Derek tones using a mix of two pickups. I've read all of the info you mentioned ... neck only ... the amp deal ... .1uf bass caps. For me ... A5 pickup in the bridge with a lot of bass mixed with a woody A2P is getting me something I like. Maybe it's the amp but my AP2 neck is a bit too bassy with .015uf ... a .1uf would kill it. Glad you found it for yourself ... sounds like you put a lot of effort into it ... not to mention some $ and shoe leather probably. You are the only person I heard that claims he "owns" Derek Truck's sound ... getting even close would be quite a feat for most! I'd love to hear some clips sometime when your mind is off the 335 crisis. Again, good luck!
Re: RS Kit Review.....
My tech said that the RS kit made my Mexi Tele the quietest he had ever heard and that is with a Broadcaster in the bridge,which he said was a fairly noisy pickup in his experience. No foil, paint or any other kind of shielding needed. As for the Les Pauls, they sound fabulous.
My tech said that the RS kit made my Mexi Tele the quietest he had ever heard and that is with a Broadcaster in the bridge,which he said was a fairly noisy pickup in his experience. No foil, paint or any other kind of shielding needed. As for the Les Pauls, they sound fabulous.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
Yeah, the amp controls run at V-9, T-7, M-2, B-2. Bass can be very overdone with the amp and speakers. So you have to run it very low in my case. Thats why the .1 cap is there.....to balance the bass and "balls". A lot of player claim to have the tone down. Maybe at bedroom volumes....at least of what I've heard and seen. Try it as gig volumes. Thats where it counts. Yeah, I've gotten lucky with some money and connections but I LOVE DEREK's Tone. Now I just have to grow into my own player and develop my own tone...with my fingers. The 335 is my main focus now because I play it more with jazz sit-ins and a classic rock cover band. I guess I'm just gonna reverse everything and restock the guitar. I might leave the Hovlands in there over the ceramic caps.
Thanks for the good luck and good luck to all those in search of their tone.:fingersx:
Yeah, the amp controls run at V-9, T-7, M-2, B-2. Bass can be very overdone with the amp and speakers. So you have to run it very low in my case. Thats why the .1 cap is there.....to balance the bass and "balls". A lot of player claim to have the tone down. Maybe at bedroom volumes....at least of what I've heard and seen. Try it as gig volumes. Thats where it counts. Yeah, I've gotten lucky with some money and connections but I LOVE DEREK's Tone. Now I just have to grow into my own player and develop my own tone...with my fingers. The 335 is my main focus now because I play it more with jazz sit-ins and a classic rock cover band. I guess I'm just gonna reverse everything and restock the guitar. I might leave the Hovlands in there over the ceramic caps.
Thanks for the good luck and good luck to all those in search of their tone.:fingersx:
Re: RS Kit Review.....
Are these Hovlands .1uf too? Derek's the only one I know that uses them that's very bassy ... would have to be matched up with a high treble amp set up. Just doesn't make sense that you'd be bright if it's those? Man I'm using .015uf on my AP2 neck with my Boogie settings at V1-8, V2-8, T-7, M-7, B-3 and it's a tad bassy still. .015uf is a mile from the .1uf.
The 50s wiring by the way makes no difference when pickup is wide-open ... only when volume is rolled off.
Dumb questions ... just in case:
- Any chance at all that your pickups are out of phase?
- Any chance it's way off on the cap values ... maybe double check those?
- If you still have the old pots ... I'd check them if your not putting the same ones back. 250k is too bassy for me ... you'd hate to guess on that one with the wiring task in front of you.
Are these Hovlands .1uf too? Derek's the only one I know that uses them that's very bassy ... would have to be matched up with a high treble amp set up. Just doesn't make sense that you'd be bright if it's those? Man I'm using .015uf on my AP2 neck with my Boogie settings at V1-8, V2-8, T-7, M-7, B-3 and it's a tad bassy still. .015uf is a mile from the .1uf.
The 50s wiring by the way makes no difference when pickup is wide-open ... only when volume is rolled off.
Dumb questions ... just in case:
- Any chance at all that your pickups are out of phase?
- Any chance it's way off on the cap values ... maybe double check those?
- If you still have the old pots ... I'd check them if your not putting the same ones back. 250k is too bassy for me ... you'd hate to guess on that one with the wiring task in front of you.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
Yeah, I put it the complete rewire kit from RS. So I have a .015 in the neck and the .022 in the bridge of the 335. The SG has .1 Hovlands. and the amp settings are running on high volume and treble. The SG tone knob is set low.
I don't know about the 50's wiring and being wide open. With it all at wide open it still sounds snappy and not full. So something is still wrong. Just don't know what exactly. Thats why I'm just gonna put everything back like it was. You can't really do anything once in the middle of the process of rewring a 335. I was pretty content with my tone before.
Yeah, I put it the complete rewire kit from RS. So I have a .015 in the neck and the .022 in the bridge of the 335. The SG has .1 Hovlands. and the amp settings are running on high volume and treble. The SG tone knob is set low.
I don't know about the 50's wiring and being wide open. With it all at wide open it still sounds snappy and not full. So something is still wrong. Just don't know what exactly. Thats why I'm just gonna put everything back like it was. You can't really do anything once in the middle of the process of rewring a 335. I was pretty content with my tone before.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
i don't have the 50's wiring in any of my Les Pauls. That setup isn't really necessary with the WCR's as they don't get dark when you roll off the volume like the Burstbuckers did and i have been told that unless you REALLY REALLY REALLY need it, leave it out anyway.
i don't have the 50's wiring in any of my Les Pauls. That setup isn't really necessary with the WCR's as they don't get dark when you roll off the volume like the Burstbuckers did and i have been told that unless you REALLY REALLY REALLY need it, leave it out anyway.
Re: RS Kit Review.....
A couple of the guys you mention play a LOT with the neck pickup. Santana used to use it almost exclusively on a lot of his stuff from what i have read. Whcih pickup are you using most of the time. i ask because i love the RS kits, but i have the Angus Young disease:laugh2: .....I am using the bridge pickup 90% of the time on all of my Les Pauls and Teles except on the R7, which has the out of phase pickups. I tend to use the bridge and middle combo on my strats for that nasty trebly quack:fingersx:
Re: RS Kit Review.....
Not me ... that leaves too much real estate unused. There are so many tones between two well set up pickups. I try to get the neck set up for real smooth and chimey ... neck with treble full out for a Gov't Mule hard edged sound. Then you have a ton of good tones in between.
That's just me.
Not me ... that leaves too much real estate unused. There are so many tones between two well set up pickups. I try to get the neck set up for real smooth and chimey ... neck with treble full out for a Gov't Mule hard edged sound. Then you have a ton of good tones in between.
That's just me.
W
