The 8 String "Leviathan"

It wasn't me!

Nice. The only things I'd change would be EMG's instead of the DiMarzio's and Mahogany with quilted maple for the body. Never liked maple much as a tonewood. Too bright for me. Give me a block of good old mahogany any day! Then again, some folks like their tone bright. It'll be a gorgeous guitar anyway. You'll have to post pics. I'm not even sure about the EMG's. The tonewodd might be wasted on them. Might even go for a set of SD's, though the output wouldn't be as high as the DiMarzio's. Maybe the DiMarzio's are the best option, all things considered. Can't argue with misters Satriani and Vai about them anyway!

Karl Hungus

Oh hell no not EMGs! I've got them on my Virgin, an 81 & 85 and I want to change 'em sharpish, they sound like muck. I'm probably just going to whip out the soldering iron, and stick the old BC Rich stock pickups back in there, because as it is I get a much better tone altogether from my Mockingbird.

I'll have to see about the Mahogany body, but the stealth itself is like a neck with spikes.
So I'm not sure how much tonality a different body wood could produce.

It wasn't me!

Yeah, maybe the happy medium, alder would be the best bet. No point going for something as rich as mahogany when the body's barely there really. I like the EMG's. An 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck. That's pretty much my favourite combination for metal. What did you not like about their sound?

Karl Hungus

That they have none?

Well seriously, it just kinda sounds like note really blur and smudge into each other without any kind of clarity at all. I was very, very impressed by their sound at first, but the more and more I played, the unhappier I was with them. Right now, I just find they inhibit my playing a lot. As the Doc would say, they sound like wet gick.

As for the body wood, don't think I'd really go with Alder at all. I know a lot of people are fond of it, but it's just not as rich as Mahogany by half. I'll definetly enquire about this next time I get a reply from Guitar Asylum.

It wasn't me!

I always really liked them for their clarity. I'm more of a rhythm man though so maybe it's different for lead or whatever. I suggested alder as it's brighter than mahogany but not as rich since you wouldn't take advantage of its richness with a Stealth body.

Karl Hungus

Well, in all fairness my 'neck with spikes' comment was a little colourfull, if you get my meaning, and there is a body there to take advantage of the tone. Actually I don't even know why I was considering maple for both neck and body... It's just seemingly the standard setup that's on the Guitar Asylum page. Mahogany it is.

It wasn't me!

Good boy! Got to love the mahogany. The body will of course affect the tone. There's not much wood there with a flying V but it still has to be good wood. Of course it won't affect it as much as a guitar with a whole lot more wood involved, like an Explorer, but it'll still have an impact. Ebony fretboard? Yummy!

Karl Hungus

Oh hell yes, there's nothing like an ebony fretboard! And it's quite possible that I'd get more interesting tone from the stealth because of its shape, so yeah, Mahogany is definetly important!

It wasn't me!

Hmmm... never took the body shape into account. Didn't think it'd have much effect on the tone. I do love the idea of a plain ebony board. Very sleek. The mahogany will sound much deeper and richer than the maple, so you'll be able to get those low metal tones we all love so well out of it quite easily.

Karl Hungus

Aye... Well I've fired off a few enquiries with my exact specs to a couple of places now, so I hope to hear something soonish.

How does a DiMarzio Evolution and Blaze neck pickup sound to you?

It wasn't me!

I would have gone with an Evolution and a FRED but I'm no expert on neck pickups. Bridge is where it's at!

Karl Hungus

FRED? What's that be, eh?

It wasn't me!

It's a DiMarzio humbucker. Joe Satriani uses one. I think it's in the neck on his customs.

Karl Hungus

Ah, I see it now. It's for 6 strings only, keep in mind this is a 7 I'm getting.

It wasn't me!

Ah yes. No ideas then. I know little or nothing about seven-string pickups.

Karl Hungus

Aye same as myself, but I think DiMarzios are the way forward tbh. Just look at the players who use them compared to the EMG players. I looked up the artists page on emginc.com and it's completely dominated by nu-metal guitarists who coat everything in a layer of undefinable distrortion. Not good.

I definetly think I'll be using passive pickups from now on.

It wasn't me!

Heh. Feylya's going to have something to say about that whenever he gets back! I like EMG's myself but each to his own I guess. I'd advise never to rule out something like active pickups though.

