How much difference would mahogany have been instead of alder?
- Thread starter jtroska
- Start date
alder would've given it a more brighter sound, where mahogany gives you a warmer sound, but not mushy. Strangely enough, warmoth les pauls don't sound mushy. I think its the neck (bolt on vs glued in) that makes the difference, but i'm not sure yet. there are many more things that are different, but ok.
If you wanna take the edge of: wire a resistor parallel to the pot, to make the value lower. easy, cheap mod, but sometimes with major implications.
what pickups do you use? I think a tonezone+air norton, or a d sonic+air norton or a superdistortion+air norton, or simply the breed-set, or even the EVO-set, will sound great in your guitar without sounding harsh, but still nice and fatty, but not mushy. I hope this helps.
If you wanna take the edge of: wire a resistor parallel to the pot, to make the value lower. easy, cheap mod, but sometimes with major implications.
what pickups do you use? I think a tonezone+air norton, or a d sonic+air norton or a superdistortion+air norton, or simply the breed-set, or even the EVO-set, will sound great in your guitar without sounding harsh, but still nice and fatty, but not mushy. I hope this helps.
Thanks guys.
But it's a non-issue now. The Warmoth is gone. I just couldn't take it anymore.
I think I was too ambitious for my first time building. I should have kept it simple with 2 humbuckers and a master volume and tone. Heck, I don't even need a tone knob.
But I had to go all out with fancy switches I'd never actually use and that damn Sustainiac driver. That was the turning point. I won't start on that story because it would result in a 3 page post.
The final straw was when I finally took it out to rehearsal and the damn thing wouldn't stay in tune. And this is with a fixed bridge and locking tuners and broken-in strings. Tried lubricating the nut to only some avail.
And the only working pickup (bridge--not Sustainiac neck) sounded wrong in this guitar despite sounding great in a regular Les Paul.
I guess I should've just trashed the Sustainiac and tried different bridge pickups and widened the nut slots. Great! Order yet ANOTHER tool! But this has been an on-going cursed project since I don't know when. I need a guitar. I don't want to fiddle with solder and be entering my credit card number at the Stewmac site for 6 more months. In a fit of rage, I performed my best Pete Townshend impersonation and the splintered remains of the Warmoth ended up in the dumpster.
Kinda wish I've taken a picture of that for the Warmoth gallery. That would've been funny to people who weren't involved.
I don't know. I go back and forth between seeing the funny side of it, and needing to vomit over the time and money wasted, and feeling sick with heart-break.
And now the final punch-line which convinces me there must be a god because somebody up there MUST be f?cking with me...
I go to buy a PRS because I still need a guitar. But the one I want isn't anywhere to be found and the dealers says it'll take about 6 months to get.
But it's a non-issue now. The Warmoth is gone. I just couldn't take it anymore.
I think I was too ambitious for my first time building. I should have kept it simple with 2 humbuckers and a master volume and tone. Heck, I don't even need a tone knob.
But I had to go all out with fancy switches I'd never actually use and that damn Sustainiac driver. That was the turning point. I won't start on that story because it would result in a 3 page post.
The final straw was when I finally took it out to rehearsal and the damn thing wouldn't stay in tune. And this is with a fixed bridge and locking tuners and broken-in strings. Tried lubricating the nut to only some avail.
And the only working pickup (bridge--not Sustainiac neck) sounded wrong in this guitar despite sounding great in a regular Les Paul.
I guess I should've just trashed the Sustainiac and tried different bridge pickups and widened the nut slots. Great! Order yet ANOTHER tool! But this has been an on-going cursed project since I don't know when. I need a guitar. I don't want to fiddle with solder and be entering my credit card number at the Stewmac site for 6 more months. In a fit of rage, I performed my best Pete Townshend impersonation and the splintered remains of the Warmoth ended up in the dumpster.
Kinda wish I've taken a picture of that for the Warmoth gallery. That would've been funny to people who weren't involved.
I don't know. I go back and forth between seeing the funny side of it, and needing to vomit over the time and money wasted, and feeling sick with heart-break.
And now the final punch-line which convinces me there must be a god because somebody up there MUST be f?cking with me...
I go to buy a PRS because I still need a guitar. But the one I want isn't anywhere to be found and the dealers says it'll take about 6 months to get.
G
guitlouie
Guest
WTF?
-CB- said:
No, No, hes right. Pickups don't change tone... THEY CREATE THE DAMNED TONE! I don't know enough to say what effect most of the stuff in a guitar has on the tone, but even I know that it is utter and complete BS to clam that pickups don't change tone. Hell, if that's true, I wish someone had told me before I changed the pickups in my MIJ Strat. I spent $125 on a set of Fender Vintage Noiseless where I could have just left the POS jobbies that were in it. Of course, it sounds completely different now, but that must just be to the new PAINT. :blob7:
due to timedifference, I went to sleep after that last post, and last night, I had a whole lotta nightmares about a guy smashing up perfectly good warmoth-guitars.
