J-Custom sound question

Alexeh · #1 05-30-2007, 06:05 PM

The mahogany/flame combo is turning me off! I think that would sound too warm, so I'd like to ask for thoughts on this?

eelblack2 · #2 05-30-2007, 06:29 PM

Probably has as much or more to do with your pickup selection. I have a Mahogany/Quilt Maple JC7 and it has great snap with PAF7s. I could imagine with an Evo 7 or X2N7 it would take your head off with high end.

zEr0 · #3 05-30-2007, 09:11 PM

I'm with you, mahogany is not my body wood either. Even with a maple top it just sounds too muffled... And I hate bright pickups so that's not an option. BASSWOOD ALL THE WAY!!!

Alexeh · #4 05-31-2007, 12:03 AM

I have an alder, basswood and mahogany guitar but the basswood does seem just right! Basswood ftw!

Ferrous Lepidoptera · #5 05-31-2007, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eelblack2

Probably has as much or more to do with your pickup selection. I have a Mahogany/Quilt Maple JC7 and it has great snap with PAF7s. I could imagine with an Evo 7 or X2N7 it would take your head off with high end.

To some extent. I have a RG3120 with mahogany/flame maple top and an RG8670 with mahogany/flame top, both with a ToneZone in the bridge, yet they sound remarkably different. These guitars are seemingly very similar, but so different in sound that I've come to the conclusion that if you want to know what a guitar is going to sound like, you've just got to play it. There is no substitute. You can speculate based on the specs, but each guitar has it's own quirky sound, however meticulously their makers try to make different instances of a given model identical. I own two instances of an RG520QS which sound different from each other, for instance.

GAZ · #6 05-31-2007, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrous Lepidoptera

To some extent. I have a RG3120 with mahogany/flame maple top and an RG8670 with mahogany/flame top, both with a ToneZone in the bridge, yet they sound remarkably different. These guitars are seemingly very similar, but so different in sound that I've come to the conclusion that if you want to know what a guitar is going to sound like, you've just got to play it. There is no substitute. You can speculate based on the specs, but each guitar has it's own quirky sound, however meticulously their makers try to make different instances of a given model identical. I own two instances of an RG520QS which sound different from each other, for instance.

The variations in pup height, action and freshness of the strings makes a difference between the sound of 'identical' guitars. Your 8670 has maple neck binding and an ebony board which will sound brighter than the rosewood on the 3120.

GAZ · #7 05-31-2007, 04:03 AM

J Customs muffled ??? They have (usually) bolt on maple necks and a Floyd Rose type trem which increase top end and lose bottom end respectively. Both of mine with TZ pups can strip paint from the back wall if required, I rarely have the treble much above 4.5 on my Recto and the presence is on 1 ! Your amp set up is more important than your guitar in your overall sound. Invest in a quality valve/tube amp before you spend truck loads on guitars !

Alexeh · #8 05-31-2007, 10:42 AM

Well not muffled really, but on the bassy side obviously since it's a piece of mahogany.

eelblack2 · #9 05-31-2007, 01:41 PM

As Gaz said, setup can make a huge impact on the overall sound of otherwise identical guitars. I have no problem whatsoever making a HRG4-BX bark on the high end. Most of my guitars have different setups to accomodate various aspects of what I want it to play and sound like. For me, a wide assortment of pickups further broaden that range of tones.