New Schecter Day

LunatiBSW":1waw65ah said:

MetalHeadMike":1waw65ah said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

looks awesome. Got all the right specs for me too. I guess I should go check one of those out.

LunatiBSW":s0i6t4bt said:

MetalHeadMike":s0i6t4bt said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

Thanks Man! Yeah the Indo thing REALLY turned me off, still does TBH, but for the price and nice return policy I figured what the hell. It's a hell of a good guitar for the $. I played a bunch of low-mid level guitars the last couple years and there was not one I'd be willing to spend even $300 on. They were all absolute junk, with the exception of an indo made Ibanez Premium. That was a really nice guitar, but I sent it back due to several of the tuning peg mounting screws being screwed in crooked and backed out halfway and the tuners lifting off the back of the neck. Not for me when the guitar costs $1400.

mhenson42":c4q213e8 said:

looks awesome. Got all the right specs for me too. I guess I should go check one of those out.

Click to expand...

Like I just mentioned above, this guitar is worth every penny I paid and then some. Fit to finish is near 98% perfect on this one, feature set is killer, and it plays really well. May be pure luck that a guitar this cheap showed up this good I wish it had stainless frets and locking tuners, but both of those can be added down the road. Thing stays in tune really well with the stock tuners, bridge, and that tusk nut, and I was really wailing on it last night. I can see putting some coin into this one and upgrading the frets and tuners down the road. It's a really nice guitar.

I'm really starting to like the neck profile a lot. When I pick my Carvin back up, and that has the thinner neck profile option I think, it feels like a baseball bat compared to this Schecter neck. Never thought I'd like such a small neck, but it's really really comfortable.

Shask":urak8xc1 said:

LunatiBSW":urak8xc1 said:

MetalHeadMike":urak8xc1 said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

LunatiBSW":189hxp70 said:

Shask":189hxp70 said:

LunatiBSW":189hxp70 said:

MetalHeadMike":189hxp70 said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

Click to expand...

I don't mind thicker necks, but I cannot do the D shaped necks.... big shoulders with a flat back. I feel like I need finger extensions to reach the top string on those, which makes my wrist hurt. I liked the Thin U necks on the MH series in the past, but the M series has the extra flat thin U, which is just too much D. Schecter and PRS are my favorite guitars at the moment. Both are fairly round, and C shaped. The Schecter is very narrow.

Yeah, I thought about one of these or a Reaper. The Reaper is not coming out until January though. I love this CR-6 so much, I might grab a Reaper also, and just have both. I love the neck. I have small hands and fingers, and this is one of the only guitars I feel like a giant on.... like I could reach 1 or 2 more strings beyond the top string.

MetalHeadMike":26jwksld said:

^^^
Way above my head man I just know I need a bridge pup with more meat in the lows/low mids. I like BK pups, and I rarely buy new, so price isn't that big a deal for me. I'll probably be looking for an A-pig and maybe a C-pig too just to try both. I'm probably gonna pull the MM out of my Carvin and try that first though because it's full of lows/low mids.

Click to expand...

Sometimes light weight bodies can absorb too much low end. I had a very light alder S-type with that problem. It's just the luck of the draw with wood. It could be a grain weakness right at the neck joint. If the body is the issue, you might be able to remedy that by adding mass on the back between the neck and bridge, but that could be a major hassle.

First try the neck tension trick of loosening the neck pocket screws a ~1/2 turn with the strings at tension, and then tightening them back up. That can rigidify the neck body structure by jamming the neck heel into the rear of the pocket. If that doesn't do it my simple neck pocket mod might make a difference by decoupling the neck and body surface contact while increasing joint rigidity. It might not make much difference, but it increased bass punch and high end extension on the two guitars on which I've tried it: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

You could just try some Stainless Steel washers around the pocket screws. My experience with that is it increases punch and high end, but also adds a more metallic quality you may or may not like. Surprising, but the material really does make a tonal difference.

The guitar cable can also make a lot of difference in the high end character. A low C (Capacitance) cable will reduce the upper-mid peak and extend the high end out. It might do the trick for you with the stock pickups, but you'll need a very low C cable to make a significant difference with a typical high inductance pickup. As an experiment, order a cheap 6' Rapco 'G1' series cable and see what you think. At ~160pF (25pF/foot + 10pF for the plugs), it's about ~1/3 the C of a typical 12' store brand cable:
https://www.amazon.com/RapcoHorizon-G1- ... B003B15NTS

If a new pickup doesn't do it for you, I'd serious consider a Q-Filter. If the bass range still isn't strong enough with a BN pickup, I'd try that 8H L90. The L90 may well still have the strongest fundamentals of any HB pickup.

