jskpongoui said:
try these: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/TV_Jones_Classic_Pickups.html :glasses9:
Pickups for ambient
- Thread starter jskpongoui
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try these: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/TV_Jones_Classic_Pickups.html :glasses9:
mayfly
Epic Member
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those are definitely not rick toasters. The flat no-sustain no-chime sound displayed on this clip is not typical of rickenbacker pickups.
The guitar in the video is an italian made EKO. You can find them in pawn shops for under $100.
There. I just saved you $300. That's $300 to spend on the wacky pedals that you'll need.
However, if you want something kind of like that but new, check out
http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/
The guitar in the video is an italian made EKO. You can find them in pawn shops for under $100.
There. I just saved you $300. That's $300 to spend on the wacky pedals that you'll need.
However, if you want something kind of like that but new, check out
http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/
My studio project, Zerababyl, leans into the Ambient genre. http://www.myspace.com/zerababyl
I recommend Reed James Custom.
http://www.reedjamescustom.com
I have a set of P-90 in Cocobolo. Wound to vintage specs, Alnico II and V magnets.
A set of Woodbuckers, also in Cocobolo. Wound to vintage specs.
And a set of Telewoodies in Pistacio. Wound to vintage specs, the bridge has a zinc plated baseplate.
I recommend Reed James Custom.
http://www.reedjamescustom.com
I have a set of P-90 in Cocobolo. Wound to vintage specs, Alnico II and V magnets.
A set of Woodbuckers, also in Cocobolo. Wound to vintage specs.
And a set of Telewoodies in Pistacio. Wound to vintage specs, the bridge has a zinc plated baseplate.
As I go back and read more... I too would like to chime in on going with better parts. GFS does make some good pickups. I've read well written reviews that rave about them, I've read well written reviews that expressed disappointment. I had strat with a set for a while, and I was quite happy. I actually wish I hadn't sold the ax.
That said, Don't skimp on your bridge. Its what attatches the strings to the body, I don't have any scientific reasons, but IMHO its worth an extra $20 for peace of mind. And tuners as well, you don't need to buy anything high end, but again, $20 extra for peace of mind. Research your decisions based upon materials and specs, not price.
I say this because, while my two thinlines look amazing, they've been a real fight to get setup. I went cheap with the necks. I bought them on ebay from Karosa. He makes amazing looking necks. You can get them CHEAP. He sets his auctions for 24 hours, so if nobody's bidding, you can get lucky. Neither neck cost me more than $80 after shipping. Both are Goncalo Alves, one has an Indian Rosewood fingerboard, the other has a Marblewood fingerboard. They look amazing. However, there were some inexcuseable mistakes. On one, the tuner holes are not a consistent distance apart, two tuners holes were so close together that the tuners bumped into each other. On the other, two of the string paths cut into the nut were too close to each other. And on all his necks, the Truss Rod adjustment is hard to work with. My Epiphone LP Custom plays like butter in comparison. THAT SAID... with a great deal of work, I've finally managed to make them almost as playable as I'd like. I'll be keeping them, I've become a huge fan of Goncalo Alves for neckwood, especially raw. One has a back contour to die for. And they both sound good. But if I knew then what I know now..... I'd have saved my money for another month and gone with Warmoth necks, not exotic if I had to. I've put too many hours and had too much frustration working with the inexpensive Karosa necks. But who knows, he builds them one at a time, and I imagine his work improves over time.
To sum up... Wait a little while and save up another $100, at least, for quality parts.
I'm impressed that you're coming in around $400 for your guitar. Thats cool. It makes me want to sell something and go buy parts. I actually have two more Karosa necks I need to do something with (one is Sapele with a Zebrawood board, the other is Jatoba/Jatoba), I got them both insanely cheap, and both appear to be as good, if not slightly better than the ones on my Thinlines.
That said, Don't skimp on your bridge. Its what attatches the strings to the body, I don't have any scientific reasons, but IMHO its worth an extra $20 for peace of mind. And tuners as well, you don't need to buy anything high end, but again, $20 extra for peace of mind. Research your decisions based upon materials and specs, not price.
