The Doom Room: ILF Edition

[D.o.S.]

Not sure how I feel about the new Boris.

It kinda sucks.

Every Boris fan has thought this at least once since 2011.

[Kacey Y]

Changing subject: Strats for Doom...



I have some Gibson style guitars but still dig Fenders for a lot of reasons (comfort, playability, a different tone). This is my '91 in drop A. Minor mods to the bridge, replaced pickguard and the nut over the years. I also have another tortoise pickguard loaded with two PAF style humbuckers and a 3-way switch. Every year or so I'll switch the pickups out while I'm cleaning it or re-stringing it. The body is ash as far as I know, all I know for sure is that the guitar weighs a lot considering the amount of wood that is routed out for the pickups, controls and vibrato.

The tone control for the bridge and middle pickup is interesting, it acts normal up to a center detent at 5 and then above there it adds some kind of a passive mid boost. Not sure how this works or what it's doing exactly. Need to do some research or look at it closer next time I swap out the pickguards.

This was the second guitar I ever bought and it has a tiny but deep little dent on the top of the body from the first week I owned it. I was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee and practicing scales and I got up to answer the front door and bashed it on the back of a wooden chair... horrible feeling. I like when a used guitar already has that first dent or two in them so I don't worry about it.

It took me about 15 years to finally figure out what I like. I loved the sound of Gibson and similar style guitars, but didn't like the feel. I liked the feel of Fender and similar type guitars, but didn't like the sound (sometimes, sometimes, but most of the time sounded too thin to me) and didn't like the string tree and the way the strings would buzz at the nut if they weren't wrapped just right. Eventually I bought a Carvin Bolt Plus and I freakin love it. It's a front route hardtail Strat style body/neck, with dual humbuckers, each of which can be coil tapped, with an angled headstock and locking tuners. Sounds and feels exactly how I want now. I've got mine in B and planning on getting another or maybe a regular Bolt (tradition Strat kind of look/pickup config) with either dual rail pickups or a humbucker in the bridge, to keep in standard tuning.

I can get down with the single coil picukps, if they're the right type. I just have no use for the middle pickup by itself and I don't like the tremolo and the string tree, so the Carvin is the best solution for the different modified designs elements I like. Before I got it I was considering getting a prewired pickguard with dual rail or noiseless high output pickups for the MIM Strat. I ended up selling it to a friend once I knew what I wanted though, he feels about the same about it, loves the feel but wants a humbucker in the bridge.

[Joe Gress]

Not sure how I feel about the new Boris.

It kinda sucks.

Every Boris fan has thought this at least once since 2011.

I can name maybe two tracks that I have really liked? Never got around to listening to Präparat though.

[fallen]

Music Man amps sound great (love mine) but not so great at in the house volumes. I've gotten some compliments on the tone, especially driven with fuzz, but that tube power section doesn't really start speaking until the volume is high. The sweet spot on the HD150 must be crushing.

All my big cabs (Peavey!) are in storage. That little cab is a Fender 2x10 that would have went with a Tremolux or something. All the vintage bits were stripped off over the years before I got it. The speakers are some alnico RCA 10s but the original back was replaced with a thicker piece of wood. The metal brackets that held the head and the tilt-back leg were all removed. Somebody took the feet. I think it might be a silverface era cab based on the logo but I can't be sure.

[fallen]

I loved the sound of Gibson and similar style guitars, but didn't like the feel. I liked the feel of Fender and similar type guitars, but didn't like the sound

My "solution" to this problem is to just buy more guitars. When one starts sounding boring, or too bright, or too dark just grab a different one. Or go shopping for new pickups.

That strat is definitely not good for everything. If you want to riff out or start chugging you start wishing you had a humbucker in the bridge pretty quick.

[Kacey Y]

I loved the sound of Gibson and similar style guitars, but didn't like the feel. I liked the feel of Fender and similar type guitars, but didn't like the sound

My "solution" to this problem is to just buy more guitars. When one starts sounding boring, or too bright, or too dark just grab a different one. Or go shopping for new pickups.

