Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

[OsvyRock]

After a decade of guitar playing, my gigging instruments are the following:
A (totally modded) Squier Strat with a JB, STK-S7, and STK-S6 configuration.
DBZ Bolero with a SH-5 and 59n'J configuration.
A Gibson Flying V with a Super Distortion, and a PAF PRO in the neck.
A stock Gibson SG with 498t pickups.
My other guitars are a Fender PM-1 LTD Adirondack MAH, and a Takamine EF341SC.

According to my actual gear, what am I missing guitar/tone-wise?
My SG could be pickup modded. I have a Dimarzio PAF Master set in my room, but I could go in a different direction.
I believe (guitar wise) a semi-hollow guitar, a SSS, a Tele or HSH would be nice to have; but what would be something to enhance my tone palette. I believe you will find something in common with my pickup choices.

Thank you!

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

In my boat i'd say the semi and a tele. My recent tele build with a 4 way switch are fighting my strats seriously. It so versatile and covers a lot of ground.
With my 335 copy from Tokai i found a basic blues sound that i like better than all my 4 Les Pauls. The basic recipe are A2 Humbuckers (Bare Knuckle StormyMondays) and a black graphite saddles. A real buttery and full sound with enough attack and scream but no mud. Still 2 problems: the neck pickup cut out sometimes and the neck shape is not my fave - its U shaped.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

A big fat jazz guitar. Used Eastman would be my choice.

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

In my boat i'd say the semi and a tele. My recent tele build with a 4 way switch are fighting my strats seriously. It so versatile and covers a lot of ground.
With my 335 copy from Tokai i found a basic blues sound that i like better than all my 4 Les Pauls. The basic recipe are A2 Humbuckers (Bare Knuckle StormyMondays) and a black graphite saddles. A real buttery and full sound with enough attack and scream but no mud. Still 2 problems: the neck pickup cut out sometimes and the neck shape is not my fave - its U shaped.

A big fat jazz guitar. Used Eastman would be my choice.

Thank you!!! So definitely it seems I got my solid body needs covered. I was considering purchasing one of these good looking Premier DC from D'Angelico. I love those three colors, but I may go for the Fiesta Red or the blue one. The descriptions says the pickups are the Duncan Designed HB-101 & HB-102. Which would be the humbuckers those pickups are based on? I agree on the A2 suggestion for the pickups. While I didn't like the Slash APH-2 Set in my Flying V, I did agree they would sound amazing on a semi-hollow guitar. It really had the perfect tone for that. If I went with the SSS guitar, I would have gone with A2 pickups like the Seymour Duncan Texas Hot set.

About the big, fat, jazz guitar. Which one would that be? The big semi-hollow/hollowbody guitars from Gibson, Godin, Ibanez, Guild, and the likes? Which Eastman would you recommend me?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

If you play jazz, then a jazz box may be a good choice.

However, all of your guitars have high output pups. Your SG is screaming for a pair of P-90 pups. 1st choice would be SD P-Rails with Triple Shot mounting rings. If you are more budget conscious, then Id opt for GFS Mean 90s...a really great sounding P-90 in a humbucker format (a pair of these cost about 1/2 the cost of one 498t).

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

If you play jazz, then a jazz box may be a good choice.

However, all of your guitars have high output pups. Your SG is screaming for a pair of P-90 pups. 1st choice would be SD P-Rails with Triple Shot mounting rings. If you are more budget conscious, then Id opt for GFS Mean 90s...a really great sounding P-90 in a humbucker format (a pair of these cost about 1/2 the cost of one 498t).

Really not a fan of jazz. I prefer the blues and very clean sounds over the jazz type of tones, but I do recognize the importance of his music, and the ones who play it. I truly believe I'm more of a moderate to high output guy, but I have been considering something different. Beautiful clean sounds are sacrificed when high output pickups are used. The Pearly Gates neck had a right pickup output (to my ear), but it wasn't bassy enough for me, thus I replaced it with a 59n'. I have a situation. My amp is a Blackstar HT-40 with only a tone knob for the clean channel aka no bass, mids or treble knobs for that amp channel. That's why I need a pickup that can fill the place nicely. Going back to the P90's suggestion, I was thinking one of the new Gibson LP Jr's aka Special (with 2P90's) after playing this exact guitar at the CME Store. The previous owner installed a Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90, and it had a pretty neat sound thru the VOX AC30 I played it, but my playing definitely needs something that can carry me on.

