My first Epiphone

[MST]

Hi there!

 

After more or less a ten year hiatus from playing guitar regularly, I decided to treat myself and get back into it. After some research, I decided I wanted an Epiphone semi hollowbody, and began looking around for a good deal. I was lucky enough to find a new 2007 Sheraton, natural finish solid top, for a great price, and I’m generally really happy with it.

 

But…I have a question I’d like to put to the more experienced Epiphone players.

 

The neck pickup sounds a bit dull. I often end up instinctively turning up the treble to get a bit more definition on the sound. I’ve read a few things about Sheratons having a ‘muddy’ neck pickup – can anyone elaborate on this for me? My previous guitar was a strat copy, so I wonder if I am just naturally used to the more ‘trebly’ sound of the single coil pickups in comparison with humbuckers?

 

Also, for the benefit of someone new to playing this type of guitar, could you tell me your favourite settings (on the guitar, amp and/or effects) to get a nice blues sound.

 

Thanks

[Mugatu]

Hi MST, welcome from a fellow London Epi Sheraton player! (Great choice by the way) ;-)

 

I played a strat copy a few years back and yes, I did notice it was quite a trebly sound. At the end of the day, your guitar will sound "chunkier" due in part to the humbuckers and also due to the design of the body. I have heard people far more experienced than I describe a "muddy" sound. Chunky I like, and it's one of the whole points to a big body semi. I'm not sure what "muddy" is though, or whether it's a good or bad thing. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

 

I'm learning blues lead at the moment, and guitar settings wise I tend to have both pickups selected and everything up to the max on the instument itself. I like a lot of treble for the lead parts, but you still need lots of fat tone for those thumping little bass string riffs. (Think "Boom boom" by John Lee Hooker as an example). On the amp, it all depends on what you're using, but experimentation is the key... half the fun for me is to sit there with a pint and just fool around til you find a tone you really like. That's then your sound, and yours only.

Enjoy yourself with that guitar!

[ButchCassidy]

If the neck pickup sounds dull to you, why not use the bridge pickup and adjust it to where you like it with the tone knob? I think this might get you a tone you like.

[Bender 4 Life]

Congratulations on purchasing a Sheraton II........mine is an 11/07 Unsung Korean model in Ebony.

 

A LOT of people complain about the neck pickup not being clear enough for their fancy,

and a lot of people change the p'ups straight away.

The "muddy" sound is exactly what I was looking for, for the Blues leads and rythyms I play.

Depending on what amp you're using, you might want to crank your bass response on down.

I use a Vox Valvetronix amp, normally set to model a Twin Reverb, or late 50's Bassman amp......to get a nice clean sound when picked lightly, and an aggressive howl/growl when picked or strummed harder.

My normal eq. settings are 3/4 open on treble, 2/3 open on midrange, and only 1/4 open on bass,

and the gain opened just enough to "color" the sound when played hard.

 

Play around with it...........if you DO decide to swap out the p'ups, the search engine will have LOTS of info

plus there are always several open threads on that very subject.

[MST]

Thanks for the replies guys.

[ButchCassidy]

If you are looking for something cleaner, and slightly more trebely, the gfs mean 90's are a good option.

[jcwillow777]

Congrats on the new Sherry. I know what you mean about the neck pickup being muddy. I changed my pickups and put in a set of GFS Vintage 59s. The best move I could have done for the money. No more mud and brightened everything up nicely, but I can still get the bottom end I want. Very good pickups for only $80 a set.