Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

posite63

posite63

New member
I picked up a used LTD HB-300 a few months back. It's a 27" baritone with a maple neck and body. I've had a couple maple-bodied guitars in the past that have sounded fine. But this beast is BASSY as hell. The low end just dominates. Mids are kinda weak but not absent, and highs are very present without being overwhelming.

I've tried a few pickups in it including a JB, Custom and DD HB103. Considering dropping a Deathbucker in there. A couple mag swaps as well (A5, ceramic, 2x ceramic). While there are minor improvements as I go, I cannot get the low end under control.

I'd like something hot and tight. I play a lot of prog metal (i.e. Tesseract) in this tuning (drop A). But I really have doubts that upgrading the pickups is going to fix the problem. Anyone had similar experiences or found a suitable fix?

I've been coveting a baritone for many years, and it kills me to finally have one in my hands and loathe the tone enough to consider selling it.
 
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Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

Full Shred will help. I noticed that the Omega is pretty low on the bass end. I actually can see some strong similarities in construction between them now that I think about it.

You can always do the invader neck mod, where you wire a cap in to cut the low end.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

I think the Omega would be really good for your use. It’s obviously a good djent and prog metal pickup. But it trims and really tightens the low end. If I remember, more than the full shred.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

I've been interested in the Full Shred for a while, I might have to look further in to this.
I have heard of the Invader neck mod, I should try it before more pickup swapping.
Bowtomecha said:
I’ve never noticed maple ever being bassy. Is it a neck through?
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Yes, it appears to be.

Bowtomecha said:
I think the Omega would be really good for your use. It’s obviously a good djent and prog metal pickup. But it trims and really tightens the low end. If I remember, more than the full shred.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I have a friend who just got one, maybe I'll have to go check it out. Your description seems to be consistent with what I've heard about it.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

It’s a baritone. So it’s almost a maple bass.

Try underwound pickups. Not hot pickups like a JB.

Also try thinner gauge strings. Then the low strings won’t sound like a bass.


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Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

I strongly second the Bill Lawrence L500XL. The REAL ones from Wylde Pickups, not the copies from bill lawrence USA.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

I strongly second the Bill Lawrence L500XL. The REAL ones from Wylde Pickups, not the copies from bill lawrence USA.
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I have used both with great success. No discernable difference, even their prices are identical.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

Bowtomecha said:
I think the Omega would be really good for your use. It’s obviously a good djent and prog metal pickup. But it trims and really tightens the low end. If I remember, more than the full shred.
Click to expand...

Can concur. If that pickup doesn't tighten up the low end on that guitar enough, nothing will. Also does a great job at being bright without being harsh and has some pretty focused mids that should help with the lack thereof you mentioned.
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

An L-500xl might work, but based on the tonal description of the instrument it might not have enough mids. But certainly tight and not boomy, that's for sure!
 
Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

You guys rock, thanks for the feedback.

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Re: Super beefy lows on an all-maple baritone

L-500XL is a good option, should be tight and non-bassy.

Standard mod I like is using shorter (3/4" IIRC) hex screws under the wound strings to get mud under control and give a little more bite on the low strings. Could get standard polepiece screws and cut them down, but you want to be careful there isn't a messy edge on the thread where it's cut, or it can wreck the pickup when removed. Can even get the hex socket head polepiece screws in chrome these days.

Another easy mod to tame bass is swap in an A3 magnet, but you lose a lot of output dropping to the weakest magnet. It's like an A2 with more, but still smooth, high end.

Another option: a lot of metal players use a Tube Screamer set for 0-10% gain, tone to taste (usually lower than 2/3 of the way up), and Level at unity or higher if you want to push the amp a bit harder. Tube Screamers cut low end nicely for tighter sound, emphasize mids a bit for cut.
 
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