Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: gwEm on March 06, 2013, 09:25:49 PM
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heres what a change in scratchplate and pickup configuration can do.
the neck is a creamery modern 58, as lengthily discussed with philly q on another thread.
feels like a different guitar! bridge is still a BKP VH2.
the change has been inspired by the blacktop fender range and the new fender marauder. actually the jazzmaster neck pickup is working rather nicely with the VH2, particularly the in between position.
the body was routed for two humbuckers, and modding it for the jazzmaster neck was a bit of a sod. i used a chisel for this, and my technique could have been better - i put a nasty gouge in the top of the guitar! i wish i had gone to get Feline to do it :( however, i stuck the gouged bit back on and touched up the cracks, and its not too bad in fact since it is covered mostly by the scratchplate.
the fixed bridge changes the sound from the classic jazzmaster i think, i hear the string vibration behind the strings has an effect on the sound, and also the bridge deadens sustain. none of that here! the sustain is very good, but there is alot of routing under the scratch plate as with any jazzmaster, and the vibration doesn't transfer too much to the rear of the guitar - the upper horn vibrates loads though.
the vh2 i'm sure sounds a bit different now. the guitar looks less aggressive which leads to a perception difference, but i'm sure with one pickup it was more lively. the general tone of the vh2 is unchanged though - fendery treble, strong bass, not too many mids, generally a hotish PAF tone.
attached some before and after pics
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It looks great. It also looks like its travelled about 30 years back in time too, given the slightly hair metal quality of its former self. I like both configurations but I'm interested in what you say about the change in tone on the VHII.
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It looks great. It also looks like its travelled about 30 years back in time to given the slightly hair metal quality of its former self. I like both configurations but I'm interested in what you say about the change in tone on the VHII.
i kinda miss having the single pickup hair metal guitar now ;) but the extra versatility of the jazzmaster neck is the benefit. (i still have a neon yellow single pickup V for hair metal moments)
other players have noticed a single pickup configuration seems to give a livelier/rauchier guitar. i would agree based on this, the vh2 still sounds great of course but the guitar has lost a bit of "rawkness"
more questions are posed than answers: do i do another single pickup superstrat-type guitar? what does a jazzmaster bridge pickup sound like?
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more questions are posed than answers: do i do another single pickup superstrat-type guitar? what does a jazzmaster bridge pickup sound like?
You clearly need to get a Kramer Pacer and put a Jazzmaster pickup in it. That would confuse people to death I'd imagine.
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I like the new look! :)
other players have noticed a single pickup configuration seems to give a livelier/rauchier guitar. i would agree based on this, the vh2 still sounds great of course but the guitar has lost a bit of "rawkness"
I do wonder if that's a real difference (due to magnetic string pull, extra wiring in the cavity, or whatever) or just psychological.... but there is something magical about single-pickup guitars (Juniors in my case!). Not having other pickups to flick over to gives a feeling of freedom, I think.... you try to squeeze what sounds you can out of it, and even if they don't always work, you've done your best!
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more questions are posed than answers: do i do another single pickup superstrat-type guitar? what does a jazzmaster bridge pickup sound like?
You clearly need to get a Kramer Pacer and put a Jazzmaster pickup in it. That would confuse people to death I'd imagine.
ha! :) funny you should say that but the creamery do a 16.5k jazzmaster pickup and warmoth have recently started doing neon painted bodies.
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I like the new look! :)
:D
I do wonder if that's a real difference (due to magnetic string pull, extra wiring in the cavity, or whatever) or just psychological....
hard to say, but even if its just psychological its "real" for a player i guess
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I think that looks infinitely nicer. Great call.
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So the new look is with the white pickguard and two pups right?
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So the new look is with the white pickguard and two pups right?
yes, thats right
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Great, because it looks very very nice now! :D Just perfect!
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Lovely guitar now!
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That looks really nice!
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nice work, that looks very nice (and very different, as you said). :)