Comments for The Modern Guitar Tone Blog

Comment on Fender Jazzmaster (MIJ) by rob

rob — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:16:25 +0000

The great thing about a Jazzmaster is the way it feels good in your hands and against your body whether you are sitting down or standing up. The great thing about the MIJ Fenders is the Japanese wood craft skill – these are under-rated guitars – but why do they stick Strat pick ups in their Jazzmasters?

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Ronnie

Ronnie — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:51:19 +0000

I own a 2007 Gibson Les Paul Classic (chambered body). I didn’t like the sound of the stock pups, so i upgraded them with the Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz set. The neck pickup sounds great but the JB in the bridge sounds a little thin .. i’m thinking this is due to the chambered body. Now i’m thinking of going with the Duncan Custom SH-5 in the bridge to give me a more ‘full’ sound.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

Comment on Tube vs. Solid State Guitar Amps by kfh

kfh — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 04:26:14 +0000

dimebag used ss on 98 percent of his recorded works. chuck schuldiner used ss. the bulk of your black metal players use ss. most guitar “heroes” came up in origin from a time where ss tech was waaay behind tube sound. everything has its place. i use ss and i bet i have maybe 2k $ in my whole rig not counting my pricey custom made guitars. The majority of hot at the moment tube heads alone are going for 1800$ to 4000$ these days. plus the fact that once your warranty runs out on that pricey amp you are looking at possibly pretty expensive shipping and repair costs not to mention being without said equipment for days,weeks,months , who knows? in a perfect world i would like to own a stable of both tube and ss gear, hell modeling gear and midi while im at it! At some point though one has to look at things practically. I prefer for now to have highest quality instruments possible in my hands and try to keep technique and feel at the forefront.

Comment on Line 6 Duoverb HD by Bjorn

Bjorn — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:08:14 +0000

If you like this, you should try the new VOX VT series. I have one, its my main amp. It models too, but with a unique twist.

It uses a 12ax7 as mini poweramp, since the 12ax7 is a 2 tubes in 1 design it can. It shapes the tone by modulating feedback and variac etc.

Really cool.

I played this amp live, but I did loose against a tube Randall, by meanings of warmth and fullness of tone.

Comment on Tube vs. Solid State Guitar Amps by Bjorn

Bjorn — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:02:44 +0000

The JC120 is perfect SS amp.

I have both, a tube and a good SS.

Trick with SS amps is to add a good speaker to it, hook up a SS to a good speaker and get some nice tones.

Most Guitar heroes use a solid state pre-amp, like a tubescreamer / DS1 etc and then play it trough a warm sounding tube amp !

Comment on Fender Jazzmaster (MIJ) by Bjorn

Bjorn — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:59:10 +0000

Hey,

Ever listenend to Elvis Costello’s Alison ? One of my favorite songs, he plays a cleanish sounding jazzmaster. It Sound so warm !

How do you like it, when playing….drumroll.. > JAZZ ?

Comment on Top Guitar Tuners by Gary

Gary — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:15:04 +0000

Thanks for the info!

For guitar fan iPhone owners, check out ClearTune in the app store, its $3.99 but very accurate and well worth it.

Comment on Rise Against Guitar Gear Tour by Learn Blues Guitar

Learn Blues Guitar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:52:26 +0000

Where is the video?

Comment on Epiphone Les Paul Sparkle Top, Diamond by joe

joe — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:20:34 +0000

dude thanks for the advice! it seems i have the same problems that you originally had before mods, but i still love the thing. it sounds great through my ampeg solid state.

can’t wait to change out the tuners and humbuckers. thx again-

Comment on Guitar Woods by Electric Guitars

Electric Guitars — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:25:12 +0000

great blog! It’s so weird how the wood makes a difference in the sound.

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by dan

dan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:59:36 +0000

The only difference between an epiphone LP elitist/standard and a Gibson LP is the build quality. If you use your epiphone intensively for 1 year you will notice that you will need to change tuners cos it just wouldnt stay in tune. And also the value of an Epiphone LP depreciates in 6 months from $600 to $250-$300 while a gibson keeps its value almost the same (depreciates to about $ 1700…) thats all. Gibson is obviously made from better materials, and sometimes even if its in made in america it can come out of the factory faulty or cracked or etc.. its your luck really. depends on how dense the wood is ! Don’t order online… walkin to the nearest music shop that sells Gibsons and try ‘em out .

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Chris

Chris — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:56:44 +0000

I have a jackson slsmg, it’s a very thin mahagony body with thru neck and an ebony fingerboard. i play very alt. metal, hard rock stuff. i’m currently using emg 81 and 85 hz’s and through my line6 m13 and bugera 1990 head i feel like i’m not getting enough low end and/or note definition between the strings. i play a lot of clean stuff in throughout my music as well with effects from the m13, what pups would u suggest to get a better sound in general?

