It's the first single-pickup guitar I've ever owned. I was a little concerned when I was trying it because it was quite "spikey" sounding for me at first. OK on a bridge pickup for me, but with no switch to a neck or middle (both of which I'm used to using a lot) available, I was feeling a little "am I going to be able to make this work for me?".
After I'd decided to buy, we immediately switched the 10s that were on it for my usual 11s, that improved it in my hands. But we were still wondering about "live with it for a few days - we can swap the AV pickup for an AII".
But it turns out there was no need to worry - the AV works fine for me on my amps. And now I've resoldered the tone so it's modern rather than 50s wiring, it's even better - biting, chunky, cutting, warm, whatever I want it to be using the volume and tone. I'm almost getting used to one pickup!
I stuck with the 50s for a few days, and then got the soldering iron out to see what the difference was. WOO!! I really don't like the effect that 50s wiring has on a volume control. I can see now why many people like it, but it seems to make me feel like the pickups are thinner sounding and weedier than I want (same effect as a treble bleed circuit has on me - I replaced a Baja Tele's pickups before I realised it was a treble bleed not weedy pickups). I end up having to have the volume control on full all the time with 50s, with modern I'm able to use the volume control like I want... the exact opposite of what folks who like 50s say about it!
I might yet swap the log volume pot out for a linear because I much prefer how linear works for what I want on a volume control. That's actually more important for me on a twin pickup/volume guitar, but with my amps I'm used to going down to 3-4 before I get the effect that 7-8 gives on log pots.
Set-up wise, I had to raise the action quite a bit - it will go a LOT lower than I can cope with! lol
Like gwEm says, it's REALLY resonant and lively acoustically. You can get quite a snap out of it, playing it like a tele. Treat it like a Les Paul and it does just what you'd expect. Very very versatile guitar.
Loving it. It seems to get better each day.
