Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Dmoney on August 09, 2011, 10:33:40 PM
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NAD.
for a while I've been after a backup les paul, since my custom has been getting knocked about.
I thought I gamble on an Edwards after Toe-Knee brough them to my attention.
I took a punt and hoped the neck would be ok. Although it a little bigger than my LPC, it actually feels really similar and is still comfy. I played a modern Gibson standard and the neck felt wider and I wasn't 100% on it. I'm glad the neck on this has worked out!
It's ever so slightly lighter than my real custom, this model has a poly finish. The finish is fine. The plastic parts are on the cheap side I think but not bad.
Long tenon set neck, ebony board with binding, bone nut, gotoh hardware.
It's pretty cool. I've been missing a trick with these eastern LP's!! I think I may become an addict!
I popped to Croydon today to get some bits from Johnathan. Croydon was nuts as you can imagine! Hope you're keeping ok tonight Johnathan.
I got some BKP 550K pots, with wire, some stop piece posts... came home and put the Nailbombs from my Charvel into it, added the TP-6 bridge, then rewired the beast with some spare caps I had lying around. Once I got it 90% set up it blew me away. sounds great! way better than it did out the box. plays really well. I can see how my LPC is a nicer product, but this guitar is sweet! better than the modern LP i played last week, better than any epiphone, more comfortable than my old LTD EC-1000.
I'm a happy bunny! this is getting gigged in a couple of weeks!
EDIT: sorry the for the bad pic. i have no real came, it was a balancing act with my laptop job.
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Nice one! :D I think it looks good with the white binding rather than that strange yellow "aged" binding they use on some similar models (I think it's actually a heavily tinted lacquer over white binding).
Edwards guitars are great, I've owned no less than 8 of them over the last few years (only 3 left at the moment though! :lol: ). Their mahogany's nice and light, the bodies are usually one-piece, and with the Gotoh hardware and Duncan pickups, they don't need upgrading like some other brands.
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Nice one! :D I think it looks good with the white binding rather than that strange yellow "aged" binding they use on some similar models (I think it's actually a heavily tinted lacquer over white binding).
Yeah, I thought about going for the model up, but I'm not into that yellow binding. That was big factor!
Edwards guitars are great, I've owned no less than 8 of them over the last few years (only 3 left at the moment though! :lol: ). Their mahogany's nice and light, the bodies are usually one-piece, and with the Gotoh hardware and Duncan pickups, they don't need upgrading like some other brands.
yeah they don't need it. The pots inside actually looked decent. I just wanted this setup like my les paul. I love my LPC. It's the only guitar i've been really attached to. I'm really tempted to get another at some point. one with a nice flame. I've never had a flame topped guitar! haha.
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I think the Edwards flame tops are just veneer (or fotoflame) over plain maple. They still look good though! :)
I had a flame top Edwards V which I kind of regret selling. It had one of the best necks of all the guitars I've owned.
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really?
this is modern but it claims to have a flame maple top
http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/esp_edwards_e-lp-130lts_re_relic_lemon_drop-ed1107234.asp
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That sounds good! Btw, I like that guitar a lot. Plain rock, yeah!
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I had one of these with a Holy Diver in the bridge, it was a great guitar. Good job!
EDIT: Wait, it was a Black Dog :lol: It was still ace, like.
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Not 100% sure, it might be genuine flame maple on the more expensive models, but I don't think so. Hunter has a Jimmy Page one, he would know.
It was definitely fotoflame/veneer over plain maple on my V and the two Potbellys I had - the Potbellys even had the same flame patterns as each other (in different colours)!
It's not detrimental to the tone, either way. You still have a 1/2" thick slab of maple over mahogany, it just might not be pretty maple under the surface.
Here you go, one on Ebay. It describes it as "Thin laminated flame maple top/Solid maple/Solid Mahogany":
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ESP-Edwards-LP-Super-Flamed-Relic-DUNCAN-Lemon-B-L-teno-/380360855102?pt=Guitar&hash=item588f460e3e#ht_10463wt_1139 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ESP-Edwards-LP-Super-Flamed-Relic-DUNCAN-Lemon-B-L-teno-/380360855102?pt=Guitar&hash=item588f460e3e#ht_10463wt_1139)
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oh right... so going by that ebay thing, does that mean its fotoflame, or does it mean its really thin flamed maple, stuck to maple, stuck to mahogany... of is that what photoflame is?
