modding my guitar
- Thread starter zhaf93
- Start date
Lancefury
New member
zhaf93
Can try Tesla Plasma 2 pickups.. really clear and defined with great cleans and powerful distortion... Plasma 2 is more middy sounding.
If you don't like too middy sounding pickups, can try out plasma 3s.
http://www.teslatek.com/indexmain.htm
they can be found at standard value, selling around $165-$185...
http://www.standardvalue.com.sg/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=14
Check out the sound clips. Some of Tesla's demo sound clips are played and recorded for Tesla by Mr Paul Danial from Ministry of Rock... (Who uses the Plasma II pickups in his Gibson Les Paul as well... check out the sound here: http://www.myspace.com/pauldanial )
Personally, having played with the Seymour Duncan JBs for 2 years, i didn't really like it for the lack of pick attack harmonics and overtones. Every pick attack, no matter how angled, or with a different pick material, doesn't vary much. But this is a personal preference as i like to vary my pick attacks.
Can try Tesla Plasma 2 pickups.. really clear and defined with great cleans and powerful distortion... Plasma 2 is more middy sounding.
If you don't like too middy sounding pickups, can try out plasma 3s.
http://www.teslatek.com/indexmain.htm
they can be found at standard value, selling around $165-$185...
http://www.standardvalue.com.sg/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=14
Check out the sound clips. Some of Tesla's demo sound clips are played and recorded for Tesla by Mr Paul Danial from Ministry of Rock... (Who uses the Plasma II pickups in his Gibson Les Paul as well... check out the sound here: http://www.myspace.com/pauldanial )
Personally, having played with the Seymour Duncan JBs for 2 years, i didn't really like it for the lack of pick attack harmonics and overtones. Every pick attack, no matter how angled, or with a different pick material, doesn't vary much. But this is a personal preference as i like to vary my pick attacks.
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HarrisonYeo
New member
guys remember the epiphone les paul special 2 aint a mahogany body , it is basswood . wad's u're current amp ?
Lancefury
New member
Oooh.. sound-drive... pretty good solid state practice amp... played with it a few times..
not too bad for 10 watts...HarrisonYeo
New member
sry but even if u changed the pickups , u wouldn't hear much of a big difference with u're rig right now .
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Zepp3lin
New member
A change of pickups is good actually, nothing harm done if you decided to change it, like the rest of the guys suggest try to tweak it to your liking and if you feel that you still need to change it than go ahead. A good sounding pickup does greatly effect your tone compare to those bulk manufactured pickup for budget guitars.
Lancefury
New member
Although he is using a beginner's guitar and a small practice amp, doesn't mean he cannot go jamming, or for gigs, or for something like performing in school or church... So changing the pickups although may not make a huge difference in the small amp, it does make a difference when his skills improve and playing on bigger and better amps...
I believe good pickups not necessarily would need to cost $145 per piece... perhaps pickups like Seymour duncan Jazz and JB set for $170, or the Tesla Plasma III set would cost $165... Personally i favor the Plasma III, but you'll have to be the one to decide what goes into your guitar.
HarrisonYeo
New member
in jamming studios there are of course way better amps
i'am saying that the model he has doesnt sound like a LP due to the fact that it's made out of basswood , not saying that basswood is bad or anything since it's used on high ends ibanez models too . just saying that it doesnt sound like wad a mahogany lp should .
Lancefury
New member
in jamming studios there are of course way better amps
Oh yeah, that i fully agree too... it won't sound like a real LP of cuz, but the sound would improve if he changed the pickups... Hmmm... or maybe he should save up for a nicer and better guitar?
optisailor2002
New member
and amp too? haha.
Lancefury
New member
Personally i'm not too bothered with practice amps, although i have a AVT20. However, i've known some of my fellow musicians who have a MG 15, or Laney HCM30, and some with Sound Drives 10-15watts. Yet they still sound very well live. Its also notable that the amp does what it's supposed to do, which is for practice. Having heard the sound-drive amps, in my personal opinion, it sounds better than most practice amps, and is on par if not better sounding than MG-15.
As people say, the tone is in the fingers. A good amp helps, but the bigger picture is to have a guitar and a pedalboard (analogue or mfx) that allows the player to travel to different venues and perform well. In Singapore, unless you like to carry your amp around for gigging, which i seldom see, getting a good amp is more for personal satisfaction and enjoyment, since most gigging venues have amps or PA systems (in which a MFX can DI out if needed).
Personally as i need to play for church, go for jams and gigs, i got myself a good guitar, a great set of pickups, and a multi-effects, before i changed my amp from an MG-15 to AVT-20. Only now am i working on building a small analogue chain...
This allowed me to sound reasonably good outside, where it is more important for the performing player, than to sound good only in the bedroom.
As people say, the tone is in the fingers. A good amp helps, but the bigger picture is to have a guitar and a pedalboard (analogue or mfx) that allows the player to travel to different venues and perform well. In Singapore, unless you like to carry your amp around for gigging, which i seldom see, getting a good amp is more for personal satisfaction and enjoyment, since most gigging venues have amps or PA systems (in which a MFX can DI out if needed).
Personally as i need to play for church, go for jams and gigs, i got myself a good guitar, a great set of pickups, and a multi-effects, before i changed my amp from an MG-15 to AVT-20. Only now am i working on building a small analogue chain...
This allowed me to sound reasonably good outside, where it is more important for the performing player, than to sound good only in the bedroom.
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Lancefury
New member
I think it would be good for Zhaf93 to identify what is he going to be playing in the future, like is he going jamming with friends or anything like that? if so, getting a good amp and putting it at home gives him good tone at home, but nowhere else... We need to expand past the horizons of just having a good amp at home, but rather have a good rig for anywhere else...
If he has the money, i'm sure he would have all 3.. but if he doesn't, then he must make selective choices.
If he has the money, i'm sure he would have all 3.. but if he doesn't, then he must make selective choices.
i'm currently jamming with my friends and maybe will be having a performance at sch next year.
optisailor2002
New member
hmm true. well i cant really say much about how to achieve good tones when performing outside. im just a bedroom player so tone at home matters most to me currently. when i finally do form a band then its time to learn more about how to get a good tone for gigging =x