Now THAT looks (and sounds) better!

My Zhangbuckers arrived today. Slugbucker in the bridge, Woodbucker in the neck. They sure do look better in my Korina SE than the stockers! Love the look of the aged pickup covers.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/6...c96ef8ba74.jpg

Popped 'em in and was able to give them a test whirl. First impressions are really good. The most obvious thing is that they're much less powerful than the stock pickups.

[cliche time] The high end is sweeter and the low end is less twangy. Sounds more vintage-y I guess with a softer attack. On the bridge pickup it sounds much more Gibson-y when clean. I have to turn up the kick a lot more (well past halfway) on my Mojotone Mule (into my 5F1 clone) to get the same "instant Black Keys" tone that I got at about 1/4-1/3 the way up on the kick with the stock pickups. Overall I have a greater range of tones to dial in than the stock pickups since they're not as hot. The middle position sounds different, not sure how to describe it yet. The neck I like a lot better. Overall improvement in note separation/definition/clarity/yada yada. [/cliche time]

I like 'em. Still playing around with pickup heights but an improvement in looks and tone. I'm satisfied! :dude

Zhangbuckers, PRS SE Korina, Mule, Tweed.

This is scary.

Either you have really, really bad taste, or I have just been validated.

Are you stalking the Kap'n?

Glad you got them delivered and installed, tug!

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Originally Posted by Kap'n

Zhangbuckers, PRS SE Korina, Mule, Tweed.

This is scary.

Either you have really, really bad taste, or I have just been validated.

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Not sure yet! :lmao:

I'll get a chance to push the amp today so I'm interested to see how they sound that way. I have the RCA 6V6 in there too now so it should be really cool sounding. Sounds GREAT clean and through my Mule. I need to play around with it more when overdriven and through my Mule to really see what they can do.

When clean the stock pickups oddly could halfway pull off some modern country twangy-ish tones if you played right. Twang on roids I guess. These sound totally different clean. Just what I was looking for. My Soapy already does the not-quite-Les-Paul-not-quite-Tele sounds so I was wanting something more vintage humbucker sounding to eliminate some overlap in guitars.

The Zhangbuckers sound great with a cranked amp too. I've come to really like the tone control down around 4 or 5 (started liking that point with the stock pickups too). There's not much rolloff until that point (that's the point where the rolloff just starts becoming noticeable) and when I put it there it has a nice Les Paulish vibe. Adds some versatility having some extra treble to dial in.

The guitar now has an awesome classic rock crunch.

You know, this whole SE/modification thing has taught me a stiff lesson. I have finally given up on the idea of bolting together The True Master Strat, the One To Rule Them All, because I no longer think it can be done.

I'm beat. This thing I'm working on right now proved it in spades: I needed a guitar with good humbuckers. I tried tracking the hard rocking parts in this score with the Zcaster, it just didn't fit right, so I plugged in the Seymourized PRS and it did exactly what I wanted with no fuss, including a massive pinch harmonic that just burns.

AIn addition, I do also need my fully hollow P-90 old-timey arch top thing. And a baritone, which is arriving next week (It's a cheap one, a Dano, but it should kick ass for the sound I'm hoping for). Oh, and the lap steel.

So, okay, you guys were right. :D

Uh, oh. You're in trouble now Jim.

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Originally Posted by silent j.

You know, this whole SE/modification thing has taught me a stiff lesson. I have finally given up on the idea of bolting together The True Master Strat, the One To Rule Them All, because I no longer think it can be done.

I'm beat. This thing I'm working on right now proved it in spades: I needed a guitar with good humbuckers. I tried tracking the hard rocking parts in this score with the Zcaster, it just didn't fit right, so I plugged in the Seymourized PRS and it did exactly what I wanted with no fuss, including a massive pinch harmonic that just burns.

AIn addition, I do also need my fully hollow P-90 old-timey arch top thing. And a baritone, which is arriving next week (It's a cheap one, a Dano, but it should kick ass for the sound I'm hoping for). Oh, and the lap steel.

So, okay, you guys were right. :D

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I'm currently trimming my guitars down to less, but better selected, guitars and am keeping my USACG T-Style (Tele), Strat, '59 ES-225 (hollow, P-90s), Carvin DC-150 (dual humbucker mahogany/maple) and I'd like to add a 00, 000 or OM style acoustic and maybe a 12 string acoustic.

