It's the pickups, stupid!

[roburado]

Things that make ya go hmm...

Yeah, "hmm..." is fine. Hum is not. Not the 60Hz variety anyway.

 

[roburado]

I dislike absolutes. I think you've got to do what's best for you and the tone you're searching for.

Yeah. I agree with that. All I meant was that what I am searching for is in the stock pickups.

 

[rickjohns]

Chalk me up for a vote on the stock pickups rock. I switched my bridge pickup in my axis for a Seymour Duncan JB. The solder didn't even cool down before I yanked it back out and put the stock one back in.

 

[candid_x]

Ok, at the risk of overstating the obvious, and following some advise of AJ in CS, I did the following:

1. Matched pickup heights exactly (there are sweet spots!),
2. Matched string gauge, brand and composition,
3. Took into consideration my late gravitation toward brighter, snappier tones and styles,
4. and even the psychological effect of the guitar's new looks (I know!)

all is well.

I'm embarrassed after 40 years of guitar hacking to admit these things, but it's what happened. The mind and ears can play tricks, and very small adjustments can make a big difference in tone.

Yours truly,

 

[Norrin Radd]

Ok, at the risk of overstating the obvious, and following some advise of AJ in CS, I did the following:

1. Matched pickup heights exactly (there are sweet spots!),
2. Matched string gauge, brand and composition,
3. Took into consideration my late gravitation toward brighter, snappier tones and styles,
4. and even the psychological effect of the guitar's new looks (I know!)

all is well.

I'm embarrassed after 40 years of guitar hacking to admit these things, but it's what happened. The mind and ears can play tricks, and very small adjustments can make a big difference in tone.

Yours truly,

That's totally hilarious!

No worries though - we had some good discussion nonetheless!

 

[Sub1 Zero]

I dislike absolutes. I think you've got to do what's best for you and the tone you're searching for. I have changed the pickups in my 20th and it now works a lot better for me. However, I have tried different pickups in my JP and much prefer the stock ones. I also have no intention of ever changing the pickups on my Axis. As for my AL - it is amazing the way it is! However, if I ever get another AL (something I am seriously contemplating) I will tinker with other pickups. I've always wanted to try an EMG DG set in one - and a set of Kinman Woodstocks. I think either of those sets would go great with an AL- and would certainly change it's tones tremendously (the only reason I can think of to have more than one of any particular model). But that's just me. I like to tinker.

I agree dude. Case and point, the pickups in my SUB, I don't see myself ever changing those. However, the bridge pickup in the Silhouette just isn't for me, although I will say it is a great sounding guitar. Do what works for you, no matter what that may be. Afterall, it's your guitar and you only live once

 

[A.J.]

Glad all is well!

 

[candid_x]

You da man, AJ!

 

[Quarter]

Cool you got it sorted out

Isn't it nice to have real experts to fall back on

 

[candid_x]

Thanks. Well, there is a difference, still, between the two sets of pickups, even after duplicating the details of the setup. It's not as great as I first thought, but there is a difference. I'm thinking my preferred set is just weaker, from whatever reason. Maybe it sat around longer, or the magnets on that particular run was a little different, or the windings themselves; dunno. It's cool, though. They both sound great, and if I get the bug (and courage) to mod, there's always that option. Like Norrin said, never say never.

 

[JeffreyB]

Hey candid...what kind of amp head is that in your pictures? The one with the chrome front panel?
And I guess those cabs are made from the same company (it looks like the same grill cloth)

just curious....THANKS!

 

[candid_x]

Heya, Jeffery. That's a Laney LH50, no longer made. The cabs are Ear Candy, also a model no longer made. The matching grill cloth for the amp is also from Ear Candy. I left the Laney name plate off just cuz I like to be mysterious .

 

[candid_x]

Here's what the head looked like originally, on top of an identical combo amp.

 

[JeffreyB]

That's funny...I didn't recognize it and I was a laney endorser for a short time!
I had a VC30 and TT50 (can't recall if those were the correct model numbers)
It looks cool with the new grill cloth!
Your guitars aren't too shabby either!
thanks,
jeff

 

[candid_x]

Thanks, Jeff. The LC50 and LH50 never received their due in terms of popularity; both are dark horses, better suited to classic rock, country and blues, rather than metal or gainy stuff. I'm actually jonzin' for a GH50 head, killer sounding amp, imo. Really versatile.

Yeah, the guitars ain't too shabby either . I know what I like, and when I find it I tend to stick with it for quite awhile. I bought the combo amp new about 9 years ago and it still gets the majority of play time.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Seeing the foam rubber under the amp reminds me of a bass player friend who had a good idea (yes even bass players have them!!)

It was well over 20 years ago when he started putting his Orange amp head on a slab of foam - he reckoned it would stop all the vibrations from his bass cab shaking the amp "to death".

He still has the same amp and boy has that muttha been gigged !!!

It sounds great with my guitar too!!

 

[candid_x]

That's actually a tightly condensed styrofoam, which was used to ship the cabs in. Works great for acoustics dampening and isolating vibration. I have an NOS 1966 12AX7 JAN Phillips in the V1 spot, and they tend to be a little microphonic. The foam isolates cab vibration from the amp.