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LawDaddy

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May 3, 2009
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764
Location
Auburn, CA
I've been GASing after one of these for years, but have never actually seen one in person. The unique pickup configuration always struck me as being eminently useful. Well, my local Guitar Center finally got one in on Friday, and I picked it up yesterday (Sunday). Stopped by for no reason, wife saw it and fell in love. We drove away empty handed for about two blocks, and she made me turn around.

Believe it or not, this is the first NGD for me in about 5-6 years.

BP & Co.: The set up was amazing, the best of any brand I have ever bought new. Fret work is to die for. Build quality is top notch. Truly an open-the-case-and-play experience.

As some of you know, I'm a traditional blues/soul player, plug-into-a Twin kinda guy. From the way these pickups are voiced, clearly Steve Morse is not. However, they are interesting and I'll tweak them a bit, but that's the subject of another thread.

But one problem: the top kinda sucks. Here's proof from my iPhone with sunlight coming in through a window:

photo-2.jpg
 

straycat113

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Aug 17, 2009
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Born and bred in Brooklyn NY
Congrats LD and that top is off the charts. I wish I was not in such a rush when I bought my Y2D, as I settled for a flame top. But some finishes just look so much better on a quilt or flame depending on the finish, and Purple Sunset is most beautiful on a quilt.
 

LawDaddy

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May 3, 2009
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Auburn, CA
Congrats LD and that top is off the charts. I wish I was not in such a rush when I bought my Y2D, as I settled for a flame top. But some finishes just look so much better on a quilt or flame depending on the finish, and Purple Sunset is most beautiful on a quilt.

YOU were in a rush??? This is first one I've ever touched!!! ;)

I really didn't even look at the finish in any detail until this morning when I took the pic. It's a little hard to see in the pic, but there are some lines that run parallel under the strings. Amazing eye for detail for the top-maker/matcher that day. :)
 

mtrejo

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Jun 9, 2011
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Phoenix
Oh my gosh! That Y2D is off the hook LawDaddy!!!! That top looks like its alive and swirling with magical powers, haha.
And your Wife, making you turn go back for it? How can you beat that! I've never played a Y2D but it looks amazing.

Congrats.
 

LawDaddy

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May 3, 2009
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764
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Auburn, CA
i beg to differ......
just lower the hummers and raise the single a little for a more traditional sound....

Thanks, I've been reading your posts. I'm starting to figure it out. The key for me is getting the neck pickup dialed in, as I use that for both rhythm and lead. Your posts have been a gold mine, thanks again.
 

Coffeemug

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Oct 30, 2008
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Location
K-Town, Germany
Stunningly beautiful! Huge congrats LD!
The Y2D -in my opinion- is such a versatile instrument...handles just about everything I throw at it (so does the standard Morse). I'm sure you're gonna make it sing the Blues with ease.
 

Sweat

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Dec 31, 2006
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7,463
Location
Texas Finally!
Congrats, all I can say is grat pic and that TOP SUCKS, work with the pups, they are fantastic, you can tame them.
 

LawDaddy

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May 3, 2009
Messages
764
Location
Auburn, CA
Update: I lowered the neck pup, slightly lowered the single coil, and ended up leaving the bridge pup where it was, maybe 1/32" lower.

By Tommy's measurements (from top of pickup to bottom of strings, strings not fretted) the neck pup is 7/32" from the strings. That's much lower than I've ever run a neck pup. I probably would not of even tried that but for his posts. Thanks to him again!

I lowered the single coil until I got a nice balance in the #2 position. Putting the single coil there for the volume drop is genius.

I pulled my Mesa Boogie Blue Angel out of storage, and this guitar loves it. The bridge pup gets a real cool almost Telecaster-y spank that I'm really digging with this amp, and the neck pup has a real smoky, jazzy presentation. Position #4 (both hums on) does a killer Cropper tone with the neck pup now lowered, a big part of my night since I'm running a Stax tribute act. So far, so good!

I have a gig on Friday, looking forward to it. Should be fun.
 

Roubster

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Aug 20, 2005
Messages
2,639
Location
Crooklyn, NY
Congrats on that beauty! The Y2D is really a work horse and will definitely handle it all. Splitting the humbuckers also works very nicely if you want some more single coil options. I got a push pull tone pot that gets me 4 more options...the bridge hum split with the single coil sounds awesome as well as the two humbuckers combined split.
 

bazxkr

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Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
428
Location
London, UK
Lovely Y2D there.... look forward to your comments on it after the gig Friday

Another Morse convert !!

Cheers
Baz
 

RobertJFortner

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Jan 13, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Greenville, South Carolina, United States
My Y2d is more of a Flame top. I like the quilt you go going on there. Dude. Your playing it on a gig friday right? Let me give you a test to do, bring one more guitar, one you always play out. See if you want to pick it up after the 3rd or 4th song. LOL Last time I played my y2d out I brought my trusty LP burst buckers 3 & 2 a hot little devil......first song I used the y2d...about the 3rd song, the singer was rambling...I looked at the LP and went...nah lol...Sold it the next day haha.

Congrats on the SM!

Also a tip I haven't tried yet. I was told if you slap a 500k pot in these things they really open up.
 
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