I feel a bit weird playing it. It's like touching up a bird while you current bird is behind you, watching!... but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the touching.
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oh right... so going by that ebay thing, does that mean its fotoflame, or does it mean its really thin flamed maple, stuck to maple, stuck to mahogany... of is that what photoflame is?
It's normal Les Paul construction - mahogany body with a thick maple top (about 1/2" thick at the deepest point).
But on top of that, to make it look pretty, there's either a very thin (1/16"-ish) veneer of real flame maple or a thin plastic film with a "photo" of some flame maple (that's fotoflame!).
The Potbellys I had were definitely fotoflame, but some models may be veneer. You can tell by looking in the pickup cavities - the thickness of the veneer is clearly visible sideways-on, but fotoflame is so thin you can barely see it.
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cheers!
I just assumed it would be normal flame maple on the higher end ones. I like the look of those Navigator les paul. woof!
I don't think I mind the idea of veneer, although I guess its not that deep, and therefore not that dramatic under light?
I'm kind of guessing.
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Yeah, it doesn't have the "depth" of a real thick flame top, but it still looks good.
I've only had one guitar with a proper flame top (a Hamer), it was almost like looking at ridges of sand on the sea bottom through very clear water! And as you moved the guitar, the patterns in the flame moved too. You still get a hint of that effect with veneer, though.
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looks great, as far as bang for y buck goes the japs take some beating.after fukishima (ongoing silent catastrophy)
it will be interesting to see how production will be affected.
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Loks great - ya gotta love a black Custom!
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Looks quite nice!
Out of curiosity : where is it made?
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The basic wordworking is done in China, then they're assembled in Japan.... which just about allows them to put a "Made in Japan" sticker on the headstock, I guess!
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^ i have a feeling the newer ones don't have the sticker... or at least mine doesn't. I tried an older one in a shop and it had MIJ stamped into the headstock (like tokais do). :?
Nice score, though, like edwardses. Agreed about not really needing upgrades, though I do wish they wouldn't put the JB in their "classic" guitars... way too hot imo. Would it kill them to just put a '59 set in there?
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^ i have a feeling the newer ones don't have the sticker... or at least mine doesn't. I tried an older one in a shop and it had MIJ stamped into the headstock (like tokais do). :?
The ones Rich Tone Music are selling now in the UK have a little silver "Made in Japan" sticker on the back of the headstock. All the ones I've bought from Japan didn't have any kind of country of manufacture marking at all.
I think Edwards is a relatively new brand - only going back to the early/mid '90s maybe? The oldest Edwards guitars I've seen on eBay were original designs rather than Gibson/Fender copies - maybe those were 100% made in Japan (and stamped MIJ)?
One of my Juniors doesn't have a serial number so I assume it's relatively old, it feels a bit different from the newer ones but I'd guess it's still a China-Japan collaboration. I've seen serial numbers going back to '04 or '05 for sure, so mine's probably just a bit older than that.
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Nice score, though, like edwardses. Agreed about not really needing upgrades, though I do wish they wouldn't put the JB in their "classic" guitars... way too hot imo. Would it kill them to just put a '59 set in there?
I see your point about the JB, but if they put in a 59 some folks would complain about the lack of output I suppose :wink:
Country of manufacture is not necessarily a deciding factor, but the one MIC guitar I've bought (Dean Dimebag model) was also the worst guitar I've bought in several years. At 900€ it was worth maybe half that.
Of course, setup and quality control go a long way to assuring you get a good guitar rather than a POS.
That being said, I played a Chinese LTD this weekend and, apart from the setup being a bit off (strings way too high for starters) it was a very nice guitar.
Edwards has a very solid reputation. I am going to buy an Edwards Schenker V off a friend. I'll be very curious to see how she holds up.
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it suits you actually. i can see you on stage rocking that. 8)
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it suits you actually. i can see you on stage rocking that. 8)
haha. cheers!. Hopefully I can get some pics of it in action soon.
I need to set the intonation on it but I wanted to settle when I have some free time and spend a while doing that while relaxing.
I didn't much like the pickups it came with. The bridge felt brittle and didn't feel like it had much low end. The nailbombs make it RIP!
I'd really like one of those Navigator les pauls... but that isn't a budget instrument.
