A simple question concerning the sound of RG3120

[particlestorm]

But before i ask, let me tell you THIS:

1) Yes, i searched the forum and found some remarks here and there, BUT it had no value to me (because everyone only said "i like it" or "i don't like it" or so...). So please, PLEASE do not tell me that this special topic has been touched in the last year already (because it has been not....)
2) ....Like i mentioned above, please ONLY write if you have more to say than "it is a good guitar"
3) I know that the player (big time) and the equipment contribute a lot to the sound, BUT (!!) i think that every guitar has a special sound/character you can hear no matter which amp or strings,....etc you use. * So:


My question :

How does the RG3120 sound amplified ; clean and with distortion ??? Please describe the sound for bridge and neck position (humbukcer). (maybe compare it to a strat or so....)
Especially the neck is important....Is it punchy, singing, fat, but still open and "breathing"...

Now the stupid question (stupid because it sounds childish and has a wannabe-attitude, but so what...) : With the neck HB, can i achieve KIND OF an Petrucci, Malmsteen lead sound (you know, what i mean......these bell-like tones when they play the upper frets) ????????

Thank you very much for your time....If i seemed rude (at the beginning), that was not intended, i just want to get some good answers...

[jem7vwh]

I can't speak to the clean tones, because I've only played 3120s through the high gain channels of amps. *Here's what I think though:

I personally was very unimpressed with the bridge pickup. *It seems to make everything mushy. *I like more separation of sound and if I bought the guitar, I'd replace the bridge pickup with an Evolution. *I thought the neck pickup was fine. *It could probably be described as fat and punchy, although I'm not sure it's really the best neck pickup. *Others will give you more sparkle and breathe more.

edit- stupidity removed.


(Edited by jem7vwh at 1:08 pm on April 10, 2002)

[Rich]

The neck p/u is a PafPRO. Tone Zone in the bridge.

[gkelm]

I'll contribute here on the neck pup...I don't care that much for the PAF Pro in the neck of the 3120. *It sounds fine in split positions clean, but dirty I alwayg go for a Santana-esque tone on the neck, with a little tone roll off. *The PAF Pro is perhaps "open," but just doesn't seem to get smooth and fat enough for me.

Also, regarding the split position #2 (next to full neck...or 4 depending on starting point)...I believe the 3120 is wired for parallel coils on the neck bucker. *This is an interesting tone...not as stratty as the other split position--a but "fatter." (I meant to write "bit"...that typo was too good to correct). *This could be rewired for a different tone.
Greg

[bduersch]

The 3120 is pretty much my favorite guitar, or at least the one(s) I play the most, and I think the pickups contribute to that considerably...

Personally, I really like the sound of the Tone Zone in the bridge of the 3120, but I tend to play more straight-ahead rock these days, and less progressive/highly technical stuff. So the Tone Zone might not be the tightest pickup on earth, but it will cut you through the mix. It's fairly well balanced and gives good harmonics, but not completely obnoxious.

The PAF Pro in the neck is relatively smooth, though not as smooth or glassy as an Air Norton. It does tend to get a little bassy at times. (Personally, I think the Air Norton with a Tone Zone is about the best pickup combination on earth!)

I rarely use either pickup full-on clean, but I do use the split positions considerably for clean work. I find the 2nd & 4th positions pretty useful overall--one is pretty spanky, the other a little more quacky. If that makes any sense whatsoever...

:sarcasm:

--B

[anuj]

yup, quacky is intelligible... tender surrender outro ;-)

~A

[particlestorm]

Thanks guys!

It seems that this RG needs other pickups like the Air Norton in neck (or maybe Duncan 59 ?) or a Steve's Special in the bridge....hm. I always changed pickups on my guitars but now i am sick of it and i just want to buy a guitar that is perfect as it is....

By the way, what do you think of these guitars:

-Fender Double Fat
-Ibanez SC620
-MusicMan/Ernie Ball Silhouette

...any experiences?