The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

[chcjunior]

Sounds REALLY good in the bridge position. The guitar came with a JB but sounded somewhat thin (at least compared to the JB in the bridge position of my SG). Thanks to Jeff_H for the suggestion of the CC. The Hardtail has the mahogany body and a pretty thick maple cap with an ebony fretboard.

And Jeff_H was right all along....the Dean Hardtail really is all that. GREAT tone and extremely playable.

The Schecter C1 Plus is now on loan to my nephew as he's learning to play and needed an electric.

 

[frigginalex]

Re: The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

I really want a Dean Hardtail. I got to play some of them at Hot Licks last month when I went in to finish mixing and I was amazed. Even the Korean-made ones had great tone and great playability. I'm saving up for one now (although it's a toss-up between a Dean hardtail or a Washburn WI68 Idol).

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

The Hardtail is a slightly bright guitar because it's really dense and has sturdy hardware, so the CC would be my first 'go to' pickup, along with either a Seth N, APII, or 59N

 

[chcjunior]

Re: The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

The Hardtail is a slightly bright guitar because it's really dense and has sturdy hardware, so the CC would be my first 'go to' pickup, along with either a Seth N, APII, or 59N

I'm going to try the APII next....I always seem to go with the higher output pups in the bridge position, so I want to delve into the lower output pups (another Jeff_H suggestion...gotta give props where due).

So the denser the guitar, the brighter the sound regardless of wood?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

CHC - Glad you like the HT and the CC. Definately a nice axe that's easy to play. I've had the 59', APH, PG, and Seth all in the neck of the HT. The APH and the Seth are the clear winners IMO. I have the APH set in my HT now. The 59' was too boomy on the bottom end for me, and the PG didn't have enough clarity.

If you don't like the PG, the APH will be a nice fit for sure.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The Custom Custom in a Dean Hardtail

So the denser the guitar, the brighter the sound regardless of wood?

Not regardless of wood, but a sum of everything, as you know. Brightness isn't always a bad thing, though, because it makes the bottom tighter, and the overall sound is punchier and 'in your face.' The only thing is that you've got to counterbalance it with the right pickups, which you did.

I think Hardtails tend to be similar to McCarties, but just a tad brighter, mostly due to the hardware and slimmer neck. I noticed that when I changed my McCarty bridge to a Tonepros adjustable bridge, the sound got a little punchier and brighter, but sustains better too. I think if I'd left the stock pickups in it, it would have been brighter than I like. However, I have a C-5/59 in it, so it's fine. If I had a Hardtail, I'd probably use a CC/59.