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by Rocky Mtn Rocker

Rocky Mtn Rocker — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:53:45 +0000

I’ll tell what I have owned numerous gibsons in my 30 yrs of playing. Unfortunately there quality is so hit and miss these days. I found the elite les paul by chance and I am tickled.this guitar plays so well I am trying to find more.Try to find more that is the quest for those that own them do not part from them easily.Japanese workmanship is phenomenal. Brought it into my local guitar guy they were mesmerized by the quality I even pulled a gibson off the wall for a comparison AAAAA+

Comment on Guitar Woods by Paul

Paul — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:34:52 +0000

what kind of sound would i expect if i where to make a guitar from lignum vitae

Comment on Tube vs. Solid State Guitar Amps by Chris

Chris — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:50:15 +0000

yeah man, go smoke your blunt!

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Muggs

Muggs — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:42:11 +0000

I have a Dean Evo 2000 and i’m considering buying new pickups. I play a lot of punk and classic rock. What pickups would you suggest?

Comment on Tube vs. Solid State Guitar Amps by bess

bess — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:58:58 +0000

hey y’all. i just found this site and it seems cool. i just left a post about an Epi elitist. i just got one and i love it. usually i play telecasters but im wanting to have different sounds and having this epi elitist LP is so cool. but i wanted to say something about this tube vs solid state thing.
first, what you like is what you like, right? it doesn’t matter what it is. but whenever i see a solid state player try out a good tube amp. they become a tube player. every damn time.
solid state amps aint got the feel ya know. oh yeah, some of them got nice sound but they don’t feel right or they dont react the right way. i see that someone said ‘sound is the most important thing.’ no dude! any good amp can get a good sound–even a solid state amp can get a good sound. you know? so, that’s misleading man. there are good sounding solid state and tube amps. It’s the feel that makes the difference. i ain’t saying i’m 100%. oh no man. just throw me out the truck. but check this out. who’s out there right now. who was out there. what did they play? when those guitar heros became gods they could play whatever they wanted (even if they had a fucking endorsement man) and what did they play? yeah man, they play tube.

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by bess

bess — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:34:26 +0000

Damn! I been playing telecasters but sometimes i sneak in guitar center and try out the epi les pauls. sometimes i get to try a gibson. i never liked the necks on the epiphones and they were shit compared with the few gibsons i tried. but then i got to try an elitist. this is like playing the real thing! i bought one and im soooo cool with it. if you get a chance to try one then do.

Comment on Epiphone Explorer by anon

anon — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:47:25 +0000

You should make a video of it on youtube. I’ve heard that the Invader + Mahogany = mud, but I have yet to hear clips.

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Mythras

Mythras — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:25:58 +0000

I recently bought a new 7 string Schecter Damien and was not impressed by the stock EMG-HZ pickups. They were too compressed and nasty to listen to. What do you you think of the Duncan Blackouts? Looking for an active, high-gain kind of sound, lots of low end crunch (will be playing a lot of thrash/death metal with it)and a slight scoop in the mids, and a biting treble. The guitar is basswood with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Thanks!

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:24:33 +0000

From the sounds of it, you’re best bet would be the Duncan Invader pickup. Both the JB and Custom pickups have fairly strong treble output but can smoothed out in a naturally bass heavy guitar (like a mahogany only body). I know Schecter loads the JB pickup as a factory installed option in a lot of their guitars, so it’s a fairly safe bet. It’s got a little more output than the Custom and the distortion may be a little smoother because the JB uses an Alnico magnet rather than a slightly harsher ceramic magnet. Good luck!

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Schecterman

Schecterman — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:23:11 +0000

I have a Schecter Gryphon (mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard) and I’m trying to decide between the JB and the Custom. What I need is a lot of bass, a decent amount of mid, and very little treble. Also, I need a VERY high gain but fairly smooth distortion.
Thanks.

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Antimatter

Antimatter — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:45:42 +0000

Thank you so much mate. This site is truly amazing and helpful. Good luck!

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:05:18 +0000

My experience with the Duncan Distortion pickup lead me to believe they will only work in bass-heavy guitars, mainly Les Paul models. In a basswood body, you’ll hear an unbalanced tone unless you’re running an EQ on your processor or using 250k volume pots to bleed off some of the treble. The Seymour Duncan tone comparison chart is a good resource to see the strong points of each pickup.

