The Gear Thread

[Silverburst80]

Cool little clip here, we saw the Andertons "sound like on a budget" take on the AFD tone but I think this guy did it just as well in regards to Slash's tone for probably alot cheaper. Finding a sweet spot on the wah really gives that brightness in the tone though you'd have to roll back the tone knobs on your guitar, i'd imagine something like the DSL and the Jerry Cantrell wah (which has a tone knob)could get you pretty close as well.

 

Edited August 4, 2016 by Silverburst80

[SoundOfAGun]

7 hours ago, Silverburst80 said:

Cool little clip here, we saw the Andertons "sound like on a budget" take on the AFD tone but I think this guy did it just as well in regards to Slash's tone for probably alot cheaper. Finding a sweet spot on the wah really gives that brightness in the tone though you'd have to roll back the tone knobs on your guitar, i'd imagine something like the DSL and the Jerry Cantrell wah (which has a tone knob)could get you pretty close as well.

 

The appetite tone must be the most chased tone in the history of tone chasing!

[Silverburst80]

36 minutes ago, SoundOfAGun said:

The appetite tone must be the most chased tone in the history of tone chasing!

ha with good reason, i think Slash himself is still chasing it!...obviously Izzy's tone kicked arse as well.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Silverburst80

[SoundOfAGun]

7 minutes ago, Silverburst80 said:

ha with good reason, i think Slash himself is still chasing it!...obviously Izzy's tone kicked arse as well.

Yeah, he has even had an amp built by Marshall to chase that tone (which didn't nail it). I have seen it too many times in my own recordings; same amp, same setting, same mic, same position, same room, sounds different to the last time! Particularly valve amps, it is like they have good and bad moods! 

I think Izzy's tone is a heavy factor in Slash's around on the record, it is thicker with less gain and provides the low mids punch for Slash's quite treble-y tone. He was too quiet on a lot of the UYI stuff.

Edited August 5, 2016 by SoundOfAGun

[Silverburst80]

15 minutes ago, SoundOfAGun said:

Yeah, he has even had an amp built by Marshall to chase that tone (which didn't nail it). I have seen it too many times in my own recordings; same amp, same setting, same mic, same position, same room, sounds different to the last time! Particularly valve amps, it is like they have good and bad moods! 

I'm glad it's not just me then. I was actually getting a little shitty yesterday for some reason my set up sounded tinny, had a little play earlier and presto the warmth was back and i had touched nothing. Certainly they can be moody, much like a woman sometimes it's better to walk away and interact another time haha.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Silverburst80

[SoundOfAGun]

2 hours ago, Silverburst80 said:

I'm glad it's not just me then. I was actually getting a little shitty yesterday for some reason my set up sounded tinny, had a little play earlier and presto the warmth was back and i had touched nothing. Certainly they can be moody, much like a woman sometimes it's better to walk away and interact another time haha.

I came back from work one day and turned my amp on and it sounded great, I chucked a 57 on it and did a 30 second clip and was really pleased with it. Came back the next day, excited to plug my guitar in and it did not sound the same! Fucking temperamental sensitive equipment!

 

Edited August 5, 2016 by SoundOfAGun
Can't attach MP3s

[James Bond]

It's pretty easy to get close on a budget. It'll never be exact but that's because it'd be nearly impossible to recreate the exact conditions! Even the tone from the man himself has changed.

My "under $1000 budget" Slash tone would be this:

- Epiphone Les Paul Standard (used for around $200)

- Pair of Alnico Pro II pick-ups (used for around $150)

- Marshall DSL15C (used for around $500)

- Celestion Vintage 30 speaker (used for around $100)

Then you've got $50 to spare for a set of strings and to get your local guitar guy to install the pick-ups and swap the speaker for you.

[SoundOfAGun]

1 hour ago, James Bond said:

It's pretty easy to get close on a budget. It'll never be exact but that's because it'd be nearly impossible to recreate the exact conditions! Even the tone from the man himself has changed.

My "under $1000 budget" Slash tone would be this:

- Epiphone Les Paul Standard (used for around $200)

- Pair of Alnico Pro II pick-ups (used for around $150)

- Marshall DSL15C (used for around $500)

- Celestion Vintage 30 speaker (used for around $100)

Then you've got $50 to spare for a set of strings and to get your local guitar guy to install the pick-ups and swap the speaker for you.

