Guitar doesn't feel right

kylendm

Active member
So I've had my Ibby UV for a long time now and I've never really got it to sound/feel right. I love the look of the guitar and I don't have any intentions to part with it. Basically the guitar just doesn't resonate like any of my other guitars. I can't really explain it but when I play a chord I don't really "feel" it throughout the whole guitar. It has an Edge pro trem with a tremolno but my RG3120 rings out and sounds superior with its Lo-Pro.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's almost like the guitar is dead. I've had it setup by a few good people and have had it's action raised thinking that might help but it still isn't quite there. Maybe it's the Tremolno? :confused:
 
kylendm":3w228to0 said:
So I've had my Ibby UV for a long time now and I've never really got it to sound/feel right. I love the look of the guitar and I don't have any intentions to part with it. Basically the guitar just doesn't resonate like any of my other guitars. I can't really explain it but when I play a chord I don't really "feel" it throughout the whole guitar. It has an Edge pro trem with a tremolno but my RG3120 rings out and sounds superior with its Lo-Pro.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's almost like the guitar is dead. I've had it setup by a few good people and have had it's action raised thinking that might help but it still isn't quite there. Maybe it's the Tremolno? :confused:
Unfortunately, there are some guitars that are just dead turds. May as well put some strings on a 2x4.
 
glip22":200h5nk0 said:
kylendm":200h5nk0 said:
So I've had my Ibby UV for a long time now and I've never really got it to sound/feel right. I love the look of the guitar and I don't have any intentions to part with it. Basically the guitar just doesn't resonate like any of my other guitars. I can't really explain it but when I play a chord I don't really "feel" it throughout the whole guitar. It has an Edge pro trem with a tremolno but my RG3120 rings out and sounds superior with its Lo-Pro.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's almost like the guitar is dead. I've had it setup by a few good people and have had it's action raised thinking that might help but it still isn't quite there. Maybe it's the Tremolno? :confused:
Unfortunately, there are some guitars that are just dead turds. May as well put some strings on a 2x4.
:LOL: :LOL:
Truth. Sometimes you can make some improvements that make a difference..I had an 87 Jackson bolt on that was dead, no sustain but played beautifully, nice and easy. Never a fan of the Jackson pickups so out they went, Duncan Custom and a 59 instead. Better, but still kinda weak sounding...bought an L shaped brass block for the OFR and that made the biggest difference. Much better all around, sustain and tone. Still not a good one but now it at least competed with my other bolt on Charvels.
 
kylendm":t566i3kd said:
So I've had my Ibby UV for a long time now and I've never really got it to sound/feel right. I love the look of the guitar and I don't have any intentions to part with it. Basically the guitar just doesn't resonate like any of my other guitars. I can't really explain it but when I play a chord I don't really "feel" it throughout the whole guitar. It has an Edge pro trem with a tremolno but my RG3120 rings out and sounds superior with its Lo-Pro.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's almost like the guitar is dead. I've had it setup by a few good people and have had it's action raised thinking that might help but it still isn't quite there. Maybe it's the Tremolno? :confused:
I kind of feel like that with a MIJ Jackson dnky baritone I got. I like the 27 scale and that its 6 strings but like how you described it didn't resonate like my other guitars. Decided to get it rewired (it had a emg afterburner boost knob thing in it) and thru BK warpigs in it... sadly it didn't help. Part of me feels like like sanding the paint off it and going natural with oil to see if it will resonate better like how Gibson faded guitars do. :confused:
 
I can't make decisions for anyone but myself, but my usual take on things is - if it doesn't inspire me, I shed it...

