Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Philly Q on March 12, 2010, 09:14:22 PM

Title: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 12, 2010, 09:14:22 PM
OK, now that Twinfan, the "GAS Messiah", has shouldered our collective guilt (and simultaneously rescued the UK economy) by spending six trillion pounds on guitars already this year.... I felt free to buy this.

No proper photos yet, I used the ones from the shop website:

(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/2806.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/2806a.jpg)
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/2806b.jpg)

Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: LazyNinja on March 12, 2010, 09:17:54 PM
Nice! Happy NGD. Didn't you have a Mira already? Very interested to hear your thoughts on the difference between the two.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Stevepage on March 12, 2010, 09:21:19 PM
I've been considering selling a couple of my guitars to get one of these. I've had a PRS Standard but this caught my eye. If you've played a standard or custom, how does the Mira compare?
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Ian Price on March 12, 2010, 09:31:13 PM
Nice nice nice!

Can we call you Philly X now?
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: sgmypod on March 12, 2010, 09:38:15 PM
Nice but would have bought the Duesy..but thats just me
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 12, 2010, 09:56:46 PM
Can we call you Philly X now?

No you bloody well can't!!  And much as I dislike the bloke, I have to admit I'm not worthy...  :P


Initial impressions.... this is a very different type of PRS.  First thing you notice is how light it is - like ludicrously light.  Then you notice how resonant it is - I've been sitting just strumming across the open strings and letting them ring!

It feels quite different from the regular Mira.  For me, the fatter 22-fret neck and shorter scale feel instantly more comfortable.  The body's more of a "slab", but there's contouring where it matters so you hardly notice the difference.  It's a little bit neck-heavy (rather like my Thinline Tele) but it's so light you can easily manhandle it into place.

Soundwise, we shall see... I haven't plugged it in yet, so it'll be interesting to see if all that resonance translates into the amplified tone (doesn't always, in my limited experience).  Acoustically, it seems more "present", less bassy than my other PRSes (Mira and McCarty Korina).    I'll learn more tomorrow!  :D
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: MrBump on March 12, 2010, 10:00:57 PM
That's nice, PQ - the Mira is the only PRS that I really like.

Mark.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: dave_mc on March 12, 2010, 10:42:18 PM
sweet :D
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: 38thBeatle on March 12, 2010, 10:50:36 PM
Nice one Philly.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: TheIronBeast on March 12, 2010, 11:12:22 PM
It looks very nice Philly, congrats!

I'm not really a big fan of PRS guitars but the Mira and Mira X have grabbed my attention. I'm a fan of simple guitars with big sound and it certainly seems that the Mira X fits that description.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: tekbow on March 12, 2010, 11:15:47 PM
i actually just read a review of this in guitarist, its an intriguing guitar, non conventional woods, classic looks and a supposedly contemporary sound, let us know
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 12, 2010, 11:33:25 PM
i actually just read a review of this in guitarist, its an intriguing guitar, non conventional woods, classic looks and a supposedly contemporary sound, let us know

That Guitarist review was interesting, because (a) they were less sycophantic to PRS than usual; and (b) they made a big deal about the guitar excelling for modern high(ish) gain sounds, but were fairly "meh" about it otherwise.

From other things I've read - and seen on YouTube - the Mira X seems to have some really nice clean sounds for a humbucker guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeXZgu_qsmI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeXZgu_qsmI)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdjLD9TG5s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdjLD9TG5s)

Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Twinfan on March 12, 2010, 11:46:23 PM
Nice work Philly!  Let us know how it sounds...
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Ian Price on March 12, 2010, 11:49:44 PM
Looking forward to your comments on how it sounds. I do like the look of it.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: gwEm on March 13, 2010, 05:11:08 AM
cool guitar philly - its very you!
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: gingataff on March 13, 2010, 10:29:12 AM
cool guitar philly - its very you!

Indeed. When I saw the first pic I thought it was a Melody Maker :lol:
(http://www.harryj.net/melody%20maker%202.JPG)
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 13, 2010, 10:40:07 AM
cool guitar philly - its very you!

:lol:  Thanks, and yes, I think it is!  I seem to be gravitating more and more towards these simple little Junior-style guitars.  Even starting to lose some of my love for SGs, to be honest.

