Rig build help (does a RG770 stay or go?)

[satchmo72]

I am having an issue with some things that haven't happened yet but could and it affects my choices of guitars at the present time.

I want to start playing out in the next year or so. Right now I am running a POD XT Pro in my home studio because most of what I have been doing up until now is recording instrumental songs. I have the urge to work on my chops and maybe start playing out. (stay with me here Jimbo)

I have an awesome playing Ibanez RG770DXLB Reissue that has a maple fretboard, until this time I have had nothing but Rosewood because I like the darker tone, less brittle sounding than the maple but.....most of my 80's rock heroes played maple boarded guitars. Guys like Demartini and Lynch. If you've seen my Hair metal amp post, I am looking to get an amp and get away from using the POD as much and I'm wondering if maybe I would like my RG770 more once I started playing it through an amp instead of the POD. I really don't want to get rid of the 770 but for what I do now (recording,) I just cant wrap my arms around it. The lead tone for recording is too bright.

I bought a RG550 RI recently, the black one that has the Rosewood board, loaded it up with a Tone Zone/Air Norton combo and am happy with it for lead AND rhythm work.

I don't have a lot of gear money right now (damn you Dave Ramsey) and am not the kind of person to collect things just to have them (like a pretty RG770), they have to have a use to stay around.

Should I hold onto to the 770 until I get my rig sorted out and then decide?

Sorry for the rambling but the voices are fighting inside my head and it is driving me nuts!!

Jeff

 

[racerevlon]

Off the top of my head...

Why not change out the pickups in the 770? I have an original '91 770DXLB and if I remember correctly the sound they were going for with those pickups was a PAF PRO style. Dimarzio will certainly make you a blue PAF PRO, and since it's a reissue I wouldn't worry about resale value, especially if you can return-to-stock.

I played most of my Sunset Strip gigs with that DXLB and it always sounded great and never let me down. I can't speak for the reissue 770's but I also have a 20th anniv. 550BK and I put a Breed set in it. Gives it a nice, full PAF tone but I'll still take my 770DXLB over it every time. Then again, I'm a sucker for maple fret boards as well. Years later I bought a '92 RG770DXVM just because they're such great, versatile guitars.

 

[rupe]

Quite frankly, maple vs rosewood really doesn't have a huge impact on your tone when using a lot of gain...in fact certain rosewood boards have even more highs than maple (once again, not really an issue for metal). These differences are more pronounced with clean or low gain tones. Your problem most likely lies in the guitar itself being bright which may be able to be corrected through a pickup swap as the previous poster stated.

That said, wait until you decide on your rig before you make any changes to the guitar...different guitar/amp combinations can produce drastically different results so you may end up liking your guitar as is.