Mygnr Sound like Slash without breaking the bank!

[SoundOfAGun]

Recording session yesterday, tracking bass and guitars

Edited August 7, 2016 by SoundOfAGun

[Klay]

Cool... you have the new mini jub head?

How does it sounds and compares do the DSL40C ?

[James Bond]

My head turned when I read about the new Jubliee combo, but I'm beyond satisfied with my 800. I echo the above question - how does the mini head sound?

[SoundOfAGun]

1 hour ago, Klay said:

Cool... you have the new mini jub head?

How does it sounds and compares do the DSL40C ?

 

17 minutes ago, James Bond said:

My head turned when I read about the new Jubliee combo, but I'm beyond satisfied with my 800. I echo the above question - how does the mini head sound?

It belongs to the guy I record/write with. It sounds really nice, he had the combo version to start with, but it had this weird vibration/resonance issue that sounded like tube rattle, but only occurred on certain notes. Anderton's sent another combo and it had the same problem, so he got the head and a cab. I think the head with a v30 loaded 1x12 is a better match for the amp than the greenback loaded in the combo. It is very upper mid voiced, the eq covers a wide range and is very senstive. Oh, and you can dial in a Slash tone very easily, as you'd expect.

Compared to the DSL, it is more "classic" sounding in contrast to the DSL's modern voicing on the red channel. We dialed in the same settings and compared the amps, there is not a huge amount in it really, I also play my DSL through an Orange 1x12, the DSL seemed to have more bass overall, the gain was also smoother; the Jubilee had more of a grainy growl to it. 

We tracked guitars for a song that should be ready in the next couple of weeks, so that should provide a good comparison. The two amps sit together nicely and we don't dial in the same settings generally, so it is a bit like vintage on the right, modern on the left. I'd like to hear it through a 4x12, I think that would be a true test of the little guy....

[James Bond]

On ‎2016‎-‎07‎-‎29 at 10:04 AM, James Bond said:

I'm thinking of ordering a Marshall MX112 cabinet to make a "mini stack" out of my JCM 800. The MX112 has the much maligned Seventy 80 speaker but I don't think they're nearly as bad as most make them out to be. It'll hold me over until a track down a decently priced 1933 matching cabinet. At that point I'll likely replace both my speakers with Heritage G12-65's which, to my ear, are the best speakers money can buy.

Update to this plan. I ended up buying a second G12M-70 speaker for $35 on eBay so I'm sticking with the original speaker in my combo. I also tracked down an early nineties 1912 cabinet which will "fit" better than the MX112. One it arrives I'll swap the speaker, stick on a large Marshall script logo to match my 800, and then I'll more or less have a "1933" cab.

[Snake-Pit]

Demonstrating my latest project;y telecaster/stratocaster hybrid hand built by a gentleman named Doug in Surrey who no longer builds guitars due to health reasons (diabetes has robbed him of his sight)..

This is what he built;

A stratocaster shaped telecaster (I love this) with an acoustic style neck / fretboard profile, with quality wood (I don't know wood, but my guitar guy who knows the guy who built this guitar knows his wood and assures me it's quality wood all over) - which makes sense since this guitar records better to microphone unplugged than my cheap Yamaha/Ecore or Tanglewood acoustics ever could.. I bought this guitar used for something like £45 on it, spent £12 on replacing missing parts with parts that I like; I took it across town to my guitar guy straight from the shop this guitar had been sitting for years and years); took it to my guitar guy where he immediately identified it, told me where it was built and who built it, and this guitar when I purchased it in 2007, needed new strap buttons (because it was sold one 1 missing); so I just had the Jim Dunlop Straplok System strap buttons and; and it needed a refret but, that wasn't urgent/urgent for me given my collection of other guitars at the time).. I asked him how much he thought it was worth in it's current condition, he said, as is, in it's condition at that time; £450 - £650 range..

I had it refretted in 2009 for £110, this guitar owed me that + £45 + £12 straplock system.

