Mexican Teles

[Bubba po]

You're not wrong....for a certain kind of person. A lot of people never leave their bedrooms and incessantly tweak and tinker.

I'm kind of in the middle. I care about pickups and pots, don't care about tubes. Could I make-do with any guitar? Sure, but I don't want to. I'll tinker with my own stuff, but I also play live and record all the fucking time. Tinkering doesn't consume me.

To be honest, you were not the target of my rant, far from it. You try out the nuances, just so you don't have to rely on received wisdom. But I still occasionally go to the Marshall forum and they make my bollocks ache. You can own a guitar because you love the object for its own sake, but nobody should obsess over nuances of a guitar or amp for the simple avoidance of doing something useful with it. And that's all too common.

 

[Greg_L]

Pickups do make a massive difference. Put a vintage PAF humbucker in any guitar and then put an active EMG in there. If you can't tell the difference then you got broken ears. Caring about those differences is subjective. But there are big differences between pickups.

 

[Greg_L]

To be honest, you were not the target of my rant, far from it. You try out the nuances, just so you don't have to rely on received wisdom. But I still occasionally go to the Marshall forum and they make my bollocks ache. You can own a guitar because you love the object for its own sake, but nobody should obsess over nuances of a guitar or amp for the simple avoidance of doing something useful with it. And that's all too common.

Oh yeah, I know what you mean. Dude, for your own sanity, do not go to the JVM forum.

 

[Nola]

But I still occasionally go to the Marshall forum and they make my bollocks ache.

All forums are like that. And the people saying things might have played one guitar in their life and are just talking up their guitar or acting like authorities for the thrill of it. The guitar forums are all useless when buying unless there's a guitar with some major well-documented problem. The best is to just go to good old fashion shops where the luthier owns the shop. That's where I learn the most. For example, get this: I noticed the neck angle of many Fenders is now downward (requiring a shim right from the factory), and I spoke with my luthier about it, and he said they [guitar manufacturers] are using "green wood" because they're out of good, properly aged wood. They're even using it in high end models now. They have no choice. The best/properly aged wood is saved for the upper end US models, but even that wood is not great (and the guitar I noticed this on was a US Tele). This guy has owned the shop and been a lutheir for 30 years, and said he's watched the decline up close. I mean it's interesting that videos are popping up more and more on youtube that shims are fine and Fender is even introducing "micro-tilt" as an innovative technology (instead of admitting it's due to their improperly aged wood).

Anyway, those forums stink, and playing many many guitars in person and talking with luthiers is the way to go.

 

[Bubba po]

Just compare a Tele with standard neck pickup (that pickup is so deep it used to be bass players backup BASS) vs a hot rod tele. HUGE difference in tone.

I rarely play the neck pickup on my tele, so I can't speak for that. But when you swap out a pickup for one that is SO different, ought you not to be considering a different guitar? There is a certain kind of person who just cannot settle on a guitar, pickup, amp etc. etc. They fuck about with their setup, getting into esoteric discussions about the various components as a way of avoiding what the whole idea of music is supposed to be about, which is communicating with other people and getting a hit from their appreciation of what you do. If you're obsessing in your bedroom, then you're just being autistic.

 

[Nola]

I rarely play the neck pickup on my tele, so I can't speak for that. But when you swap out a pickup for one that is SO different, ought you not to be considering a different guitar? There is a certain kind of person who just cannot settle on a guitar, pickup, amp etc. etc. They fuck about with their setup, getting into esoteric discussions about the various components as a way of avoiding what the whole idea of music is supposed to be about, which is communicating with other people and getting a hit from their appreciation of what you do. If you're obsessing in your bedroom, then you're just being autistic.

I agree that obsession isn't good and really having fun with it and personal satisfaction are what matters, but those people are not totally wrong that pickups matter, they just take it too far and let it block creativity or production. It's almost like a subconscious excuse not to produce or to be lazy. "I'll produce once I get the perfect tone".

Funny related anecdote: I had a friend in high school who was always buying the best baseball bats. Like graphite or carbon (I forget which) came out and he was SURE he'd hit .500 with this bat. He still stunk and struckout almost every at bat, where I hit .450 with a crappy aluminum bat that was 10 years old (sometimes I'd even use wood for BP). He let his gear consume him and was constantly thinking the next new thing would make him better. Meanwhile, I was practicing hitting non-stop and took up pitching so I could "think like a pitcher", all while he was researching his bat's material. Who used those invaluable hours better? So, I guess my point is, that if people are going to be anal about anything, it should be practice or things that actually matter. But I notice that people tend to be anal about things that don't matter yet seem to matter, or things they think will be a shortcut. OCD/anal is actually a great trait if you're OCD/anal about something productive, like practice or finding true ways of getting better at things. Many people with OCD or dreams of granduer get hooked on minutia, though, thinking if only they do this/that they'll be great, and good/great only happens from reps.

 

[Greg_L]

Hey Bubba, you know that Mosrite clone I have? It's a great guitar. I love it. It's like functional art. It came with original Mosrite-spec monster single coils. They're great for super fat plonky clean surf tones, but they don't go that well with a roaring Marshall which is where I spend 95% of my guitar time. So I had the guy that built the guitar make me a new pickup. I told him what I wanted from a pickup and he just made it. It was exactly what I needed. It's basically the same pickup with a different magnet and a little more high-midrange bite. That pickup swap took that guitar from being cool and something I can use sometimes to a guitar that I can use any time I want. It was never a playability thing, it was just the sound of the pickups and a swap made it better.

