New Sub 1

[nobozos]

Just picked up a Sub 1 today. It's black with a black pickguard, two humbuckers and a trem. I'm happy.

 

[Crimson Sunrise]

Congrats! Here is my white SUB1 (used) I aquired about 4-5 months ago. I had posted a little while back that I was thinking of off-loading it....only because I have more guitars than I need. But, since then, I've come to absolutely LOVE IT! Such a bargain for the price they go for, being used or new! The original owner had installed a DiMarzio "Breed" bridge p/u and it absolutely wails! So, needless to say...it's officially a keeper.

 

[e.mate]

Congrats! Here is my white SUB1 (used) I aquired about 4-5 months ago. I had posted a little while back that I was thinking of off-loading it....only because I have more guitars than I need. But, since then, I've come to absolutely LOVE IT! Such a bargain for the price they go for, being used or new! The original owner had installed a DiMarzio "Breed" p/u in the bridge and it absolutely wails! So, needless to say...it's officially a keeper.

AWESOME....I want your SUB

 

[jamminjim]

congrats on the acquisition - wish it were real though, as in

pics please

 

[nobozos]

Will post pics soon.

BTW: I have a quick question for anyone with then knowledge. I'll probably end up replacing the bridge pickup in the guitar, so does anyone know if the bridge pickup is an F-spaces pickup (or trembucker), or if it is just standard spaced?

 

[jamminjim]

F Spaced appx 2.01" or 51 mm from E center to E center

 

[marvo]

Enjoy your sub,I love mine,I put a dimarzio x2n in it.

 

[nobozos]

And now to make it real...

 

[azazael]

I wish my Sub had a trem

 

[nobozos]

So, this is my first poplar bodied guitar, and I was wondering what the tone qualities of poplar are most like.

If you had to choose another wood, what would it be closest to? Maple? Basswoood, Alder, Ash, or Mahogany?

The reason I ask, is to that I can choose the right replacement pickups for the guitar.

I was thinking about a Tone Zone in the bridge. I really love the EVH/Axis tone, and would like to get as close to that as possible.

 

[jamminjim]

Hard to tell which wood poplar is most similar to - alder would be my choice. Someone has mentioned that poplar has undesireable tone characteristics (found during search on thsi subject), but I can't seem to find more info. I think its a bogus statement. Fender and Squier have used poplar and the reason is probably because it was cheaper/available. Might also be the reason MM used it for Subs, or maybe they just had a considerable stock onhand and wanted to use it. Hey the Morse is poplar bodied too. Also someone else speculated that had Leo lived in Virginia then most teles and strats would have had poplar bodies.

I can tell you that I certainly like poplar and love how my subs sound. It seems to be a resonant enough wood.

Maybe someone at EBMM could provide more info on why they chose poplar for the sub bodies.

best explanation I could find

more info here

A thread on Poplar that is interesting

 

[nobozos]

Thanks Jim,

I just concluded some online research myself, and Poplar seems to be closest in tonal characteristics to Alder. From what I've read, it's not as popular as Alder because it's an ugly wood. I guess it's greyish-green in color. Anyway, it seems resonant and pleasing to the ear unplugged.

Here's probably the most useful page that I found on the subject:

Articles: Buyer's Guides: Electric guitar tonewoods 1 - Body Woods - Paul Bothner Music - The Musical Instrument Specialists

 

[jamminjim]

that's the same one I found best - my first link

the guy knows what he's talking about...

 

[nobozos]

I just ran through the pickup selection aids on the SD and Dimarzio sites. The pickups that came up most with most regularity were the Tone Zone, and the Custom 5. I'd probably go with a JB as opposed to a Custom 5, but maybe I should trust the website.

 

[Four Eyes]

Happy NGD to you...and me! I too just picked up a SUB1 last tuesday, she's a black on black hardtail and I'm in love!!! I practiced with it stock a couple of times last week and although I didn't mind the stock pickups, I installed a JB trembucker in the bridge. I also put in 500k volume and tone pots keeping the stock capacitor and when I hit the first chord at my gig last night I was totally blown away at how great she sounded.

I think you'll be pleased with the JB. As a side note, I wound up keeping the stock neck pickup because I think it sounds killer with the 500k pots.

Enjoy it!

 

[nobozos]

So the Sub 1 is running 250K pots? Didn't know. I was considering eliminating the tone pot anyway. I'll probably end up wiring it for independent volume controls for each pickup. I'll be putting 500K pots in for sure.

 

[Four Eyes]

I'm pretty sure that they come stock with 250's. For the style of music I play, the guitar seemed a little on the dark side. I figured that since I was throwing the pickup in I could just swap the pots out as well.

I thought about running dual volumes, but I think I'm happy with it the way it is right now. I'm also considering turning the tone control into a spin-a-split pot. We'll see. I'm thinking about getting another one now. I think I want one of every color..lol

 

[telemike]

I had another guitar that had a JB and it was too midrangy for me. I went with a Custom5 and it worked better for me.

 

[e.mate]

Someone has mentioned that poplar has undesireable tone characteristics (found during search on thsi subject), but I can't seem to find more info. I think its a bogus statement.

...that is complete bu//sh;t I knew a guy who was a slightly succesful local guitar luthier in the late 80s, who used poplar for some of his custom strat-type guitars in case alder was not available, as he just wasn't unable to put too much wood on stock. According to him resonance and tonal development is very similar.

The only 'problem' with poplar is, that it looks ugly when clear coated (which was still popular in the 80s, right ), due to the grey-greenish appearance. The wood looks somehow 'rotten' when clear finished...so that guy didn't do it. But I remember that one of his demo instruments had a translucent turquoise finish on a higly figured poplar body...that was insane, a very wild one You wouldn't have expected that kind of instrument to be build in Northern Germany at that time

 

[Jack FFR1846]

Someone has mentioned that poplar has undesireable tone characteristics (found during search on this subject), but I can't seem to find more info. I think its a bogus statement.

I figure if Steve Morse chose the wood for his sig guitar, it's good enough for me.