Last Triumph
Senior Member
- Messages
- 261
Hi everyone - little bit of history before I ask my questions as it might give an insight into what will work best for me.
I play left handed and have played for about 20 years - self taught to a moderate standard.
I'm pretty much trapped in the 80's in terms of the guitar music I like to play but have driffted into the 70's/90's from time to time.
I love to play music similar toearly GNR, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, White Snake etc - not so much the tone, but the style/medody etc.
I play through a Marshall Valvestate S240 which has a wonderful bi-stereo chorus and reverb.
I tend to play either very clean - crystal shimmering chrome plated rich clean without the slightest hint of fuzz, or full on scooped out heavy distortion with harmonics, stinging leads.
I have only ever played / owned 2 guitars, a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Jackson Dinky.
The Les Paul is lovely if a little hard work and heavy and the tone is nice, if a little muddy at times - wood? pickups?
The Jackson is pretty poor to be fair - tone too thin and a little crude and harsh, I'm just not a trem guy in all honesty.
Being a lefty really limits choice on the market and having always wanted to build my own guitar, I researched the Warmoth offerings and it looks to be the way forwards to get just what I want.
On the basis that they no longer offer the Wolfgang any more, I'm leaning towards a a solid arch top tele with a string through TOM bridge and twin humbuckers, 22 fret neck.
Here are my questions - please bare with me as I don't know enough to feel confident in making important decisions.
Woods... I definately want a dyed quilted maple top, but need some inspiration as to the body wood to give me rich tone and shimmering cleans and decent sustain - I think mahogony might be a bit too muddy? Any suggestions?
Neck... I think I want a maple finger board..... any ideas on the neck wood to give good sustain and not too harsher tone?
Pick ups.... Definately want twin humbuckers, but reading through all the descriptions on the SD and DiM websites, I really don't know how to interpret all the info. I don't know if I want high, medium or low output, what eq to go for etc, etc. I can tell you that I use my amp for all tonal requirements, so when clean, I want it clean with no fuzz or dirt what so ever - proper rich chrome plated crystal, even when played firmly. At the same time, I need a pickup that will give me that full on fat Mick Mars/Steve Clarke rich distortion full of harmonics and definition when the amp is set to shred.
Neck scale.... I prefer the 24.75" Les paul Scale - I trust the Warmoth conversion necks are appropriately shorter with correct intonation to allow this scale without compromise?
There'll be loads of other questions in due course, but in the mean time, I'm all ears to make sure I choose the best body and neck woods and humbuckers to allow me to achieve the rich full tones of both crystal clean and solid distortion via the amp gain and tone settings.
Many thanks in advance.
I play left handed and have played for about 20 years - self taught to a moderate standard.
I'm pretty much trapped in the 80's in terms of the guitar music I like to play but have driffted into the 70's/90's from time to time.
I love to play music similar toearly GNR, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, White Snake etc - not so much the tone, but the style/medody etc.
I play through a Marshall Valvestate S240 which has a wonderful bi-stereo chorus and reverb.
I tend to play either very clean - crystal shimmering chrome plated rich clean without the slightest hint of fuzz, or full on scooped out heavy distortion with harmonics, stinging leads.
I have only ever played / owned 2 guitars, a Gibson Les Paul Standard and a Jackson Dinky.
The Les Paul is lovely if a little hard work and heavy and the tone is nice, if a little muddy at times - wood? pickups?
The Jackson is pretty poor to be fair - tone too thin and a little crude and harsh, I'm just not a trem guy in all honesty.
Being a lefty really limits choice on the market and having always wanted to build my own guitar, I researched the Warmoth offerings and it looks to be the way forwards to get just what I want.
On the basis that they no longer offer the Wolfgang any more, I'm leaning towards a a solid arch top tele with a string through TOM bridge and twin humbuckers, 22 fret neck.
Here are my questions - please bare with me as I don't know enough to feel confident in making important decisions.
Woods... I definately want a dyed quilted maple top, but need some inspiration as to the body wood to give me rich tone and shimmering cleans and decent sustain - I think mahogony might be a bit too muddy? Any suggestions?
Neck... I think I want a maple finger board..... any ideas on the neck wood to give good sustain and not too harsher tone?
Pick ups.... Definately want twin humbuckers, but reading through all the descriptions on the SD and DiM websites, I really don't know how to interpret all the info. I don't know if I want high, medium or low output, what eq to go for etc, etc. I can tell you that I use my amp for all tonal requirements, so when clean, I want it clean with no fuzz or dirt what so ever - proper rich chrome plated crystal, even when played firmly. At the same time, I need a pickup that will give me that full on fat Mick Mars/Steve Clarke rich distortion full of harmonics and definition when the amp is set to shred.
Neck scale.... I prefer the 24.75" Les paul Scale - I trust the Warmoth conversion necks are appropriately shorter with correct intonation to allow this scale without compromise?
There'll be loads of other questions in due course, but in the mean time, I'm all ears to make sure I choose the best body and neck woods and humbuckers to allow me to achieve the rich full tones of both crystal clean and solid distortion via the amp gain and tone settings.
Many thanks in advance.