Albert Lee HH or Axis Super Sport HH??

[jabba]

Hey everyone,

I own an Albert Lee HH and I really like it, but every time I pick up the Axis that my local guitar shop has, I have this kind of epiphany moment when I realize just how much I love the Axis neck....there is just something about the engineering in the shape of that neck that is incredible.

Now I don't think I'd ever get an Axis because I don't think I'd be into the Floyd, but I've been thinking about maybe getting an Axis Super Sport to go along with my Albert Lee HH. So my question is do the Axis Super Sport and the Albert Lee HH sound similar or different? Do they cover the same basic sounds or do they cover different ground sonically? I'm mostly a blues/country guy and I've actually mostly been a single coil (tele) player over the years.....and I really like the Albert HH. I'm just wondering if having 2 humbucker guitars would be redundant or if there are enough differences between the guitars so that it would make sense to have them both.

What do you think? How do they compare?

Thanks for your input....

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I have an ALHH, an ASS and several Axis hardtails. All the Axis guitars sound a little different, but they are all in the same ballpark sound wise. The ALHH is much darker sounding, but again its much the same idea. I think if anything you will find a Floyd loaded Axis a little brighter than an ASS.

 

[Tollywood]

Hello Jabba,

I agree with Tim that the Albert HH and the Axis sound similar, with the Albert sounding a little darker. They have the same magical pickups.

If you were to get the Axis and decide that they are too similar, you could swap out the Albert HH for an Albert SSS.

Good luck!

 

[canuck6string]

Axis Sport with the MM90s. Not easy to find in Canada, but would give you enough tonal difference that there'd be no need for a pickup swap.

 

[Stratty316]

I have an HHAL, 2 Axis guitars and an Axis Sport. The tonal differences are enough to support owning both guitars. I find the HHAL to be a bit fatter on the low end and is definitely a little darker sounding than the Axis while both the Axis (basswood/maple top) and Axis Sport (Ash body) have more attack. I want to say the HHAL is a little better at Les Paul/SG ish sounds while the Axis series retains that EVH style sound... Though the ASS is a little mellowed from a standard Axis. The 2 and 4 positions on the Sport (ash body) have a nice Tele on roids sound that I absolutly love. I remember it to be similar on the Super Sport, but more mids vs the attack of the sport. I thought of it as the difference in a Strat vs a Tele... Anyway, I've considered 36th Anni PAF pickups in an axis or the sport, but just can't seem to justify replacing the stock pickups.

 

[jabba]

Thanks for the responses - the information is very helpful.

I had another question to owners of Albert Lee HH and Axis Super Sport HH......which guitar to you prefer? Do you find yourself reaching for one over the other?

 

[Magic Jason]

I cannot help because I do not own an ASS...

But do I love the AL HH.

I own two and I'm thinking of routing my SSS to have a third one!

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I use all my guitars in rotation, so I reach for them all in equal amount. That said, the ALHH was the number one for a while!