James Tyler Studio Elite vs Black Classic

leedsyjames

I guess some have you have owned or have first hand knowledge with both guitars? 

Anyone know the main differences in tone?

I tried out a Tyler Black Classic USA and a Studio Elite HD Japan side by side. I preferred the warm sound of the Classic but with the switching options of the SEHD (mid boost preamp)
The Classic had an alder body with rosewood fingerboard and the SEHD had a mamyo body with a maple fingerboard.
If I wanted to go for the SEHD but with alder body and rosewood fingerboard, does anyone know if would this get tonally close to the Classic? 

Thanks!

Kebabkid

I had a black classic but a Made in Japan one and that was excellent and you'll be fine with one of them over a US one and save some money, too. People say there's hardly any difference.

If you like flexible switching, then look at the  Tyler Japan Classic Black Level 3 Huff Style and Guitar Guitar bring them in.
You'll be paying a couple of grand less than a US one

I tried a couple of Mamyo bodied Tylers in Guitar Guitar and they didn't quite hit the mark for me in terms of sound or looks.

leedsyjames

Kebabkid said:

I had a black classic but a Made in Japan one and that was excellent and you'll be fine with one of them over a US one and save some money, too. People say there's hardly any difference.

If you like flexible switching, then look at the  Tyler Japan Classic Black Level 3 Huff Style and Guitar Guitar bring them in.
You'll be paying a couple of grand less than a US one

I tried a couple of Mamyo bodied Tylers in Guitar Guitar and they didn't quite hit the mark for me in terms of sound or looks.

Hey, nice one for the info. 

Maybe it’s a Classic that will get the tone that I am after. I like the versatility of the SEHD but have only tried one out. 

I’ll consider the Huff but not keen on gold hardware! 

Could get a Black Classic and get a coil split fitted. 
There is also the LA Studio Classic to consider (if I can find one!)

Kebabkid

leedsyjames said:

Kebabkid said:

I had a black classic but a Made in Japan one and that was excellent and you'll be fine with one of them over a US one and save some money, too. People say there's hardly any difference.

If you like flexible switching, then look at the  Tyler Japan Classic Black Level 3 Huff Style and Guitar Guitar bring them in.
You'll be paying a couple of grand less than a US one

I tried a couple of Mamyo bodied Tylers in Guitar Guitar and they didn't quite hit the mark for me in terms of sound or looks.

Hey, nice one for the info. 

Maybe it’s a Classic that will get the tone that I am after. I like the versatility of the SEHD but have only tried one out. 

I’ll consider the Huff but not keen on gold hardware! 

Could get a Black Classic and get a coil split fitted. 
There is also the LA Studio Classic to consider (if I can find one!)

The inbetween position (2 between the middle pickup and humbucker) on the Classic has something going on with it, maybe an automatic/partial tap and so you might not need it as it's a great sound and the pickup positions/volumes on that guitar are so well balanced. Instead, you might want to connect Tone 2 to the bridge humbucker as I found that more useful.

motorhead

There are also several pickup options, which will affect the tone probably more than the wood. They do have sound samples on the Tyler web page but I found it more useful to hunt down reviews. My SEHD is Japan built, Mamywo. 5500s and a Super. I knew none of this buying it as the spec sheet was missing. I had a bit of a nag about the Super which was reinforced watching Shaun Tubbs’ vid featuring the same pickup combo.  Again from YouTube vids the Secret may be closer to my ideal tone but I’m very unlikely to bother changing it.

Can’t comment on the Classic as have not tried one. I rarely use more than the minimum amount of boost but I do use it a lot. 

I can comment on gold hardware: don’t do it. I got a Fender custom shop years ago on a good deal telling myself I’d get past the gold. But I didn’t. I offloaded it mostly as couldn’t get used to the vintage neck radius but I always hated that gold.

DrBob

I had a US Hollow SEHD and whilst it was without question the best playing and feeling guitar I’ve ever had it didn’t have that classic Strat sound. I wasn’t ever really sure what it was, whether it was the chambered body or the weird choice of the cheaper Wilkinson WS50 trem that someone told me James himself chose because he liked how it changed the sound.. 
So maybe the trem is another factor to consider ?