Shask":412wiheb said:

LunatiBSW":412wiheb said:

Shask":412wiheb said:

LunatiBSW":412wiheb said:

MetalHeadMike":412wiheb said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

Click to expand...

I don't mind thicker necks, but I cannot do the D shaped necks.... big shoulders with a flat back. I feel like I need finger extensions to reach the top string on those, which makes my wrist hurt. I liked the Thin U necks on the MH series in the past, but the M series has the extra flat thin U, which is just too much D. Schecter and PRS are my favorite guitars at the moment. Both are fairly round, and C shaped. The Schecter is very narrow.

Yeah, I thought about one of these or a Reaper. The Reaper is not coming out until January though. I love this CR-6 so much, I might grab a Reaper also, and just have both. I love the neck. I have small hands and fingers, and this is one of the only guitars I feel like a giant on.... like I could reach 1 or 2 more strings beyond the top string.

Click to expand...

I just caught that on the m series, that it’s the extra thin U. I’m looking st the EC (les Paul styles) which has the thin U, which is what I’m used to in ESP (like my Horizon II). I get what your saying.
Didn’t realize the reaper wasn’t coming out till then. I may have to wait and try one.
I need a beater guitar I can kinda toss around but plays nice too.

LunatiBSW":j1rwzrll said:

Shask":j1rwzrll said:

LunatiBSW":j1rwzrll said:

Shask":j1rwzrll said:

LunatiBSW":j1rwzrll said:

MetalHeadMike":j1rwzrll said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

Click to expand...

I don't mind thicker necks, but I cannot do the D shaped necks.... big shoulders with a flat back. I feel like I need finger extensions to reach the top string on those, which makes my wrist hurt. I liked the Thin U necks on the MH series in the past, but the M series has the extra flat thin U, which is just too much D. Schecter and PRS are my favorite guitars at the moment. Both are fairly round, and C shaped. The Schecter is very narrow.

Yeah, I thought about one of these or a Reaper. The Reaper is not coming out until January though. I love this CR-6 so much, I might grab a Reaper also, and just have both. I love the neck. I have small hands and fingers, and this is one of the only guitars I feel like a giant on.... like I could reach 1 or 2 more strings beyond the top string.

Click to expand...

I just caught that on the m series, that it’s the extra thin U. I’m looking st the EC (les Paul styles) which has the thin U, which is what I’m used to in ESP (like my Horizon II). I get what your saying.
Didn’t realize the reaper wasn’t coming out till then. I may have to wait and try one.
I need a beater guitar I can kinda toss around but plays nice too.

Click to expand...

If the Reaper quality is anything like this CR-6, it might be just the ticket for what your after. Doesn't put a guy out a lot of $$$, but plays and sounds really really good.

LunatiBSW":17hyrw6b said:

Shask":17hyrw6b said:

LunatiBSW":17hyrw6b said:

Shask":17hyrw6b said:

LunatiBSW":17hyrw6b said:

MetalHeadMike":17hyrw6b said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

Click to expand...

I don't mind thicker necks, but I cannot do the D shaped necks.... big shoulders with a flat back. I feel like I need finger extensions to reach the top string on those, which makes my wrist hurt. I liked the Thin U necks on the MH series in the past, but the M series has the extra flat thin U, which is just too much D. Schecter and PRS are my favorite guitars at the moment. Both are fairly round, and C shaped. The Schecter is very narrow.

Yeah, I thought about one of these or a Reaper. The Reaper is not coming out until January though. I love this CR-6 so much, I might grab a Reaper also, and just have both. I love the neck. I have small hands and fingers, and this is one of the only guitars I feel like a giant on.... like I could reach 1 or 2 more strings beyond the top string.

Click to expand...

I just caught that on the m series, that it’s the extra thin U. I’m looking st the EC (les Paul styles) which has the thin U, which is what I’m used to in ESP (like my Horizon II). I get what your saying.
Didn’t realize the reaper wasn’t coming out till then. I may have to wait and try one.
I need a beater guitar I can kinda toss around but plays nice too.

Click to expand...

