Is an ELitist Sheraton right for my needs?

[Bunky]

Couple questions...

 

I already have an Elitist Casino which I love, it just feels right for one and sounds great. How close in sound is the Elitist Sheraton?

 

I was looking for humbuckers for the most part, I know the Sheraton has two Minihums...Do they get very fat compared to say classic style PAF?

 

Lastly, does the neck PU have much treble? How does it sound?

 

I should mention i'll be playing through a Blonde Bassman (though i may sell that and buy a BF style fender) and a voxish/18watt Marshall 2 channel Heritage Briton amp.

[charlie brown]

Well, the Elitist Sheraton, has a different tone, due to it NOT being fully "Hollo Body,"

as the Casino is. Beyond that, the Mini-Humbuckers, are great pickups, especially for

Semi-hollow, thin-line guitars, such as the Riviera, and Sheraton. They have "humbucker"

warmth, and fatness of tone, but with a bit more "edge" and definition, which is (IMHO)

desirable, in that body style, especially. They work great, in other body styles too...

don't get me wrong, but especially so, in semi, and even full hollow bodied guitars. Less

"Mud" in the neck pickup, especially. Fit and finish on Elitist guitars, is, as you already

know, "First Rate/Awesome!" So, what's not to like? I have the AIUSA version, of that

"Elitist" Sheraton (only real difference is the headstock shape, and "Nitro" finish, on the

AIUSA version). Can't say enough great things, about it! There are other's on this forum,

tha have the "Elitist" version, than seem equally enthusiastic, about their guitars, as well.

 

So, I don't think you'd regret that purchase.

 

My AIUSA Sheraton II, in "Vintage Burst"

 

 

 

Headstock shape (Original '60's Kalamazoo type)

I did change the tuner buttons (only) to "Imperial" buttons, for my own preference. It came with the standard "Rotomatic" kidney bean style tuner buttons.

 

CB

[Bunky]

I it easier to play on the upper frets compared to the Casino?

[charlie brown]

I it easier to play on the upper frets compared to the Casino?

 

Absolutely! Casino's have 16 frets cleared access, Riviera and Sheraton's

have 19 frets cleared. So yeah, much easier access.

You can see that, in the photos, of my AIUSA Sheri...

 

CB

[Alan189]

Slightly off topic here...

 

But, do you know where I can get after market Mini Humbuckers for my Sheraton? I'm looking for the ones which do have the pole pieces.

 

Cheers!

 

[charlie brown]

Slightly off topic here...

 

But, do you know where I can get after market Mini Humbuckers for my Sheraton? I'm looking for the ones which do have the pole pieces.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Gibson, Duncan, other's all have "Mini-humbuckers." The problem is finding an adapter

ring, to fit your full sized Humbucker rings/hole, and center/support the mini's in

the process. Not sure if GFS, or possibly Stew Mac, or even "TV Jones" would have

such a ring, or not. Maybe "Google" Mini-humbucker adapter rings, and see what you

can find?

 

CB

[Bunky]

Can these do "rip your face off" blues rock? Along the lines of say... Gary Moore on a Firebird....

[stein]

The mini humbucks have a lot more mids than the standard ones.

 

I have played that Japanese Sheri with the Mini hums, and it WILL do that rip your head or flamethrower type sound better than the 335 GENERALLY SPEAKING.

 

I wouldn't say they are brighter than a regular humbucker, but my impression comparing was definitely a meaner sound.

[RaSTuS]

I wouldn't say they are brighter than a regular humbucker, but my impression comparing was definitely a meaner sound.

I don't have anything with mini hums on them, but from the descriptions I'm hearing, they seem to fall somewhere between a full sized bucker and a P-90, would you say that's a fair comparison ???

[Bunky]

I'm also looking at a H535, and a Gretsch Power Jet (elusive right now). Was mostly leaning toward the Power Jet, but the Sheraton caught my eye as they rearely show up.

 

Ideally i'd like to have my old Byrdland Elitist back as i traded it like a FOOL.

 

Is it worth changing the hard tail to the frequensator tail piece on the Sherri?

 

The mini humbucks have a lot more mids than the standard ones.

 

I have played that Japanese Sheri with the Mini hums, and it WILL do that rip your head or flamethrower type sound better than the 335 GENERALLY SPEAKING.

 

I wouldn't say they are brighter than a regular humbucker, but my impression comparing was definitely a meaner sound.