Now I need to practice more, so I can have "me" playing as well as "me" guitars!  :wink:


(Edit:  Love that Melody Maker, even though it is modded to hell and back!)
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Plexi Ken on March 13, 2010, 11:19:46 AM
Very nice guitar  :D  I have a Mapletop Mira which plays and sounds great but is probably a little too 'bling'.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: gwEm on March 13, 2010, 11:42:06 AM
after playing that joan jett melody maker, i think it might be cool to do a modded one. i wish gibson did them in the 'SG' shape rather than Les Paul junior. the melody maker look of your PRS is totally post punk - any pickup plans?
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 13, 2010, 12:43:18 PM
I've been playing the Mira X all morning (only through the PODxt thus far) and I'm loving it already.  Sounds great clean, dirty and very dirty and sustain seems excellent (although my fingers are getting too sore to hold the strings down!  :( ).   There doesn't, so far, seem to be any downside to the extremely light weight (5 pounds!  :o ), which was my big worry.

Pickup-wise, it's very interesting to hear how these compare with the same pickups in the Mira.  I always found the Mira bridge pickup a little too rounded, but on the Mira X it seems much brighter and snarlier.  There's more contrast between neck and bridge too, although that's partly due to 22 frets versus 24.  It's a little bassier than I was expecting through some of the POD models, but that's pretty much par for the course with humbuckers.

So to answer gwEm's question, no pickup plans initially.  I'm liking these, and I'd like to know the specs - they're obviously fairly hot-vintage in output, but I've no idea what the magnets are.  Obeche's such an unusual body wood that I don't have much of a "feel" for what pickups would suit it.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: roland_rat on March 13, 2010, 12:53:11 PM
Congrats Philly on the new guitar.   It  looks a nice one.   Enjoy it! :P

"Philly X" certainly has a ring to it too.  I think Ian might have come up with your stage name.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Tellboy on March 13, 2010, 01:00:29 PM
Congrats Philly - looks a nice guitar.


Can we call you Philly X now?

No you bloody well can't!!  And much as I dislike the bloke, I have to admit I'm not worthy...  :P


Come on Philly ... you know you would love to get the black nail varnish out  :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Ted 'N' Leo on March 13, 2010, 01:12:08 PM
Congrats Philly, that looks great.

Like a few have stated here earlier, the Mira is the only PRS i really like!
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Denim n Leather on March 13, 2010, 01:30:26 PM
That looks like a cool, no-nonsense guitar.
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Afghan Dave on March 13, 2010, 01:36:32 PM
Nice Philliy!

But I am VERY disappointed in you..  :x

Where is your Warmoth build?..... Where?

No more excuses or I come round and give your parts to the guitar needy. It beyond a joke now :)
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 13, 2010, 01:41:55 PM
Where is your Warmoth build?..... Where?

No more excuses or I come round and give your parts to the guitar needy. It beyond a joke now :)

I'm relieved you think it's only ONE Warmoth build.  :oops:
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: PhilKing on March 13, 2010, 03:01:08 PM
It looks really nice Philly.  I keep thinking about the Mira as I love the basic junior style.  Interesting that you like the shorter scale with the pickups.  Aren't they the 245 pickups without the covers?  I just upgraded my Singlecut with a set of Crawlers and changed out the pots and capacitors for a set of the BK 550K pots and vintage paper in oil caps.  I'm amazed how tiny the PRS caps are, just mini ceramic discs.  I've yet to turn up everything, but at low volume the improvement is great. 
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: Philly Q on March 13, 2010, 03:30:42 PM
Thanks Phil, from what I've read the Mira X pickups are indeed uncovered 245 pickups, but with different magnets.  From the review in Guitarist:

Quote
Called Mira X humbuckers (early pickups have a 245 sticker on them with a large red X inked on the baseplate) they appear identical to the open-coiled units used on the Mira – aka Mira humbuckers, which are actually 245 humbuckers without covers.

Still with us? These are basically the same, based on the uncovered 245 but with a different magnet: "You should hear more high-end and bass," says Smith.

According to the PRS site, the 245 pickups are 9.6k bridge and 8.9k neck, hotter than I was expecting!  No idea what the magnets are, but based on that description maybe AV as compared with the 245's AII or AIV?
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: d1dsj on March 13, 2010, 06:21:38 PM
That looks great, I really like the colour. It reminds me of a mates CMI double cut from may years ago. Nice one!
Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: JDC on March 13, 2010, 06:23:42 PM
OK, now that Twinfan, the "GAS Messiah", has shouldered our collective guilt (and simultaneously rescued the UK economy) by spending six trillion pounds on guitars already this year.... I felt free to buy this.

that was quantitive easing, now he has to destroy all the guitars else it'll cause inflation

Title: Re: Gimme an "N", gimme a "G", gimme a "D"....
Post by: FernandoDuarte on March 14, 2010, 01:35:07 PM
Looks awesome mate!