I say this because, while my two thinlines look amazing, they've been a real fight to get setup. I went cheap with the necks. I bought them on ebay from Karosa. He makes amazing looking necks. You can get them CHEAP. He sets his auctions for 24 hours, so if nobody's bidding, you can get lucky. Neither neck cost me more than $80 after shipping. Both are Goncalo Alves, one has an Indian Rosewood fingerboard, the other has a Marblewood fingerboard. They look amazing. However, there were some inexcuseable mistakes. On one, the tuner holes are not a consistent distance apart, two tuners holes were so close together that the tuners bumped into each other. On the other, two of the string paths cut into the nut were too close to each other. And on all his necks, the Truss Rod adjustment is hard to work with. My Epiphone LP Custom plays like butter in comparison. THAT SAID... with a great deal of work, I've finally managed to make them almost as playable as I'd like. I'll be keeping them, I've become a huge fan of Goncalo Alves for neckwood, especially raw. One has a back contour to die for. And they both sound good. But if I knew then what I know now..... I'd have saved my money for another month and gone with Warmoth necks, not exotic if I had to. I've put too many hours and had too much frustration working with the inexpensive Karosa necks. But who knows, he builds them one at a time, and I imagine his work improves over time.
To sum up... Wait a little while and save up another $100, at least, for quality parts.
I'm impressed that you're coming in around $400 for your guitar. Thats cool. It makes me want to sell something and go buy parts. I actually have two more Karosa necks I need to do something with (one is Sapele with a Zebrawood board, the other is Jatoba/Jatoba), I got them both insanely cheap, and both appear to be as good, if not slightly better than the ones on my Thinlines.
jskpongoui
Newbie
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alright thanks guys, I can get 100 more dollars or so with a few more weeks of doing chores and yard work, I suppose.
also if it matters, I have had a Lyon (by Washburn) strat for 2 or so months, and the only thing I don't like about it is that it has a bit too much 'bite'
I suppose I should have mentioned this earlier..... :sad1:
also if it matters, I have had a Lyon (by Washburn) strat for 2 or so months, and the only thing I don't like about it is that it has a bit too much 'bite'
I suppose I should have mentioned this earlier..... :sad1:
I'm not out to be mean, or talk like I know it all, I just want to share my experience. Learn from my mistakes.
Your Lyon has too much bite? Do you mean bright high end? Is it a strat style with all single coil pickups? Which pickup do you use most? What do you plug into for effects and amp? This does make a difference. If a strat has too much "bite" (bright, high end), then single coils with a maple neck and ash body is gonna have lots of that "bite" you're wanting to get away from. YMMV, Its why I go with Mahogany bodies, semi hollow whenever I can, and something other than maple for a neck. Then again, a bright guitar is easier to darken than a dark sounding guitar brightened. The "tone" knob is an oft overlooked tool.
Your Lyon has too much bite? Do you mean bright high end? Is it a strat style with all single coil pickups? Which pickup do you use most? What do you plug into for effects and amp? This does make a difference. If a strat has too much "bite" (bright, high end), then single coils with a maple neck and ash body is gonna have lots of that "bite" you're wanting to get away from. YMMV, Its why I go with Mahogany bodies, semi hollow whenever I can, and something other than maple for a neck. Then again, a bright guitar is easier to darken than a dark sounding guitar brightened. The "tone" knob is an oft overlooked tool.
jskpongoui
Newbie
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- 23
Don't worry , you're not being mean
it is a strat with all singles, I use the neck pickup most, and I still get too much of that "agressive" kind of sound. I'm looking for a more mellow sound, but I still want that chimey type stuff...
I also didn't know, neck wood affects the sound?
edit-
I'm using my keyboard amp- Roland KC60 ( :sad: :sad: :sad: i know, i know...)
I'm not using any effects, I've tried experimenting with the tone knobs and it's getting rid of most of the "bite" . But it's also getting a little muddy as well :S
So how can I find a balance of warm tone, without getting too much "mud" in there.
it is a strat with all singles, I use the neck pickup most, and I still get too much of that "agressive" kind of sound. I'm looking for a more mellow sound, but I still want that chimey type stuff...
I also didn't know, neck wood affects the sound?
edit-
I'm using my keyboard amp- Roland KC60 ( :sad: :sad: :sad: i know, i know...)
I'm not using any effects, I've tried experimenting with the tone knobs and it's getting rid of most of the "bite" . But it's also getting a little muddy as well :S
So how can I find a balance of warm tone, without getting too much "mud" in there.