I appreciate your reply, and will keep reading here to figure out my next pickups/instrument move. Thank you!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

I certainly think all of us can search for and find something else to buy, but at some point you have to look at what you have and sit down and make music with it. You have some great gear there, and unless there is a sonic issue with any of the guitars, I would keep them as they are (instead of hoping for a dubious 'better'). Play whatever music you like the the guitars you like to play. I was never the kind of guy to buy a guitar because I need it for a particular style.

 

[Despair]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

I certainly think all of us can search for and find something else to buy, but at some point you have to look at what you have and sit down and make music with it. You have some great gear there, and unless there is a sonic issue with any of the guitars, I would keep them as they are (instead of hoping for a dubious 'better'). Play whatever music you like the the guitars you like to play. I was never the kind of guy to buy a guitar because I need it for a particular style.

Mincer's advice is good. But some people do like having different sounds available. If you are one of those, and need it, or even just want it and can afford and have room for it, why not?

If you really do want to broaden your palette, there's a lot of options. A tele. Something with firebird pickups. Something with P-90s (or P-Rails if you want it to cover other duties as well). Something with Filter'Tron or DeArmond-style pickups. A Rickenbacker, for that sound. An L-500XL for a flexible clear high output pickup. A PATB-2 or SLUG for gonzo metal (rather the reverse of all those vintage models). Active electronics or pickups [Blackout Preamp or pickups, EMGs, etc]. Sustainiac Stealth Pro for feedback effects without the volume.

Or a Variax, for good mimicry of all that and more in one guitar. Plus you can customize the analog pickups as needed. Or a VG-99, for similar features that aren't built into one guitar, but you get an ugly external pickup instead (pickup itself isn't bad, but the control/brain module isn't beautiful). I'm interested in both those solutions, myself, but feel like both companies need to step forward on some improvements. [Line 6 needs to ruggedize/spring-proof the circuit board on the bridge in vibrato models, both could use updates for even wider pickup variety, as they are missing classics like Gold Foils, don't think Variax does Les Paul Deluxe mini-humbuckers, then there's magnet variations for a lot of the pickup types... Users being able to capture pickup models would be cool, too. And a tech for improved output impedance interaction would improve realism of the pickups a bit, much like input impedance switching has helped recent modellers.]

Even with my expectations of better successors to Variax/VG-series (or if Line 6 & Roland don't improve, for a competitor to come in and take the market away from them), I'm still tempted to get one. It'd fend off a lot of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and let me figure out which sounds I like most when I play (I already know there's sounds I like to listen to that I'm unlikely to use myself with any frequency). Then compare those to the real thing and decide if it's worth the space to have that instead.

Have I induced option paralysis to guaranty nothing gets done even if you do want to, yet? If not, I could keep trying...

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

I certainly think all of us can search for and find something else to buy, but at some point you have to look at what you have and sit down and make music with it. You have some great gear there, and unless there is a sonic issue with any of the guitars, I would keep them as they are (instead of hoping for a dubious 'better'). Play whatever music you like the the guitars you like to play. I was never the kind of guy to buy a guitar because I need it for a particular style.

Mincer's advice is good. But some people do like having different sounds available. If you are one of those, and need it, or even just want it and can afford and have room for it, why not?

If you really do want to broaden your palette, there's a lot of options. A tele. Something with firebird pickups. Something with P-90s (or P-Rails if you want it to cover other duties as well). Something with Filter'Tron or DeArmond-style pickups. A Rickenbacker, for that sound. An L-500XL for a flexible clear high output pickup. A PATB-2 or SLUG for gonzo metal (rather the reverse of all those vintage models). Active electronics or pickups [Blackout Preamp or pickups, EMGs, etc]. Sustainiac Stealth Pro for feedback effects without the volume.