Black Customs are actually my least favourite customs. I used to really like the Tabacco Burst, if a cherry burst is quite dark (like my LPC) then its cool, I don't like a bright cherry burst. white is possibly my least favourite. The black customs are ok but I take each as they come. Some with witch hat knobs and particular aesthetics just look bad, while others although very similar, look nice.
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it suits you actually. i can see you on stage rocking that. 8)
haha. cheers!. Hopefully I can get some pics of it in action soon.
I need to set the intonation on it but I wanted to settle when I have some free time and spend a while doing that while relaxing.
I didn't much like the pickups it came with. The bridge felt brittle and didn't feel like it had much low end. The nailbombs make it RIP!
I'd really like one of those Navigator les pauls... but that isn't a budget instrument.
Black Customs are actually my least favourite customs. I used to really like the Tabacco Burst, if a cherry burst is quite dark (like my LPC) then its cool, I don't like a bright cherry burst. white is possibly my least favourite. The black customs are ok but I take each as they come. Some with witch hat knobs and particular aesthetics just look bad, while others although very similar, look nice.
the zebra pickups and the tail piece give it an edge.
agree witch hat knobs don't look so well with LP customs. however, they look great on Vs (possibly the only guitar the do work on).
i also dislike an intense cherry-burst! not sure what my favourite LP colour is.
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(a) The ones Rich Tone Music are selling now in the UK have a little silver "Made in Japan" sticker on the back of the headstock. All the ones I've bought from Japan didn't have any kind of country of manufacture marking at all.
(b) I think Edwards is a relatively new brand - only going back to the early/mid '90s maybe? The oldest Edwards guitars I've seen on eBay were original designs rather than Gibson/Fender copies - maybe those were 100% made in Japan (and stamped MIJ)?
One of my Juniors doesn't have a serial number so I assume it's relatively old, it feels a bit different from the newer ones but I'd guess it's still a China-Japan collaboration. I've seen serial numbers going back to '04 or '05 for sure, so mine's probably just a bit older than that.
(a) yeah that might be it. mine was from japan too.
(b) yeah, i think so. when i said "older", i meant "older than mine". :lol:
I see your point about the JB, but if they put in a 59 some folks would complain about the lack of output I suppose :wink:
well... sure. But I mean les pauls, sgs and the like are "meant" to have lower output, paf-type pickups. I'm not saying everyone who buys a lp wants vintage output pickups, but you can't really complain if it does have them. Whereas if you're buying an LP you probably are sorta justified in wondering why it has a hair metal-voiced pickup in the bridge position (and i like hair metal!).
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I see your point about the JB, but if they put in a 59 some folks would complain about the lack of output I suppose :wink:
well... sure. But I mean les pauls, sgs and the like are "meant" to have lower output, paf-type pickups. I'm not saying everyone who buys a lp wants vintage output pickups, but you can't really complain if it does have them. Whereas if you're buying an LP you probably are sorta justified in wondering why it has a hair metal-voiced pickup in the bridge position (and i like hair metal!).
It's funny, the sunburst V I had (which was based on a Gibson Custom Shop guitar, a non-vintage design) had a Custom 5 rather than the JB in bridge position. It was pretty good actually, if a little too bright and piercing.
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haha, yeah, even one of the customs would be better, if only by dint of the fact it's not a jb :lol:
I haven't tried the V, but i've tried the other two customs and they were some of the better duncans... they'd be a step in the right direction, certainly. would possibly cover those people sancho said would be complaining about too little output, while being a bit more classic-sounding and versatile than the jb.
Actually I never know whether the JB is everywhere because the perception is that it's the best all-round pickup, or if it's just that they get them cheaper the more they buy.
But either way it doesn't really suit me... :lol:
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I usually like the JB, but in some guitars it can sound a bit harsh.
But I agree it's a bit annoying that it's the standard passive stock pickup for most manufacturers. It's like you get a choice between a JB and an EMG 81...
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I usually like the JB, but in some guitars it can sound a bit harsh.
But I agree it's a bit annoying that it's the standard passive stock pickup for most manufacturers. It's like you get a choice between a JB and an EMG 81...
Yeah, they sit in a lot of guitars and those pu's are not my fav's at all. Doesn't mean they don't work for other players.
