Help! Tone tips for Axis

[Neil J Ricaud]

Hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone has any tips for reducing the high end harshness on an Axis.

I run through a 5150 III half stack and I have noticed that when I use my amp at hi volumes at a rehearsal studio the high's are just too ear piercing and shrilling. Ive played with the presence and the high eq settings but it just wont seem to clean up.

I was thinking of swapping out the pickups on the Axis to a ToneZone or getting a guitar tech to install a 250 or 500k tone knob? Is that a good idea?

Ive also heard the Tonezones are less brittle and a bit more chunkier than the axis stock pick ups? I play mostly heavy hardcore metal in dropped d flat tuning...might also try changing to heavier gauge strings since the lighter gauge strings seem to sound twangier and brittle. Any ideas?

 

[mikeller]

I honestly have never noticed any high end harshness on any Axis? I'd look more into EQ, or other things in your signal path before swapping out pickups.

 

[threeminutesboy]

the problem is not the guitar did you try it on another amp?

 

[luv]

My first Ball (an Axis) was very bright sounding in the bridge position....a sound quality that I attributed to the Floyd trem. I wouldn't say it was harsh, but definately bright. I spent all my time on the neck pickup.

I then switched to an ASS and the bridge humbucker was much warmer sounding in comparison.

 

[brasco68]

I then switched to an ASS and the bridge humbucker was much warmer sounding in comparison.

Did the ASS have a maple or rosewood board?

 

[luv]

Did the ASS have a maple or rosewood board?

Maple.

 

[Defender2000]

the problem is not the guitar did you try it on another amp?

+1

I'm willing to bet it's not an issue with the guitar, it's the tone voicing on the amp. Try a different amp and let us know.

 

[Neil J Ricaud]

Yea maybe it isn't an issue with the guitar, I'm using an 18 foot lead plugged direct to my head and then just a noise suppressor and tuner in the loop. Hmm I wonder if using an 18 foot cable has anything to do with it.

I honestly don't think its the amp as I have played my Les Paul with the same eq settings and its a much warmer and fuller sound. How ever I forgot to mention that I replaced the rusted bridge on my Axis with an FU bridge and big block, that wouldn't effect the high end.

I'm thinking that when you turn your amp volume higher and higher it affects your EQ settings and you can hear more of your guitars true sound.....Baahh or its probably just a dodgy lead...I don't have a different amp to try.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Also, with guitar's that are already well voiced and openly resonant (i.e. maple and basswood) you really want to check the SPEAKERS.

It's nuts how much they can alter your tone. What speakers are you using in conjunction with your cab? Ported? Open back? closed back? semi open? You'll be shocked how much it can change your tone, ESPECIALLY when you crank it.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Yea maybe it isn't an issue with the guitar, I'm using an 18 foot lead plugged direct to my head and then just a noise suppressor and tuner in the loop. Hmm I wonder if using an 18 foot cable has anything to do with it.

I honestly don't think its the amp as I have played my Les Paul with the same eq settings and its a much warmer and fuller sound. How ever I forgot to mention that I replaced the rusted bridge on my Axis with an FU bridge and big block, that wouldn't effect the high end.

I'm thinking that when you turn your amp volume higher and higher it affects your EQ settings and you can hear more of your guitars true sound.....Baahh or its probably just a dodgy lead...I don't have a different amp to try.

As far as the Lester is concerned, as a long time LP player, it couldn't be a more different animal. Shorter scale length, tune of matic, and mahog body/neck. It's definitely a dark horse.

 

[Neil J Ricaud]

Also, with guitar's that are already well voiced and openly resonant (i.e. maple and basswood) you really want to check the SPEAKERS.

It's nuts how much they can alter your tone. What speakers are you using in conjunction with your cab? Ported? Open back? closed back? semi open? You'll be shocked how much it can change your tone, ESPECIALLY when you crank it.

I'm using a evh 5150 III head and quad, the quadbox is closed back and the speakers are 4X 12 inch 16 ohm celestions...

I reckon the Axis is a bright guitar as opposed to a les paul, I guess its just a matter of playing with the EQ or modding the pickups to your own specs... I love the feel and playability of the Axis but I'm just going to have to experiment with different things to get a darker sound out of it.

Pity you cant get a chambered mahogany body Axis, now that would be very nice having the best of both worlds!!?

 

[bbake1]

How about a Reflex/25th? Chambered, 10% bigger Axis type body, and mahogany tone block. My 25th does my LP tones. Just a little more girth in the tone than the Axis. Rosewood board, or if you can find a rosewood neck 25th would darken things up a bit. Same pups as the Axis too. No locking trem, but the vintage trem does very well staying tune. Unless you're Vai.

 

[tommydude]

Dude! The Axis pickup is pretty hot, so back off your gain + back off your Treble setting. 5150 III has three different channels. The 3rd channel is over the top insane distortion.

BAM ! Problem solved.

 

[Neil J Ricaud]

Dude! The Axis pickup is pretty hot, so back off your gain + back off your Treble setting. 5150 III has three different channels. The 3rd channel is over the top insane distortion.

BAM ! Problem solved.

Yea I don't use the red channel, the gain setting can be set to 2 and it sounds like 12 on anything else.
Not even a heavy hardcore thrash death black metal guitar player would use that much gain!

 

[Tollywood]

"I forgot to mention that I replaced the rusted bridge on my Axis with an FU bridge and big block..."

The Floyd Upgrades is my dream trem. Please, tell me how you like it...

 

[tommydude]

Yea I don't use the red channel, the gain setting can be set to 2 and it sounds like 12 on anything else.
Not even a heavy hardcore thrash death black metal guitar player would use that much gain!

You own a very cool amp, with major guts. Hope this all worked out for you!

 

[threeminutesboy]

just my 2 cents but you can keep the same setting for a les paul and Axis on th same amp

As scooby explain tey are worlds appart guitars, try to find a new setting for the amp when you play with the Axis

 

[Neil J Ricaud]

"I forgot to mention that I replaced the rusted bridge on my Axis with an FU bridge and big block..."

The Floyd Upgrades is my dream trem. Please, tell me how you like it...

The FU bridge and brass blocks are awesome, I noticed the difference straight away, more sustain and resonance!

 

[MMM]

Friends, I have a MM-Axis, I want to ask, to see if your tools sharp threshold for the volume knob? I have about 80-100% of the sounds equally loud, but less than 80% on sharply lot quieter. Is this correct?

 

[Astrofreq]

Buy an ENGL.