The Gear Thread

[Chewbacca]

Have you seen the new Floyd sustain blocks? They´re making them in granite the "stone tone" block. I was looking for more information on it, the weight, that is. I wonder if it would get a bit too heavy if I installed one.

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/upgrades/sustain-blocks/stone-tone-sustain-block

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/upgrades/sustain-blocks/stone-tone-sustain-block

[OmarBradley]

Have you seen the new Floyd sustain blocks? They´re making them in granite the "stone tone" block. I was looking for more information on it, the weight, that is. I wonder if it would get a bit too heavy if I installed one.

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/upgrades/sustain-blocks/stone-tone-sustain-block

http://www.floydrose.com/catalog/upgrades/sustain-blocks/stone-tone-sustain-block

Should be fine I'd guess. How much does your guitar weigh now? Mine's 11.1 lbs with no floyd rose. I don't know much and FR, but guitars that have them generally are on the lighter side already, and I don't think they'd make a product that would be too heavy for too many people.

[Chewbacca]

12 and something. Yeah, I guess it won't give me a hernia, but I'll wait an 8 string original floyd. The korean Floyds are good, but I'll wait a german made before upgrading.

[OmarBradley]

Wow, that's heavier than I expected. I tried looking on the first page to see what your guitar is but it seems this was started as a pedal thread. No Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, or Shecter that I know of should weigh that much, though I only assumed it was one of those based on the fact that those guitars more often than not are the ones with FR. Is it a LP with a FR?

[AxlisOld]

Seeing that it's 8 strings my guess is custom.

[Redhead74]

Accidentally clicked on this thread. Not the gear I had in mind.

[Chewbacca]

Wow, that's heavier than I expected. I tried looking on the first page to see what your guitar is but it seems this was started as a pedal thread. No Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, or Shecter that I know of should weigh that much, though I only assumed it was one of those based on the fact that those guitars more often than not are the ones with FR. Is it a LP with a FR?

No it's that Jackson B8 I showed earlier, that thing is big and chunky, though I'm not sure if that weight includes the case, something to be expected on shipping information, I guess.

I didn't buy it yet, I'm still studying the possibilities here: the new seymour passive 8's were released this year and there's an 8 string floyd now (Schecter already has a floyd equipped 8 string, but it has active pups and I'm not buying them. Even with the new active mounts pups seymour made specifically to get that soapbar out of my axe I would still have a useless battery cavity), So I guess I should wait and see what Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter are coming up with this year. Schecter is going to release the 8 string banshee, the first affordable super strat 8 stringer (and they'd better release it with a floyd option).

It may be a pett peeve of mine, but I don't like arch-top strats. I prefer the more classic look that Van Halen popularized with Frankstein and that's what the 8 string market is lacking, a real super strat, a raw, yet hot rodded guitar, with a nice set of humbuckers, or a single one, a tremolo, a bitching sunburst finnish and just the necessary electronics. It's so frustating to see that my options were always reduced to black/red arch tops with emg 808's and those string thru body bridges, those goddam kids and their chugging riffs...

I really hope to see a passive soloist 8 in the future

Like this, but with different specs.

[OmarBradley]

To me, 12.x lb's sounds like it includes shipping weight and the case, but I could be wrong. I don't think the extra wood on the neck/tuning pegs should make any Jackson weigh that much, but like I said, I don't know much about Jackson's. The RR model I played, I did not like that much. Just out of curiosity, why 8 strings? Is 7 not enough?

[AxlisOld]

Wow, that's heavier than I expected. I tried looking on the first page to see what your guitar is but it seems this was started as a pedal thread. No Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, or Shecter that I know of should weigh that much, though I only assumed it was one of those based on the fact that those guitars more often than not are the ones with FR. Is it a LP with a FR?

No it's that Jackson B8 I showed earlier, that thing is big and chunky, though I'm not sure if that weight includes the case, something to be expected on shipping information, I guess.

I didn't buy it yet, I'm still studying the possibilities here: the new seymour passive 8's were released this year and there's an 8 string floyd now (Schecter already has a floyd equipped 8 string, but it has active pups and I'm not buying them. Even with the new active mounts pups seymour made specifically to get that soapbar out of my axe I would still have a useless battery cavity), So I guess I should wait and see what Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter are coming up with this year. Schecter is going to release the 8 string banshee, the first affordable super strat 8 stringer (and they'd better release it with a floyd option).

It may be a pett peeve of mine, but I don't like arch-top strats. I prefer the more classic look that Van Halen popularized with Frankstein and that's what the 8 string market is lacking, a real super strat, a raw, yet hot rodded guitar, with a nice set of humbuckers, or a single one, a tremolo, a bitching sunburst finnish and just the necessary electronics. It's so frustating to see that my options were always reduced to black/red arch tops with emg 808's and those string thru body bridges, those goddam kids and their chugging riffs...

I really hope to see a passive soloist 8 in the future

Like this, but with different specs.

How bout this guy? Got 3800 bucks?

[Chewbacca]

Well, I was going to drill some wood out to put the floyd anyway.

I started looking at 8 strings because unlike 9 & 10 stringers, I can tune my last string in drop Eb, thanks to the fact that I don't have a lower string that I would have to adjust 8th string too, tuned to low G, instead.

That makes it possible for me to have a guitar, a baritone and a bass on the same instrument. It's also the last instrument in this "string progession" capable of handling a tuning fully composed of sharps, flats, whatever... while using a standard tuning variation.

Also using that drop tune makes it possible to make giant power chords like this

eb-------------

Bb-------------

Gb-------------

Db-3-----------

Ab-3-----------

Eb-1-----------

Bb-1-----------

Eb-1-----------

That's a 3 octave wide chord

That, in a band, means I can make a whole rhythm section with a single instrument, relieving my bass player from the boring task of octaving a riff. With this he may be free to make his own unique bass line (think Rotten Apple, but with a regular octave riff), take up the lead or harmonize something with the other guitar player, leading to a unique sound in these dull times.

If you're just a hobbyst, like me, the 8 string becomes an interesting tool to work with: there lots of songs with long no-guitar-at-all intervalls filled with interesting bass lines (Outlaw Torn) that I can recreate while playing alone at home (I love slap bass\ funk metal, BTW).

There's also the pickup issue: while 7 and 8 stringers are able to handle peak frequencies of 2600, retaining the guitar sound on higher strings, the 9 and 10 versions would reach only 2200 at best, making their pickups more bass-like, with dull highs, lacking brightness and that razor sharp quallity with distortion (while giving articulate lows for those chugging riffs with the ultra low strings, avoiding muddiness).

In a nutshell, it is, for me, a versatile instrument that puts all 3 main guitars heard in modern music (spanish, baritone and bass) in a single body while retaining the guitar's signature sound and playability.

Oh, and of course, it also enables me to play songs from Meshuggah and Animals As Leaders, two of my favorite bands.

[Chewbacca]

Wow, that's heavier than I expected. I tried looking on the first page to see what your guitar is but it seems this was started as a pedal thread. No Ibanez, ESP, Jackson, or Shecter that I know of should weigh that much, though I only assumed it was one of those based on the fact that those guitars more often than not are the ones with FR. Is it a LP with a FR?

No it's that Jackson B8 I showed earlier, that thing is big and chunky, though I'm not sure if that weight includes the case, something to be expected on shipping information, I guess.

I didn't buy it yet, I'm still studying the possibilities here: the new seymour passive 8's were released this year and there's an 8 string floyd now (Schecter already has a floyd equipped 8 string, but it has active pups and I'm not buying them. Even with the new active mounts pups seymour made specifically to get that soapbar out of my axe I would still have a useless battery cavity), So I guess I should wait and see what Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter are coming up with this year. Schecter is going to release the 8 string banshee, the first affordable super strat 8 stringer (and they'd better release it with a floyd option).

It may be a pett peeve of mine, but I don't like arch-top strats. I prefer the more classic look that Van Halen popularized with Frankstein and that's what the 8 string market is lacking, a real super strat, a raw, yet hot rodded guitar, with a nice set of humbuckers, or a single one, a tremolo, a bitching sunburst finnish and just the necessary electronics. It's so frustating to see that my options were always reduced to black/red arch tops with emg 808's and those string thru body bridges, those goddam kids and their chugging riffs...

