loldude333
New member
So i estimate that at the end of the year, i'll have about $600 of spare change to splash on guitar gear. So i wanna upgrade my current rig. It's as follows:
Stock 2005 Ibanez RGTCR2 (Limited Edition Ibanez RGT42DX, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, INF pickups, EDGE PRO II locking trem)
Line 6 PodXT Live
I play mostly church music, rock, pop, blues and a little jazz. I'm looking for these things:
1. A thicker distortion/overdrive pedal that's versatile. The PodXT Live is a great stage workhorse, but i don't really like the thin-sounding amp/pedal distortion patches that no amount of EQ-ing can solve (to my ears, at least). I'd be running this pedal as my main drive, and seeing as i don't play music that's that heavy, i was looking at a versatile drive that can go from blues all the way to hard rock. Versatility-wise, i wonder if there's any pedal that can go from a mild, transparent overdrive to a crunchy hard rock tone? I was looking at the Wampler Pinnacle, but do suggest other pedals/combinations of pedals that you think might be suitable, and helps me get the wide range of tones i want.
2.Better pickups. The Ibanez INF pickups are pretty ok for shred and heavy stuff. Period. They sound terrible clean, and with a light coating of overdrive. As with the drive pedal, versatility's the key. Perhaps a medium-to-high output set would be more to my liking, as i want decent cleans coupled with thick, powerful overdrive tones that have good definition whether i'm chording or solo-ing. I was looking at the Tesla's VR Nitros or OPUS-1.
3. Electronics. I want to overhaul the electronics of the guitar. However, i'm a complete noob when it comes to things like wiring/changing the pots/capacitors etc. Could you guys be so kind as to explain what you think might be good for me?
Overall, i want:
1. More clarity and definition. In my current setup, i tend to muddy up when i go cleaner, and the clarity isn't great even when i'm on higher gain settings (my guitar's strength). I want my cleans to be able to ring out, and my chording to be defined (to be able to hear each note when i strum).
2. A thicker drive. I think this might be solvable with the pedal, though i'm not sure. Because i'm running this through the Pod, so it might sound a little thin. Nevertheless, from my previous experiments with friend's pedals, i'd be more than happy.
3. Better cleans. The EQ-ing on the Pod is amazing. Playing thru a Vox AC15CC1, the cleans are muddy, undefined and flat. After EQ-ing thru the Pod into a PA system, i get usable cleans, though they're nowhere near sparkly. I just want a little sparkle in my cleans (my guitar isn't a tele after all), compared to none at all now.
All suggestions are welcome. I know its a little early, but i like to start early and test my gear thoroughly before i splash the cash. New or used, i'm not so particular, just that the condition has to be at least 8/10 before i consider buying. Thanks all!
Stock 2005 Ibanez RGTCR2 (Limited Edition Ibanez RGT42DX, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, INF pickups, EDGE PRO II locking trem)
Line 6 PodXT Live
I play mostly church music, rock, pop, blues and a little jazz. I'm looking for these things:
1. A thicker distortion/overdrive pedal that's versatile. The PodXT Live is a great stage workhorse, but i don't really like the thin-sounding amp/pedal distortion patches that no amount of EQ-ing can solve (to my ears, at least). I'd be running this pedal as my main drive, and seeing as i don't play music that's that heavy, i was looking at a versatile drive that can go from blues all the way to hard rock. Versatility-wise, i wonder if there's any pedal that can go from a mild, transparent overdrive to a crunchy hard rock tone? I was looking at the Wampler Pinnacle, but do suggest other pedals/combinations of pedals that you think might be suitable, and helps me get the wide range of tones i want.
2.Better pickups. The Ibanez INF pickups are pretty ok for shred and heavy stuff. Period. They sound terrible clean, and with a light coating of overdrive. As with the drive pedal, versatility's the key. Perhaps a medium-to-high output set would be more to my liking, as i want decent cleans coupled with thick, powerful overdrive tones that have good definition whether i'm chording or solo-ing. I was looking at the Tesla's VR Nitros or OPUS-1.
3. Electronics. I want to overhaul the electronics of the guitar. However, i'm a complete noob when it comes to things like wiring/changing the pots/capacitors etc. Could you guys be so kind as to explain what you think might be good for me?
Overall, i want:
1. More clarity and definition. In my current setup, i tend to muddy up when i go cleaner, and the clarity isn't great even when i'm on higher gain settings (my guitar's strength). I want my cleans to be able to ring out, and my chording to be defined (to be able to hear each note when i strum).
2. A thicker drive. I think this might be solvable with the pedal, though i'm not sure. Because i'm running this through the Pod, so it might sound a little thin. Nevertheless, from my previous experiments with friend's pedals, i'd be more than happy.
3. Better cleans. The EQ-ing on the Pod is amazing. Playing thru a Vox AC15CC1, the cleans are muddy, undefined and flat. After EQ-ing thru the Pod into a PA system, i get usable cleans, though they're nowhere near sparkly. I just want a little sparkle in my cleans (my guitar isn't a tele after all), compared to none at all now.
All suggestions are welcome. I know its a little early, but i like to start early and test my gear thoroughly before i splash the cash. New or used, i'm not so particular, just that the condition has to be at least 8/10 before i consider buying. Thanks all!
