Do-all stage guitar

stickyfiddle · February 13

Does it exist?

My priorities for live use right now are probably a mellow neck pickup, tele-middle sound, and rock bridge humbucker. And occasionally a Strat-in-between.

Is this why fancy HSS guitars exist? And PRSes? Fuck

Is there anything that does that stuff without looking really boring?

Roland · February 13

They’re twisted Telecaster neck pickup, with the bridge being tapped part way, then over wound. A five way superswitch gives: neck, neck and tapped bridge in parallel, tapped bridge, full bridge, both in series. As an added bonus my AxeFX has an acoustic simulation. Six sounds in total.

floeighty2 · February 13

Hmmm I’d be thinking Nashville Telecaster, get a single coil size humbucker in the bridge, Strat pickup in the neck a la Jerry Donahue and then you still could get some good middle sounds and if it was double bound it would be a slick looking piece of wood!

timmypix · February 13

So most likely something HSS or HSH with switching that lets you have neck and bridge together and most likely split, or combinations of split coils instead of the traditional Fender 5-way options.

Alternatively, I'd say I've been able to get all the sounds listed out of a PRS with a 5-way switch (split inner coils), or my Les Pauls with partial splits and switches to choose which coil is split to. But that's not always the quickest option.

stickyfiddle · February 13

Yeah I feel like the best option if I really wanted to go there would be a HSS Strat build using a super switch to give me specifically the combinations I wanted. But that feels so boring, even though it could make a phenomenal tool-guitar.

I’d rather have something cool like a Firebird…

guitars4you · February 13

Going back 30 years or so, when PRS first came out - So many early 'players' were not dentist's or doctor's - But gigging musos - I've sold many Custom 22/24 models to full time/serious touring/working/gigging players who have chosen such a guitar because it does a professional job well - Trem works, no tuning issues, versatile tone package and can go from Chic to EVH in a wiggle of a switch

Maybe the be all and end all doesn't exists - But a PRS does a lot and does it well - Some might say jack of all trades and master of none, and maybe some truth in that - But when you are working in a West End pit you can't take 2/3/4 guitars with you - One guitar that does a lot is handy

Whilst the PRS 513 is not the best selling PRS some call it the Swiss Army Blade model - Personally a Custom 22 or DGT is the answer for a one guitar to do a lot with an original Swamp Ash not to far behind

robinbowes · February 13

Sounds like you need a Tele, with a stacked bridge pickup. Or possibly a Mike Stern Pacifica 1511MS or 1611MS.

ICBM · February 13

guitars4you said:

Whilst the PRS 513 is not the best selling PRS some call it the Swiss Army Blade model - Personally a Custom 22 or DGT is the answer for a one guitar to do a lot with an original Swamp Ash not to far behind

Or ahead

.

Mine is a first-version Swamp Ash Special trem model HSH with slightly modified switching - it can do all standard HH, SS and SSS sounds other than middle pickup alone. Hotter bridge pickup so it sounds like a Tele/Rickenbacker when split. Two knobs with push/push switches and one 3-way toggle so it’s easy to navigate. It can’t (yet) do the Jaguar bass-cut sound or anything out of phase, but I’m sometimes tempted to add one of those options.

Funkfingers · February 13

stickyfiddle said:

Does it exist?

Probably not.

HSS, HSH and HH 5-way Superswitch circuits (PRS, Musicman, Ibanez et cetera) are all compromised in one respect or another.

Sometimes, you want a fixed bridge. Other times a vibrato. Sometimes a neck like a telegraph pole. Other times a waffur theen shred stick.

Vive la difference.

Supportact · February 13

Wasn't the Baja tele meant to be that kind of thing? Lots of options with the switching. Not sure if it does all the things you listed though.

grungebob · February 13

This does it all for me

It’s an Ibanez Six6FD something or other but it’s a bloody good guitar that can be had for not much coin. The coil taps are really great and the pickups sing in all positions.

I originally bought this due to necessity for its body thickness but I’m finding I really enjoy everything about it.

Yorkie · February 13

Knopfler pursed that idea with the Pensa-Suhr thing, but that sounded like its own thing.

I have never been able to get convincing strat bridge+middle with a humbucker on the bridge position.

I have never been able to get humbucker style tones with single coils on the bridge position or any non closely spaced combination of them in series or parallel.

I do not think such a guitar exists.

And if it does, please don't tell my wife.

lustycourtier · February 13

Roland said:

They’re twisted Telecaster neck pickup, with the bridge being tapped part way, then over wound. A five way superswitch gives: neck, neck and tapped bridge in parallel, tapped bridge, full bridge, both in series. As an added bonus my AxeFX has an acoustic simulation. Six sounds in total.

I couldnt take a guitarist seriously if I saw someone using that in a pub or at a function. Id probably even take a photo for the socials.

timmypix · February 13

stickyfiddle said:

Yeah I feel like the best option if I really wanted to go there would be a HSS Strat build using a super switch to give me specifically the combinations I wanted. But that feels so boring, even though it could make a phenomenal tool-guitar.

I’d rather have something cool like a Firebird…

A Firebird Studio with some push-pulls would probably be able to do all the sounds, but as I mentioned with my Les Pauls, getting to a given sound might not be as quick as the flick of a blade switch.

duotone · February 13

PRS DGT?

https://youtu.be/MpjH1jh2F9w?si=OoueR0MiNFOfXXfw

Roland · February 13

stickyfiddle said:

… that feels so boring, even though it could make a phenomenal tool-guitar.

I’d rather have something cool like a Firebird…

In this context boring is good. You can always put custom body shapes and colours around it for looks, but good basic sounds and reliability trump everything else.