March

Sonically, there is no major differences in tone between the SE and Classic. The SE features a slightly deeper lower cutaway and longer upper one. The biggest changes for me come in timber choices - alder vs ash vs mahogany by mamywo for the body, maple and mahogany for necks. My hollow mahogany bodied, mahogany necked SE sounds very different to my hollow alder, maple necked SE for instance, far more so than my alder bodied, maple neck/rosewood board Classic and equivalent wood options SE, which are pretty close acoustically and plugged in. 

leedsyjames

March said:

Sonically, there is no major differences in tone between the SE and Classic inherent from the. The SE features a slightly deeper lower cutaway and longer upper one. The biggest changes for me come in timber choices - alder vs ash vs mahogany by mamywo for the body, maple and mahogany for necks. My hollow mahogany bodied, mahogany necked SE sounds very different to my hollow alder, maple necked SE for instance, far more so than my alder bodied, maple neck/rosewood board Classic and equivalent wood options SE, which are pretty close acoustically and plugged in. 

This is exactly what I was thinking. The Classic and SEHD are almost the same shape as each other, the single coil pickups are the same,
so my reckoning would be the types of wood used for the body neck and fretboard would be the main things to consider to get close to the sound of the Classic. 

Case closed???!…

motorhead

leedsyjames said:

March said:

Sonically, there is no major differences in tone between the SE and Classic inherent from the. The SE features a slightly deeper lower cutaway and longer upper one. The biggest changes for me come in timber choices - alder vs ash vs mahogany by mamywo for the body, maple and mahogany for necks. My hollow mahogany bodied, mahogany necked SE sounds very different to my hollow alder, maple necked SE for instance, far more so than my alder bodied, maple neck/rosewood board Classic and equivalent wood options SE, which are pretty close acoustically and plugged in. 

This is exactly what I was thinking. The Classic and SEHD are almost the same shape as each other, the single coil pickups are the same,
so my reckoning would be the types of wood used for the body neck and fretboard would be the main things to consider to get close to the sound of the Classic. 

Case closed???!…

Do keep an eye on pickup selection. As said already, the Super in mine is noticeably dark which effects position 2 as well as 1, the latter I am ok with though. It's still very much a strat sound but lacks some of the sparkle of position 4. If I ever wind up changing, it'll be for position 2. As far as I can tell Iyoutube) the Secret might be closer to what I want but I'd need to try one to be sure. RJ Ronquillo has a Super but his demo vids feature so much compression and other processing that it's hard to be totally sure. 

leedsyjames

motorhead said:

leedsyjames said:

March said:

Sonically, there is no major differences in tone between the SE and Classic inherent from the. The SE features a slightly deeper lower cutaway and longer upper one. The biggest changes for me come in timber choices - alder vs ash vs mahogany by mamywo for the body, maple and mahogany for necks. My hollow mahogany bodied, mahogany necked SE sounds very different to my hollow alder, maple necked SE for instance, far more so than my alder bodied, maple neck/rosewood board Classic and equivalent wood options SE, which are pretty close acoustically and plugged in. 

This is exactly what I was thinking. The Classic and SEHD are almost the same shape as each other, the single coil pickups are the same,
so my reckoning would be the types of wood used for the body neck and fretboard would be the main things to consider to get close to the sound of the Classic. 

Case closed???!…

Do keep an eye on pickup selection. As said already, the Super in mine is noticeably dark which effects position 2 as well as 1, the latter I am ok with though. It's still very much a strat sound but lacks some of the sparkle of position 4. If I ever wind up changing, it'll be for position 2. As far as I can tell Iyoutube) the Secret might be closer to what I want but I'd need to try one to be sure. RJ Ronquillo has a Super but his demo vids feature so much compression and other processing that it's hard to be totally sure. 

Yes, good point on the choice of humbucker. 

I think the classic that I tried out had a Secret humbucker and it sounded really nice with a certain warmth to it.