brianh Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Also "what" can the Riviera give me tone wise that Z-B-D (Zephyr)' date=' E-B-G (Sheraton), G-F-B (Firebird) cannot cover........ Z-B-D (Zephyr), E-B-G (Sheraton), G-F-B (Firebird) are the bedrock maybe the Levin Acoustic Archtop should stay and forget about the Washburn "Clone". Also maybe instead of a Riviera (which I love aesthetically, but do not know what it will add to my tone bank).....maybe....something that has been off my radar..... "Blackie" Strat, Tele, Airline, suggestions for an alternative to the Riviera for this slot welcome, but has to give me something for blues tone wise that the 3 main players Z-B-D (Zephyr), E-B-G (Sheraton), G-F-B (Firebird) cannot give me.[/quote'] What's really sad here is that I understand exactly what you're talking about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofeets Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Sounds like you got a pretty good deal. They are still all over the map here in the States price-wise. You can still find them for $500 if you're crafty and patient from people to whom they're just another Epiphone. Most times they hover around $700-$750 or more. I'd think twice before getting into swapping out the pickups - the stock Epi Alnico P90's are actually pretty good. I just took delivery of a used ES-295 (also Peerless made) and was fully expecting to start the search for pickups right away. I gigged it the other night though and it sounded great with the stock pickups! If you really want to go for the T-Bone thing, you will want to put a pickup out-of-phase with the neck pickup, so you can get that honky, nasally option. (I'm a big T-Bone fan). I don't believe they are wired like that from the factory. I sorta know Phil Astles, the guy who did those sunburst ZBD clips you posted above. He's a great player. If I were to get a ZBD, I might try to find a switch as found on the later Switchmasters. A friend of mine has a real ES5 that has had a later switch installed on the upper bout. It makes it easier to isolate a single pickup if you so desire, or you can still activate all 4 and use the volumes as a blend control if you wish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 What's really sad here is that I understand excatly what you talking about... Don't fully understand Brian.....please elaborate..... the point I was try to make is one guitar with two humbuckers split and with the capability for series parallel adjustment' date=' one guitar with many blends of three P90's, and a guitar with two Firebird pickups. That will cover a lot of ground cannot see what a set of epiphone minis on a Riviera would bring into the mix...??? Love the Riviera to look at but........Hands up everyone who has several different guitars that do the exact same thing.......why.......because we are all nuts on this forum.....guitar nuts.....let ye without sin cast the first plectrum...... If I were to get a ZBD, I might try to find a switch as found on the later Switchmasters. A friend of mine has a real ES5 that has had a later switch installed on the upper bout. It makes it easier to isolate a single pickup if you so desire, or you can still activate all 4 and use the volumes as a blend control if you wish. I actually think this may be one guitar I will keep completely stock. Bar one thing I do not like those gold speedknobs it may just get different set of knobs... To be honest I could not have said that about my Joe Pass or 87 Sheraton, for different reasons I felt the need to change things there. Though I really do like my stock 89 Sheraton pickups but maybe could just do with new pots in there. What I have heard of the ZBD I think it will suit me fine as it is. I am sure I can dial in something into the ZBD that will be T Bone enough for me..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofeets Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Oh, but the P-90 out-of-phase tone is so cool to mess around with! A whole 'nother range of possibilities, especially with three individual volume controls! [YOUTUBE] [/YOUTUBE] (me messing around with out-of-phase on the goldtop) Early BB, T-Bone, Lowell Fulson, etc. It's essential for the ES-5 owner! Signed, Devil on Your Shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 "Be gone Satan"..... twofeets really enjoyed your playing fella........ Now you got me hungry for something with two big fat soapbars in it.... what did you want and go and do that for...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofeets Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Thanks! Consider it payment in kind for your getting me off my butt to start chasing after my buddy's E by G Sheraton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 Thanks! Consider it payment in kind for your getting me off my butt to start chasing after my buddy's E by G Sheraton! twofeets you do realise that the reason I am keeping my 87 E-by-G over my other 89 sheraton is the special access from the bridge route which will allow me to ease in 4 full size CTS pull/push pots on a Jimmy Page harness. Without having apoplexy trying to do that through the F holes...My pickups and harness are being shipped as we speak. I should have that E-by-G wired up new bone nut and set up within the next 4 weeks. I will post on the E-by-G thread when it is finished, it is also getting a set of witch hat knobs and I am making a retro style Sheraton 1 pickguard for it....I prefer the bigger pickguards on the 60's sheratons look really cool . So I will, on my E-by-G, be able to