Karl Hungus

Ah, he knows I've gone off the EMGs for ages now, I doubt he's going to say anything.

I'm more interested in what the doc has to say at this point reguarding pickups, but I do want pickups with fairly high output, but not so high so that it sounds like mud. So I think Evolution + Blaze combo should be right up my alley.

I still might get that X2N for my mockingbird just for that definitve Schuldiner sound. Although I got that guitar so I could play around with alternate tunings, it's pretty much become my guitar for solely playing Death.

I don't know will I rule out active pickups in general, but I think at this point, my experience with EMGs have spoiled my view on actives.

It wasn't me!

I meant about all the nu-metal guitarist and extraordinary amounts of distortion on the website. The Doc generally knows what he's talking about on anything remotely guitar-related anyway so you're in safe hands there. Can't say I know anything really about DiMarzio's. I could use either a second guitar or a new, better one, preferably the new, better one. At the moment I'm thinking an SG with a slimmer neck.

Karl Hungus

I'd say something like "The statistics speak for themselves" or words to that effects with reguarding the amount of numetal guitars that use them, but I'd nearly be putting myself in the hotpot at the same time so to speak just thinking of the amount of numetal guitarists that use BC Rich, it wouldn't be a wise course to take.

Suffice to say I do think the EMGs sound extremely muddy and unclear. I can certainly see why some guitarists would like the sound, but its really not for me at all.

It wasn't me!

I guess each to his own on this one. I like EMG's personally. Any opinion on the SG Standard?

Karl Hungus

Don't put EMGs in it? In fairness, they all sound exactly the same, does emg pickups. I got the exact same tone from my Virgin with yonder 81 and 85 as my friend gets from his luthite Ibanez. If you shell out on a guitar, you want a pickup that'll make use of the extra tonality provided.

I wouldn't exactly be the biggest gibson fan myself, but I can't exactly find much fault with them. They're a good guitar really, and although I've preference towards the explorer, you'd do well with an SG.

It wasn't me!

I wasn't going to. I was going to stick with the original pickups until I decided whether they were what I was looking for and then swap up for maybe some Duncan's if necessary. EMG's are nice but they have a tone of their own. You're right there. They don't make use of what's available. I guess you just have to like the tone of the pickups themselves really.

Karl Hungus

Aye, and I think that the idea of a pickup that just supplies its own tone and ignores the guitar's own natural tone is a very bad idea. I mean, stick 'em in a Custom 24 and it'll sound the same as if you were playing through a cheap aria with emgs installed. :eek:

Bad thing altogether if you don't like the EMG tone.

It wasn't me!

I'm with you on that. I'd like there to be a happy medium where both guitar and pickup add their own distinctive elements of tone, but as of now there isn't one that I know about. Not a bad thing to stick in an old Epiphone or something though if you've got it lying around.

Karl Hungus

I'll let you know how I get on with the DiMarzios so. I certainly like idea of something that's fairly high output, yet doesn't dominate the tone with it's own sound.

Doctor J

Seymour Duncan JB. It is the perfect pickup (or damn near close anyway )

Karl Hungus

Hmm... They come standard with DiMarzio Blaze pickups tbh, might just take those, they sound sweet. What's your thoughts on those, and why the JB doc?

Doctor J

Why? Because I put one in the Eggle many years back and can personally vouch for it. Beautiful pickup.

Karl Hungus

Hmm... Fair enough so, do you think it's the kinda thing I'm really going for though? And you've not said anything on what you think about the aforementioned DiMarzio pickups? They sound fairly damned good to me, and as far as I understand it, they don't solely give their own tone akin to what EMGs do, so that's the main thing I'm concerned about.

Doctor J

I can only speak for the JB because after I got it I stopped looking for humbuckers. I haven't played the DiMarzio. TBH, the only person who will know what is right is you and if you can spare €150 in the name of research I'd point you to, well you know where, he's got an X2N for $45 and some JB's for under $60. Get them both and install them in turn in a guitar you know well, then let your ears decide. You could sell either on here and break even at least. I could harp on about the JB but my idea of what's right might not be yours. Either way, I'd want to make sure that the solder on my custom guitar was never disturbed once it left the workshop. Know what you're going to buy.