Neck woods do more to influence the guitar's tone than you'd think. In fact, it's number 2, right after the pickups. Which makes sense, its the wood that runs under most of the strings themselves. Body wood does a little less than the neck, especially if you're a Thinline junkie, like me.
Maple is bright, regardless of fingerboard. So coupled with Single coils (typically bright) and an ash body (also bright), and you've got a bright guitar. Poke around on the Warmoth site, there's a wood description page that gives a breakdown of what woods give what tone. Something funky is up with the site, I can't seem to pull up warmoth.com, or I'd link it.
But.. for necks:
Mahogany and Rosewood are dark, Maple and Padouk are bright, and Goncalo Alves and Wenge are in the middle.
For Bodies:
Mahogany is Dark. Ash is bright. Korina is in the middle, but closer to Mahogany. And Alder is in the middle.
As far as your amp is concerned, you're essentially plugging it into a PA. You're hearing the sound of the guitar, raw and naked, and not run through a traditional guitar amp. This will also make a huge difference. Its okay for some applications, but IMHO you end up with some uninspiring tones. I recommend... yes... spending money... pickup up a small modeling pedal, like a Digitech RP55 (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-RP55-Guitar-MultiEffects-Pedal?sku=580861). Its on the very-cheap end of the amp modeling spectrum, but when I've used modeling units (and I do a lot) the secret is to exercise self control, don't turn anything all the way up, keep the gain down, don't use effects (seriously) unless its just a wee bit of reverb. In fact, when it comes to tone, your amp has way more to do with your tone than the guitar. There's no shame in using modelers either, unless you're a Stevie Ray Vaughnabee, in which case.... oh damn.. I almost went into a rant.... anyway, the electric guitar needs a guitar amp, or modeler, in order to get you to the tone you want, unless you play jazz.
You're gonna need something amp-like, eventually. Otherwise you'll look like a dork, I have a friend who saved up $1200 to buy an amazing Godin LGXT, and then couldnt use it because he had no amp, acoustic gutiar amp, MIDI unit, or anything to plug the MIDI unit he didn't have, into. He needed, at minimum, to spend another $500 to play it!
You might find a drastic difference if you take the Lyon and plug it into an actual guitar amp or modeler. And don't be afraid to dial the knobs around or use the guitar's tone knob, or even roll the volume knob back a hair.
Maple is bright, regardless of fingerboard. So coupled with Single coils (typically bright) and an ash body (also bright), and you've got a bright guitar. Poke around on the Warmoth site, there's a wood description page that gives a breakdown of what woods give what tone. Something funky is up with the site, I can't seem to pull up warmoth.com, or I'd link it.
But.. for necks:
Mahogany and Rosewood are dark, Maple and Padouk are bright, and Goncalo Alves and Wenge are in the middle.
For Bodies:
Mahogany is Dark. Ash is bright. Korina is in the middle, but closer to Mahogany. And Alder is in the middle.
As far as your amp is concerned, you're essentially plugging it into a PA. You're hearing the sound of the guitar, raw and naked, and not run through a traditional guitar amp. This will also make a huge difference. Its okay for some applications, but IMHO you end up with some uninspiring tones. I recommend... yes... spending money... pickup up a small modeling pedal, like a Digitech RP55 (http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/DigiTech-RP55-Guitar-MultiEffects-Pedal?sku=580861). Its on the very-cheap end of the amp modeling spectrum, but when I've used modeling units (and I do a lot) the secret is to exercise self control, don't turn anything all the way up, keep the gain down, don't use effects (seriously) unless its just a wee bit of reverb. In fact, when it comes to tone, your amp has way more to do with your tone than the guitar. There's no shame in using modelers either, unless you're a Stevie Ray Vaughnabee, in which case.... oh damn.. I almost went into a rant.... anyway, the electric guitar needs a guitar amp, or modeler, in order to get you to the tone you want, unless you play jazz.
You're gonna need something amp-like, eventually. Otherwise you'll look like a dork, I have a friend who saved up $1200 to buy an amazing Godin LGXT, and then couldnt use it because he had no amp, acoustic gutiar amp, MIDI unit, or anything to plug the MIDI unit he didn't have, into. He needed, at minimum, to spend another $500 to play it!
