Kac
Hootersologist
Thank you! That’s why I own 5 strats, so I can mod some, keep at least one stock…
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
Is that top a Bird's Eye maple pattern?
Ascension
New member
Kinda in the same shape here. Have 12 now and every one is special in some way. If they are just case queens I don't keep them long. Which ins my favorite depends on what I need for teh next gig. Also have 6 amps which one I use depends on what I need for that job.
JamesPaul
Well-known member
Yes, indeed it is.
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
My 2008 Ibanez ART400 is my favorite because it fits me like a glove, it's lightweight (just under 7.5 lbs), it sounds great and plays like butter. I believe it sits so well against me on a strap because of the combo of its tummy cut and the body thickness being on the thinner side: the body is only 39mm at its thickest and in the tummy cut section the thickness is only about 30mm. The slightly larger thickness on some other sister Ibanez ART models I own or have owned (two other 300s and a 420) is suprisingly noticeable. I used to own a Epiphone Les Paul and I found its significantly thicker body (typical of Les Paul styles) left my strumming arm feeling like it was being pushed out away from the guitar, in comparison to my Art model.
The rarity of this model is a nice added bonus to me. It has a Koa top and so was only produced for a single year - 2008. It was replaced by the Spalt Maple Top ART420 the following year - and the 420 was produced for three years.
The stock, active Lo Z pickups are actually very good but I plan to replace them with passives simply so I can get some options I can't get with actives (e.g. coilsplits).
The rarity of this model is a nice added bonus to me. It has a Koa top and so was only produced for a single year - 2008. It was replaced by the Spalt Maple Top ART420 the following year - and the 420 was produced for three years.
The stock, active Lo Z pickups are actually very good but I plan to replace them with passives simply so I can get some options I can't get with actives (e.g. coilsplits).
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beaubrummels
Well-known member
Gibson Les Paul 60RI. I waited for years until I found one with a grain/flame similar to a famous #1, but because it's a 60, it has the thinner neck like JPs was shaved down to. Plays like butta. If I just change the knobs and tuners, no one would know the difference.
This guitar. This guitar is a complete and utter failure. The neck angle is wrong, the pilot hole I drilled to position the fretboard protrudes through the neck (hurrah!), the bridge is angled wayy too much (but still intonates just fine; hey, that D-string saddle has moved a bit! Let's fix that tonight
) I routed the pickups in the wrong spot (neck pickup: -5mm, middle pickup -15mm, bridge pickup -25mm!) oh, and I didn't level the fretboard before fretting back then so I had to level the frets so they're actually a bit too low for my taste. BUT THAT TONE!!! HOLY smokes. This axe does it all for me. The wiring is super complicated but holds up perfectly. The top is mesmerizing every time I take a look at it. I just love this guitar.
But I will give her a new neck, also to correct the neck angle. I'll also install a new bridge that has a bigger travel of the posts (locked down with a hex screw) so I can make it look 'better'.
But this one takes the cake.
This guitar will get new pickups, of that I'm sure. I hate these pickups. This axe feels like I can do it all on one guitar. Queen, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy...
it's just... it's a Tele. It looks so... wonky. It looks like a cutting board with some parts screwed to it. Where is the sexyness?!
Would I be a tool if I rebuild this one, but in LP shape?
This guitar will get new pickups, of that I'm sure. I hate these pickups. This axe feels like I can do it all on one guitar. Queen, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy...
it's just... it's a Tele. It looks so... wonky. It looks like a cutting board with some parts screwed to it. Where is the sexyness?!
Would I be a tool if I rebuild this one, but in LP shape?
I tried to make a paisley but by using transparent finishes instead of wallpaper. I have another one just like this but with a neck of 70year old flamed maple, a body of 70 year old swamp ash and a set of JB/Jazz. It is one of my favorites of all time.
G
Guest
Guest
orpheo
"Would I be a tool if I rebuild this one, but in LP shape?"
Not at all. In some respects the whole transparent or Gold Top finish is played out. Solid colors are cool too, but I've never seen a Les Paul in a finish like that. If you do, make it a Jr. With a Humbucker in the rear and a P90 in the front. You could even coil split the Humbucker. Lots of tonal options.
That Tele is making me want one again lol. One day I'm going to build an Esquire from assorted parts I buy. A true Heinz 57. Like the Johnny Cash song........One piece at a time.
"Would I be a tool if I rebuild this one, but in LP shape?"
