Where's The Beef??

[Blackbasser]

I remember the details now. The guitar in question, my LTD M400 is a single volume pot guitar. All my other guitars have had a tone control. Usually 500K + 500K.

The absence of tone control made guitar really bright in a way I wasn't accustomed to. Asked around and a 250K vol control is similar treble bleed as typical 500K+500K setup. Now it sounds similar to my other guitars.

The point is that the potentiometer values can make a big difference. You need to know what youre dealing with. If no pickup sounds correct, then it may be because of the pots. For all you know, it is wired with 1000K+1000K pots, or has one of the tone pots that disconnects from the circuit when its on full.

This the info that saves headaches. Mine is also a single vol guitar. One pot. I took the cover off the cavity last night, but the stamp on the pot is on the top, so I'll have to remove it to see the stamp. Thanks for the follow up. This is why I like forums like this.

 

[SweetClyde99]

I’ve been there too. I’d look at the Dimarzio Tone Zone or the Breed or AT-1. The Tone Zone adds a whole lot of low end beef while retaining a bit more high end than the other two. The two other add a little less low end (still quite a bit) but tamp down the high end more. All work very well with tons of gain too.

 

[Top-L]

This the info that saves headaches. Mine is also a single vol guitar. One pot. I took the cover off the cavity last night, but the stamp on the pot is on the top, so I'll have to remove it to see the stamp. Thanks for the follow up. This is why I like forums like this.

If you have a multimeter, that would be better way to read the pot value. When fully open, check resistance across two of the terminals. Both outer pairs you can get a reading from, they are inverse of each other.

The stamped value may not actually match the pot, ime. Typical pots can have a swing around 100 +/1. They could also be defective and be very different. Good luck.

 

[dave74]

Those dmz alnico5 suggestions are all good for beefing-up the lows, but for the thrash he really needs the faster response of a ceramic IMO.
Tone Zone I can say from my own use is a bit slow and bloated in the bass for tight metal.

All depends on the total rig though, it could work fine in some cases.

D'activator-X bridge is dark and thick but also fairly tight. It has the lower mids like an Invader, but the edges (both top and bottom) are a bit trimmed and more controlled. IMO it's very much like a slightly tamed Invader.

 

[Nigel]

Invader is big, check out Marshall Gallagher's tone from Teenage Wrist: Ibanez Roadstar, bolt-on maple neck HSS with Invader in the bridge. Tone is HUGE.

Also, the 250K pots thing is really something! JB's were designed to work with 250K pots, or @125K total load. If you have 500's and don't want to swap them out to keep your neck open and bright, you can wire a 333K resistor from the hot output of the bridge to ground and you will get a load approximate enough for rock n' roll. If you run the pickup parallel or split it will sound natural. It's what I do! Borrowed that from Tom Anderson's "Vintage Voicing" switch. Works great for Screamin' Demons, too.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

What kind of amp do you use?

 

[Blackbasser]

What kind of amp do you use?

I have a Line 6 Spidervalve Bogner HD100 MKII head in to a 4x12 with vintage Altec Series II speakers. I can guarantee it's not the amp tho. All my other guitars sound fantastic thru it.

 

[Top-L]

Those dmz alnico5 suggestions are all good for beefing-up the lows, but for the thrash he really needs the faster response of a ceramic IMO.
Tone Zone I can say from my own use is a bit slow and bloated in the bass for tight metal.

All depends on the total rig though, it could work fine in some cases.

D'activator-X bridge is dark and thick but also fairly tight. It has the lower mids like an Invader, but the edges (both top and bottom) are a bit trimmed and more controlled. IMO it's very much like a slightly tamed Invader.

Lol what??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_electricity

Full Shred has something to say about this... Its A5, its fast, it works great for metal.

I will agree I really do like the D-Activator X bridge. Its more articulate than I expected, and its hot enough that you can pair it with a Super Distortion in the neck.

 

[dave74]

Lol what??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_electricity

Full Shred has something to say about this... Its A5, its fast, it works great for metal.

I will agree I really do like the D-Activator X bridge. Its more articulate than I expected, and its hot enough that you can pair it with a Super Distortion in the neck.

So you don't find ceramics to lend a "faster", or should say crisper bass response? I find most alnico-based pickups to lag a bit on the lows unless it's a somewhat neutered wind. Full Shred is a great pickup but I wouldn't say it's good for beefing the lows.

Personally I would go with a super2 in the neck if I wanted that much heat there.

 

[Blackbasser]

If you have a multimeter, that would be better way to read the pot value. When fully open, check resistance across two of the terminals. Both outer pairs you can get a reading from, they are inverse of each other.

The stamped value may not actually match the pot, ime. Typical pots can have a swing around 100 +/1. They could also be defective and be very different. Good luck.

Well I tried to pop the volume pot out to see if I could read the resistance, and the guy that wired it (30 ish years ago) soldered everything after mounting the pot. So all the wiring is too tight to get it out. I tried to get a reading with my multimeter, but it just comes up zero. I have the pot wide open, testing the 2 outermost connectors. Is this correct?

 

[Blackbasser]

I have concluded that I have a 150k pot, and it has dead spots. So I will replace the pot and let you know how I make out.