Its just plain stupid to trash a GOOD guitar, just because you dont want to experiment with tone. you build a strat in les paul shape, but you expect a 'brighter, tighter' les paul sound. does a strat sound like a brighter, tighter les paul? no!
damn, this shit makes me angry. to trash a good guitar, and throw it in the bin....
Its just plain stupid to trash a GOOD guitar, just because you dont want to experiment with tone. you build a strat in les paul shape, but you expect a 'brighter, tighter' les paul sound. does a strat sound like a brighter, tighter les paul? no!
damn, this shit makes me angry. to trash a good guitar, and throw it in the bin....
oh, and widening nutslots and cutting bridgeslots can be done with some sanding paper, grit 260-400 and a fuckin pair of strings which can be used later on on the guitar, or just some old reject strings.
an investment of $10 for a guitar which was around $1000, but now trashed... what a waste!
an investment of $10 for a guitar which was around $1000, but now trashed... what a waste!
GoDrex
Hero Member
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- 3,656
I can kind of understand the guy's frustration. I've had tons of bad luck with guitars. I ruined a Carvin guitar when I was younger because it just could never be made right and eventually I just got sick of having hope that it could actually be something I could use. But, I promise not to smash my new LP. I'll get it all worked out one of these days.
jackthehack
Epic Member
- Messages
- 5,630
WTF? You smashed this?:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2178.0
Post a pic of the smashed parts, might make a project for somebody?
Jack's Rule: Always do a couple of bongs hits before smashing any inanimate object you paid more than $100 for...
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2178.0
Post a pic of the smashed parts, might make a project for somebody?
Jack's Rule: Always do a couple of bongs hits before smashing any inanimate object you paid more than $100 for...
bpmorton777
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,651
anger management is needed
Brian
Brian
bpmorton777 said:
haha! Yes!
Actually, my wife made an interesting observation: I'm usually such a NON-angry, easy-going guy. The only other time I had such a terrible temper was when I was in Egypt a year ago after taking some prescription sleeping pills to sleep through the long flight.
Flash forward to last week: I had such a frustrating, embarrassing time at my first rehearsal with the Warmoth. It sounded bad and wouldn't stay in tune after so much work on it. I couldn't sleep that night because I was too upset about the state of the Warmoth. So I decided to take another one of those sleeping pills. The next day I was just weird. Angry and irrational and doing all sorts of things that made no sense.
I don't blame Warmoth. The parts they sent were perfect. It was my own fault for getting too ambitious with my first build. And I wasted so much time with that stupid Sustainiac driver. So I really couldn't stand the thought of having to level frets and file nuts and experiment with more pickups (especially when having the Sustainiac makes swapping bridge pickups a bit harder). I just wanted to PLAY the thing already.
Now if I were thinking with a clear head, I would have cut my losses, removed the Sustainiac, put the thing away for a couple of months, and started over with simpler electronics. But I *wasn't* thinking. I had just slipped into primal bam bam mentality.
I may try again. I did love those pieces.
It's really not that difficult after lessons from first-time mistakes. For example, I had wasted time by ordering the wrong pots. They were too short and wouldn't clear the 1/8" maple veneer. So I had to waste another week waiting for longer pots to be shipped. Now if I did it again and had the right pots on hand, it would be no problem. But having to waste 2 weeks to install 4 pots isn't my idea of fun. Multiply that by pretty much every step of the project.
And it was especially frustrating for me because I didn't really get into this looking for a PROJECT. I just wanted a GUITAR. The only reason I went with Warmoth is because it seemed the only way to get the guitar exactly as I wanted. Otherwise, I don't find drilling and such to be fun--I find it to be work.
So it was really just a series of bad decisions on my part.
O
OzziePete
Guest
Looking at the original specs in the other thread highlighted, I tend to agree that you went too far in one project.
I've had a similar experience with a Jazzmaster made from Warmoth parts, and the project has been stop and start at each stage.
More than once I've had to rethink what I had set out to achieve. My goals for this guitar are quite high, and was contemplated, planned and parts ordered before I had a chance to realise that maybe I had bit off more than I could chew.
I have still got it all there - 5 years on - and still trying to figure out how this will all come together.
Presently I have been able to fit out my garage workbench better and now my task is to learn how to properly rout using templates. I have to rout in a double battery box for active electronics, and with the batteries moved to a separate compartment behind the trem/bridge it will give me more space in the body (at the front) to get a better switching system up.