I used to love the MH series guitars, but then the archtop really started to bug me. My forearm digs into these guitars, so I have not wanted any more with that general shape.

Yeah, I was debating between grabbing a CR-6 (especially with the 15% off coupon they had this week), or waiting for a Reaper in January. I was going to wait because I have been wanting bevels, but this CR-6 impressed me so much I had to grab it. I can definitely see buying a Reaper also next year. I like the neck enough to have both. I also have an old Banshee, with the same neck, although I swear it feels slightly thicker. I think the CR-6 and Reaper will feel different enough to have both. The CR-6 reminds me of playing an Ibanez S series in some ways. It is not as thin, but definitely has that thin, light, contoured thing going on.

MetalHeadMike":lqvvcg62 said:

LunatiBSW":lqvvcg62 said:

Shask":lqvvcg62 said:

LunatiBSW":lqvvcg62 said:

Shask":lqvvcg62 said:

LunatiBSW":lqvvcg62 said:

MetalHeadMike":lqvvcg62 said:

Shit, guitars seem to be just luck of the draw in my experience regardless of price tag and builder. I just returned a Mayones that had pretty shoty fit to finish.

Click to expand...

What was wrong with your Mayo?
Was yours an older model, Did you buy it used?
I’ve only Played two mayo’s, cause I’m left handed. But I could not find a flaw on them. One of the best guitars I’ve put my hands on.
They were both 2017’s though. I’ve heard the older ones had some “things” before they got everything figured out.

Funny about this thread, I read it because I’ve been eyeing an ESP LTD ec-metal.
It’s Indonesia, and that’s what scared me.
But the new ESP LTD Metal series has gotten rave reviews, so I may just give it a whirl and gamble on it.
Congrats on the new guitar day!

Click to expand...

I played one of those flat black, LTD M series, one pickup metal guitars last weekend when I was trying guitars. Overall, it seemed solid, and nothing stood out to me. Seemed like a nice guitar. I just didn't love the neck. It was thicker than the Schecter, and had more shoulders.... it was more U or D shaped. The round shoulders and flat back made it feel wider and thicker than it probably was. It was like a thicker Jackson style neck, which I don't really like.

It seems like Indo guitars have gotten better over the last few years, especially if they are the new Indo WMI factory. I don't think they are quite as good as MIK, but they also tend to be around $700 instead of $1300.

Click to expand...

Yeah ESP/LTD markets it as thin U shaped. It def a littler heftier but, I like it in my esp honestly. I don’t mind a thicker neck though. Just not baseball bat sized super thick.
I need to try one of these newer schecters also. The reapers look cool, looks like they don’t make this one lefty.

Click to expand...

I don't mind thicker necks, but I cannot do the D shaped necks.... big shoulders with a flat back. I feel like I need finger extensions to reach the top string on those, which makes my wrist hurt. I liked the Thin U necks on the MH series in the past, but the M series has the extra flat thin U, which is just too much D. Schecter and PRS are my favorite guitars at the moment. Both are fairly round, and C shaped. The Schecter is very narrow.

Yeah, I thought about one of these or a Reaper. The Reaper is not coming out until January though. I love this CR-6 so much, I might grab a Reaper also, and just have both. I love the neck. I have small hands and fingers, and this is one of the only guitars I feel like a giant on.... like I could reach 1 or 2 more strings beyond the top string.

Click to expand...

I just caught that on the m series, that it’s the extra thin U. I’m looking st the EC (les Paul styles) which has the thin U, which is what I’m used to in ESP (like my Horizon II). I get what your saying.
Didn’t realize the reaper wasn’t coming out till then. I may have to wait and try one.
I need a beater guitar I can kinda toss around but plays nice too.

Click to expand...

If the Reaper quality is anything like this CR-6, it might be just the ticket for what your after. Doesn't put a guy out a lot of $$$, but plays and sounds really really good.

Click to expand...

The Reaper should be almost identical, with a few small differences... ash body instead of mahogany, ebony fretboard instead of wenge, set neck instead of bolt, and bevels instead of contours. Both MII, same specs, etc....

Shask":l0ufjsac said:

Very nice!!

Yours is pretty light colored, with a lot of figuring. I like it. I actually went to GC today, and saw the green one, and charcoal one. The green one was awful. It was super dark, the outside was black and not blue, and there was hardly any figuring, other than one spot where it looked like someone sneezed on it. The neck felt rough, and one of the knobs was falling off. I wasn't impressed.