I really wanted to just have the T-Style, ES-225 and a smaller acoustic but I realized I wouldn't have enough bases covered to keep me happy.

I just want a decent acoustic, a good humbucker guitar, a Tele, a Strat, and P-90's. That should have all of the bases covered. Have buckers and P-90's covered, should have the Tele covered after I finish final sanding and assembly on the Tugboatcaster, but the Strat is still a ways away.

I really want to build an electric guitar from scratch too. I was waffling on it but I found bandsaw and drill press access and my girlfriend ended up egging me on so hopefully by this time next year I'll have sold my Soapy and will be playing my Korina Les Paul Special clone! Why korina? Guess I'm conscious about killing off endangered South American rainforests. Limba is African and not endangered.

The wood should be on its way here within the next week or so.

Tugboat, that's very cool..I've been interested in building a guitar from scratch just for the experience, not because I think I can make a good one!

Kap'n, I hope this isn't the beginning of the end! Honestly, I think I'm done for a long while. The Strat, the PRS, the 5th Avenue, an acoustic, a great bass, and now the lap steel and baritone. Just about no overlap. The only thing I can imagine adding in the next few years is a classical acoustic... but a good one that's also cheap is a rare bird. I've been crawling Craigslist looking for an old (1970s) Yamaha, because I had one in college and it was a really nice guitar. A G60 or G85.... You just have to wait for the right one, I think. Fund one last month, but it was thrashed.

Don, you're totally on the right track IMO... That's a real similar toolbox to mine. Single coils, bucks, p90... solid, hollow, acoustic, no overlap.

To stay OT, I really prefer the look of covere humbuckers, and your new Zangbuckers look sweet on that guitar.

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Originally Posted by silent j.

Just about no overlap.

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That's pretty much my view on instruments as well. Why have the same when you can have different?

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Originally Posted by silent j.

Don, you're totally on the right track IMO... That's a real similar toolbox to mine. Single coils, bucks, p90... solid, hollow, acoustic, no overlap.

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Thanks! I forgot to mention my bass. I've got an MIM Jazz Bass that I bought new in '99. I love its playability and its tone isn't bad though it could use better pickups.

Oh, and the other day, I played a Yamaha Guitalele. $100 of guitar tuned ukulele fun! I really enjoyed it!

Don... The Fender "Original" bass pickups are really nice. I put an "Original 62" P-bass in my P-Bass Deluxe, and it's got a great old-school tone. You can get a set of Original Jazz p'ups for 99 bucks or so.

I did not need to know about the Guitalele. :)

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Originally Posted by Kap'n

That's pretty much my view on instruments as well. Why have the same when you can have different?

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I feel the same way...why have two Teles when you can have one Tele and one Strat. I've got 4 hollowbodies (currently) - one Gretsch with single coil (2K) pickups, one with TV 'Trons, an Epi with mini-hums and the new 12 string Eastwood. All fill their own niche...

Then again - I keep seeing dudes playing out that have one or two guitars with them and they're covering pretty much all the ground with them. Makes me wonder if I shouldn't sell it all and get 2 or 3 pro-level instruments and just 2 great amps - sure would save on time trying to figure out what axes I'm gonna bring to a gig...

:bh but I like owning a bunch of shiny guitars.

:biglaugh:

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Originally Posted by Kap'n

That's pretty much my view on instruments as well. Why have the same when you can have different?

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+1

The only practical reason I can see for having multiples of the same guitar is if you're a professional gigging musician and need backups or multiples for multiple venues being set up at once (ie Rolling Stones, etc...).

Or you just like collecting them. There are much lamer things to collect than guitars I guess.

On building a guitar, it's just something that I've wanted to do for years for the experience but only now have the patience to actually pull it off. I'm going to cut my own templates, and practice on scrap just to help me get the hang of the tools. My only goal is that it ends up being halfway playable! If i break it down into bite-sized chunks and practice on scrap before I cut into good wood I'm hoping I can get the techniques down and make something decent. My biggest area of concern is getting the neck straight. I hope with the right jigs and using the measure twice, (then again, then again for good measure), cut once philosopohy works. And take my time. I might end up using less efficient tools on some items just to ensure that I don't screw up. Give me more time to correct myself if I start messing up.