 

[Bubba po]

It wouldn't be worth it on a guitar that has the physical limitations you describe. But what if that guitar played good enough to go from being a some situations to an all-the-time guitar? You wouldn't do a simple pickup swap to make it even better or more versatile?

That's the problem. I've never owned a guitar that a change of pickups would have taken from mediocre to world-beating. I suppose the Yammy humbuckers in my gigging guitar could be improved upon, but I can work with the tone they have for the music I'm doing, and that's it.

A case in point is the AFD album. Slash played an LP copy, nobody really remembers what his setup was or what the engineer and producer did with his sound, but it's become a total cash cow and rigmarole for all the fanboys. Fuck them. That's a great guitar sound, but it's not the be-all and end-all. I firmly believe that Slash was the biggest factor in that sound.

Anyway, that's enough nihilism and skepticism for one night.

Bubba, peace out.

 

[Greg_L]

Lol. I get what you're saying, but Slash is not a good example. His AFD sound has been dissected and figured out to just about every last detail. The funny thing to me about that sound is that yeah Slash the man himself is important, but he never sounded like that again.

 

[Bubba po]

Hey Bubba, you know that Mosrite clone I have? It's a great guitar. I love it. It's like functional art. It came with original Mosrite-spec monster single coils. They're great for super fat plonky clean surf tones, but they don't go that well with a roaring Marshall which is where I spend 95% of my guitar time. So I had the guy that built the guitar make me a new pickup. I told him what I wanted from a pickup and he just made it. It was exactly what I needed. It's basically the same pickup with a different magnet and a little more high-midrange bite. That pickup swap took that guitar from being cool and something I can use sometimes to a guitar that I can use any time I want. It was never a playability thing, it was just the sound of the pickups and a swap made it better.

Well, Greg, you totally know you're not the kind of person in my cross-hairs at this point. Most of the tossers I'm on about haven't heard their guitar in the context of a band or even enjoyed the company of a woman in carnal congress.

 

[Greg_L]

Well, Greg, you totally know you're not the kind of person in my cross-hairs at this point. Most of the tossers I'm on about haven't heard their guitar in the context of a band or even enjoyed the company of a woman in carnal congress.

Haha, yeah I know. I don't disagree with you! I'm just talking shop.

 

[Nola]

I don't care because strats suck anyway.

This is an under discussed statement.

I agree 100%. How is the strat so popular?

My issues with it:

1. For palm muting it is brutal. Pokey bridge saddles that just get in the way, and if you levy any pressure on the bridge AT ALL you'll engage the vibrato and bend the notes sharp. Even if you get the lower bridge screws you still engage the vibrato with any pressure. Even if it's pinned this is true.

2. If you do rest your palm on the bridge with a light touch, you still have the volume knob to contend with. It's right in the way of picking.

3. Ice pick frequencies on all setting except the neck pickup in isolation.

4. 5 pickup switch gets in the way when strumming aggressively. (I've actually knocked the switch mid performance from 5 down to 1 from aggressive strumming that hit the switch).

I hate strats. I sold mine and do not regret it in the least.
What I wonder is why anyone likes these other than Hendrix played one?

Tele can do similar tones (with more low end beef) and does not have any of those problems.

 

[Bubba po]

If we're getting onto Strats, I love my 80s Jap Squier. I had the pickups dipped to get rid of the microphony and had the tone controls rewired so that the pot nearest the jack socket rolled off the bridge pickup treble. Great recording guitar and it plays the best of any guitar I own.

 

[Greg_L]

I had the pickups dipped to get rid of the microphony and had the tone contols rewired so that the pot nearest the jack socket rolled off the bridge pickup treble.

You goddamn bedroom wanker!

 

[Bubba po]

Haha, yeah I know. I don't disagree with you! I'm just talking shop.

And that's the way it ought to be.

In any case, disagreement shouldn't ever end up in butthurt. If you have an opinion and you can defend it well without losing your shit, then everybody's happy.

 

[Bubba po]

You goddamn bedroom wanker!

PMSL. All for the live experience.

 

[Greg_L]

I wired my Strat with a toggle for two extra pickup combinations - neck + bridge and all three on at once. And I did the bridge tone rolloff mod. Now I have virtually unlimited options to have the guitar sound like shit.

 

[Nola]

Lol. I get what you're saying, but Slash is not a good example. His AFD sound has been dissected and figured out to just about every last detail. The funny thing to me about that sound is that yeah Slash the man himself is important, but he never sounded like that again.

Another funny anecdote: my friend who I mentioned above who would buy the latest baseball gear thinking it would make him great, also purchased a Les Paul thinking it would make him play like Slash. In the yearbook he wrote as a goal "play the solo to sweet child o' mine", and to this day he can't play a single note from it. All gear, no reps. He just purchased a piano dreaming he's somehow going to magically become a master on that...it's just amazing to watch. All he's going to do is have to pay a guy to tune it every few years. I guess guys like him are job security for piano tuners.

 

[liv_rong]

. Now I have virtually unlimited options to have the guitar sound like shit.

 

[Tadpui]

If we're getting onto Strats, I love my 80s Jap Squier. I had the pickups dipped to get rid of the microphony and had the tone controls rewired so that the pot nearest the jack socket rolled off the bridge pickup treble. Great recording guitar and it plays the best of any guitar I own.

Why didn't you just buy a new guitar that already had potted pickups and the tone controls that you wanted?!?

Mostly kidding, but it does go pretty contrary to your argument about pickup swapping. Sometimes your guitar is close to what you want, but not exactly. I'm all for taking a guitar from 95% of perfect for you and pushing it to 100% with a few mods.