I thought the charcoal one was awesome looking though. It had a lot of figuring, and felt smooth, and overall just felt higher quality compared to the green one. I decided to grab it while I was there. I added a couple of crappy pictures.

Yes, definitely an aggressive mid focused tone. The neck is tiny, and seems thinner than my Banshee. Plays very fast. I am working on new strings, and adjusting it to my preferences.

Click to expand...

Noice!!

MetalHeadMike":2g364x2f said:

GCKelloch":2g364x2f said:

Going up a gauge of the same type of strings isn't the best solution for softening the attack of a "hard" sounding guitar. The higher freq, sharper longitudinal wave of the tighter strings can actually make the attack sound more harsh. I tried 11-50 (from 10-46) on one bright guitar and the attack was even "harder". You'd have to tune down to bring it back down.

As someone else said, try raising the pickups with the pole pieces set below the bobbin top on the low E and plain strings. That will increase the fundamental to upper harmonics power per note for a warmer sound. If it's still too middy and bright, try a set of Sfarzo 'V-Strings' in your normal gauge. They are a special Ni/Fe alloy with a high wrap to core ratio for increased slinkiness. That combination gives them stronger fundamentals than most strings and a smoother attack without sounding dull or weak like some pure Ni wraps. The plain strings feel slinky as well -- possibly from an "annealing" process used on the Swedish Steel. Too much flexibility would of course make strings sound dull. I'd describe the V-Strings as warm, fat and clear. You might then want to lower the pickups again to reduce the fundamental warmth and attack strength for the balance you want. It may take some experimentation, but a lot cheaper than a new Bare Knuckle pickup.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info for sure, that's a lot of detail But I think maybe I made it seem like I don't like that type of tone when in fact it's right up my alley. I actually prefer a very sharp attack, especially on the low strings, and I do tune down. Typically I play in drop C but just haven't got to set this guitar up for that yet. With the stock strings (Probably .10-.42 I'm assuming) tuned to drop D it sounds ok, but I usually use .11-.52 or .11-.50 and really like those gauges for the tunings I play in for the added beef and grunt they lend to the tone.

I've played with the height a bunch on the stock pup (bridge, I don't play neck pups often), and it's just too thin/lean on the lows I think for my taste. Could be I just need to get the heavier strings on there, so I wont right off the Apocalypse yet. The mids and overall voicing is cool, but it's just too unbalanced for me; needs more low end to balance it out. I typically always prefer my bridge height set very low on high out put bridge pups, and I prefer high output pups as opposed to low output pups.

Click to expand...

I started to notice how in every picture I seen of these pickups, the screws are always sticking way up out of the top of the pickup. They are about 1/8" sticking up. Normally this makes pickups brighter, so I decided to lower mine so they are flush with the top. I only got a few minutes play time, but it seems less scratchy on the high end. Since I could raise the pickup higher, closer to the strings, I got a little more low end also. You might try that to see if you notice a difference. I am not saying it is dramatic or anything, but I do notice a small difference.

Shask":23nw3f2a said:

MetalHeadMike":23nw3f2a said:

GCKelloch":23nw3f2a said:

Going up a gauge of the same type of strings isn't the best solution for softening the attack of a "hard" sounding guitar. The higher freq, sharper longitudinal wave of the tighter strings can actually make the attack sound more harsh. I tried 11-50 (from 10-46) on one bright guitar and the attack was even "harder". You'd have to tune down to bring it back down.

As someone else said, try raising the pickups with the pole pieces set below the bobbin top on the low E and plain strings. That will increase the fundamental to upper harmonics power per note for a warmer sound. If it's still too middy and bright, try a set of Sfarzo 'V-Strings' in your normal gauge. They are a special Ni/Fe alloy with a high wrap to core ratio for increased slinkiness. That combination gives them stronger fundamentals than most strings and a smoother attack without sounding dull or weak like some pure Ni wraps. The plain strings feel slinky as well -- possibly from an "annealing" process used on the Swedish Steel. Too much flexibility would of course make strings sound dull. I'd describe the V-Strings as warm, fat and clear. You might then want to lower the pickups again to reduce the fundamental warmth and attack strength for the balance you want. It may take some experimentation, but a lot cheaper than a new Bare Knuckle pickup.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info for sure, that's a lot of detail But I think maybe I made it seem like I don't like that type of tone when in fact it's right up my alley. I actually prefer a very sharp attack, especially on the low strings, and I do tune down. Typically I play in drop C but just haven't got to set this guitar up for that yet. With the stock strings (Probably .10-.42 I'm assuming) tuned to drop D it sounds ok, but I usually use .11-.52 or .11-.50 and really like those gauges for the tunings I play in for the added beef and grunt they lend to the tone.