You might find a drastic difference if you take the Lyon and plug it into an actual guitar amp or modeler. And don't be afraid to dial the knobs around or use the guitar's tone knob, or even roll the volume knob back a hair.
jskpongoui
Newbie
- Messages
- 23
http://www.jr.com/orange-amplifiers/pe/OA_CR30R/ / http://www.jr.com/orange-amplifiers/pe/OA_CR15R/
I'm thinking of buying that one or this one
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-Valvetronix-VT15-15W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=483551
I still need to figure out what guitar I am to buy....
what pickups will suit me best?... are the singles the things giving me too much bite, or is that more of the woods it's made out of?
I'm thinking of buying that one or this one
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-Valvetronix-VT15-15W-1x8-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=483551
I still need to figure out what guitar I am to buy....
what pickups will suit me best?... are the singles the things giving me too much bite, or is that more of the woods it's made out of?
I agree with tfarny. He was more direct in saying what I was prattling on about. Your bite issue might not even be the guitar. Plug it into a guitar amp and see what happens.
And good amp choices. IMHO, the Vox is a winner. While I haven't had any experience with either amp, I do have a Vox Valvetronix Tonelab SE modeling pedalboard that get the job done and then some.
And good amp choices. IMHO, the Vox is a winner. While I haven't had any experience with either amp, I do have a Vox Valvetronix Tonelab SE modeling pedalboard that get the job done and then some.
You have a good idea of what you want.
Chime without too much bite, Warmth without mud...sound right?
I'm still on the side of single coils for you...only one way to tell.
For REAL, get to a store and play on a few amps. If the ones you like are there, all the better.
Not to rain on any parades, but my bassist (who plays guitar in a diff. band) has the bigger version of the VOX and loves it. He plays a 2 humbucker Ibanez through it. I think it's...pretty good. The issue I had with it is that the sound didn't seemd to cut through very well, it kinda blended in. I'll tell you what, it's powerful though.
-Edit-
Oh! when you're there play some simlar guitars with humbuckers too...widen that tonal vocabulary
Chime without too much bite, Warmth without mud...sound right?
I'm still on the side of single coils for you...only one way to tell.
For REAL, get to a store and play on a few amps. If the ones you like are there, all the better.
Not to rain on any parades, but my bassist (who plays guitar in a diff. band) has the bigger version of the VOX and loves it. He plays a 2 humbucker Ibanez through it. I think it's...pretty good. The issue I had with it is that the sound didn't seemd to cut through very well, it kinda blended in. I'll tell you what, it's powerful though.
-Edit-
Oh! when you're there play some simlar guitars with humbuckers too...widen that tonal vocabulary
This keeps going off topic from just pickups... but here's the neck builder I mentioned.
http://shop.ebay.com/karosaguitars/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25
http://shop.ebay.com/karosaguitars/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25
jskpongoui
Newbie
- Messages
- 23
The lyon strat I have is a rental, which is why I have to get rid of it (labor day weekend)
anyway,
I might purchase an amp first, and then see how the guitar sounds and work from there.
thanks for everyones help
(still need reccomendations on which single coils to go with)
anyway,
I might purchase an amp first, and then see how the guitar sounds and work from there.
thanks for everyones help
(still need reccomendations on which single coils to go with)
...shh, I don't want to get attacked by single coil soilders....They know all sorts of hand built and very fancy peoples...I go to the bigger names...i guess 'cause I want to be able to better predict how they will sound.
I'm not a fan of dimarzio humbuckes, but the whole Area series is really nice.
For a great value by a respected builder...
Professor T-Von-Farntastic hit it on the head earlier with the Keystone set. a SET for under $100?! Wildepickups.com
The youtube video is country, and it's on a tele, but the SOUND is pretty nice to me. just a littel drive and 'verb.
I'm not a fan of dimarzio humbuckes, but the whole Area series is really nice.
For a great value by a respected builder...
Professor T-Von-Farntastic hit it on the head earlier with the Keystone set. a SET for under $100?! Wildepickups.com
The youtube video is country, and it's on a tele, but the SOUND is pretty nice to me. just a littel drive and 'verb.
jskpongoui
Newbie
- Messages
- 23
http://www.jayturser.com/jt-sfm.php
would this be a nice guitar for ambient?
i fell in love w/ the sea foam green one...
i cant try it but it just looks so awesome I want it so bad
thoughts?
would this be a nice guitar for ambient?
i fell in love w/ the sea foam green one...
i cant try it but it just looks so awesome I want it so bad
thoughts?
jskpongoui
Newbie
- Messages
- 23
i could get that one for roughly 200.
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