 

[Demanic]

I have a Line 6 Spidervalve Bogner HD100 MKII head in to a 4x12 with vintage Altec Series II speakers. I can guarantee it's not the amp tho. All my other guitars sound fantastic thru it.

Finally, someone else with some love for this amp!

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Blackbasser]

Finally, someone else with some love for this amp!

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

It's an amazing amp! I've downloaded a shit tonne of patches, so It's basically every amp in one. I have all the Boogies, Soldanos, 5150s. And the tube side is super strong and really loud!! I had the combo, and liked it so much, I got the 100 watt head.

 

[Demanic]

It's an amazing amp! I've downloaded a shit tonne of patches, so It's basically every amp in one. I have all the Boogies, Soldanos, 5150s. And the tube side is super strong and really loud!! I had the combo, and liked it so much, I got the 100 watt head.

I picked up one 5 or 6 years ago used for short money. Should have bought the Ampeg 4x12 that was being sold with it, but I already had an old Carvin 4x12, so I didn't really need it. I've never downloaded anything but it already has more options than I could ever use.
And I've often been tempted to run a few AITB or preamp pedals straight into the tube power section.
Oh, and even with just a 4x12, it can get ungodly loud without farting out.
We'll have to start another thread about them.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Blackbasser]

I picked up one 5 or 6 years ago used for short money. Should have bought the Ampeg 4x12 that was being sold with it, but I already had an old Carvin 4x12, so I didn't really need it. I've never downloaded anything but it already has more options than I could ever use.
And I've often been tempted to run a few AITB or preamp pedals straight into the tube power section.
Oh, and even with just a 4x12, it can get ungodly loud without farting out.
We'll have to start another thread about them.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

The premade patches are hit and miss, but there are some great ones available. You wanna sound like Zakk Wilde? Boom. Warren DiMartini? Bingo. EVH? Done. Plus all the amp sims too. Paired with my Altecs, it's a really great rig.

 

[Demanic]

The premade patches are hit and miss, but there are some great ones available. You wanna sound like Zakk Wilde? Boom. Warren DiMartini? Bingo. EVH? Done. Plus all the amp sims too. Paired with my Altecs, it's a really great rig.

Mine's paired with the despised 12M-70's. And I love it. One of my favorite sounds is the amber Twang setting with a Metalzone clone distortion and slapback (I think) reverb. With the noise gate active.
Freaking heavy

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[Top-L]

So you don't find ceramics to lend a "faster", or should say crisper bass response? I find most alnico-based pickups to lag a bit on the lows unless it's a somewhat neutered wind. Full Shred is a great pickup but I wouldn't say it's good for beefing the lows.

Personally I would go with a super2 in the neck if I wanted that much heat there.

Faster..or slower...speed has never come into my description of pickup. Hotter pickups are more compressed, lower output pickups are looser or more open.

I think maybe you mean a pickup has a tight bass, meaning generally higher output. There are some hot a5 pickups with tight bass so I don't think its a ceramic thing.

 

[dave74]

Faster..or slower...speed has never come into my description of pickup. Hotter pickups are more compressed, lower output pickups are looser or more open.

I think maybe you mean a pickup has a tight bass, meaning generally higher output. There are some hot a5 pickups with tight bass so I don't think its a ceramic thing.

Tight bass fast bass crisp bass, whatever you want to call it. I like many of the hotter a5 pickups too, but for being both big in the bass and articulate at the same time I've always found ceramics to do it a bit better.

The a5 pickups that are big in the lows/beefy also tend to have more bloom/sag/lag/shwag, whatever you want to call it. I don't dislike them at all, but for tighter technical riffing styles with a big strong bass punch I would always looks at the ceramic based high-output models first and foremost, and not only those wound hot, but also those that are high output with low to moderate dcr.

Now for doom, sludge, or even more classic metal, I would usually go with a thick-toned hot a5 model like a TZ or A-pig, even a JB in some cases. Of course it always depends to some degree what the specific guitar is giving you to work with.

 

[bigcupholder]

The Custom Custom is warm but doesn't have a tight low end for chugging.

Check out an Invader, Dimarzio Crunch Lab or Tone Zone. For more modern tones, I'd go with the Crunch Lab out of those 3.

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[Blackbasser]

I remember the details now. The guitar in question, my LTD M400 is a single volume pot guitar. All my other guitars have had a tone control. Usually 500K + 500K.

The absence of tone control made guitar really bright in a way I wasn't accustomed to. Asked around and a 250K vol control is similar treble bleed as typical 500K+500K setup. Now it sounds similar to my other guitars.

The point is that the potentiometer values can make a big difference. You need to know what youre dealing with. If no pickup sounds correct, then it may be because of the pots. For all you know, it is wired with 1000K+1000K pots, or has one of the tone pots that disconnects from the circuit when its on full.

Went down to my local music shop and picked up a new 250k volume pot, soldered it in, and voila!! It's like a new guitar!! When I tested the old one, it had dead spots, and when maxed, dropped considerably in resistance. To be fair, it's been in the guitar for over 30 years, so I guess it's had it day. Thanks for the suggestion, Top L, and also for all your suggestions on pick ups!!