 

In 2014 / 2015 I decided to go back into doing guitar projects after taking a break from 2011 after finishing my Gibson Les Paul's pickup change (I bought that guitar and a previous owner of it must have had that same straplock system I use because, my guitar guitar said Gibson didn't do that; So that was cool, a nice neat little cherry on top of an already love at first play guitar).. and I decided to have a telecaster, because the time, I didn't know what pickups Doug put in... I liked them, but I wanted a more rhythm guitar to record with.

So I tried putting Fender Custom Shop Telecaster pickups in, the Texas Special Pickups.

On 8/28/2014 at 2:16 PM, Snake-Pit said:

A set of brand new Fender Texas Special Telecaster pickups.

Model: 0992121000

For this guitar.

This guitar is not a Fender, but it is quality.

Hand built in Surrey, this Stratocaster/Telecaster actually has an acoustic guitar profile neck. The materials used; The wood, the mother of pearl in the fret inlays (which is just fancy) and the nut made out of bone make this guitar sound better unplugged to record with (when recording in front of a microphone) than any acoustic guitar I have. - That being said, this guitar is old, and the electronics half work - which technically makes this guitar broken!

I'm keeping the knobs and switch head... I'm having a red torturous shell scratch plate made to replace that wooden one... - This guitar as it stands has two 'mystery/unknown to me or my guitar guy' stacked 'single coil sized' humbuckers, and two extra switches, one that splits them, and another mystery/unknown to me or my guitar guy switch, that no one knows does... I'm doing away with both of them because as things stand right now; I am not a fan of splitting humbuckers for single coil sounds....

The reason I'm choosing Fender, for 2 reasons... It's 'trying to be a Fender' it's a Strat style with Tele style electronics... So going down the Fender route just seems apt for this guitar...

As a starting off point... I figure, treat it like a Fender Custom Shop guitar, and if at all for any reason down the line, I can always have the pickups changed.

The second reason... In my experience/history of doing this I have had/used pickups from.

Seymour Duncan (APH-1s and the Dimebucker Dimebag Darrell Signature SH-13)

Rio Grande (BBQ Bucker) (Diamond Plate )

Di Marzio (Area 57s and an X2N) (All of them I had in blue)

EMG (The Zakk Wylde Signature Set)

and a vintage pickup that Bare Knuckle rewound/potted/waxed - rebuilt for me (so I just call it a Bare Knuckle).

^So this will actually be my first time dealing with Fender pickups, and I must admit, I am a little curious and want to take this guitar down that Telecaster way, before changing them...

I've tried and tested pickups before and have found Seymour Duncans just sound better/best, for me... So if I ever decide to do away with the Fenders... I can so easily see myself going Seymour Duncan, as that's like a safe bet with me and tone 'if things don't work out to plan with the Fender pickups'.

Estimate time for job: 3 weeks.

 

On 9/2/2014 at 1:53 AM, Snake-Pit said:

Fender Greasebucket

For my current guitar project.

To make it sound like this.

[video taken out in quote 09/08/2016]

I've specified that I want all new electronic components to be true of a Fender Custom Shop model, from the jack to the pots to the switch that I want.

I wanted to repair this guitar, and did wonder if I was going down the right road in doing that, with all this money, then literally last Friday night I learned of a Greasebucket capacitor, and that just saved the day, I wasn't planning in falling in love this project, but that Greasebucket may have just done it.

From:

 

2015

I went for Fender Telecaster Pickups and a red tortoiseshell scratchplate, all in all for about £250 parts and labour.

 

 

Hated it, I mean, I liked it, for what it was, had even considered saving it for a rhythm guitar role, but, 'NAH MAN, THAT GUITAR'S MY BABY'.

So here's what happened.

On 7/20/2015 at 5:29 AM, Snake-Pit said:

This is my guitar after it's 2008 refret..

This is my guitar after my 2014 want of a telecaster set of pickups/sound was fulfilled;

This tele/strat built by a gentleman named Doug in Surrey, England... Loaded with a set of tele stacked Ken Armstrong pickups; I loved the tone so much, I'm having them put back in.

This guitar may be a telecaster / stratocaster hybrid, but it's also in fact; an acoustic - the neck profile is that of an acoustic guitar..

