The Quest for High Gain Tone?

Question

Okay guitar gearheads. I'm finally going to be acquiring a guitar worth tweaking to my taste (found a guitar that listed for $1,200 new at a pawnshop for $260).

Here's the guitar in question: http://www.espguitars.co.jp/ltd/F-400FM.html

My plan is to replace the existing Grover tuners with Sperzel TrimLoks, the existing TonePros bridge with a Babicz Full Contact bridge (http://fullcontacthardware.com/fch-tune-o-matic-bridge.htm), and having the tone control replaced with an EMG Afterburner (I never use the tone control, so I figured I'd replace it with something I WOULD use).

So, that's the plan for the guitar. The Afterburner gives me up to 20db additional gain that I can vary with the control knob. Should hit the front end of a tube amp pretty hard adding that much gain to an already high output EMG 81 active pickup.

I also wanted to get an MXR 10 band EQ to put in the amp's effects loop. My reasoning is that the 3 band EQ most amps are equipped with does not give me enough control over the specific frequencies I want to tweak. I want to scoop the mids with the 3 band EQ and add some of the LOW mids back in with the MXR. I can also add up to another 15db gain prior to my signal hitting the power amp if I want.

My question is twofold:

1) Can you think of any reason why my plan will not work how I want it to?

and

2) Can you recommend a high gain tube amp head that will do what I want here that won't break the bank (so no $5,000 boutique amps)?

? · Accepted Answer

Hi, 'C. Serious lookin' guitar, and a Man with a Plan. I'm leaning to messing with a rack system, like a PA, with seriously good EQ (and etc.), then through a tube pre-amp, into a muscular SS main power amp, then into cherry-picked high wattage drivers/cabs with Tone. With the hot signal from the guitar, a more simple pedal might get overwhelmed and buzzy, while a rack unit could just cruise. Here's the whole bit, just for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMAzlIKDo
And I'm jealous again...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjq5Rq4sSZc

EDIT/UPDATE: OK, maybe I overshot, carried away?.. That EQ pedal was designed for just what you wanna do, so good on that. Then, if you haven't done so, check out a tube pedal, like a RealTube or a Tube Screamer, and you may possibly like one as much as many do. Just don't drop one or kick it around, as pedals often are. Maybe the best way to put a Tube in the path on a budget.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/search?sB=r&Ntt=tube+pedals

OU812 · Answer

Not sure where you live shadow, I've seen them go for $400 or less on ebay here in the states. So $260 is a good price but not enough of a steal that I would think something were wrong with it as Troll mentioned. I mean it's an LTD, not a US ESP. As to high gain amps, hard to beat a Mesa for a reasonable price. Here is a Triple Rectifier for $1000. If that is more wattage than you want, the Double, Single and Mini can be had used for even less. The 25 watt Mini Rectifier is a cool little amp and gets pretty damn loud. You can get a like new one for around $700. I ran mine through a 4-12 Mesa cab and it would do anything I needed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mesa-Triple-Rectifier-Solo-Head-Amplifer-/331527248860?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d30905bdc

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mesa-Triple-Rectifier-Solo-Head-Amplifer-/331527248860?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d30905bdc

? · Answer

Screaming deal, What's wrong with it? Generally Pawn shops know what they have and sell it for as much as they can get for it.  They have the internet too in case you haven't heard,  In other words, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is,  But if true, Cool, play around with a few things on it, wont hurt it,  you might like it or you might not, in which case keep changing stuff on it till you do like it. I've got guitars like that.  Personally I'm not a fan of active pickups and prefer a hot or custom wound passive and lean more to the Bare Knuckles in most cases, Little spendy but worth it,  and yes a 10 band would be nice but not necessary with the right amp and cab. As to amps? check out Bugera,  I bought the TriRec awhile back simply because I was curious about there Infinium thing, Extends tube life and you can mix and match tubes? OK lets just see about that.  Apparently you can, I've got some old wore out JJ  6L6's in there with a couple questionable Sovtec EL34's and just for fun hit it with some old Mullard 12ax7's and Genalex ECC83's,  Left the stock rectifiers alone though,  Actually woke it up and settled it down at the same time.  And out of experience these tubes were ready to give up the ghost within a week or 2, Or at least in my Kustom DC, and they've been in the Bugera for about two months now,  So I'm convinced, Not sure what cab your using but that plays a big part too, Me I just plugged into my old Kustom DC coupe, Hard to go wrong with the Celestion V30's which tend to get better with age,  and I also line out to an old Peavey TNT 130 with a EV 15B  in it to add a bit more bottom end and get a lot of EQ options out of it,  I still think the Old Kustom Double Cross has better distortion on its own, But I'm still screwing around with the Bugera. Never know I may end up liking it even better

The Quest for High Gain Tone?

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