Coyote's Build

[jhale667]

Sounds killer...what was the surprise was how good the neck pickup sounds... very nice!

[Coyote]

One can hear the wood-ness...

[Diamondjimi]

Sounds great man. Nice job!

[Coyote]

I must admit, Alnico 5 sounded weird at first, especially since I'm used to having a ceramic at the bridge...

[jhale667]

I must admit, Alnico 5 sounded weird at first, especially since I'm used to having a ceramic at the bridge...

You DO hear a lot about the Custom 5 supposedly sounding too "scooped" on places like the Duncan forum, was wondering how that was gonna work out for you, but IMO sounds good in that guitar!

[Coyote]

Had the intonation properly setup today... Tech guy was very impressed with it.

His comment: "That's a very nice, fat sound you got there..."

[Coyote]

Quick commentary concerning differences between the two...

Tanya:
-lighter, due to the 7/8 size body
-slightly more balanced sound, low/mid/high
-totally different "feel". Hell, I have to bend more than usual... Spring tension issue, I guess.

Wifey:
-weighs like a Les Paul in comparison
-more of a low-end emphasis, slighty darker sound
-tighter "feel" upon bending.

And I wouldn't give either one up... not even for a million, a private island and/or an extended weekend with Jessica Simpson.

[Coyote]

You DO hear a lot about the Custom 5 supposedly sounding too "scooped" on places like the Duncan forum, was wondering how that was gonna work out for you, but IMO sounds good in that guitar!

My first impression was something along the lines of "quite a porous sound I got here"...

But, man... I had a blast last weekend... Played a couple of gigs.
FOH guy says "Ya don't have to touch the settings, that's fuckin' perfect."
And I was very happy with the sound, nice and raw... (Albeit, through an Engl Screamer combo)

She's the official "go-to" axe now...

[jhale667]

So you're 2 for 2 on builds now - congrats!

I may start a thread on the Charvel mutt rebuild once I get the first progress photos from Jeff at RCA...we're still debating which paint shade to go with for the base...found one I liked, but he thinks may be too dark for certain subtle shading I want, so I went back and looked at Dupli-Color shades again...turns out the only other shade close to what I'm looking for (in stock yesterday, at least) is what turned out to be a metallic primer...which was new to me, didn't know they even made primers in metallic colors!

And hey, you mentioned a spring tension issue...imagining you already checked to see if the bridge is pitched correctly (horizontal with the face of the guitar's recess) or does it sit slightly forward or back slightly when not in use? That can make the action feel funky...

[Coyote]

So you're 2 for 2 on builds now - congrats!

I may start a thread on the Charvel mutt rebuild once I get the first progress photos from Jeff at RCA...we're still debating which paint shade to go with for the base...found one I liked, but he thinks may be too dark for certain subtle shading I want, so I went back and looked at Dupli-Color shades again...turns out the only other shade close to what I'm looking for (in stock yesterday, at least) is what turned out to be a metallic primer...which was new to me, didn't know they even made primers in metallic colors!

That's new to me...

And hey, you mentioned a spring tension issue...imagining you already checked to see if the bridge is pitched correctly (horizontal with the face of the guitar's recess) or does it sit slightly forward or back slightly when not in use? That can make the action feel funky...

Oh, it's horizontal, alright... I'm just used to stiffer action.
It could also be a case of the bridge going forward a bit while bending. I'll get around that...

[Coyote]

'Been thinking about switching neck pickups lately...

Not that the current one (Dimarzio Heavy Blues 2) isn't great, it just seems a bit spiky at times.
Might need something a bit more subdued... HS-3?

[jhale667]

'Been thinking about switching neck pickups lately...

Not that the current one (Dimarzio Heavy Blues 2) isn't great, it just seems a bit spiky at times.
Might need something a bit more subdued... HS-3?

I had an HS-3 in my H/S Strat when I first built it in '90, it was great for Yngwie-esque speedy runs, but it's clean tone left something to be desired. Kinda the opposite effect with the current Duncan STK-S1N in the Koa Strat...great cleans, not quite as cool for blazing solos. I'm trying an original Heavy Blues (which I've read some still prefer over the 2) in the Charvel rebuild.

Have you considered the new Duncan Yngwie "Fury" model yet? Supposedly way more toneful than the HS-3s.

[Coyote]

I'll check it out. Haven't found a decent clip on youtube yet, though... Too much string noise...

[Coyote]

Well...

[jhale667]

They definitely sound a little gainer than the HS-3, that's for sure...decent sounding tone, but it's hard to tell on the tiny computer speakers I can't blast in my office... Will let ya know how the original Heavy Blues works out this evening...