NGD - A wood-c--ktail

[Kiichi]

Ok, yes, I am far beyond the point of being able to justify my guitar collection. I think I am just gonna stop calling myself a guitarist and just say that I am a tone collector...

Anyways, few hours ago my newest piece arrived, and it is kinda crazy in some ways.
It was advertised as a one off show off guitar by a big Korean manufacturer that was made for NAMM. I actually think this is true, but canīt be certain. Just got it on evilbay cause I liked it....it just pulled me in.

The crazy (or at least unusual) is in the specs:
-5 piece maple and mahagony neck through
-Ash wings
-Madagascar ebony top and bottom
-Ebony fingerboard

Wilkinson knife-edge trem
HSH Combo
24 frets Fender scale

Now sides the wood the second crazy (and cool) thing is in the wiring:
5 way switch
2 tone pots
1 Volume pot that is a push pull, when pulled adds a boost (9v battery based)
1 Blend pot that controlls the coil split

How I like it? Well, it playes nicely though the action is too low for my taste. Allows for very nice legato play, but when I wanne bend stuff it is really hard.
The trem seems fun, though it can only really go down, unlike my Ibanez ZR (I like to pull that stuff up). (Though I need lubricant for the G string...got some Nut Sauce incoming though as recommended by Jonathan).
The strings are coated so that is iritating too.
More on playability soon, just got it.

The pubs are suprisingly good too. Only tried them clean so far and they were pretty good. Lacked a lot of mojo, character or what you will, but did not sound bad or anything. Wonder if they hold up with drive. Also the boost and the coil split is really cool, I will definetly keep that.



Would like some advice though: Does anyone know if I can change the action on such a trem?

And the wiring is strange in 2 positions. 1 and 5 are not just the selected HB but also one coil of the other one (so neck + the coil with pole pieces from the bridge), if I am not horribly mistaken. All is fine when I coilsplit.
Anyone have an idea how to fix this and leave all else like it is? (Can post gut shot after work)



And pics, since it did happen:

[WezV]

You can raise the action of the whole trem using the two pivot posts - unscrew them slightly

you can then tweak it for each string using the saddles. to raise the action of the saddles you have to loosen the bigger screw in the middle of the saddle before using the pair of little grub screws to set the height - then retighten the big screw.

you have a lot of options with wiring schemes on that - best to decide what you want it to do first as it will probably be possible

[Philly Q]

Interesting!  :D

I'm never quite sure whether I actually like these "furniture" guitars, but I do like seeing the different timbers combined together with the multi-laminate neck and multi-layered body, then all elegantly carved.  It's a nice piece of craftsmanship, whether it's a guitar, a bass or whatever.

[dave_mc]

very nice :)

[Kiichi]

It's a nice piece of craftsmanship

And the best thing is it cost me 250 quid. Seeing it in person and feeling the weight and such makes me say that it was a good price.

And yeah, I just love wood to death, I am a real forest person.

Thing is with this many woods I donīt quite know if Ben can give me a proper estimate on what PUs I should get for this one. Currently thinking with such bright woods I might get a HD set...then I just need a nice middle...


@WezV: Thanks! So it is as I thought. I am new to this kind of trem and it looked odd at first sight, was not 100% it could even be raised.

About the wiring:
I basecally wanne keep the current wiring but get rid of the oddity.
To me a normal wiring on a five way switch wiring would be: neck / neck + middle / middle / bridge + middle / bridge
That is what I want, with that one pot being able to split the HBs so you have neck split / neck split + middle / etc.
Thing is on this one the first and last position, which should just be one HB alone it currently adda one coil of the relative other HB. I can not get the HBs alone.

Will do further testing tomorrow, but this is strange.

[Philly Q]

And the best thing is it cost me 250 quid. Seeing it in person and feeling the weight and such makes me say that it was a good price.

Ģ250 sounds a great price for something like this!  When you mention the weight, I'm assuming it's pretty heavy, unless the body is chambered? 

[Telerocker]

Interesting!  :D

I'm never quite sure whether I actually like these "furniture" guitars, but I do like seeing the different timbers combined together with the multi-laminate neck and multi-layered body, then all elegantly carved.  It's a nice piece of craftsmanship, whether it's a guitar, a bass or whatever.

+1. Nice guitar especially for the price, but a bit too late seventies for me.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Pretty cool! Looks like a few of those basses, I think the brand is SDGR?

[WezV]

About the wiring:
I basecally wanne keep the current wiring but get rid of the oddity.
To me a normal wiring on a five way switch wiring would be: neck / neck + middle / middle / bridge + middle / bridge
That is what I want, with that one pot being able to split the HBs so you have neck split / neck split + middle / etc.
Thing is on this one the first and last position, which should just be one HB alone it currently adda one coil of the relative other HB. I can not get the HBs alone.

what do the pots currently do? are any of them push/pulls? can you check what sort of switch is currently in there?

i guess i would be looking at having a volume for each pickup, a master tone - and the switch wired just like a strat one.   maybe with coil splits on each of the humbucker volumes as push/pull pots. 

[Kiichi]

Just raised the action (it is still pretty low I think) and just like the second hand Feline I got it really began to breathe. Plays a lot better now and I think even sounds better.
Really like the neck, it is rather fat but I like it. Also the fretboard somehow feels really thick.

Shame the first run under gain was utterly diappointing. Might just play this one clean until I can afford some BKPs.