Unplugged, to record with, sounds better than a Yamaha or Encore acoustic guitar.. Mother of pearl fret inlays, and a nut made out of bone.

As well as having the Ken Armstrong pickups put into the guitar so it'll sound like this

 

again, and not like a Telecaster...

I'm doing away with that red tortoise shell scratchplate and going back to wood, a blonde wood, like the one I had on it when I got it.

Now, I am not rolling back the guitar to a time before I had the Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Telecaster pickups installed on the Greasebucket capacitor circuit; am probably going to see the Greasebucket on those Ken Armstrong pickups, IDK, am not sure, might step in and go 'I really liked the guitar before'...

But since it is an electric guitar with an acoustic guitar D shaped neck profile.. I'm going to have either the VT or AST Fishman Powerbridge installed.

(Either of those 2 Telecaster bridges from Fishman Powerbridge).

The difference between the VT and the AST is about £10.00 in price and where the holes for the strings go on your guitar, VT for Vintage Telecaster I believe and AST for American Standard Telecaster.. now as it is/was, my guitar, the strings don't go through my guitar... They will now... Am having holes to fit the bridge so the strings will now go through the back of this guitar.

Having this will mean having not 1 but 2 circuits in this guitar... The Ken Armstrong pickups for electric guitar / The Fishman Powerbridge for acoustic...

As you can see, so far on my guitar has been a tele selector switch... I am a fan of toggle switches, am doing away with a selector switch and having these Ken Armstrong pickups on a toggle switch..

The knobs... Are keeping me up at night. - It's going to have 2 (1 volume, 1 tone) for electric guitar for the Ken Armstrong pickups, and 1 new volume knob for the Fishman Powerbridge.. It's going to have a 2nd new switch too as well as that new toggle switch I want - the 2nd new switch will be the switch between the 2 circuits in the guitar; Acoustic & Electric.

I have a parts guitar, with a set of EMG pickups on a 250k Shadow Kill Pot and flat 9volt battery box with door; This tele/strat is going to have a smart chip installed..

The smart ship is going to automatically go from mono to stereo if I use a stereo lead through a splitter on 2 amps (1 electric, 1 acoustic); the smart chip automatically'll go from one amp to the other when I switch from electric to acoustic... Will give this guitar a whole new jack input in doing that, I'm reusing the flat battery box from that parts guitar I have.

I still care about the knobs and he switches, everything else this guitar project threw at me; the holes, the battery box, the smart chip... It's those knobs I want that are bugging me.

Until the bridge comes, I don't know how big the switch is that comes with it, but I do know I want a small switch for switching between acoustic & electric. I want the acoustic volume knob to be small too, but; The placing on the new knobs for the acoustic are bugging me. - I already know where I'm having the electric guitar knobs and even where the 2 switches are going to go; on the scratchplate, but that other knob, ? - I really can't wait for that bridge to come though, because then I can know what knobs and switches fit... and I don't even know really what I want, I sort of ow have 1 idea that may look cool, but it being feasible in terms of existing/fitting are all unknowns at the moment. - which is something.

To wrap it up, let's see...

I've covered the guitar,

I've covered the wooden scratchplate

I've covered the old pickups going back in

I've covered the new acoustic piezo Tele Powerbridge from Fishman

I've covered the new holes that's going to be drilled

I've covered the battery box being installed

I've covered the smart chip...

Made my first 1st payment when I booked it into the custom shop in Croydon.

From the same MyGNR thread as before.. (I have been here a little while now).. (It seems).

.. Last night... I guess I got this guitar back around December or January.. But last night was THE FIRST TIME I believe where I've heard it recorded, all of it; plugged in, acoustic bridge and Kent Armstrong pickups; In it's current state when this guitar came back to me, I asked the guy who worked on this guitar from my guitar guy's workshop how much it was for insurance purposes etc... and he said it's a custom guitar in every sense of the word and they go from £2, 000 given the materials used. 

Recorded last night:

Not bad; I suck, lol, I even edited it a like a cut and shut / whatever, point is, I don't believe I've ever heard what it all sounds like recorded before. The battery was dieing in my guitar, the tone was fuzzy for it, but...  

