Author Topic: Extra pickup to Gibson Melody Maker- stupid idea? (Read 9928 times)

gwEm · « **Reply #15 on:** January 08, 2007, 02:14:37 PM »

customising a melody maker with a big humbucker would certinally be a very 1980s punk thing to do :)

if it was me, i guess i'd try a tapped Pig90 first, as you pointed too. ok, its not a humbucker tone, but its cheap and easy and would certinally make a big difference.

or if i loved the melody maker so much, i'd get another and mod it.

Sifu Ben · « **Reply #16 on:** January 08, 2007, 02:39:49 PM »

What SGs have you played? I find them pretty much the same to play as a '50s profile Les Paul, which is what I'm assuming your MM is (and the neck angle is pretty much identical :? ).
What EXACTLY is it about your MM that you like so much? Do you like a genreous palm filling neck? Is it the fingerboard radius? Is it that you like the tension of the tune-a-matic?
If you like all 3, then maybe a Korean Tokai could be you, if it's a sizeable neck then you can get a really good deal on a Tremonti SE which makes a decent enough platform for pimping, if you like the radius and tune-a-matic, Dean and Washburn do great guitars for the money. Get out there and play some stuff and work out what it is you really want. You really should reconsider the SG, as you should be able to get a second hand SG special for your sort of money.

sambo · « **Reply #17 on:** January 08, 2007, 04:08:10 PM »

thanks for all the replies guys. all really helpful.

and yer i remember asking about a pig90 once... not sure how well theyd cope with the less-heavy stuff though? i have no idea.

gwEm have you ever used one/had any experience of one yourself?

and Ben thanks for the recommendations. as for what i like about the MM... well everything you mentioned really. Looking on the Gibson website, the MM has a 60s slim-taper neck whereas the SG special (is that the one in question? :oops: ) has a 'rounded' neck. also, again from their site, the neck join is at the 19 fret on the SG whereas its at 16 on the les paul... which could explain why i felt the neck weird... (although your probably right about angle... dunno what i was really thinking when i said that... :oops: )

just my odd personal taste i guess....

and as i said before- thanks for the recommendations... I've never tried many dean or washburns, or really considered them for what i want at the moment, so i'll definitely look into them now. and i love my mates Tokai so thats another one to check out.

and its interesting you should mention the Tremonti as when i originally bought the MM, i tried loads of guitars and it came down to those two. Took me ages to decide and i kept switching back and forth, but in the end it was just the fact that the Gibson was more unusual, less 'common', than the PRS which swung it for me. and i hadnt even thought about looking in to one again... which i will now do... so thanks again.

sambo · « **Reply #18 on:** January 08, 2007, 04:10:01 PM »

Quote from: Twinfan

the Gibson 60s Slim Taper neck (or a very close relation).

thats another point in the GS's favour then... they look almost ideal for my needs really... cheers for that.

PhilKing · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2007, 05:21:39 PM »

Hi Sambo,

You already know my opinion of putting a second pickup into Juniors/MM's!!

I have to tell you that I would go for the Gordon Smith. They are really good guitars (as well as being nice guys too). With the option to fit your own BK pickups, I think that it would be the best way to go.

sambo · « **Reply #20 on:** January 08, 2007, 05:39:32 PM »

i see i see...

definitely seems like they could be the way to go then.

only thing is... if i were to get one... id have to wait about 4-5 months wouldnt i?

Twinfan · « **Reply #21 on:** January 08, 2007, 05:53:29 PM »

Unless you buy used and save a few quid ;)

dave_mc · « **Reply #22 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:09:51 PM »

^ Or unless you buy one that's already in stock at a shop. You'd lose the cost of the Gordon Smith pickups, but you'd get it a lot sooner, and also would be able to play with the stock pickups for a while to decide what you wanted the BKP's to do for you.