[charlie brown]

"Hardtail" (Stop bar) bridges will give you more sustain, in my experience,

while a trappeze tailpiece has a bit "softer" tone/feel, to it. (Less string

vibration transfer, directly to the body, with a trapeze or frequensator tailpiece.)

So, depending on what you "want/need," either one, will work well.

 

Personally, I tend NOT to use a semi-hollow body, for "Melt Your Face" Blues, or other,

more "Hard Rock" like, applications. Les Pauls, or SG's seem to work better, for me,

in those situations. Besides, too much gain, tends to thwart the real asset of a semi-

hollow body's (naturally) more subtle tonal characteristics. Those are lost, with all

that distortion. The semi's tend to feed back, more quickly, too...in those high gain,

high volume applications. So...???

 

But, in "normal" mildly overdriven, or naturally over driven tube amp distortion "Blues,"

the Semi's can Shine!! And, their (controlled) feedback, can defintely add, to their sustain,

and tonal appeal.

 

CB

[Alan189]

To be fair, I haven't lost any sustain (that I noticed) to my Sheraton since adding the frequensator. I don't mind the stopbar either but I wanted my Sheraton to look like the original ones hence why I want some mini humbuckers as well.

 

One thing I like about your Sheraton, Charlie, is those imperial tuners they look quite cool!

[charlie brown]

To be fair, I haven't lost any sustain (that I noticed) to my Sheraton since adding the frequensator. I don't mind the stopbar either but I wanted my Sheraton to look like the original ones hence why I want some mini humbuckers as well.

 

One thing I like about your Sheraton, Charlie, is those imperial tuners they look quite cool!

 

Thanks, Alan...I like 'em, too. The actual "Elitist" Sheri's had

those "Imperal" buttons, as standard equipment.

 

As to "sustain," and tail-pieces? I don't know..."My" experience

was just that...my own. Other's, like your's, may differ. But,

as long as it "works" for you, that's great! :)

 

CB

[stein]

I don't have anything with mini hums on them, but from the descriptions I'm hearing, they seem to fall somewhere between a full sized bucker and a P-90, would you say that's a fair comparison ???

Now you are making me want to actually put them in my P-90 LP so I could get into it more.

 

I suppose what you say could be a good description. The LP's I hear with them and the ones I have played consistantly have a meaner and leaner sound to them, much like the reasons one might expect out of a P-90. Also, the Sheri I tried (which I was VERY impressed with).

 

BUT...the mini humbucks have always seemed to me to have that smoothness that a P-90 seems to lack that a humbuck does.

 

I think, besides the noise, P-90's can be difficult to tame. I think they have as much bass and fullness as a humbucker but are less predictable in how the tones are achieved when using them. Also, they have a midrange and a crunch that humbuckers do not. But humbuckers can be wide and deep, bright or dark, depending on how you use them.

 

Mini humbucks do not get as much a range that a regular humbuck, but definitely gets the mids a P-90 gets, and reacts more like a humbucker using them.

 

That's my best description anyway.

[jcwillow777]

Slightly off topic here...

 

But, do you know where I can get after market Mini Humbuckers for my Sheraton? I'm looking for the ones which do have the pole pieces.

 

Cheers!

 

 

The problem is that you have regular humbuckers in your Sherry. There used to be someone on Ebay that sold inserts that would fit either under or inside the regular pup ring so you could mount a mini-humbucker to it. I had his site bookmarked, but my computer crashed and I lost some of my bookmarks. Google a search for them and they may show up. GFS sells minis with P90 sized rings, but that won't work for you.

 

I did a similar mod to mine that Charlie did, I added some Imperial buttons and I like the look much better, but I used the pearloid (okay, plastic if you must). I got them here: http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tuners_partsbuttons.htm

 

 

I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not a P90 guy. I have tried to like them, but I just can't do it. I use too many pedals and P90s are just too noisy for my setup. I have a '56 GT that I took the P90s out of and put in some Gibson minis, and I am really glad I did. I was thinking about selling my GT until I did this. It's not going anywhere now.

[Alan189]

I was thinkin about gettin' a couple of these:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Humbucker-Mini-Humbucker-Adapter-Pickup-Ring-BLACK-/320748822515?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4aae1e9ff3

[charlie brown]

The problem is that you have regular humbuckers in your Sherry. There used to be someone on Ebay that sold inserts that would fit either under or inside the regular pup ring so you could mount a mini-humbucker to it. I had his site bookmarked, but my computer crashed and I lost some of my bookmarks. Google a search for them and they may show up. GFS sells minis with P90 sized rings, but that won't work for you.

