Classic Rock conversion

[Kiichi]

I think we do think similar....too similar. I too wish to own a nice Les Paul one day  ( well, two, preferably one normal and one custom made with 7 strings and chambering). And I also wish every guitar of mine, with every switch position to have a own flavour.
Also your kid analogy is nice. But I feel like I need to get a kid to be able to handle its own before I get a new one. I only move on to new guitars if I am satisfied with the way the old ones are. Might be me, but when I think like: " Hey my Ibbie doesn´t sound good....oohhh there´s a semihollow telecaster with P90s..." I first switch the Ibbie pubs, because of my relationship with it and because it might just lay around after buying the new axe, cause I don´t feel it has any use (same reason I don´t want 2 guitars sounding alike).
Plus I so far always after switching PUs felt like I had a new guitar alltogether, like a kid jumping from infant  to graduate (not in a sentimental, in a good way), where you wonder how that could have once been the same person.

If you feel ok with what you have go for a new guitar and sort out which that might be.
If you´re not comfortable with what you have, feel like you don´t like to play one of your axes, have it just sitting around cause it sounds bad, but somehow still love it, concider upgrading that one. It could be like teaching your kid how to ride a bike.

Play what you have, really listen and then listen to what your heart says.

Again, my view only.



Btw, your way might have been more extreme, but still I think that this thing in red http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-S570B does not exactly scream "classic rock" at you.

[ztikmaen]

Lol, yeah I guess that guitar is still a modern axe. (Not anymore I'm guessing :D)
But I love the way you described it. You should write an story about my life! ^_^
It makes sense what you said. I still like my first guitar, BUT. It seems like it's overall quality has let it down and even though I've taken good care of it, it's starting to fall to pieces. The neck is warped, the electronics dying, and it feels like it's beyond saving. If it was in better shape I would have considered it making it my beloved Frankenstein haha

This is how I feel about my guitars.
MIA Standard Telecaster: My first properly good guitar that could stand it's own against pro level guitars. May not be super pricey but it's quality is good and it's a true and proper guitar. Love the slab-sidedness of it (although the 3 tone sunburst doesn't really make this feature stand out :/) This guitar SEEMS to be the perfect kid that creates no problems but doesn't seem to have much character because it's just good, it has no real problems.

Ibanez RG370DX: I bought this guitar purely for looks if I'm honest. I didn't expect/want to associate myself with metal music (Not that I dislike it, but people expect me to play it and now how to shred). I was very taken aback in the store when I heard the clean sounds, I really liked it! I thought it would be a one trick pony. But at the time I had Floyd Rose bridges in my things to have in a guitar. Now that I've blocked it up, it's been a LOT easier to live with. I need to raise the action a bit because the strings are buzzing a bit. But everytime I sit down next to it, I want to play it despite knowing that it's shortcomings would affect tone in some way. But I have reverse-placebo effects when I play it. It sounds good and it surprises me that despite all this is sounded nice. The only thing I don't really like is the bridge pickup I suppose. But if I replace one pickup, I may as well replace the others otherwise it may feel incomplete...

Then after that I can turn my attention to building a relationship with my Perfect son/Tele and replace it's pickups (saying that in the same sentence feels weird) Hopefully I can get some nice character out of it. Buying the MIA Tele reminds me of my Dad buying his first Upper-class European car.

What are your opinions on the Gibson Les Paul Studio 60s Tribute? It has P90s.

Also, should I upgrade the Ibbie's pickups (all) or upgrade both the Teles and the Bridge PU of the Ibbie (The bridge is the one that doesnt sound as good clean as the others)

[Telerocker]

The Gibson Les Paul Tribute 1960 is affordable and has p90's. You could put in some Nantuckets or Supermassives.

[ztikmaen]

Good idea. But now I have a dilemma! (Not again...)
After more thinking (yes...) I realized that I will never REALLY be satisfied with my Ibbie 370DX, not as my main Humbucker guitar anyway. Maybe it could one day be my soloing guitar with hot pickups.

It's very hard to sell because when I bought it it new it was NZ$1200. But now it's NZ$800 or so... So we could only sell it for about $600 which is practically nothing. The memories of the guitar are worth more than $600.

But I really want a nice Honeyburst Humbucker Les Paul at some stage. But, I can't find a Gibson model that does that. There is the Studio Fade but it's finish is not very classic looking. Doesn't look typical Gibson. So the alternative is still the Les Paul Studio 50s/60s Tribute. NOW.

How big of a sound difference is there between P90s and Humbuckers/Single Coils? If they could sound like Humbuckers, maybe this could be my replacement in some aspects. Just needs replace the pickups perhaps. Then at some point I may make the Ibbie my soloing guitar as I said. I played my Tele and I think it's nice as is. I would probably keep the stock pickups in the Gibson if it were Burstbuckers maybe, but from what I've heard the P90s are too hot to sound authentic.

Main questions:
a) How close can a BKP P90 come to covering Humbucker tones, Classic rock voicing? Clean? (Without losing P90 essence)
b) Which BKP P90 is most vintage voiced? And can handle old school drive while retaining nice cleans too? Needs to compliment a Tele and a soloing superstrat

[Telerocker]

P90's have more hum then humbuckers and a clearer voice, but enough fatness to growl. What you describe is the Nantucket, the P90-sound of the old Gibson Les Paul juniors en specials. They will provice good cleans too.