Ģ250 sounds a great price for something like this!  When you mention the weight, I'm assuming it's pretty heavy, unless the body is chambered? 

Nothing chambered about this one. Massive chunks of wood here.
Guess it weighs around 9-10 pounds. Only heavier thing I got is the maple / mahagony neck through with mahagony wings Les Paul style axe. That is 1-2 pounds heavier still.

I think I will need some of those broad and soft Richter straps to survive a jam with these^^

Pretty cool! Looks like a few of those basses, I think the brand is SDGR?

Donīt know what SDGR you mean I only found a Ibanez bass under that.
This one is from the house label of the KHL cooperation....dunno who they usually produce for.
The evilbay shop I got this from has a lot more in this style though.

what do the pots currently do? are any of them push/pulls? can you check what sort of switch is currently in there?

i guess i would be looking at having a volume for each pickup, a master tone - and the switch wired just like a strat one.   maybe with coil splits on each of the humbucker volumes as push/pull pots. 

Pot 1: Push Pull master volume with addable boost on pull
Pot 2: blend pot for coil split (splits HBs when rolled down)
Pot 3: Tone for neck and middle
Pot 4: Tone for bridge

Now I just did some furher testing that threw me off. I did the screwdriver on polepiece test yesterday and I got a sound from one of the non active HB coils when selecting a HB.
Keeping in mind the pots 3 and 4 I tried something else. I had e.g. the bridge active and rolled down pot 3, expecting a change in tone...did not happen though.
So the tests contradict each other and I am so confused^^

The wiring you suggest would be nice too, versatile in a different way.
But I actually really like the current one (sides of this odd thing) as it is versatile too and gives me unusual options. Cool splits and a boost to bring the split HBs back up to level? Nice.

Mostly I do not wanne rework the entire thing though^^ I would go nuts I think. Changing the PUs on this will be enough for my right now I guess.
To see what I mean here is a pic of what I am looking at:

[BigB]

Thing is with this many woods I donīt quite know if Ben can give me a proper estimate on what PUs I should get for this one. Currently thinking with such bright woods I might get a HD set...then I just need a nice middle...

You may want to consider Crawlers too.

[Kiichi]

You may want to consider Crawlers too.

I never thought about those....you never ever hear about those it seems, I basecally often forget they exist.
Just read the BKP description again and it even says they split well....darn this will be harder than I thought.
Might be a nice pairing with a Slowhand for the middle I think.

Wish I could get a lot more info on the Crawler though, as you can find loads on the HD, but rarely any on this one.

I guess I will end up with either Crawler or HD though...cause those seem to both go in the direction I want, lot of which is a smooth warm and singing lead tone. Just listened to part of the Flying Colours album and Steve Morses lead sound is beautiful on some songs....I kinda wanne go for something similar.

Well gonna be a bit of time concidering and thinking about where I wanne go with this and how I go there...but this Flying Colours thing might stiq with me Iīm afraid.^^
Gonna drop BKP a message soon and see it from there.

[itamar101]

You may want to consider Crawlers too.

I never thought about those....you never ever hear about those it seems, I basecally often forget they exist.
Just read the BKP description again and it even says they split well....darn this will be harder than I thought.
Might be a nice pairing with a Slowhand for the middle I think.

Wish I could get a lot more info on the Crawler though, as you can find loads on the HD, but rarely any on this one.

I guess I will end up with either Crawler or HD though...cause those seem to both go in the direction I want, lot of which is a smooth warm and singing lead tone. Just listened to part of the Flying Colours album and Steve Morses lead sound is beautiful on some songs....I kinda wanne go for something similar.

Well gonna be a bit of time concidering and thinking about where I wanne go with this and how I go there...but this Flying Colours thing might stiq with me Iīm afraid.^^
Gonna drop BKP a message soon and see it from there.

I've never tried the crawler but for that guitar and the tones you seem to the Holy Diver seems like an amazing choice.
Very versatile and it seems like it would balance out the wide range of woods really nicely.

[Telerocker]

I think the Crawler excels in bolt on ash/alder guitars. It's a pretty versatile pickup for all kinds of music. It's muscular with some PAF-pedigree, round but not dull topend, a superb midgrowl and soft bass and therefore not the tightest in the BKP-range. Splits very well. Single coil sounds still have weight.

[Kiichi]

I think the Crawler excels in bolt on ash/alder guitars. It's a pretty versatile pickup for all kinds of music. It's muscular with some PAF-pedigree, round but not dull topend, a superb midgrowl and soft bass and therefore not the tightest in the BKP-range. Splits very well. Single coil sounds still have weight.

Way you describe it it sound really nice for what I am thinking about right now....exept for the bass. I like fullness and weight from the lower mids but my actual bass not that present. Really love the bass response I get from the MQ neck in my Feline downsized semihollow les paul when clean. Sound so direct lively, full, but not going deep. Crisp and very acoustic. Though I think the guitar does most of the work here.

The crawler neck is not my concern (that much), but on the bridge I think that might put me off (especially since I like to throw in rather many palm mutes on the bridge). Especially since this guitar is neck through which I feel adds low bottom and softens it a bit too.


Then again, I might really like it when it is paired with proper other qualitys and might force me to play differently (in a good way).


But I gotta say I really, really dislike the official soundclips, which has proven to be a good sign^^ The less I like the clips, the more I actually like the PU in the end xD
Though I like the clip WezV posted on youtube, just wish the soundquali was better.
Anyone know any more clips of the Crawler?