That shop in London (Musicgorund?) had about 10 in stock (not all the model you're after) when I was there- though Denmark street is rarely the cheapest place to buy gear. Maybe they'd come down though if you pointed out what they were "meant" to go for.

sambo · « **Reply #23 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:23:27 PM »

Quote from: Twinfan

Unless you buy used and save a few quid ;)

indeed.... fancy selling me yours? :lol:

and yer that was my worry Dave... not just losing the ability to swap out the stock pups... but if i ordered it straight from the company id be able to specify every detail that i wanted from their options... like getting it without the scratchplate (if thats possible...?)... and specificying which neck i wanted as apparently they offer a few different types...

i guess it wouldnt be THAT much of a sacrifice to just get one from a shop or used.... but it would be nice to have precisely what i was after... hmm

dave_mc · « **Reply #24 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:36:44 PM »

my guess is try the one in the shop- you may like it enough to buy it, lol. And if you don't, you can tell them what to change about it.

they will let you customise it a bit if you order, but you can't specify like a completely new shape or anything. I'd guess you could specify no pickguard, though.

Philly Q · « **Reply #25 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:39:56 PM »

Quote from: sambo

... but if i ordered it straight from the company id be able to specify every detail that i wanted from their options... like getting it without the scratchplate (if thats possible...?)... and specificying which neck i wanted as apparently they offer a few different types...

I don't think you can specify neck shapes, but you can choose a one-piece maple neck instead of rosewood-on-mahogany. I guess if you were having a guitar built from scratch they might do a slightly different neck shape if you requested it.

They do have quite a lot of options though, including single or double cutaway at no extra charge. And you can supply your own hardware as well as pickups, which is very cool. There isn't a no-scratchplate option but I'm sure they wouldn't mind leaving it off since it saves them money! :D

sambo · « **Reply #26 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:41:16 PM »

lol, yer id want to try one most definitely.

if its supposed to have a neck similar to a 60s slim taper though, and its a flat-bodied single-cutaway.... it has to be faaaairly similar in playability to the Gibson...

and yer there wouldnt be much i would want to change really... just the fine details that it lets you specify on their site... i doubt it would bother me that much not being able to choose... but it would be cool to.

cheers.

Twinfan · « **Reply #27 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:41:42 PM »

Nice try Sambo - I'm not selling either of mine ;)

The only option with necks is wood type I think? Mahogany or cedar are the only choices I believe.

You don't need options anyway - choose a body shape you like from their range, and whether you need 2 pickups or 1. Job done!

sambo · « **Reply #28 on:** January 08, 2007, 06:45:49 PM »

:lol: :D

fair enough, i guess im just being picky...

having thought about everything a lot last night and today a GS-1 single cutaway seems perfect for what i need... dont care about colour/finish just want to find the cheapest one possible :lol:

dont mind buying used either... if anyone has seen one for sale anywhere on the off-chance...?

dave_mc · « **Reply #29 on:** January 08, 2007, 07:58:08 PM »

just to add- Gordon Smith frequently have sales on, if you click on the accessories bit of the website ( http://www.fairplay.demon.co.uk/ ), there are guitars where there's a little scratch or something like that- you can frequently save around £100.

Again, that might be academic, because the amount you'd save by ordering one and switching pickups would be, yep, around £95, but you would be able to get it now. And it'd have less use on it than a second-hand example. You are a bit tied down by what's available, though- but I guess it's worth a mouse click, lol.

Quote from: sambo

:lol: :D

fair enough, i guess im just being picky...

having thought about everything a lot last night and today a GS-1 single cutaway seems perfect for what i need... dont care about colour/finish just want to find the cheapest one possible :lol:

dont mind buying used either... if anyone has seen one for sale anywhere on the off-chance...?

they had gs1's in London last time I was there, but that was about 6 months ago. If you're only trying, my guess is that Denmark street probably has the best choice (I may be wrong though, you always seem to find amazing guitar shops out in the middle of nowhere for some reason!), I'm not sure if I'd go there to buy, though.