[ztikmaen]

Okay. So hypothetically I have a single coil, P90, and Humbucker guitar. If I have a vintage voiced P90 guitar and a typical Tele sound with a Modernish Humbucker guitar, would that cover my bases? Could I mistake a P90 for a humbucker? Does a P90 sound more like a humbucker than a single coil? Because if the Gibson becomes my main axe, it should be able to cover a lot I guess. Do you think I'll still be thinking of a humbucker Les Paul if I have a good P90 one? I remember playing on my friend's cheap P90 guitar and it sounded pretty unique and awesome. Had this creamy bell like tone. I want that, but with enough power to carry it through sustained single notes too. So I guess I want a hot vintage P90

[Telerocker]

P90's are big fat single coils, that - bec of the bigger magnet - sound way fuller then normal single coils with remained clarity. I love them for classic rock and hardrock, but you can play a lot of styles with P90's. Theu have character and punch. If you can live with a but more hum then hb's have, look at them.

[ztikmaen]

Okay I think I will then. I'm looking at the Blue Note, Nantucket, and Supermassive. I need a versatile pickup with oomph and some humbucker-ish sounds. Kinda like a P90-Humbucker hybrid sound I guess... Well it needs enough oomph.

[Telerocker]

The Supermassives have oomph. They are designed for modern rockguitarists and sound more modern voiced and compressed then the Nantuckets. They have a lot more mids and bass then the more vintagesounding Nantuckets and can handle a lot of preamp gain. The Blue Notes are alnico II and provice softer bass. Great for fusion and jazz, but not what you are looking for. I think the Supermassive are a dynamic alternative for any vintagehot humbucker. Don't forget that the big single coil in a P90 can provide huge massive tones. Bec they sound so open and dynamic, they will impress you. Listen some clips.

[ztikmaen]

The Supermassives have oomph. They are designed for modern rockguitarists and sound more modern voiced and compressed then the Nantuckets. They have a lot more mids and bass then the more vintagesounding Nantuckets and can handle a lot of preamp gain. The Blue Notes are alnico II and provice softer bass. Great for fusion and jazz, but not what you are looking for. I think the Supermassive are a dynamic alternative for any vintagehot humbucker. Don't forget that the big single coil in a P90 can provide huge massive tones. Bec they sound so open and dynamic, they will impress you. Listen some clips.

I wis they uploaded all pickups with Classic Rock soundclips haha xD
So what do you think of the Nantucket? I guess I want the Abraxas of P90s. Powerful enough with vintage voice. Also what I'm doing now is also looking at second hand Gibsons. I would even mind a Humbucking one, as long as the condition is good and it looks nice. For Humbuckers I'd upgrade to Abraxas. For Single Coils I'll go with Irish Tours. For P90s I'd probably go with a Supermassive, Nantucket, or a Bluenote. How do Nantuckets do with overdrive?

[Telerocker]

Nantuckets will drive well. Listen to original version of Bryan Adams 'Run to You'. That's a Les Paul Junior. If you're after something with more hair like Matt Bellamy's sound (Muse) the Supermassive are the best choiche.

[ztikmaen]

Ok cool. What would sound like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhnUGAPJooU&feature=related

[Telerocker]

Ok cool. What would sound like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhnUGAPJooU&feature=related

ahh, you found PhilX.. :-)  For this you need the Nantucket.

watch this: Van Halen Eruption on a 1958 Les Paul Junior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLiD-Rp1E1Q

[ztikmaen]

Yes, now I really love the P90 tone! It has the good sides of single and humbucker. (By the way, Phil X is crazy! Lol)
So this is what I've been thinking

Possible things to do:
•Get a Gibson Les Paul Studio 60s Tribute and upgrade Ibanez to Solo guitar ($1900 + $453 = $2353)
 ($1900 + ($583) = $2483)
•Get Gibson Les Paul Studio 60s Tribute, upgrade Tele, and upgrade Ibanez to solo guitar. ($1900) + ($290 + $583 = $873) = $2773
•Get Gibson Studio Les Paul 60s Tribute and upgrade pickups. At a later date upgrade the Ibanez to solo guitar. ($1900) + ($300 + $583 = $883) = $2783
These are in NZ dollars

The thing is, I think I'll see my guitars completely differently after the pickup change. They would have world class tone so each would be unique and excel. The Tele would have that great single coil bite and snap with extra juice, the Gibson would have a nice round, creamy tone with definition to go with it, and the Ibanez would be a versatile guitar with extra power in case. The Irish Tour would give it that much more range in tone.

I'll have to see how good the standard P90s are on the Gibson. I do think the standard Fender pickups are true to that Tele tone, hopefully the P90s can do decently too. The Ibbie's pickups arent too bad, but having a Humbucking guitar sorted would be a big relief.
So the real choice is whether to upgrade the Gibson first or the Tele first. I haven't actually played the Gibson yet, hopefully it will sound good stock. I would love to upgrade the Tele. I think I might need time to settle in with the Gibson anyway.

[Telerocker]

You told me you like the Ibbie to play, so upgrade that one first.