I've played with the height a bunch on the stock pup (bridge, I don't play neck pups often), and it's just too thin/lean on the lows I think for my taste. Could be I just need to get the heavier strings on there, so I wont right off the Apocalypse yet. The mids and overall voicing is cool, but it's just too unbalanced for me; needs more low end to balance it out. I typically always prefer my bridge height set very low on high out put bridge pups, and I prefer high output pups as opposed to low output pups.

Click to expand...

I started to notice how in every picture I seen of these pickups, the screws are always sticking way up out of the top of the pickup. They are about 1/8" sticking up. Normally this makes pickups brighter, so I decided to lower mine so they are flush with the top. I only got a few minutes play time, but it seems less scratchy on the high end. Since I could raise the pickup higher, closer to the strings, I got a little more low end also. You might try that to see if you notice a difference. I am not saying it is dramatic or anything, but I do notice a small difference.

Click to expand...

Yep. That's the way it works. It makes less difference with thicker coil wire and/or taller coils, but it's worth a try along with a few other options. Technically, you will get the strongest possible fundamental to upper harmonic balance with the screws flush with the top of the coil, which is maybe 1~2mm below the top of the bobbin. I raise pole screws up higher on the A and D and on pickups closer to the neck.

Shask":2h0e7frs said:

MetalHeadMike":2h0e7frs said:

GCKelloch":2h0e7frs said:

Going up a gauge of the same type of strings isn't the best solution for softening the attack of a "hard" sounding guitar. The higher freq, sharper longitudinal wave of the tighter strings can actually make the attack sound more harsh. I tried 11-50 (from 10-46) on one bright guitar and the attack was even "harder". You'd have to tune down to bring it back down.

As someone else said, try raising the pickups with the pole pieces set below the bobbin top on the low E and plain strings. That will increase the fundamental to upper harmonics power per note for a warmer sound. If it's still too middy and bright, try a set of Sfarzo 'V-Strings' in your normal gauge. They are a special Ni/Fe alloy with a high wrap to core ratio for increased slinkiness. That combination gives them stronger fundamentals than most strings and a smoother attack without sounding dull or weak like some pure Ni wraps. The plain strings feel slinky as well -- possibly from an "annealing" process used on the Swedish Steel. Too much flexibility would of course make strings sound dull. I'd describe the V-Strings as warm, fat and clear. You might then want to lower the pickups again to reduce the fundamental warmth and attack strength for the balance you want. It may take some experimentation, but a lot cheaper than a new Bare Knuckle pickup.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info for sure, that's a lot of detail But I think maybe I made it seem like I don't like that type of tone when in fact it's right up my alley. I actually prefer a very sharp attack, especially on the low strings, and I do tune down. Typically I play in drop C but just haven't got to set this guitar up for that yet. With the stock strings (Probably .10-.42 I'm assuming) tuned to drop D it sounds ok, but I usually use .11-.52 or .11-.50 and really like those gauges for the tunings I play in for the added beef and grunt they lend to the tone.

I've played with the height a bunch on the stock pup (bridge, I don't play neck pups often), and it's just too thin/lean on the lows I think for my taste. Could be I just need to get the heavier strings on there, so I wont right off the Apocalypse yet. The mids and overall voicing is cool, but it's just too unbalanced for me; needs more low end to balance it out. I typically always prefer my bridge height set very low on high out put bridge pups, and I prefer high output pups as opposed to low output pups.

Click to expand...

I started to notice how in every picture I seen of these pickups, the screws are always sticking way up out of the top of the pickup. They are about 1/8" sticking up. Normally this makes pickups brighter, so I decided to lower mine so they are flush with the top. I only got a few minutes play time, but it seems less scratchy on the high end. Since I could raise the pickup higher, closer to the strings, I got a little more low end also. You might try that to see if you notice a difference. I am not saying it is dramatic or anything, but I do notice a small difference.

Click to expand...

That was the first thing i tried because I noticed the same thing....pole pieces were raised really high. I usually play with all my pup pole screws flush. Didn't make too big of a perceived difference IMHO.