:dunno:
 
Yeah it's definitely not the pickups. I just wonder if swapping the trem system kinda skewed the mojo a bit. I got it like this so it might be time to try and switch it back.
 
kylendm":1mv9592u said:
So I've had my Ibby UV for a long time now and I've never really got it to sound/feel right. I love the look of the guitar and I don't have any intentions to part with it. Basically the guitar just doesn't resonate like any of my other guitars. I can't really explain it but when I play a chord I don't really "feel" it throughout the whole guitar. It has an Edge pro trem with a tremolno but my RG3120 rings out and sounds superior with its Lo-Pro.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? It's almost like the guitar is dead. I've had it setup by a few good people and have had it's action raised thinking that might help but it still isn't quite there. Maybe it's the Tremolno? :confused:


sometimes some guitars are just duds. I have had a couple guitars like that, basically dead. quiet when played unplugged, no sustain, etc., just a dud.
 
Ill play devils advocate. My old ass charvel 3dr is one of my thinnest sounding guitars, and absolutely hates most high output pups. But it has a great sustain, and plays like million bucks; just comfortable and fast. Ive learned iver the years what pups i can get by with, and work around it being a lean sounding guitar, which also make it unique and my favorite guitar.
 
I have 2 ibanez that feel great but I just have no desire to play them and i'm not sure why. They have the jagged shark inlays which I love but I never pick them up...maybe I just have to many guitars :doh: :LOL: :LOL:
 
Also I find that tremolno's can kill the tone a bit. Block it with a dense hard wood. I use oak that you can get from home depot. $3 for a foot is all you would need.
 
does it fell this way when you play it unplugged?

If so, it still could be the tremel-no. But it could also just be shit wood.
 
The UV is a basswood body, where as your 3120 is mahogany (I believe). I swapped the pickups on my UV to an Evo and a PAF Pro and it made a world of difference. The stock pickups are shit...I'm not sure what Steve was thinking or hearing back in the day. I have only played the old RG 7 strings from 2003 era and while I liked the neck joint better on those, I didn't feel the tone was any better or that they resonated better.

I have a tremelno on my RG2020 and I don't feel like it changes the tone. Just curious, why do you have one on your 7, are you switching between drop A and B tuning?
 
There is a video on YT called Luthiers Tricks or something like that.

He loosens the neck bolts a little and and smacks the headstock with a rubber mallet in the direction of the bridge to seat the neck a little deeper in the pocket. Worth a try?
 
Make sure the little things are right, neck bolted on tight and straight is a big one. Lots of guitars out there with cardboard shims in the neck pockets and loose neck screws.

Like others said, it might just be a dead guitar or maybe it’s just not lively in the way you want.

I have an old Schecter from the mid-2000’s that always sounded dull and dead like it had old strings on, even with new strings and no matter what pickups. Eventually I decided to sand off the finish and oil it just for fun, and as soon as I got that thick (it was thick) finish off there, it did sound a lot more open, and resonates a lot now. It’s actually one of my favorite sounding guitars now.
 
I have a few thoughts.

First, which pickups are in there now? I can't remember.

Second I would take the neck off and see what the pocket looks like. One time I had a dead sounding guitar, I put a thin piece of stainless steel (maybe a sixteenth of an inch) and drilled through and inserted it in the pocket and it worked wonders. Cardboard shims are trash.

Sometimes dead guitars are dead guitars. Period.

I really think that you should get rid of the tremol-no unless you need it. I have a bunch of guitars that I have trems blocked on, i like a piece of oak over a tremol-no and it's cheap (I realize that I already mentioned this)

The block has a big impact on tone, especially when you get the new block and block the tremolo with a chunk of oak.

I have five ibanez prestiges currently and five MIJ jacksons, and while the MIJ jacksons lack a bit with the licensed floyd, the 'good' edges in my ibbys IMO are perfectly fine.

I have not tried the loosen and tap with a hammer technique but I would be leery on that guitar. I can't remember how the locking nut is mounted on it, but if it is mounted through the back of the neck, I would not advise it.

Another thing to check is how well the nut is mounted. You may want to clean it up or even replace it. It can make a difference.

If I think of any other tricks I will post back. These are all things I have done on mij jacksons and ibanez full floating guitars, experience not random BS.
 
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