 

I did a similar mod to mine that Charlie did, I added some Imperial buttons and I like the look much better, but I used the pearloid (okay, plastic if you must). I got them here: http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/tuners_partsbuttons.htm

 

 

I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not a P90 guy. I have tried to like them, but I just can't do it. I use too many pedals and P90s are just too noisy for my setup. I have a '56 GT that I took the P90s out of and put in some Gibson minis, and I am really glad I did. I was thinking about selling my GT until I did this. It's not going anywhere now.

 

Your Sheri looks Great, with the "Pearloid" Imperial buttons! Good Job!

 

CB

[jcwillow777]

Thanks CB.

 

CB - after looking at how my post read, I didn't mean that I thought mine looked better than yours, I meant it looked better with the imperial buttons that the kidney shaped buttons. I really don't like the looks of them on any guitar.

[jcwillow777]

I was thinkin about gettin' a couple of these:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Humbucker-Mini-Humbucker-Adapter-Pickup-Ring-BLACK-/320748822515?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item4aae1e9ff3

 

That's the guy I was thinking about in my earlier post. Thanks Alan.

[Bunky]

I'm getting close to getting that next piece. My sorta top choice is a Gretsch Power Jet, all the guitars i'm looking at are all around the same price the Heritage's are 100-200 dollars more...just wondering how you guys felt about some of these paired with old fender/voxy/18 watt marshall set up....(I currently have a Casino and Strat)

 

Elitist Sheraton

Gretsch Power Jet

Heritage H535

Heritage H575

Custom Tele by Ron Kirn (haven't looked into price, or specs)

[charlie brown]

Thanks CB.

 

CB - after looking at how my post read, I didn't mean that I thought mine looked better than yours, I meant it looked better with the imperial buttons that the kidney shaped buttons. I really don't like the looks of them on any guitar.

 

Gosh, I didn't think that, at all. No worries...I knew what you meant.

 

CB

[SpruceTop]

The minis in the 335 format like in a Riviera (from my experience) imparts almost a warm Telecaster tone with both pus on. I believe this is due to the narrower magnetic field of the minis and the placement for the rear pu its center is a bit farther from the bridge than a 335, LP, etc… To me, the minis are somewhere between and PAF-type HB and a P-90. Kind of the best of both - great warmth, clarity and punch and quiet. I put a Bigsby B60 on my Riviera (no stop bar studs!) and changed the pus to GFS Fat Minis and added coil-cut p/p pots. Its one of my favs.

 

Oh yeah, Elitist's are great. I have had an Elitist Casino and an SG in my days.

[instantkarma]

Everyone has a "one that got away" story. One of mine was an early 1970's ES-325 in a beautiful figured walnut. These of course had mini-humbuckers, and I loved the tone, especially in the hollow body--as mentioned above that combination seems especially blessed. Unfortunately the ES-325 electronics were less than robust, and I traded her away, ever to regret.

 

Fast forward many years to the Elitist Sheraton. While this is a different guitar in many respects, the bright mini-bucker tone is still there, and I love it. I absolutely agree with SpruceTop's post that the mini's grab the best tone from a PAF HB and a P-90; not too dark, not too harsh, juuuust right.

 

As good as they sound in the Elitist Sheraton, the mini's are an even better fit with the Elitist Riviera 12, the best-sounding (and playing) 12 I've ever owned; the mini's have much to do with that, they are just perfect for a 12. FWIW from an historic perspective there is solid heritage line with Epi on the headstock, as Epi invented and used mini's long before Gibson. Rumor has it Epi had a closet full of mini's when bought by Gibson--they needed to use them somewhere! Then play on.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-humbucker

[eor]

its only right for your needs if you need the most awesome guitar of all time. because that's more or less what it is.

[Svet]

I'm getting close to getting that next piece. My sorta top choice is a Gretsch Power Jet, all the guitars i'm looking at are all around the same price the Heritage's are 100-200 dollars more...just wondering how you guys felt about some of these paired with old fender/voxy/18 watt marshall set up....(I currently have a Casino and Strat)

 

Elitist Sheraton

Gretsch Power Jet

Heritage H535

Heritage H575

Custom Tele by Ron Kirn (haven't looked into price, or specs)

 

The Sheraton will do very well with your Bassman. I've got a Bassman as well as a BF Vibroverb RI, BF Twin and Epiphone BC 30. I use an Ibanez TS 8 for some distortion and an EH holy Grail for some reverb and the Elitist Sheraton just sounds marvelous through that combo. I also have an Elitist Casino and they complement each other very well. Go for it!