GASsing for - Yamaha SGV "Flying Samurai"

[Philly Q]

It's a cool guitar, there's a nice visual balance about the shape I think.  And interesting choice of pickups!

[gwEm]

It's a cool guitar, there's a nice visual balance about the shape I think.  And interesting choice of pickups!

thanks philly!!

the area 67 was in a way a no-brainer, i wanted some hum cancelling single coils and i liked all the clips of that pickup i've heard. its certainly a hum cancelling single coil that gets pretty hendrixy - like dimarzio say.

you've probably tried a few hum cancelling single coils in your time philly. these are my first set. they do react very strangely, but the tone and note definition is good.

with the injector, i just took a gamble. jonathan had an area 67 lying round, but neither of us were sure what would be the best in the bridge. even if i don't like the injector clips on the net too much, it was clear it could definitely do metal and hard rock. if i'd have had more time i wanted to experiment further. they've done a good job on the injector. its good and gutsy, its almost like they've played up to the slightly weird character of the hum cancelling single coil design and just made a cool pickup out of it. was worried it would be too thick, but its just right. both pickups are good and bright, and cut through my electronics without problems. i wonder about an injector in the neck too, but this combo is fine and i see no reason to change it.

[Philly Q]

you've probably tried a few hum cancelling single coils in your time philly. these are my first set. they do react very strangely, but the tone and note definition is good.

I have tried loads!  

I do get what people mean about them not sounding like "real" single-coils, but (as I've said many times), a pickup can sound good without sounding exactly like a '57 Strat.

How would you describe the "strangeness"?  To me, they sound pretty much like single-coils clean, but with distortion  they seem to get a bit more humbuckerish.  Which is good, IMO.


 

[gwEm]

there's a nice visual balance about the shape I think. 

theres physical balance too.. first show I used it, i put my foot on the monitor during my solo, and slipped on some beer. i fell off the stage completely and landed on my ar$e in front of it! the guitar was still the in perfect playing position, and whats more the note i'd played just before was still ringing out. i took this as a good sign!

[gwEm]

you've probably tried a few hum cancelling single coils in your time philly. these are my first set. they do react very strangely, but the tone and note definition is good.

I have tried loads!  

I do get what people mean about them not sounding like "real" single-coils, but (as I've said many times), a pickup can sound good without sounding exactly like a '57 Strat.

How would you describe the "strangeness"?  To me, they sound pretty much like single-coils clean, but with distortion  they seem to get a bit more humbuckerish.  Which is good, IMO.

well, for me i think they don't sound that single-coily, or even that nice when completely clean. they are good to go though. however, with the merest whiff of overdrive they start to sound very convincing - the area 67 in particular is very hendrix like as i mentioned before. then with more hard rock or metal levels of drive they change again - the top end rolls off, and they fatten up, but with a tight low end, and very good note definition - ideal for power chord work and cutting leads. humbuckerish as you say, but i think they have their own thing going on too. its like theres three 'modes' to them if you see what i mean - an 'ok' clean, convincing vintage like breakup tones, and rich medium to high gain sounds.

[Philly Q]

That's a good description!

[gwEm]

heres a better picture:

[Philly Q]

What's the tremolo system like?  Much as I dislike trems, I think it looks cool as hell!  :)

[gwEm]

What's the tremolo system like?  Much as I dislike trems, I think it looks cool as hell!  :)

the tremolo systems not quite the same as on vintage models - it is a bearing based trem like the originals, but this reissue has a strat-like trem cavity, which the originals didn't have. the feel is light, like a kahler.

the other SGVs (vintage and reissue) I've tried had trem systems which returned very well to center. thats the one bad thing about this particular example, because even though it plays very nicely the trem system was pretty gunked up and so it didn't return to true.

anyway, i cleaned it all out, but due to the design of this reissue, it only has 2 strat type springs, so its not enough for the 11s i play with. i'm sure if i put a lower gauge on it then it would work well though.

honestly, i'd prefer a fixed bridge of some kind - but the trem /does/ indeed look very cool  :D

[gwEm]

in case people wonder what happened to this one, here you can see a complete set recorded with my charming lady collaborator and me playing said guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58E6D15E6E74EC74

some (very) shonky playing and blatant uli roth lick theft, but you get the point :)

...i kind of prefer it to a V  :o

[sgmypod]

Tried one of these in electromusic (think is still for sale) love the odd look hated everything else. But each to ther own.