What kind of guitar do you use?

The way it kinda works with Seymour Duncan is (which is something I know both from first hand experience and spending lots of time on the Seymour Duncan User Groups forums), in terms of the active pickup range they offer. is that the Livewire Metal LW-HMET is the highest output offering they have, with serious mids, I'm talking mids to the point where even with a Mesa Boogie Rectifier with the mids scooped you still have mids, lots of low end too with the Metal. Some people liken it to an Invader, but with more output and far better clarity. These pickups make the EMG 81s/85s look weak, it is virtually impossible to get a clean tone from the Livewire Metals. They came with an 18 volt preamp and 100k pots, compared to the EMGs 9 volt stock preamp and 25k pots.

The Dave Mustaine Model Livewires, come with a 9 volt pre amp, and I have used these in person. They don't sound at all sterile and the bridge pickup is essentially an active pickup version of the JB and the neck an active version of the Jazz (if you recall, for years the JB/Jazz set was a pickup combination Mustaine loved). Are you sure you don't have a '59 model or Jazz in your neck Mike? JB's only really come stock with guitars in the bridge. so I'm guessing you might have meant the Jazz or the '59. The Mustaine Livewires are a touch more compressed than the passive versions, and offer about 6-10 dB more output and of course less hum to boot.

^Woa, what string guage are you using for the Epi, and also what kinda music do you play with it?

 

Have you considered the Seymour Duncan Blackouts? They have even more meat than the EMG actives in terms of output, but are more organic and passive sounding, and since their release even some hardcore EMG loving people have made the switch to Blackouts. Plus they are even quieter, so you can use more gain before getting bad hum levels and feedback.

Edited by HughesJB4 - June 01 2008 at 22:26

Philéas wrote: rileydog22 wrote: Fender Jazz Bass V, but tuned EADGC instead of BEADG.   That's cool. I've been considering getting a five-string and tuning it that way. - I have a Fender Classic Series Jazz Bass. Very good intstrument in its price range, and as of today I haven't found a bass I like better (and I've played a lot of fancy high end stuff). I also have an old Ibanez Roadstar II which plays beautifully but sounds pretty bad. I'm going to get some new electronics for it some day to improve the sound.

Yeah,, used to have one years ago, along with a Fender Champ 12. Thought the gain channel sucked. I sold the amp to a buddy of mine, and the guitar to a neighbor's kid. Tried the Champ 12 last week with a Fender Strat. And you're right the electronics in the Ibanez suck, but the Roadstar II did play great.

 

I have a Pan Trini Lopez copy, wich is a 335 modified. The F holes are replaced by a geometric shape. That guitar score high for almost anybody having one of these or the 335 copy. I will soon have to refret it. The new frets will be bigger. You don't need other modification, pick-ups are great, the neck is wonderfully sexy and the sound is a blast. It is a 1968 the way I figured it out.

Trini Lopez was the singer doing the song "If I had A Hammer" wich was a huge hit at the time. So, Gibson produced the Trini Lopez signature guitar. There was at least two models: the one I have but in reddish brown (my Pan is three tones cherry burst, much better looking than the Gibson) and the deluxe model. If I remember well, this one had a venitian style cutaway (like an ES175) and was natural.

The Pan copy was very well made. Other company made that copy too but the Pan is considered by many players a better guitar than all the others. Some reviews even say better than the real one. I agree. I played 335's and was not as satisfied with the sound.

In the sixties, Japanese guitar makers wanted to make better instruments than the ones they were copying. They often did. Pan did it and some others did it too. I found mine in perfect, I mean mint condition. The life she shows now is my loving her too much, I guess!

Edited by blusiedan - November 04 2007 at 01:09

Early '80's Gibson Les Paul Studio.  Now if I could only learn to play it...

I'm saving up for one of these:


It's a Yamaha SG 2000

At the moment, I have a cheap Ibanez GAX75 (it's okay... a bit crap, the intonation is terrible on my B and E strings ) I also have an old Sakai Les Paul style guitar that needs a little bit of work to be in good shape, but it's pretty noice anyway... And I have a Fender (not sure what model) steel string acoustic guitar with cutaway; I have a Valencia, 1/4 size, nylon string acoustic; I have a cheap, unknown brand, student-size acoustic; a mandolin-banjo dating back to about the 30's - 40's; and lastly a lute that dates back to about the 20's

That's about all the info I have at hand apart from some tech details (scale length, materials and other construction data). If it is in fact a Norlin instrument, it would have to be 1969 or later since that's when Norlin came into ownership of the Trini Lopez name through the Gibson aquisition. That would certainly kill its collector's value ($500-$600 tops) compared to a Pre-Norlin, Gibson Trini which might sell for close to $2000 (US) in mint condition.

On the other hand a great guitar is a great guitar no matter the price. Just play it and enjoy it.