It was the heat of the moment - Yamaha custom shop content

[gwEm]

Yes, it's a new guitar day. Apparently this guitar was made in 2001 for Vinny Burns of Asia and Dare. It's got a mahogany neck and body.

I already have a lower end SGV which I've become quite fond of since its feels great on stage - easy playing with perfect balance.

This has the same qualities and its been beautifully made I have to say. The feel of the neck is very vintage Gibson, it's meant to have been copied from the original owners favourite 70s Les Paul. I'd prefer it to be a bit more Fendery, but no doubt its a good neck.

Regulars here will know there are a number of key changes I am about to make to this guitar before I start using it seriously.

[PhilKing]

Interesting guitar Gareth,  and easy to change the pickups!  It would be nice to see how much it differs from the other you have and the one I have here. 

[Philly Q]

Regulars here will know there are a number of key changes I am about to make to this guitar before I start using it seriously.

No serious butchery, though, I hope....

I like these models, the shape and the weird elongated headstock shouldn't work but they really do!  Not usually fond of gold hardware either, but it looks good on this guitar.  :D

Was it a bargain price?

[gwEm]

Thanks for the comments gents.

It's loaded with a Duncan 59 in the neck and a Distortion in bridge. I was sceptical of this combination, but in fact they work very nicely in the guitar.

The gold hardware works nicely with the black finish I agree.

But I did have some slightly radical plans in mind. I want to refin the body in Olympic white, and fit different styles of pickups. I'd certainly like a strat neck pickup and am pondering the bridge. A P90 would sound great I think, but I wonder about the visual impact of that combo. Then there is the question of pickguard material. Any thoughts on these plans?

I'm happy with the deal that was struck, considering the quality of the instrument - it's got that high end feeling.

[Philly Q]

Ooooh....... seems a shame to refinish it, IMO.  :(

I think the P-90 plus Strat pickup combo would work, sonically and visually.  If the covers were the same colour as the scratchplate they'd "disappear" from a distance, anyway (should you choose that approach).

Black pearl scratchplate with the white finish, maybe?  But I still prefer it as it is.



I've only just got the "Heat of the Moment" joke, by the way.  :oops:

[dave_mc]

very nice :D

p90 and strat neck pickup should work ok tonally, i think (i have a p90/s/s fret king superstrat), but whether it looks as good as the humbuckers, i dunno. the look does "work" at the moment (but may well with p90/s too).

[gwEm]

I just wonder if the p90 looks a bit chunky compared to the genteel strat pickup

[gwEm]

Ooooh....... seems a shame to refinish it, IMO.  :(

I agree to a certain extent, but I've always thought black guitars usually look naff onstage  :?

[Philly Q]

I agree to a certain extent, but I've always thought black guitars usually look naff onstage  :?

I think you just need an outfit the black guitar would stand out against...

[Andrew W]

I really like that guitar a lot. You bought another, yellow one if I remember right, previously? Very cool. I must be honest and say I think I'm with Philly on the colour, I really like this one as it is. If you did change to Olympic white, what would you do with the headstock? Keep as is or white to match?

Also, when are you going to fit the Kahler?

[gwEm]

Philly:  :lol: I did an all white stage costume a couple of times, it works well but gets dirty within a few hours

Andrew: that calls for a family photo! In fact the headstock angle is larger on the new black one which surprised me. Playing them back to back acoustically and the black guitar is superior, more sustain and liveliness.

The yellow one is my favourite stage guitar, currently loaded with a dimarzio area 67 in the neck and an SDS in the bridge. The 67 is good, and I like the SDS too, but the top end is rolled off a bit too much and it's a little too compressed. The neck pickup is a smidgen brighter than the bridge which is very handy live with the music I make.

If I do the Olympic white refin, I'd keep the headstock and neck black I think.

The original pickups on these things were quite funny looking but fitted the look of the guitar well - kind of a cross between a P90 and a Jaguar pickup.

Great suggestion on the Kahler! Why didn't I think of that? :-P errmmm...

[MrBump]

I just wonder if the p90 looks a bit chunky compared to the genteel strat pickup

Oooh, that looks fab!

For some reason your Yamaha reminds me of this Dali painting...

[Philly Q]

I just wonder if the p90 looks a bit chunky compared to the genteel strat pickup

No, I think it looks good.

I do think it would look even better with a P-90 and two Strat pickups, but I'm assuming that's not what you want to do.

[dave_mc]

I just wonder if the p90 looks a bit chunky compared to the genteel strat pickup

yeah. fwiw i think it looks ok in an p90/S/S setting (maybe because we're used seeing so many HSS guitars?), but yeah with just the single p90 and neck strat single it looks a bit sparse or something.

then again, HS looks pretty good so I dunno. :lol: I guess do some mockups in MS paint or something like that, that's what i always do :lol:

[msplines]

What about a humbucker sized P90 if you are worried about the bulk?