K.E.B.1281734147 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 @aj98 I agree. Strings actually do make a difference. So does your choice of pick. I use a very heavy pick. I like it to be as close to the sounds my fingers make as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm with the pickup guys. Also rewiring and pots. I wouldn't move on the amp until after the guitar was upgraded. But if you can do both at no sacrifice...do both. Why not in that case? You know you want an improvement in tone and you know that the intial hardware is a limiting factor toward the tone you want. Pickups and wiring and pots will make a HUGE difference. That's why I reccomend waiting on the amp...check it out after your baby has a makeover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animalfarm Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 @aj98I agree. Strings actually do make a difference. So does your choice of pick. I use a very heavy pick. I like it to be as close to the sounds my fingers make as possible. Welcome to the forum! POST! you are commanded to post! (and PIX)... The underlined and bold part caught my attention. You know, for the life of me I CANNOT figure out what KEY my fingers are in! I've strummed tham a few times, but - NADA. Just "THWAP, THWAP...". aND wELCOME TO THE forum!!!! wHERE WE ACCIDeNtaLLY LeaVE THe cAPS lOCK ON.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K.E.B.1281734147 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 After careful consideration, input from all of you, and more research, I'm ordering a complete wiring kit as soon as I find out if I need the short or long shaft pots. This is where I'll start. Next, tubes. Then pups (p90s for the humbucker slots), then speaker/amp wiring mods. Thanks everyone for all your input on this post! Oh yeah, and a bone nut somewhere in there. Let the mods begin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxman Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I don't get this at all. Change the pots, change the pickups, buy new amp, complete wiring kit?!? Huh? It seems to me the answer is a lot simpler than that. You want to clean up your tone? Just spend a hundred bucks on an EQ pedal. I have a guitar that produces a muddy tone (neck pickup on my Casino), but all I have to do is step on my EQ pedal and I can make that thing sparkle like a Telecaster. EQ pedal. Learn it, use it, love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaredrum Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 i'd say pickups first, then tubes. try gfs pickups like your man above suggested, they're cheap but effective and do some great p90s in humbucker sized cases. tubes are a moveable feast - you either notice the change or you don't. also be careful to swap like for like - el34 being replaced by 6l6 equals not so safe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi all. What are your opinions on how to make my rig sound better. I realize "better" is subjective' date=' so I'll try and explain. I want a clearer, cleaner sound. My sound is a bit muddy. [u']My Rig:[/u] Epi Dot Deluxe Epi Valve Standard All equipment is OEM. Which of these will have more effect on tone? A. Pickups (I like the P90 sound) B. Bridge (aluminum) C. Tubes D. Speaker E. Wiring F. Other Thanks for your consideration. Pickups, speaker, tubes, bridge, wiring. All of which need to be tweaked in sync. brighten up with p90s.. too bright on the new speaker.. that sort of thing. wiring comes in last but it's hardly small.. adding switching, changing cap values, adding treble bleeds, those are not really small things. So I'd say.. look at what's most likely to get done first.. and have alternatives to purchase as you go along.. that is, if you can try, for example, another speaker without buying it right away.. do it. pickups always deserve pots caps and switch.. it just makes sense .. new pups.. you want the best you can get out of them right away. So think about it as a step by step improvement.. finish each area then go to the next. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarpBoy Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 After careful consideration' date=' input from all of you, and more research, I'm ordering a complete wiring kit as soon as I find out if I need the short or long shaft pots. This is where I'll start. Next, tubes. Then pups (p90s for the humbucker slots), then speaker/amp wiring mods. Thanks everyone for all your input on this post! Oh yeah, and a bone nut somewhere in there. Let the mods begin![/quote'] I'm sure there are other great models available as well, but I can personally vouche for Gibson's P94s. These are fabulous pickups. I am a huge P90 fan, and these are great. Unfortunately they are considerably more than the GFS P90s, but if you don't mind spending the money, I don't think you'll disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyFingers Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi all. What are your opinions on how to make my rig sound better. I realize "better" is subjective' date=' so I'll try and explain. I want a clearer, cleaner sound. My sound is a bit muddy. [u']My Rig:[/u] Epi Dot Deluxe Epi Valve Standard All equipment is OEM. Which of these will have more effect on tone? A. Pickups (I like the P90 sound) B. Bridge (aluminum) C. Tubes D. Speaker E. Wiring F. Other Thanks for your consideration. The most dramatic effect for me was installing a Kent Armstrong P-90 pickup in my Ultra II....It completely blew me away as to how clean and clearer an effect these pickups had on my guitar... I can't imagine getting any better if that is what you are looking for...and they are a simple drop in at a reasonable price!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi, i am new to the Forum. and i would like to add my 2p. stock Epi pickups in my opinion are not great....not bad, just not great. so, if you go for an aftermarket pickup produced by a good make Di'Marzio, seymore duncan, EMG etc, you will improve your sound a great deal, if you want a nice clean sound stay away from high output, and rock humbuckers. , i replaced the stock pickups in my Epi with Kent armstrong ones. they make a range of good quality pickups for around half the price of some of the bigger rivals. Pick ups are a great start point. if your sound is still not right then move onto amplification.... work from the source up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Heavy strings and a medium to high action are a big improvement for better tone. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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