I love this guitar.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Snake-Pit

[Bumble's Bridge Pickup]

On 8/4/2016 at 1:36 AM, Silverburst80 said:

i'd imagine something like the DSL and the Jerry Cantrell wah (which has a tone knob)could get you pretty close as well.

The Jerry Cantrell wah is absolutely sick. You can actually roll the tone pot with your toe while playing. It's got this overall dark sound to it, as I believe the fasel inductor is somehow special, so you never get those ear-piercing highs that the more typical Dunlop Crybabies can produce.

And I would love having one of the JC wahs even if I did not use it, as the worn copper finish is absolutely gorgeous.

[Silverburst80]

On 13/08/2016 at 3:13 AM, Bumble's Bridge Pickup said:

The Jerry Cantrell wah is absolutely sick. You can actually roll the tone pot with your toe while playing. It's got this overall dark sound to it, as I believe the fasel inductor is somehow special, so you never get those ear-piercing highs that the more typical Dunlop Crybabies can produce.

And I would love having one of the JC wahs even if I did not use it, as the worn copper finish is absolutely gorgeous.

Yeah i had a Vox and i was never really happy with the sounds i was getting and it kind of put me off getting another wah, i've been very tempted to get a JC because you have so much more control of the pitch/tone and surely would be able to find something there i'd be happy with.

Edited August 17, 2016 by Silverburst80

[Bumble's Bridge Pickup]

17 hours ago, Silverburst80 said:

Yeah i had a Vox and i was never really happy with the sounds i was getting and it kind of put me off getting another wah, i've been very tempted to get a JC because you have so much more control of the pitch/tone and surely would be able to find something there i'd be happy with.

I would want to try a Vox sometime too, as far as I understand those are very old school and have that kinda really trebly tone. I am of the belief that you can get at least one useful tone from any piece of gear

[SoundOfAGun]

GAS is taking hold; I will be getting a new Audio pc soon, but in the mean time.... I am thinking about dropping some Seymour Duncan's in my Gibson, I have a 2004 Les Paul, so it has some sort of Burstbuckers in it and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with swapping out BBs for Seymours - is it worth it? The guitar needs a service anyway, so changes to tone pots and caps are also a possibility. Any info would be cool, I have asked about the Jazz/JB combo before and went off the idea in the end, but now I need something new.

[OmarBradley]

On 9/1/2016 at 2:25 PM, SoundOfAGun said:

GAS is taking hold; I will be getting a new Audio pc soon, but in the mean time.... I am thinking about dropping some Seymour Duncan's in my Gibson, I have a 2004 Les Paul, so it has some sort of Burstbuckers in it and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with swapping out BBs for Seymours - is it worth it? The guitar needs a service anyway, so changes to tone pots and caps are also a possibility. Any info would be cool, I have asked about the Jazz/JB combo before and went off the idea in the end, but now I need something new.

I had a Charvel which had a JB in the bridge, did not really bond with that guitar at all. People like the JB though, I hear that in a LP it should be pretty close to the strings. I've been on a bit of a pickup journey lately. Wolfetone Marshallhead and Motor City Dragon Suit are the winners so far (as far as bridge pickups go). If you're set on Duncan though, I'd recommend the Distortion over the JB - I've owned both, and to my ears the Distortion is a superior pickup in pretty much every way. 

People also swear by Suhr Aldrich's for Les Pauls, I haven't tried those yet. Had a Suhr SSH+ in a Suhr Modern I had for a few days, wasn't too crazy about it, but that was probably the guitar and not the pickup. About to try the Suhr Thornbucker (neck) in my new guitar, should be cool.

[ZoSoRose]

Getting a new distortion pedal, soon. No idea what, though

[OmarBradley]

14 hours ago, ZoSoRose said:

Getting a new distortion pedal, soon. No idea what, though

The new BE-OD is really good and is getting great reviews by almost everyone; I have never loved the amp, but the pedal through this clean Fender sounds great.

They're a bit expensive, at $200 new - but I've seen some excellent condition used ones go for $150.

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by OmarBradley

[Snake-Pit]

On 8/9/2016 at 6:37 PM, Snake-Pit said:

Demonstrating my latest project;y telecaster/stratocaster hybrid hand built by a gentleman named Doug in Surrey who no longer builds guitars due to health reasons (diabetes has robbed him of his sight)..

