2 of the same guitars, totally different tone. WTF?

Markedman

Markedman

Well-known member
I have two Steinberger GR4 guitars with the same electronics. One can rip your head off, the other one sounds like a single coil Stratocaster. My first thought was to change the volume pot, there was a 500k in there, I though that maybe it was old but it made no difference when I put a new 500 in it. I would provide pictures but I took the guitar apart to refinish. Should I constantly check ohms from the pick up leads to the output jack, will that let me know where the signal dies?

I did search everywhere in the good sounding guitar for some crystal lattice or a tiny elf in the electronics pocket, nope.

Good guitar gut shots

Steinberger gut shots by John Bazzano, on Flickr
Steinberger gut shots by John Bazzano, on Flickr
Steinberger gut shots by John Bazzano, on Flickr
Steinberger gut shots by John Bazzano, on Flickr
Steinberger gut shots by John Bazzano, on Flickr
 
Measuring the resistance at the output jack is always a good start (Volume and Tone up full). And measure each pot tab to ground.

Have you done any work inside those guitars? I ask because that is some ugly wiring for such high-end guitars, just curious if that is stock Steinberger wiring. I've wanted a GR4 since I became a Plini fan.
 
swamptrashstompboxes":220zfgna said:
That is some sketchy wiring tbh. I would gut and redo that rats nest.
Click to expand...


No way!! It sounds great, it's the other one I wish I could get this good. I did wire up the other guitar and it sounds better, but still not as good as the rat's nest. It may look bad, but it's good.


Back together -

GR4 by John Bazzano, on Flickr

GR4 Tiger Maple by John Bazzano, on Flickr
 
Now that it’s back to gather it sounds pretty good, it sounds exactly like Buck Darma’s guitar on the Blue Öyster Cult song “Burning for You “
 
That's really cool and it looks fantastic. For some reason I thought those had a slight fan to them but it doesn't look like that one does?
 
Thank you for compliment! I did the refinish and wiring in about an eight hours, waiting for the black paint to dry took 4 hours and even then it was still tacky. I sanded the old finish off and rubbed black stain on it and then sanded again followed by 4 coats of clear.

I don't think Steinberger ever made a fanned neck. They stopped making these in the 1990's. Best guitars ever for ease of playing. When guys play mine, they are floored at how well they play and how heavy in weight they are, they're like a Les Paul. The neck will be around in a thousand years according to Steinberger.
 
That's my dumbass confusing it with Strandburg. :doh: Now I remember; EVH messed with these way back. The fog is clearing.
 
I had just pulled the bridge pickup in my D'Avanzo and thought it looked so clean I'd take a pic and post it. Add another red wire to the switch and a twisted green/shield to the back of the pot and that was it.

20200429-131954.jpg
 
Whenever I've had the 'single coil strat' effect on a pickup that should be hot and huge sounding, it was always a bad ground. Re-solder and all good.
 
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