That strat is definitely not good for everything. If you want to riff out or start chugging you start wishing you had a humbucker in the bridge pretty quick.

I used to be that way with guitars, but now I've just got the one. I definitely do that with basses though. Still planning on buying another guitar for standard tuning, like I said, but mostly paired down because I want to build a few for fun. So I can play around with different pickup configurations and all that.

[fallen]

So I can play around with different pickup configurations and all that.

Well like I said, if you can find one or make one a strat with that swimming pool route in the body (maybe not ideal for tonewood) is great for experimentation. Ebay pickguards are cheap and because the pickguard holds everything it's easy to work with on a bench and a super quick swap.

And there's lots of room for Zappa like treble boost circuits or kill switches and whatever you drill holes for you're just modding a cheap piece of plastic and not the body of the guitar.

I'd actually like to try an Ebow-type sustainer circuit in mine and switch to a humbucker or Mean 90 in the bridge.

[van_muddlestein]

I like fender guitars. I get down on fenders for the heavies. That said, I immediately assume a band is about to play dad rock or lawyer blues when I see a strat onstage. I hate strats for no justifiable or logical reason.

[Joe Gress]

I immediately assume a band is about to play dad rock or lawyer blues when I see a strat onstage. I hate strats for no justifiable or logical reason.

Lol this. I have yet to see a strat live where I actually enjoyed what they were playing, so I have this stigma against them.

[Kacey Y]

So I can play around with different pickup configurations and all that.

Well like I said, if you can find one or make one a strat with that swimming pool route in the body (maybe not ideal for tonewood) is great for experimentation. Ebay pickguards are cheap and because the pickguard holds everything it's easy to work with on a bench and a super quick swap.

And there's lots of room for Zappa like treble boost circuits or kill switches and whatever you drill holes for you're just modding a cheap piece of plastic and not the body of the guitar.

I'd actually like to try an Ebow-type sustainer circuit in mine and switch to a humbucker or Mean 90 in the bridge.

Swimming pool route is the plan. I've got some alder that's been sitting in my shop for at least 6 months and a Strat template, waiting for me to get my shit together. I don't want to try building a neck from scratch yet, because I haven't had any experience with installing frets, so I need to buy a neck and some parts to get going. I may use a Carvin neck actually, because I really like their profile and the angled headstock.

[AngryGoldfish]

Man, the new Russian Circles album is so good. I was never huge into them, but this new record is sublime.

Also been listening to Enemy of the Sun. It's one from the Neurosis catalogue I hadn't got round to. It's pretty gnarly and mean. Quite abrasive.

[fallen]

I like fender guitars. I get down on fenders for the heavies. That said, I immediately assume a band is about to play dad rock or lawyer blues when I see a strat onstage. I hate strats for no justifiable or logical reason.

What about PRS's. They sound and play great but I wouldn't bring one to my first try-out with a new band, maybe not the strat either.

[CaptainBoxman]

Joining in with the Fender talk;

I'm back in love with Fender. I went on a set neck mahogany binge for the last year or so, but I picked up a Jazzmaster recently and fuck man, I forgot my Fender love. Clanky, noisy, awkward and so full of fucking character. I love it. I would marry Jazzmasters.

[neonblack]

Im pretty torn right now between getting a Gibson SG bass or the Fender Reverse Jaguar. I played the jag the other day and loved it. I really like the look of the SG but havent played one. I used to hate how the reverse jag looked but after playing it, im coming around.

[D.o.S.]

Man, the new Russian Circles album is so good. I was never huge into them, but this new record is sublime.

Also been listening to Enemy of the Sun. It's one from the Neurosis catalogue I hadn't got round to. It's pretty gnarly and mean. Quite abrasive.

You owe it to yourself to work backwards from there -- skipping Emperos, maybe. Russian Circles are fantastic.

Im pretty torn right now between getting a Gibson SG bass or the Fender Reverse Jaguar. I played the jag the other day and loved it. I really like the look of the SG but havent played one. I used to hate how the reverse jag looked but after playing it, im coming around.

Have you ever played a bass with mudbuckers in it?