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Antimatter

Antimatter — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:13:29 +0000

How about the Seymour Duncan Distortion pickup? I am really confused on what pickup to get. I am torn between the Invader and the Distortion. Please enlighten me on what pickup to get. Thank you buddy.

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:27:19 +0000

The Seymour Duncan Invader would actually be ideal for your situation. It works best in basswood or alder bodies that naturally have a treble-y tone to them. Just be sure to adjust the input volume on the processor to avoid clipping on the unit which will lead to fuzzy distortions and lots of feedback. The Invader pickup has a ton of output, twice that of stock pickups in some cases. You shouldn’t be disappointed in it.

Comment on Seymour Duncan Pickups by Antimatter

Antimatter — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:30:10 +0000

I have an RG350ex with a basswood body and a rosewood fingerboard. My amp is a 15w Peavey blazer158 and I use a Korg AX5G modelling processor. I am planning on getting a seymour duncan invader. I like death metal and metalcore. Would my rig be just fine with an invader? THanks alot. I would really appreciate your reply.

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by Terry

Terry — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:20:37 +0000

Thanks Buddy for all the info. It is very much appreciated.I just purchased Epiphone Elitist today 750 CAD. Yes it has the stamped logo as in the pic your provided.The s/n is F400601 .It is in beautiful condition > I plan to keep it all stock and free from any mods if possible.I have adjusted the action and now just need to adjust the p/u. The neck p/u is really too low and the bridge p/u is very high which makes for a huge gap in volume difference between the rythm & treble selector switch.

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:02:02 +0000

All of the Elitist series guitars were built in Japan from 2003 until early 2008 to the best of my knowledge. All of the electronics (pickups, pots and switches) were US parts, the same as used by Gibson USA in their models but under different part numbers. They all feature an Elitist logo on the back of the headstock near the neck joint and the unique headstock shape sets them apart from the far inferior standard Epiphone models. The serial numbers should also be stamped into the wood, not painted or stuck on. Example here. I’ve yet to find a tool that allows someone to look up the manufacture date of an Epiphone Elitist model so please let me know if you uncover one.

Comment on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul by Terry

Terry — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:01:50 +0000

I tried one at local music store and loved it! Are these all made in USA? Can you tell the place of mfg and year by the s/n?I am about to buy epiphone elitist LP but as per per pics in classifieds has sticker or label on back of the headstock Thanks Terry

Comment on Epiphone Explorer by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:33:23 +0000

Hey EK-

I’m not sure of the exact model number of the Tone Pros bridge I used, and it’s been almost 2 years since. It’s the standard tune-o-matic setup and they don’t make many variations. The most important thing to remember is the Epiphone’s are built overseas so be sure to purchase the metric versions in order to have a proper fit. For the electronics, I remember having to purchase the Les Paul wiring kit because they didn’t have a 3-knob package. Don’t order the long-shaft versions of the pots and switcher either, you’ll learn the hard way they don’t fit. If you’re going to shop around for the parts, I recommend CTS 500k audio taper pots. When it comes to making a cheap guitar sound like it’s not, you really will get what you pay for and CTS is worth the few extra bucks in sound and reliability alone.

Comment on Epiphone Explorer by Erock517

Erock517 — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 04:08:48 +0000

Hey – if you’re still out there, I’ve been reading your very informative blog and is right in my wheelhouse as I just purchased a 10 year old or so Epi Explorer, which is my “project” guitar. I’m going to upgrade everything – re bridge/tailpiece – which TonePros model did you put on yours? I also noticed that Guitar Electronics has a full packaged kit of electros for about 60 bucks. Thoughts?

THX– EK

Comment on Gibson Robot Les Paul’s – Love ‘em or hate ‘em? by Len-Guitar Lessons

Len-Guitar Lessons — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:21:37 +0000

sounds like a good idea- I doubt it takes hold!

Comment on Online Guitar Tuner by Bill Hana

Bill Hana — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:16:53 +0000

That’s awesome!!! I look for acoustic guitars for my boyfriend.And how to choose it.Which brands is the best ?I saw many web about this but your web is the best for me.Thank you.

Comment on Matt Bellamy of Muse and his Manson Guitars of the future by unacceptable67

unacceptable67 — Tue, 05 May 2009 01:02:40 +0000

I think the manson guitar’s are very cool, I actually love them, thanks for this image anyway, very cool.

Comment on Guitar Woods by Tommy

Tommy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:42:24 +0000

Hey there guys! I am after some suggestions/ideas(ie. shapes, pickups and necks) for the set up of a rosewood solid body electric guitar, I have a great piece of 300 yr old rosewood. Any ideas guys?

Comment on Mesa Boogie Stiletto Cab by Mesa Boogie Amps

Mesa Boogie Amps — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:04:53 +0000

Agree with you that although they are pricey, Mesa cabs are awesome. Also, the VHT fat bottom is also a nice cabinet as well.

Comment on Guitar Woods by Christina

Christina — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:34:40 +0000

Great information. Swamp ash is also a popular choice for electric guitar bodies. I have to agree with you that nothing is prettier than a maple cap! But I guess I am a little biased :-)

Comment on Gibson Robot Les Paul’s – Love ‘em or hate ‘em? by Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:32:33 +0000

Wow, things are changing so fast.
I prefer the “modern” guitars, than that. (Sigh)

Comment on Getting Started on Guitar? Can’t figure out that riff? Cheat with Guitar Pro! by Beginner Lessons

Beginner Lessons — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:39:00 +0000

This guitar pro sounds really good. I really need to check it out. Thanks for the tip about it.

Comment on Online Guitar Tuner by logan jackson

logan jackson — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:32:58 +0000

omg this rocks thank you so much!♥

Comment on Change is akward when it comes to Guitar by JohnnyG

JohnnyG — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:13:32 +0000

Man, I really know what you are going through.
I have the identical situation and if you have a great preamp for clean/dirty sounds in your amps (I use Rivera Chubster 40, Fender Concert II, Fender Champ) all the modulation and time based stuff in the front end of the amp is GREAT with Line6 XT Live and offers more than a pedalboard can with wires for flexibility.
BUT….that being said…there is a certain tone that comes from pedals that is slightly organic that buffers the input a little differently than the DI from XT. I like the pedalboard for very loud gigs where you hear the entire sound of input guitar and you want to “load” the guitar input for preamp clipping a certain way.
That is the diff to me anyways. Preamp clipping is slightly different between them and depending on the pedal and use of FX loop, can be VERY different. XT is dead clean–digital but super flexible. Pedalboard depends on pickups and what pedal is in signal path.
My 2 cents.
JohnnyG.

Comment on Thank you Myspace for giving crappy guitar a voice by John Bowden

John Bowden — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:43:27 +0000

You’ve got something here a lot of guitar players can use!

Comment on Change is akward when it comes to Guitar by buddyhawke

buddyhawke — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:20:47 +0000

I must say, if you have a good amp you don’t need the overdrive/boost/distortion pedals anymore which is certainly nice. I’m just too hooked on the modulation effects. I haven’t found a decent tube head that can lay the phasing on thick.

Comment on Change is akward when it comes to Guitar by MRG2U

MRG2U — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:01:31 +0000

I too gave up a mound of pedals when I bought the new line six Bogner tube combo head. ilove it and keep finding new things to do w/ it. As for withdrawl, I didnt have any cause all i=I have in front of this amp is a wah pedal, thats it.! And evry time I move this rig I smile. :) I run this head thru 2 Marshal 4×12 cabs w/ greenbaks in them and it screams. I dont beleive I have ever had the master higher than 1/2 volume. I love it and got a great price. P.S. It replaced a marshall 150 and a mesa simulcast rack ala 1976 model.

Comment on Muse, April 10th 2008 at the LA Forum by dj blaze

dj blaze — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:03:07 +0000

guitars guitars guitars… great music great music, fantastic performances. the Rugged systems and Rugged lights filled the arena with energy. and muse, muse, muse, o muse, i just love you guys

Comment on Muse, April 10th 2008 at the LA Forum by slice

slice — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:01:15 +0000

the Rugged parcans and Rugged stage setup was a fantastic. the light operator was a bit dodgy though.

muse is great andtheir guitar skills are far becoming greaterthan pink floyd!!! opsss!!! i might be toooooo optimistic but i feel so. any one else does? come on you fans of muse.

Comment on About by clinton

clinton — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:18:26 +0000

nice to see you doing well mR chabak

Comment on Mesa Single Rectifier by Chaz

Chaz — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:13:45 +0000

Good post. I actually had 2 Mesa Boogie Dual Recto (100 watt version) sell at http://gear-vault.com. One was a 1999 and the other was a 1992 pre1000 blackface Dual Recto. The 1999 Rectifier was REV G and the pre1000 Dual Recto was REV F. Let me tell you what, huge

Comment on About by Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:42:35 +0000

Thanks loads for the info Aaron,I’ll definitely go with Duncans. I’m leaning more towards the ’59 vintage since the website suggests it but is there anyway to actually try em w/o going through the hassle of changing the pickups themselves?
And is there a difference between the SH-5 or TB-5?(sound?specs?)will the SH-1 ’59 fit in my LP well since its not a trembucker?