Or a Variax, for good mimicry of all that and more in one guitar. Plus you can customize the analog pickups as needed. Or a VG-99, for similar features that aren't built into one guitar, but you get an ugly external pickup instead (pickup itself isn't bad, but the control/brain module isn't beautiful). I'm interested in both those solutions, myself, but feel like both companies need to step forward on some improvements. [Line 6 needs to ruggedize/spring-proof the circuit board on the bridge in vibrato models, both could use updates for even wider pickup variety, as they are missing classics like Gold Foils, don't think Variax does Les Paul Deluxe mini-humbuckers, then there's magnet variations for a lot of the pickup types... Users being able to capture pickup models would be cool, too. And a tech for improved output impedance interaction would improve realism of the pickups a bit, much like input impedance switching has helped recent modellers.]

Even with my expectations of better successors to Variax/VG-series (or if Line 6 & Roland don't improve, for a competitor to come in and take the market away from them), I'm still tempted to get one. It'd fend off a lot of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and let me figure out which sounds I like most when I play (I already know there's sounds I like to listen to that I'm unlikely to use myself with any frequency). Then compare those to the real thing and decide if it's worth the space to have that instead.

Have I induced option paralysis to guaranty nothing gets done even if you do want to, yet? If not, I could keep trying...

Thanks! I agree with Mincer commentary. I really don't stick with any guitar to perform any style really. I was wondering if there's something tonewise that I don't have, but as you wrote, I may already have all the tools I need.

"Despair" wrote great things too, and I appreciate all the suggestions. I definitely should step out of the humbucking world and believe me, I love them. It's frustrating my local guitar stores doesn't have much variety. You can find mid-budget Fender, Squier, Epiphone, PRS, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, some Gretsch...

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

I certainly think all of us can search for and find something else to buy, but at some point you have to look at what you have and sit down and make music with it. You have some great gear there, and unless there is a sonic issue with any of the guitars, I would keep them as they are (instead of hoping for a dubious 'better'). Play whatever music you like the the guitars you like to play. I was never the kind of guy to buy a guitar because I need it for a particular style.

Ouch. I think that hit home.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

You are missing something with a single coil bridge pickup.

In fact, you are missing single coils wholly.

Big, giant hole in any arsenal! Ack!

Get a Les Paul Special or a Les Paul Junior to start. You can think about some basic Fenders after that (classic Tele or Strat).

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

Ouch. I think that hit home.

There is no right or wrong, it's just different approaches. I always had two or three very similar guitars and actually mod them to sound even more similar. But that's because I play within a sonic ballpark with no interest in variety for it's own sake.
A guy I know who plays am even more limited range of genres has dozens of guitars and amps. Last time our two bands played together he sounded like him and I sounded like me. He enjoys the collecting and is always buying or trading. I enjoy squeezing everything I can out of what I have.
Different strokes, that's all.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

+1. I agree with the single coil suggestion.

That's why I suggested some P-90 goodness.

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Wondering what should be next... (Pickups & Guitars Related)

You are missing something with a single coil bridge pickup.

In fact, you are missing single coils wholly.

Big, giant hole in any arsenal! Ack!

Get a Les Paul Special or a Les Paul Junior to start. You can think about some basic Fenders after that (classic Tele or Strat).

There is no right or wrong, it's just different approaches. I always had two or three very similar guitars and actually mod them to sound even more similar. But that's because I play within a sonic ballpark with no interest in variety for it's own sake.
A guy I know who plays am even more limited range of genres has dozens of guitars and amps. Last time our two bands played together he sounded like him and I sounded like me. He enjoys the collecting and is always buying or trading. I enjoy squeezing everything I can out of what I have.
Different strokes, that's all.

+1. I agree with the single coil suggestion.

That's why I suggested some P-90 goodness.

Hello everyone! I appreciate all the suggestions, and replies!
The new Fender Performer SSS model, and Gibson Les Paul Jr. (with the weird pickguard) have been on my radar, and have been considered for purchase. I'm looking for some info regarding the Fender Classic Series 50's Strat. I played it on Middleton, WI (Guitar Center), and really digged the neck tones. They were definitely ''my clean tones''. Any information on those pickups, and which aftermarket pickups can nail those tones? I definitely will need something better for the bridge pickup. It really sucked. If I get a P90 guitar, they will definitely be getting some Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups. Tried it on Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Guitar on my trip to CME in Chicago.