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I haven't tried the V, but i've tried the other two customs and they were some of the better duncans... they'd be a step in the right direction, certainly. would possibly cover those people sancho said would be complaining about too little output, while being a bit more classic-sounding and versatile than the jb.
I've always found the Duncan Custom, Custom Custom and Custom 5 quite fascinating - basically exactly the same pickup with three different magnets, and they really do sound totally different!
I don't think any other manufacturer has done the same thing. Of course it's a cheap way of making three pickups - not much R&D required! :lol:
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Custom Custom? what a terrible name!
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Custom Custom? what a terrible name!
Yeah, but it's a pretty cool pickup. I have it in a Charvel and it really delivers in that guitar. A very big sound, but doesn't quite cut through the mix like a JB.
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I usually like the JB, but in some guitars it can sound a bit harsh.
But I agree it's a bit annoying that it's the standard passive stock pickup for most manufacturers. It's like you get a choice between a JB and an EMG 81...
yeah, very annoying.
I mean, I can understand, maybe that's what most people want.
However, I'd be dubious about their logic- people like us on forums are generally buying way more guitars than the average guitarist who maybe has one guitar... i'm not sure they should be catering for the guitarist with one guitar, when people like us are buying way more. the odds might even skew in our favour (not in terms of numbers of guitarists, but in terms of numbers of guitars bought).
I've always found the Duncan Custom, Custom Custom and Custom 5 quite fascinating - basically exactly the same pickup with three different magnets, and they really do sound totally different!
I don't think any other manufacturer has done the same thing. Of course it's a cheap way of making three pickups - not much R&D required! :lol:
yeah :lol:
I keep hearing rumours that the JB and distortion are the same but for the magnet, but they're from people online who I wouldn't necessarily consider to be a 100 reliable source, and I haven't been able to corroborate it myself.
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I keep hearing rumours that the JB and distortion are the same but for the magnet, but they're from people online who I wouldn't necessarily consider to be a 100 reliable source, and I haven't been able to corroborate it myself.
Never heard that before! But looking at the specs, DC resistances are quoted as 16.4 and 16.6 respectively, so if it's the same kind of wire in the coils I guess that rumour is true! :D
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whoops, left out the percentage sign :oops: hopefully you knew what i meant, though.
Would the same wire and same resistance necessarily mean the same pickup? (not saying you're wrong, merely pointing out that I don't know :lol: )
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Would the same wire and same resistance necessarily mean the same pickup? (not saying you're wrong, merely pointing out that I don't know :lol: )
Not necessarily, but it's likely - the DC resistance depends on the length and thickness of the wire, so if both of those are the same the only other variable is the magnet(s).
There are a couple of other possibilities of course - one might be scatterwound, the other not (although I don't think Duncan use scatterwinding). Or one pickup might have a big "offset" between the coils, like a VHII or DiMarzio Fred, so they'd have the same total DCR but sound quite different (even with the same magnets).
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yeah, i guess so.
can't the winding patterns affect things, though?
also (and this is way off the thread, apologies for sorta hijacking it) how do you affect the tone of a pickup?
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Just wanted to say, im loving this guitar. the lack of a volute is taking me a bit of getting used to, and i can see the details that make the gibson more expensive, but this thing rocks. Still a good weight, so my 'les bump' on my left shoulder is still getting a workout.
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also (and this is way off the thread, apologies for sorta hijacking it) how do you affect the tone of a pickup?
Type of wire
Type of magnet
Coil winding patterns (scatterwinding, uniform winding)
Tightness/looseness of winding
Offsets between the coils
Polepiece material
Polepiece shape
Space between magnets and polepieces (eg DiMarzio Airbuckers)
Covers in general
Cover thickness/plating
Potting
Baseplate material
That's probably about it! :lol:
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Just wanted to say, im loving this guitar. the lack of a volute is taking me a bit of getting used to, and i can see the details that make the gibson more expensive, but this thing rocks. Still a good weight, so my 'les bump' on my left shoulder is still getting a workout.
Excellent! Sorry we've been hijacking the thread! :lol:
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hah nah its cool.
Pickups wise this had an SH-1n in the neck and an SH-4 in the bridge.
It felt weak and brittle when I played it out the box compared to my Nailbomb equipped LPC.
The Charvel I have had a JB. It's wasn't that bad but i wasn't 100% comfortable with it.
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thanks philly :lol: