your gear.

[fatboy]

cheap as chips cov!

[Josh_2110]

Guitars

Gibson Faded Flying V

Schecter V-1 Hellraiser

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Classic

Ibanez RG7321 (7-string)

Amplifiers

Bugera 6262 120 watt head

Bugera 4x12 Speaker Cabinet

Effects

Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer

Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

Dunlop Cry Baby KH-95 Kirk Hammett Signature Wah

[Dan G]

Don't actually know the difference between DD and SD. Difficult to tell the difference between my DD P90's and SD ones. Only difference seems to be that you can't actually buy DD pickups.

As far as I'm aware, DD are to SD are what Squire is to Fender. Basically cheaper stock pickups. They only come as sold with slightly cheaper guitars.

I had some DD humbuckers on my Jackson but wasn't a big fan so slammed EMGs in.

[Ross.]

As far as I'm aware, DD are to SD are what Squire is to Fender. Basically cheaper stock pickups. They only come as sold with slightly cheaper guitars.

Exactly. SDs are made in USA whilst DDs are from Korea I think. I've been thinking about buying a Squier Tele Custom with 2 Duncan Designed P90s but need to try one out first to see how it fares.

[Teabags]

YouTube - John Petrucci Phycho Execises 4

[Huw]

Exactly. SDs are made in USA whilst DDs are from Korea I think. I've been thinking about buying a Squier Tele Custom with 2 Duncan Designed P90s but need to try one out first to see how it fares.

That's the Tele that Joe has I think. I've heard a lot of good things about it. Mac Atom has got one too and he says it's dead good for teaching, although he'd never gig with it. I reckon for the price it's dead good.

Has anybody tried out a sandberg bass. I've heard some seriously good things about them, and they look lush. They do your standard Jazz/Precision models but they also do a J and P model with the musicman style humbucker in the bridge. I've often heard that is quite a weak p/up on the jazz so it'd be interesting to hear the difference that p/up makes.

JAM GUITARS - SANDBERG BASS STOCK - the natural one at the bottom of the page looks awesome. That shop is quite pricey though, think you can get them cheaper elsewhere.

[Soda Jerk]

Yeah. That's the guitar I have. I did need to replace the tuners because the top 3 strings went flat a little too easily all the time, and I replaced the toggle switch because it kept coming loose. Before I got it, I'd pretty much picked out the P90's I was going to put in inplace of the Duncan Designed ones too, but after playing it, I felt I really didn't need to. They are very surprisingly good!

I took the recommendation for the guitar from a website that reviewed a whole heap of budget guitars, and this came out on top amongst pretty much every budget guitar I could possibly think of. Folk seem to go crazy for them on a particular Tele enthusiast forum. There were photo galleries of huge collections of the Tele deluxe (understandable since they are so cheap, sop buy 10 of them!), all with different modifcations and stuff. Pretty awesome.

I'm not one for spending heaps on a guitar. The amps more important

[Bigsby]

There's a shop near where I live that has a second hand blonde one of those Teles with the P90s for 149. It's been sitting there for months, can't believe it hasn't sold, looks really cool.

[RodThunder]

The amps more important

I usually very find your posts very amusing and/ or informative and almost always entertaining, but unfortunately on this occasion you are totally wrong.

[Bigsby]

I usually very find your posts very amusing and/ or informative and almost always entertaining, but unfortunately on this occasion you are totally wrong.

No, he's totally right.

You go into a music shop and try a cheap guitar into a decent amp.

Then try a decent guitar into a cheap amp.

I know which combination will sound better.

[Hog]

Ibanez Mick Thompson Signature

15 year old BC RIch Mockingbird with Maple neck

Westfield acoustic

Pissblock guitar

Ibanez Bass

Peavey 5150 MK2

Line 6 Chorus pedal

Zoom 3030

Boss Compressor

Jim Dunlop wah

Line 6 UX2

Adobe Audition 3

Zoom drum machine

Shure SM57

[fatboy]

Ibanez Mick Thompson Signature

how long you had that for? look nice but never played one. i tend to get put off buy ibanez but i've probably never played one thats been more that 400

[Dan G]

I usually very find your posts very amusing and/ or informative and almost always entertaining, but unfortunately on this occasion you are totally wrong.

i'm afraid I'm with the other guys on this. I'd have said in order of importance, good tone comes from:

1) the fingers

2) the amp

3) the guitar

Unless it is a REALLY shitty bordering on unplayable guitar...

But a 150 squire, epiphone, or yamaha through a 2500k rig is gonna sound way better than a 2500 guitar through a 150 amp.

Although I know you have a lot of experience in both playing and working in guitar shops so have probably had more experience than most folk on this subject.

[Soda Jerk]

The wood and the electronics obviously play a huge role in the type of tone being emitted, but surely you'd rather have a cheap guitar than a cheap amp? As Dan/Bigsby have said, a cheap guitar is going to sound better through a good amp than a good guitar will through a shit amp.

A guitar is also a project. As long as the wood isn't made from an Argos Skateboard, all the hardware and electronics can be upgraded and replaced over time. If you've got a Valvestate, it's always going to be a Valvestate, and it's always going to amplify below average tone no matter what you do to it.

I'm certainly not saying the guitar isn't important though. Build quality can't really be bought that well for under 300, but I manage to get a tone usable for my needs with relatively cheap guitars and a decent amp, and I'm particularly anal about tone. Maybe that wouldn't suit other players, but I guess you get what you need out of your own gear.

[triggs]

i'm afraid I'm with the other guys on this. I'd have said in order of importance, good tone comes from:

1) the fingers

2) the amp

3) the guitar

.

+ 1 on that, i have a quality rig and good sound but not a good tone, its definatly in the fingers... and mine are pish

[fatboy]

anyone got a snapjacks cable, i think they're nifty

[RodThunder]

Undoubtedly there are three parts to the equation, as already identified by Dan.

I think all three are equally important if it's true quality tone you seek.

However, obviously a skilled/ technically tidy/ well- practiced/ clean picking guitarist with tone in his or her fingers will sound decent through a cheap guitar into a good amp. Conversely though, the same guitarist will sound decent with a good guitar into a cheap amp. Or into nothing. By the same token though, a guitarist who is possibly not as technically skilled as another can compensate through having an excellent rig which is suited to their playing style thus masking their inconsistencies and emphasising their strengths.

In short, horses for courses. Although I still think it's wrong to say that the amp is more or less important.

[fatboy]

what does that mean if you play acoustic?

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

My Strat has a soft V neck too; really comfortable profile. You replacing the pickups on it or just the hardware?

Probably both at some point. I want to upgrade it beyond US standard specs where possible, so either Custom Shop 57/62s or Bare Knuckle vintage style are what I'll go for, but I'm not in a rush, yet.

I also want a ridiculous Blue Paisley Scratchplate like on this page Axesrus - Stratocaster Pick Guards

but may decide against it, as that one is 11 hole config, and mine is vintage 8

Cheers to the dude who recommended the Callaham bridge having owned two, I'll have to wait to get it, but it does look worth it.

[Dan G]

what does that mean if you play acoustic?

It means you're fag that needs to listen to more METAAALL!!

I jest of course. But to answer your question, the soundhole in an acoustic IS the amplifier, so I guess the guitar and amplifier are one and the same therefore being of equal importance.

[Huw]

Currently my bass rig runs like this:

Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass > MXR Bass DI+ > Mesa/Boogie 400+ > Ampeg B410HLF

Sounds good, suppose I'll have to upgrade to a 610/810 soon for some more oomph.

also got a lovely Fender Telecaster Deluxe FSR - further evidence that Fender MIJ stuff is the dug's baws.

Hopefully get a fender mia/lakland/sandberg jazz in the near future.

re: guitar/amp/fingers i'd agree with whats been said - fingers first (:S), then once you spend over 3/400 quid on a guitar i think they difference it makes to the sound has diminishing returns - prolly more about personal preference. My bass is good, but no matter what i do it still sounds like a P bass, not my idea of tone as i don't like p basses. the amp is kind of the make or break for those of us who are just average guitar/bass players.

[Ross.]

Currently my bass rig runs like this:

Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass > MXR Bass DI+ > Mesa/Boogie 400+ > Ampeg B410HLF

What's your thoughts on the MXR DI? Read mixed things but from what I gather it seems to be a better bet tone wise than the Sansamps.

[Dan G]

I've been looking for an Amp upgrade for as long as i can remember now, looked at JCM2000s but i'm not sure, i need something i can turn the gain tone get a nice crispy warm tone, but also push the gain and get a beefy heavy tone, obviously with changing guitars, but it can still be difficult to find something with the right versatility.

If you have 500, get a JCM2000 (DSL50), if you have 800 get a Peavey 6505.

6505 can't do cleans that great, but can do rock to full on crushing metal with ease.

[Hog]

True about the cleans. The distortion is crazy awesome but the cleans suffer big time.

[Soda Jerk]

Really not a fan of the 6505/5150 OD sound. I think I must be the only one on earth. Sounds crazy tight and compressed, which is probably what is designed to do, for contemporary metal/hc. I just like a touch of muddy-ness to a chug.