Karl Hungus

Oooh! Now, I've certainly not €150 for the sake of experimentation, but I might indeed nab that X2N for my mockingbird, because $45 is a damned good price and the mockingbird is pretty much my dedicated 'Death' guitar.:D They don't make the X2N for 7 strings though, but from what I understand, the Evolution is the closest thing, so it could give me a fair idea.

Doctor J

Well at least you'd know if it was the right path, in relation to your EMG's. Next time I'm in Galway I'll bring the Eggle, you can check out the JB.

Karl Hungus

Hmm... Would it be out of line for me to ask you to get it for me? It was enough of a fight to get my ma to let me use her credit card for play.com, and she doesn't want her details given out anywhere else, I've asked a few times before.

I can of course pay you and give you a pint for your troubles.

Doctor J

No problem, but it'll have to wait until after I get assaulted by the meany old taxman when my S2020 comes in.

feylya

Don't you mean the "S2020"???

Karl Hungus

Ah yeah man, I'm in absolutely no rush. I doubt I'll be getting my Stealth for quite a while yet anyway.

Doctor J

feylya wrote:

Don't you mean the "S2020"???

Isn't that what I said?

feylya

Isn't it a different model now??? S2120 or something? Ah, I dunno.

BTW, Ishibashi has changed the range of RG's available

Doctor J

Nah, I checked it all out and it's a last generation 2020 (with the EQ for the piezo) which makes it pretty much a 3020. June 2002, going by the serial number.

feylya

Ah well, it's still pretty damned funky!!! I want a go...

Doctor J

Hmmmm, wait until I get some 13's on it and get it down to C#. Just put 11's on the Eggle and they're way too loose.

feylya

13's in C#??? I wouldn't have thought you a low tuner. And C#??? Quite a bizarre tuning... What will the piezos think?

Karl Hungus

Hmm... Do I remember feylya playing drop C tuning on my 9's? Yes, I beleive I do.

Anyway, I got back a quote from Guitar Asylum on my Stealth with my exact details, and conversion into euro, its €2350 with case. That's including reversed pointed headstock, no inlays, coil tapping, mahogany body, pickup rings and all other bits and bobs.

How does this sound to you peeps?
The only problem is that while it's only a $300 deposit, the stadard build time is 12 months, and by that time, the conversion rate between euro and dollar could skyrocket!

feylya

Karl Hungus wrote:

Hmm... Do I remember feylya playing drop C tuning on my 9's? Yes, I beleive I do.

Oh, FFS I was running out the door, you had the thing tuned a step down and I wanted to play Oriental Melody through the microcube. Sounded damn fine too!!! I just never figured the Doc to be a down tuner....

As for the conversion rate, pay them now. I doubt they're gonna say that they don't want the money...

Karl Hungus

Downtuning has a bad rep because of nu-metal, but it has its merits, and I wouldn've never thought the doc being too snobby to tune so he could jam out some carcass or the like.

As for the whole conversion rate thing, paying them now is a good idea in theory. I've more than enough for the deposit at any rate, but the 12 months is plenty of time to save altogether and I don't have €2350 right now. Look over there, a rock! Oh, and behind me, a hard place?

feylya

Wait then tbh. I reckon it'll be a while before the dollar is equal to the euro and even then, you'll save money.

Don't forget, Tony Iommi down tuned!!!

Doctor J

feylya wrote:

What will the piezos think?

They'll think they're the luckiest piezos in the whole damn world if they don't want to be fecked out in the bin


Ahhh I have a long history of down-tuning, starting with my first 'real' band Edible back in 93. I insisted we tune to C. Not in a sludgy, doomy sort of way, it just sounded appropriate for the music I was writing at the time. When Big Al and I were getting a band together which was doomy and at times incredibly slow (once described as "glacial", though we were in a really Sabbath place at the time) we found that the stuff just sounded great in B, with the occasional stint into dropped A. You've just got to go with what sounds best for the music. At the moment, what is in my head makes my balls jangle when tuned to C#, so C# it is. Why fight it for the sake of convention? Ah, it'll all make sense in a month or two, trust me

feylya

Ah, that floyd It's gonna be wobbling all over the place.

Doctor J

Nonsense. I'll wager the 13's will have more tension in C# than a set of 10's in E.