Not at all. In some respects the whole transparent or Gold Top finish is played out. Solid colors are cool too, but I've never seen a Les Paul in a finish like that. If you do, make it a Jr. With a Humbucker in the rear and a P90 in the front. You could even coil split the Humbucker. Lots of tonal options.
That Tele is making me want one again lol. One day I'm going to build an Esquire from assorted parts I buy. A true Heinz 57. Like the Johnny Cash song........One piece at a time.
If I'm gonna do it, I'll spec that LP out like crazy!
Sam finish and color/material fretboard but with abalone block inlay, flamed maple binding with a darker pinstripe and my favorite pickup set of all time: JB/Jazz set.
Lucius Paisley
New member
Probably my favourite guitar at the moment is the Squier Affinity that was "sideways" upgraded with a loaded pickguard from a Squier Standard.
No photos because we all know what they look like.
So much so, I ordered one of these today. In that colour.
I'm hoping this will become my new favourite.
No photos because we all know what they look like.
So much so, I ordered one of these today. In that colour.
I'm hoping this will become my new favourite.
Ashurbanipal
New member
I'm not a LP guy but that HSS single cut is pretty dope!
As for my favourite, I've had this for about a decade now. Back in the mid-80s, Ibanez set out to make their own interpretation of what an ideal superstrat ought to be, so they came out with these Prolines. This is the 1986 version - first year Edge trem, alder body, bound ebony board, oil finished neck. You can select the pups sequentially with the lever or individually with the buttons. There were other models with 5pc neck through, or maple/mahogany and walnut/mahogany bodies. Bit hard to find and not so cheap nowadays. Frank Falbo has/had a good stable of these, he can attest to their quality.
It was a bit rough when I got it, so I made a new scratchplate, new electronics and pups, and some bits of hardware. Now she's a singer.
As for my favourite, I've had this for about a decade now. Back in the mid-80s, Ibanez set out to make their own interpretation of what an ideal superstrat ought to be, so they came out with these Prolines. This is the 1986 version - first year Edge trem, alder body, bound ebony board, oil finished neck. You can select the pups sequentially with the lever or individually with the buttons. There were other models with 5pc neck through, or maple/mahogany and walnut/mahogany bodies. Bit hard to find and not so cheap nowadays. Frank Falbo has/had a good stable of these, he can attest to their quality.
It was a bit rough when I got it, so I made a new scratchplate, new electronics and pups, and some bits of hardware. Now she's a singer.
Ashurbanipal
New member
The 5 way is like you typically get in a HSS guitar. The push-buttons allow for individual selection - the top black button is on/off for these switches, the cream ones for each pu, and bottom black one bridge hb split. So you can have two settings and toggle between them.
The mini toggle is hb split for when the 5 way is engaged. Originally the guitar had a push-push tone pot to do that.
So, in some ways it's pretty similar to the system on AZs, but without series options for the singles. Still, very versatile axe, and not as fiddly to use as you'd think - most of the time I just use the neck or bridge, but it's cool to have other sounds available, like all three on.
You could say the AZ is a modernized, more refined/polite descendant. The PL with its Floyd, fast neck and metallic sparkly colours is total hair metal.
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80's_Thrash_Metal
Slightly_Glazed_Believer
The goth explorer on the right.
Always claimed it must have been made on a Wednesday. I've wired at least a dozen different pickups into it. All of them sounded great, she wears the Blackout Mick Thomson set these days.
She has taken every string gauge and setup with literally zero issues. Always in tune, solid, and she sounds beastly!
It's just always been a perfect guitar no matter how I've used and abused it.
Always claimed it must have been made on a Wednesday. I've wired at least a dozen different pickups into it. All of them sounded great, she wears the Blackout Mick Thomson set these days.
She has taken every string gauge and setup with literally zero issues. Always in tune, solid, and she sounds beastly!
It's just always been a perfect guitar no matter how I've used and abused it.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
How about this one then. I hate singlecoils. I truly do so in order to combat my sadness for having routed out singlecoils I installed these hotrail style pickups by Axesrus. Amazing decision. This one does that crunchy superstrat thing as well as the howling lead tone amazingly well. It's a two trick pony though. But it's a butt. The top is wrong, the body back is wrong (swamp ash: nail in my coffin!), but the tone and playability make up for it in spades.
Does the pickup selector location feel like it gets in the way when you're tapping in songs? I've got a jazzmaster with the pickup selector switch roughly there, and it's the only thing I don't like about it.
