marnold
January 31st, 2009, 08:37 PM
I've heard people say that as soon as they pick up a guitar, they can tell whether it has "mojo" or not and whether they want it or not. Such was not the case with my Floyd. My initial review (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=3995) was very positive, especially for $149, but I also mentioned returning it which I probably would have done if there were any left to return it for.
The fit and finish issues I mention in that review got under my skin for a while. I've toyed with selling it or replacing the body for that purpose. I also had issues with the Floyd trem itself. This was mainly due to the fact that this is my first Floyd-equipped guitar and I was determined to set it up myself. Now I know what to do, but initially it was very frustrating. I tried different string gauges, both Eb and standard tuning, four springs and three, floating and blocked. For a while it was like it was taunting me.
Then there were the pickups. I bought it knowing that a pickup swap would happen. When I got my Area 61s I remember being initially underwhelmed. They didn't sound that different--only noiseless. That's when I discovered how much pickup height matters. Dropping them a bit made a world of difference. The Screamin' Demon was a nice addition too and blends better with the single coils. The neck-on switch added a ton of tonal flexibility. That was probably my favorite addition.
Yet after all of that, as recent as a month or so ago I was still thinking of getting rid of it. Those Jackson DK2Ms just seemed so sexy. I decided against it because I knew I wouldn't get much for my guitar and I'd take a massive hit on the pickups I had just put in. Plus, having played a DK2M, it was nice but not nice enough to make me want to switch. Plus I remembered how much I hate where Jackson/Charvels have the volume knob.
The funniest part is that what finally made me "bond" with this guitar is an accident. I was sitting in a chair that my wife had reupholstered. I moved a bit and heard an odd rubbing noise. I discovered that something pointy in the chair arm had put a nice scratch on the top of the guitar by the arm comfort cut.
At first I was ticked. I like to take great care of my stuff. But very shortly thereafter, it was like the guitar finally became my own. It's like that scratch was my name etched on it. Yeah, it's a bit of a mutt, but it's my mutt. The pickups give me tones I really like. The trem is a Floyd trem with all the wanking goodness that comes along with it. It's a guitar that is unique. Everything from the pickups to that scratch mark it as my own.
As I've gone through this project learning the In My Dreams solo, I find myself using this guitar almost exclusively, not because I hate my Fender but I can't put this one down. When I looked at that Jackson RR, it was my Fender that was going to go, not the Floyd. Pretty remarkable transformation.
I guess the whole point of this long-winded diatribe is give a guitar some time. Mod the heck out of it if you have to. I've enjoyed gutting the wiring on this. I learned a ton about soldering, setups, pickup choices, etc., things I probably wouldn't have learned otherwise. I know my GASsiness would be reduced dramatically if I'd just play and enjoy what I have instead of always looking to something else.
The fit and finish issues I mention in that review got under my skin for a while. I've toyed with selling it or replacing the body for that purpose. I also had issues with the Floyd trem itself. This was mainly due to the fact that this is my first Floyd-equipped guitar and I was determined to set it up myself. Now I know what to do, but initially it was very frustrating. I tried different string gauges, both Eb and standard tuning, four springs and three, floating and blocked. For a while it was like it was taunting me.
Then there were the pickups. I bought it knowing that a pickup swap would happen. When I got my Area 61s I remember being initially underwhelmed. They didn't sound that different--only noiseless. That's when I discovered how much pickup height matters. Dropping them a bit made a world of difference. The Screamin' Demon was a nice addition too and blends better with the single coils. The neck-on switch added a ton of tonal flexibility. That was probably my favorite addition.
Yet after all of that, as recent as a month or so ago I was still thinking of getting rid of it. Those Jackson DK2Ms just seemed so sexy. I decided against it because I knew I wouldn't get much for my guitar and I'd take a massive hit on the pickups I had just put in. Plus, having played a DK2M, it was nice but not nice enough to make me want to switch. Plus I remembered how much I hate where Jackson/Charvels have the volume knob.
The funniest part is that what finally made me "bond" with this guitar is an accident. I was sitting in a chair that my wife had reupholstered. I moved a bit and heard an odd rubbing noise. I discovered that something pointy in the chair arm had put a nice scratch on the top of the guitar by the arm comfort cut.
At first I was ticked. I like to take great care of my stuff. But very shortly thereafter, it was like the guitar finally became my own. It's like that scratch was my name etched on it. Yeah, it's a bit of a mutt, but it's my mutt. The pickups give me tones I really like. The trem is a Floyd trem with all the wanking goodness that comes along with it. It's a guitar that is unique. Everything from the pickups to that scratch mark it as my own.
As I've gone through this project learning the In My Dreams solo, I find myself using this guitar almost exclusively, not because I hate my Fender but I can't put this one down. When I looked at that Jackson RR, it was my Fender that was going to go, not the Floyd. Pretty remarkable transformation.
I guess the whole point of this long-winded diatribe is give a guitar some time. Mod the heck out of it if you have to. I've enjoyed gutting the wiring on this. I learned a ton about soldering, setups, pickup choices, etc., things I probably wouldn't have learned otherwise. I know my GASsiness would be reduced dramatically if I'd just play and enjoy what I have instead of always looking to something else.