switch series parallel and split the humbuckers. I have gone for a set of what the guy calls "Tres Hombres" they are like low wound Burstbucker 1's I asked him to wind thm about 7.0k neck and 7.9k bridge hoping with that harness to be able to tune in some "Peter Green blues" type tones that is what I am hoping anyway. The guy who wound my pickups and made that harness could very easily make me a nice harness for the Zephyr if I ever felt I needed one. What is great to hear though is that people actually like and can even gig with the stock Epiphone P90's I wonder if Peerless made them in-house or would be nice to try and find out who supplied them....for the Zephyrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofeets Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 That's really cool - I think my first step with the Sherrie will be trying to figure out which hums to put in it. I did find the stock pickups to be lacking. I need to be careful to choose something that sounds good, but I don't want my choice to be too badly colored by my preference for P90's. I keep having to remind myself that I'm looking for something different to add to the tonal palette. Then I'll start messing with the harness. I'm thinking maybe even Varitone... some day. First I need to get my hands on the guitar. I'm really excited about my ES295 and the stock pickups. I don't find them wanting at all, and I'm sort of a tinkerer with stuff like that. I also have a friend who is a luthier and repairman who has a ZBD and he feels the same way about the stock pickups... and that guy swaps out the pickups on EVERYTHING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2010 Author Share Posted April 2, 2010 That's really cool - I think my first step with the Sherrie will be trying to figure out which hums to put in it. I did find the stock pickups to be lacking. I need to be careful to choose something that sounds good' date=' but I don't want my choice to be too badly colored by my preference for P90's. I keep having to remind myself that I'm looking for something different to add to the tonal palette. Then I'll start messing with the harness. I'm thinking maybe even Varitone... some day. First I need to get my hands on the guitar. I'm really excited about my ES295 and the stock pickups. I don't find them wanting at all, and I'm sort of a tinkerer with stuff like that. I also have a friend who is a luthier and repairman who has a ZBD and he feels the same way about the stock pickups... and that guy swaps out the pickups on EVERYTHING. [/quote'] Hi twofeets When I was doing my research about the humbuckers for my Sheraton. I wanted them as close to the original PAF's as I could find. I read that Burstbucker #1's and Lollar Imperial Low Winds were very nice and close to the vintage PAF's and that the original PAF's were un-potted. So the pickups I went for have those features. Un-potted are OK for me I am just an amateur home player, might be hard to control at the levels you play at on stage (but the early blues guys could keep them under control with their old rigs). I took a chance on a guy who is winding pickups called Jon Moore. He is reputed to do fine work and at what I feel is a very fair price. Great guy to correspond with, been a great help to me and made me two fine harnesses as well at a good price. http://www.tonefordays.com/ I went for Low Wind "Tres Hombres" with unpolished Alnico II magnets which Jon gauss's himself, 4 wire, un-potted. These are the pickups I ordered and a straightforward 335 50's harness he also made for me, besides the Jimmy Page. It will be nice to have a good solid Samick Sheraton with Jon's fine pickups and harness in there. After a good set up that should be a fine Sheraton. Especially seeing I picked up the guitar for just $375 and pickups and harness cost me $285. That is a beautiful guitar for $660........:- Another thing that hilleri brought to my attention on the E-by-G thread....the neck on my 87 E-by-G is just a little slimmer compared to my 89 Sheraton. All good stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofeets Posted April 2, 2010 Share Posted April 2, 2010 Thanks for the tip. I really like smaller winders as well. There are some guys out there without the big names that are cranking out some great pickups. The bridge pickup in my Tokai was made a few years ago by a guy who I believe is no longer in business... but it is bar none probably the best sounding P90 I've ever heard. It can never be duplicated. And the real kicker? The difference between it and other stock pickups - it is unpotted. I think we might be onto something here! I'm not a high gain player, so even at stage volumes, unpotted is OK for me. I like Moore's prices, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Don't you do a Goethe in German on me........ (I am) Part of that Power which would, The Evil ever do, and ever does the Good. I suppose I should reply Da steh ich nun, ich armer Tor! Und bin so klug als wie zuvor. (And here, poor fool, I stand once more, No wiser than I was before (EDIT: but with 5 guitars)) or perhaps Wer fertig ist, dem ist nichts recht zu machen. (A mind once formed (EDIT: for 5 guitars) finds naught made right thereafter.) :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freak show Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 Peter is going to love this....me and Old Scratch quoting Goethe in German..... If Goethe were alive today he would have a nice E-by-G Sheraton.... And possibly 4 other nice guitars....:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.