This is what he built;

A stratocaster shaped telecaster (I love this) with an acoustic style neck / fretboard profile, with quality wood (I don't know wood, but my guitar guy who knows the guy who built this guitar knows his wood and assures me it's quality wood all over) - which makes sense since this guitar records better to microphone unplugged than my cheap Yamaha/Ecore or Tanglewood acoustics ever could.. I bought this guitar used for something like £45 on it, spent £12 on replacing missing parts with parts that I like; I took it across town to my guitar guy straight from the shop this guitar had been sitting for years and years); took it to my guitar guy where he immediately identified it, told me where it was built and who built it, and this guitar when I purchased it in 2007, needed new strap buttons (because it was sold one 1 missing); so I just had the Jim Dunlop Straplok System strap buttons and; and it needed a refret but, that wasn't urgent/urgent for me given my collection of other guitars at the time).. I asked him how much he thought it was worth in it's current condition, he said, as is, in it's condition at that time; £450 - £650 range..

I had it refretted in 2009 for £110, this guitar owed me that + £45 + £12 straplock system.

 

In 2014 / 2015 I decided to go back into doing guitar projects after taking a break from 2011 after finishing my Gibson Les Paul's pickup change (I bought that guitar and a previous owner of it must have had that same straplock system I use because, my guitar guitar said Gibson didn't do that; So that was cool, a nice neat little cherry on top of an already love at first play guitar).. and I decided to have a telecaster, because the time, I didn't know what pickups Doug put in... I liked them, but I wanted a more rhythm guitar to record with.

So I tried putting Fender Custom Shop Telecaster pickups in, the Texas Special Pickups.

 

From:

 

2015

I went for Fender Telecaster Pickups and a red tortoiseshell scratchplate, all in all for about £250 parts and labour.

 

 

Hated it, I mean, I liked it, for what it was, had even considered saving it for a rhythm guitar role, but, 'NAH MAN, THAT GUITAR'S MY BABY'.

So here's what happened.

From the same MyGNR thread as before.. (I have been here a little while now).. (It seems).

.. Last night... I guess I got this guitar back around December or January.. But last night was THE FIRST TIME I believe where I've heard it recorded, all of it; plugged in, acoustic bridge and Kent Armstrong pickups; In it's current state when this guitar came back to me, I asked the guy who worked on this guitar from my guitar guy's workshop how much it was for insurance purposes etc... and he said it's a custom guitar in every sense of the word and they go from £2, 000 given the materials used. 

Recorded last night:

Not bad; I suck, lol, I even edited it a like a cut and shut / whatever, point is, I don't believe I've ever heard what it all sounds like recorded before. The battery was dieing in my guitar, the tone was fuzzy for it, but...  

I love this guitar.

Bought this today, my 1998/1999 (DN + 6 digit serial number) American Fender Deluxe Stratocaster

Edited September 17, 2016 by Snake-Pit

[SoundOfAGun]

 

After a few weeks of reading up on pickups, I decided to replace my stock Gibson Burstbuckers with Alnico V magnets with the Slash Alnico Pro II's.

I also sent the guitar in for a full service, set up and electrics upgrade, here is the stock pots, pickups and input jack:

Upgraded to CTS 500K volume and tone pots and orange drop caps. Also got new wiring in there:

Sounds fucking great!

[Eric Cantona]

4 minutes ago, SoundOfAGun said:

 

After a few weeks of reading up on pickups, I decided to replace my stock Gibson Burstbuckers with Alnico V magnets with the Slash Alnico Pro II's.

I also sent the guitar in for a full service, set up and electrics upgrade, here is the stock pots, pickups and input jack:

Upgraded to CTS 500K volume and tone pots and orange drop caps. Also got new wiring in there:

Sounds fucking great!

I've never felt such hate and jealousy before >:( 

[SoundOfAGun]

46 minutes ago, AslatIE said:

I've never felt such hate and jealousy before >:( 

You'll get there man; I played an Epiphone Less Paul studio until I was 24. I got my Gibson and Marshall half stack with a loan from the bank, best £2500 I ever spent! I'll post a clip soon, I recorded something, but need to arrange it etc.