Zencaster new look and sound: 'buckers also

[Gravity Jim]

I've been obsessing over guitar sounds lately, and specifically how my guitars react to certain microphones.

I love the cleanliness and the sensitivity of the EMGs in the Zcaster, but could never get enough "lisp" in the 2 and 4 setting, and was really getting sick of the "percussive" response peak they exhibit at 3K or so.

So, after some conversations with the guys at EMG, I've changed out this guitar's pickups for the first time in 15 years with a set of their new SA-X's.



They sound fantastic... very smooth in attack, but much more open and airy, with big lows and a super nice quackiness in the in-betweens. I think these pickups will sound much better on my recordings, and I'm looking forward to posting some raw examples.

At the same time, after all that dithering about Zhangbuckers, I also decided to replace the humbuckers in my PRS with a set of Seymour Duncan SH-1's (my friend Gary owns an Ibanez Artist with a set of these in it that I've always loved the sound of). These really hit the nail on the head, too, giving the guitar a huge frequency range and a fantastic classic rock grind through my amp.

Also, the black plastics and nickel covers dress the guitar up real nicely.

[curtisstetka]

So which is it, Jim? You sound like you... or... you sound like you+some nice pickups?



Just joshing you, dude. I'm glad you're having fun with your geetars. If you kept the same set of pickups in a part-o-caster for 15 years nobody going to accuse you of being fickle.

[Don]

The new pickups look cool on the Zencaster!

[Gravity Jim]

Okay, Curtis, I deserved that.

Yes, both sets of pickups sound very different - and, I would say, "better" - than the old ones. It's true that I still can't sound like Refin, for example. Even better pickups, as radically as they change the sound of a guitar, don't really change the fundamental "essence" of the sound of my playing. But I think that both sets of pickups will make these guitars a lot easier to deal with in the studio. I guess that means I still sound exactly like me, but without the 3k bump. :)

It may be that the recent Tascam-fueled hi-def blanket removal in my studio is the root cause of all this wenging.


Thanks, Don! I agree. I wasn't sure about going with the black, but I think it's sexy, and puts the emphasis even more on the wood... even closer to that "old cello" thing.

[tugboat]

Nice! I can't wait to hear what the Zhangbuckers do to my singlecut. Shouldn't be too much longer. I decided to do the covers too. He was pretty against it but I have yet to listen to the Beano album and think, "Man Clapton would sound so much better if he didn't have those tone-sucking covers on."

I ended up deciding that my Soapy and Korina Singlecut sound different enough to keep both. Especially at the neck pickup they both just have different vibes.

[Gravity Jim]

Tugboat, the Zhangbuckers you have coming have output numbers almost identical to the Duncans I ended up with... they should be pretty similar. It's hard to imagine that the Zhangs could be any more wide-range than these SH-1s... either way, a pretty big improvement over the stock pickups (Kap'n says his Korina+ZHang guitar is awesome.)

You did right with the covers. :) I think the Korina looks pretty okay with the cream plastics, but they looked like hell on this sunburst. I'm still waiting for backorder black barrel knobs.

[Rickenjangle]

Jim, the new look for your Strat is horrible. You'd better let me take that on your behalf, so you won't be seen playing that ugly-azz guitar.

(OK just kidding...it looks AMAZING with the black EMG's!) Congrats!

[Gravity Jim]

I dig the look! EMG makes one of their "Pro Series" prewired pickguards in this same deal (the SL20 "Steve Lukather Sig is black on black pearl).

[tugboat]

I normally don't like the look of EMG pickups but the more I look at the zencaster the more I realize that one looks really sweet!

I dig the cream soapbar covers on my sunburst soapy and I'm not sure I'd like black covers on it. It's less flashy than your singlecut so the cream covers add a nice bit of flair. The black rings on your singlecut though really put it over the top. With the black knobs it will look perfect!

I think my korina looks better with cream rings.

[refin]

Nice! I can't wait to hear what the Zhangbuckers do to my singlecut. Shouldn't be too much longer. I decided to do the covers too. He was pretty against it but I have yet to listen to the Beano album and think, "Man Clapton would sound so much better if he didn't have those tone-sucking covers on."

Well,actually..........





I have the Woodbucker/Slugbucker combo in my Flying V now....I put some old Gibson chrome covers on them.When I told David,he wasn't sure how they were gonna sound.I am impressed! They sound good either way,I was just curious.

[Don]

Back in his Bluesbreaker days, Clapton touted the removal of Humbucker's covers in an interview. He was pretty adamant about it.

[Gravity Jim]

He thought using a lot of heroin was a good idea, too.

[tugboat]

Not THAT adamant!





Of course those were his cream days. Either way, I like the look with the covers better and I've never been able to tell a difference. Too many incredible sounds have been created with humbuckers with pickup covers.

[Don]

He thought using a lot of heroin was a good idea, too.

I don't think he messed with heroin until he started playing Strats (or was it the other way around???).

[Gravity Jim]

UPDATE:

I have the new EMGs pretty close to where I want them (way lower than most users have them with the neck almost flush to the pickguards). Wanna hear 'em?

This is the Zencaster plugged straight into the Rebel, tone controls flat, just a touch of 'verb in the effects loop, in to a large diaphragm condenser about two feet away from the cab. All five pickup positions, starting with the Bridge. Guitar store style noodling, trying to play what suits the sounds.

Zen X

I'm real happy with them... They exhibit all the things I liked about the old SVs, but none of the stuff I'd grown to hate.

[Kap'n]

Sounds very nice, Jim. I'm impressed with the 'eveness' of the sound.

[Gravity Jim]

Thanks Kap'n. I wanted to get rid of the 3k bump mentioned above, and wanted to see if the X-Series made good on the promise of more headroom/less "compressed"/more natural "organic" sounding.

The neck pickup and the 2 & 4 setting are "strattier" then the old ones by far. I'm really enjoying them a lot... Still just as quiet and sensitive as the old ones, though.

[Kap'n]

What I find really nice in that clip is that you can really hear the pick-attack differences in the phrases, without big transient spikes, yet no squirminess at all.

I'm sure a lot of that is the player.

[Gravity Jim]

Well, that's kind of you to say, but I think you're hearing the p'ups... these, are far, far smoother than the SVs were. I found myself having to compensate for the SV's as my technique improved, but I don't have to think about these at all. Love the "stringiness" of the neck and middle, and the bright-not-bite bridge.

[refin]

That sounds good Jim...good playing too!

[Gravity Jim]

Refin, thanks... If I could effortlessly (i.e., buy something) cop any TFFer's lead tone, it would be yours. But I think these should record real nicely.