USA Gunslinger sounds crappy. Pickup recomendation?

[Gsxrbusa]

I have tried a JB, EMG 81, Fishman Fluence Modern. Installed brighter strings. It's way more dull than any guitar I own. I kinda freakin hate it. I want to love this guitar. It has a brand new Schaller and brass block. Not sure if it's the wood or WTF but it has no life to me. All my guitars are either Mahogany or Alder. This thing has a poplar body I think?

A friend recommended a Bill Lawrence L-500XL so I have one on the way. Any other pickup recommendations? I am a metal player.

Thanks!

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

SD Distortion.

 

[Mailman1971]

Dimarzio X2N. They are in all my guitars.
I had tons of dud usa bc rich guitars as well.
Not sure what the fuck.
But if the X2N don't get it. It can't be saved.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Thanks for the input brothers. I need a zipper on this thing.

I really hope one of these works. Getting tired of swapping them out.

 

[Mailman1971]

Yeah the X2N is in the same vein as the bill Lawrence.
Think of Nuno tone on pornograffiti.

 

[neilli]

Try an EMG 85 - doesn't have that scoopy/dead sound of the 81..

 

[mchn13]

Yeah the X2N is in the same vein as the bill Lawrence.
Think of Nuno tone on pornograffiti.

Good call. The x2n saved an old Japanese bolt on Jackson I had about 20yrs ago. That pup wiped the floor with the previous emg I had in that guitar. I absolutely love them for brutal stuff.

 

[paulyc]

Check the volume pot value...it might be 250K and killing your high end. I had a GS back in the day and it was dead sounding, I put in a Jackson J90C and a 1 Meg volume pot, WORLD of difference. Good luck.

 

[eternal_idol]

If this was a Used guitar, Might want to make sure the previous owner didn't POORLY shim the neck.

also check out the resonant pitches of the body and neck wood(by holding the neck and tapping on the body and vice versa). if they don't atleast harmonize with each other this might be the problem also. Neck swap can make it better or worse depending on starting point.

And i'd be likely be loading it with Dimarzio super distortions, 1meg volume pot with a treble bleed and no tone control.

 

[mchn13]

Check the volume pot value...it might be 250K and killing your high end. I had a GS back in the day and it was dead sounding, I put in a Jackson J90C and a 1 Meg volume pot, WORLD of difference. Good luck.

What does the 1meg pot do for passive pups? I've heard it before just don't know what it does.

 

[blackie13]

I would do:

get rid of that brass block.I F HATED it in my alder charvel and poplar kramer.

change pots and electroics...

 

[jsp]

SD Distortion.

This, if it still sounds dull with a Distortion, then it's just a dud.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Thanks again fellas. Lots of great ideas here. I hope it's not a dud.

 

[paulyc]

Check the volume pot value...it might be 250K and killing your high end. I had a GS back in the day and it was dead sounding, I put in a Jackson J90C and a 1 Meg volume pot, WORLD of difference. Good luck.

What does the 1meg pot do for passive pups? I've heard it before just don't know what it does.

The theory is the higher output pickups want a volume pot with a higher ohm rating (500K being better that 250 (or 300-330 like some Gibsons) and 1 Meg and even 2 Meg being more suited to super output pups), there are more highs in the signal. I use 1 Meg in everything. Like a blanket off the speakers.

 

[paulyc]

Sometimes the black coating on the Floyds can make it dull too, Gary Moore swore by this, if you have a spare chrome Floyd kicking around swap it on and see...

 

[eternal_idol]

Check the volume pot value...it might be 250K and killing your high end. I had a GS back in the day and it was dead sounding, I put in a Jackson J90C and a 1 Meg volume pot, WORLD of difference. Good luck.

What does the 1meg pot do for passive pups? I've heard it before just don't know what it does.

The theory is the higher output pickups want a volume pot with a higher ohm rating (500K being better that 250 (or 300-330 like some Gibsons) and 1 Meg and even 2 Meg being more suited to super output pups), there are more highs in the signal. I use 1 Meg in everything. Like a blanket off the speakers.

The actual science behind it is actually not very intuitive.

its more perceived highs rather than added highs. IIRC something about a shift of impedance. I recall a video that Frank Falbo (they guy that worked at Duncan for quite awhile.) where he got a little bit into the actual science of it. Can't find it right now tho.

I remember there being a magnitude of factors going into the resulting difference.

 

[paulyc]

Well, I use mostly Duncan Distortion, Jackson J90C, DiMarzio Super Distortion, and Suhr Aldrich pickups, and all my guitars have 1 Meg pots in them and I dig it. I don't really use lower output PAFish pickups so maybe that's a factor. I've never tried a 2 Meg, but I might.

 

[stratjacket]

I had a swamp ash body guitar that was a little dull sounding and snipped the tone knob out of the circuit and it lit up, gave the edge and aggressive thing I was looking for and did not sound dull any longer. I would recommend trying that, it's easy and doesn't cost a thing to see if that helps or changes things.

I like the Neck/Body resonate test. I've never heard or tried that one before.

Funny reading through the thread. I guess if the resonate test fails, you can replace the neck. If it fails again, replace the body, get new pickups, replace the block, change the pots...I know we all mean well, but that's pretty much a new guitar, ha

 

[eternal_idol]

I had a swamp ash body guitar that was a little dull sounding and snipped the tone knob out of the circuit and it lit up, gave the edge and aggressive thing I was looking for and did not sound dull any longer. I would recommend trying that, it's easy and doesn't cost a thing to see if that helps or changes things.

I like the Neck/Body resonate test. I've never heard or tried that one before.

Funny reading through the thread. I guess if the resonate test fails, you can replace the neck. If it fails again, replace the body, get new pickups, replace the block, change the pots...I know we all mean well, but that's pretty much a new guitar, ha

In my experience the neck test won't "fail" per say. The results might not just be to your liking.

this holds true for pretty much every guitar i've encountered that is above Student grade guitar. paying more than 200-300$ new and you are getting out of that range. (12 years as a touring guitar tech, i've seen alot of "lemons" that were gems in someone else hands)

It comes down to who/what is more stubborn. The guitar or the owner.

If the pick ups are not making a huge difference, them i start looking at hardware. in this case is really really good to learn to tech for yourself. atleast on an experimental basis. shifting string gauges, composition, tuning. getting a better nut, staggering the tuning pegs properly (google this one, i always have to every time i need to do it) make sure the fret board is flat and level, good action. Look out for any issue frets and make note to avoid those areas that can be fixed when assessing changes.

Coming from the Owner of an exceedingly picky guitar, when it comes to tuning and string gauges and total tension. It can get infuriating if its your only guitar. but if you have more than one... work with it could lead to something cool

throw some theory at it and see what happens. find the resonant intervals, find them as notes on the fret-board, look up the interval and look at the corresponding scales and modes. Find a tuning you can live with that incorporates one of those scales and modes and start testing gauges.

It might just be the creative nudge we need to get our self's out of the constant rut that we try to constantly delude our self's that we are not in

we are all gear-whores for a reason

 

[Candiria]

Volume pot would probably be the first place to go, or if it has a tone knob you could remove it. Even on full, a tone knob will reduce high end just by being there.