I really hope to see a passive soloist 8 in the future

Like this, but with different specs.

How bout this guy? Got 3800 bucks?

I wish I had, but right now I can't afford anything $2600+

That, for me is definetely a super strat, even without a tremolo. I wish they would release a more affordable version, like they did with M80M.

The only reason I didn't get a M80M rightaway is the fact that it is 29.4'' scale length. Finding strings to fit it is such a hassle and getting some La Bella Crazy 8's is becoming more and more complicated lately.

People at sevenstring.org are always telling us that longer scales are better than shorter ones, tension-wise, Well, I'd rather use a 13-90 set on a 27'' scale than fighting for a crazy 8s with a 30'' scale.

[AxlisOld]

I can't help you, I would never dream of 8 strings. I hate 7 strings as it is, due to, as you said "chugging riffs." Pretty sure I know what you mean.

How about an RG Prestige?

[Chewbacca]

Hey, a prestige with passives and for less than 2000 bucks. I can surely work on it. A new 2 tone sunburst, a black pickguard and a floyd would turn it into a hot rod. If I had time, I could try putting some coil tapping thru push pull pots and, for buckethead stuff, a killswitch.

Thankzabunch, AID.

[AxlisOld]

It's already got an Ibanez Edge III on it, or are you set on floyd original?

[Chewbacca]

It's already got an Ibanez Edge III on it, or are you set on floyd original?

Not really, but isn't it the fix bridge version? Or is there any way to turn it into a trem? Im not sure, I don't have much experience with Ibys.

It would be great. Less work and, if I'm not mistaken, the edge tremolos are ball-bearing trems.

[AxlisOld]

It's already got an Ibanez Edge III on it, or are you set on floyd original?

Not really, but isn't it the fix bridge version? Or is there any way to turn it into a trem? Im not sure, I don't have much experience with Ibys.

It would be great. Less work and, if I'm not mistaken, the edge tremolos are ball-bearing trems.

I'll be damned, that is fixed.

How bout the Agile Interceptor? Carved top, but everything else fits the bill

[Chewbacca]

Looks good and I've just noticed I can order a semi custom too, for less than $1800. I'm tempted at going for an 830, but, like I said, finding strings may be a problem, thank god they have 27 and 28 configurations as well. Thanks for the info on Agiles. Will definetely consider them as well, thanks.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Chewbacca

[AxlisOld]

I have a Charvel Model 4 with a Jackson JT-6 tremolo. The bar is long gone, and I'm replacing the collar (barrel) with an actual floyd. The Mighty Mite barrel I ordered is 5mm rather than the 6mm it's supposed to be. That's annoying.

[OmarBradley]

Alright, I was waiting for rehearsal this week to take some nice shots of my rig, but the space was all booked up so here are some poorly lit shots of my 68RI and 1959 head.

[Chewbacca]

I have a Charvel Model 4 with a Jackson JT-6 tremolo. The bar is long gone, and I'm replacing the collar (barrel) with an actual floyd. The Mighty Mite barrel I ordered is 5mm rather than the 6mm it's supposed to be. That's annoying.

Aw, that sucks. How much did you pay for it?

Nice axe, Omar. What are those Zebras?

[AxlisOld]

I have a Charvel Model 4 with a Jackson JT-6 tremolo. The bar is long gone, and I'm replacing the collar (barrel) with an actual floyd. The Mighty Mite barrel I ordered is 5mm rather than the 6mm it's supposed to be. That's annoying.

Aw, that sucks. How much did you pay for it?

Nice axe, Omar. What are those Zebras?

Only 9 bucks, it's just annoying that I have to send it back and reinstall one.

[Chewbacca]

Only 9, eh? I find it amazing. In my city I would only find the very same part for no less than 100 bucks, no kidding.

[AxlisOld]

Just for the collar for a floyd? Where the FUCK do you live? ebay, man.

[Chewbacca]

Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Yeah, I ebayed all my gear so far

[AxlisOld]

Brazil just straight up dry fucks you on prices on everything don't they?