But as I've highlighted just now, it's been a lot of engineering each step and making sure that before I try anything I know exactly what I am doing. From past trial and error with this project, I know that active EMGs are my only saviour for this project -passive pickups sound too sterile in the maple body. By introducing active EQs I can boost midrange EQ curves and dirty up the sound.
A couple of observations about those original specs:
1) You headed very much into 'Strat' territory by having both an alder body AND a 25.5" neck.
2) Your electronics were ambitious and probably cleaned up the sound too much too.
Both of which steers way clear of any sort of LP sound.
If there's a part or two that can be salvaged, I'd suggest you put it all ina box and leave it for a few months and then gradually take a look at what's left and maybe see if you can use them for another project.
While this forum highlights the great success many of us have had putting guitars and basses together, what isn't so loudly highlighted is the prior planning, engineering and complete stuff ups that happen from time to time. Don't be discouraged from trying again.
I've had a similar experience with a Jazzmaster made from Warmoth parts, and the project has been stop and start at each stage.
More than once I've had to rethink what I had set out to achieve. My goals for this guitar are quite high, and was contemplated, planned and parts ordered before I had a chance to realise that maybe I had bit off more than I could chew.
I have still got it all there - 5 years on - and still trying to figure out how this will all come together.
Presently I have been able to fit out my garage workbench better and now my task is to learn how to properly rout using templates. I have to rout in a double battery box for active electronics, and with the batteries moved to a separate compartment behind the trem/bridge it will give me more space in the body (at the front) to get a better switching system up.
But as I've highlighted just now, it's been a lot of engineering each step and making sure that before I try anything I know exactly what I am doing. From past trial and error with this project, I know that active EMGs are my only saviour for this project -passive pickups sound too sterile in the maple body. By introducing active EQs I can boost midrange EQ curves and dirty up the sound.
A couple of observations about those original specs:
1) You headed very much into 'Strat' territory by having both an alder body AND a 25.5" neck.
2) Your electronics were ambitious and probably cleaned up the sound too much too.
Both of which steers way clear of any sort of LP sound.
If there's a part or two that can be salvaged, I'd suggest you put it all ina box and leave it for a few months and then gradually take a look at what's left and maybe see if you can use them for another project.
While this forum highlights the great success many of us have had putting guitars and basses together, what isn't so loudly highlighted is the prior planning, engineering and complete stuff ups that happen from time to time. Don't be discouraged from trying again.
GoDrex said:
Ironically, my Carvin never failed me. It's been my workhorse almost exclusively for 10+ years. But it looks quirky and it's a little off-balance. Part of my frustration was having to play some nice summer gigs on my old, ugly, inexpensive Carvin because the new "improved" Warmoth wouldn't work. I was feeling the pressure to finish this project already for the summer. But every time I tried to move it a step further, it was like I moved a step sidewise instead. No end in sight. Again, not the fault of Warmoth.
OzziePete:
You mentioned a few things that ring very true. Outfitting the garage with a workbench... That's something I need maybe more than anything else: A proper work space. That and anger management! hehe! No, really... if I had a proper space to work and all the tools I needed and where I could find them, I think I could really enjoy something like this. Going out to the garage away from everybody and quietly working on it could be really satisfying.
But as it is, I have a small condo apartment with one stupid tool box stuffed behind everything else in a cramped closet. Whatever I need isn't going to be in there. My work space is whatever part of the apartment my wife isn't using. Maybe the kitchen counter. Then maybe I have to move to the living room couch. Oh wait, where did that screw go? See why I hate projects?
If I try again, it'll be so much easier because I already made all the trips to Home Depot and have all the tools. And I know what supplies I need so I don't have to waste weeks and shipping charges ordering every screw and neck plate and pot and wire separately. And I'd have the foresight to clear an area of the garage and set everything up for the operation before starting.
You mentioned a few things that ring very true. Outfitting the garage with a workbench... That's something I need maybe more than anything else: A proper work space. That and anger management! hehe! No, really... if I had a proper space to work and all the tools I needed and where I could find them, I think I could really enjoy something like this. Going out to the garage away from everybody and quietly working on it could be really satisfying.
But as it is, I have a small condo apartment with one stupid tool box stuffed behind everything else in a cramped closet. Whatever I need isn't going to be in there. My work space is whatever part of the apartment my wife isn't using. Maybe the kitchen counter. Then maybe I have to move to the living room couch. Oh wait, where did that screw go? See why I hate projects?
If I try again, it'll be so much easier because I already made all the trips to Home Depot and have all the tools. And I know what supplies I need so I don't have to waste weeks and shipping charges ordering every screw and neck plate and pot and wire separately. And I'd have the foresight to clear an area of the garage and set everything up for the operation before starting.
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