Muddy guitar (Wood? Strings?)

[Sickan]

I just bought a new guitar (Jackson Dinky DKMG) because my other two guitars didn't cut it anymore. When I got the new guitar I noticed that it only sounded better than one of my old ones, and I wonder why they sound so different!


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All guitars are in Drop A, going through the same setup (Guitar > Profire 2626 > ProRMP > TS9 > 5150 > Hot Plate > Profire 2626 > Nebula) with EMG81's.
The order is: Epiphone Goth Explorer (my first guitar), Jackson Dinky DKMG (my new one), Schecter C1 (my friend's guitar) and last Jackson Kelly (which I like the best because it feels and sounds the tightest).

Guitar		Scale	Body		Strings			Gague		String age
Epiphone (18v)	24.75"	Mahogany	D'Addario EXL158	.13 - .62	Late October
Dinky	 ( 9v)	25.5"	Adler		D'Addario EXL158 	.13 - .62	1 Week
Schecter ( 9v)	25.5"	Mahogany 	D'Addario EXL158	.13 - .62	1 month
Kelly	 ( 9v)	25.5"	Adler		Elixir Nanoweb		.10 - .52	Last May

Why does my (cheap) Jackson Kelly sound so much tighter than my (new) Jackson DKMG?

Is it the strings that are the problem? Are there any nice thick gauged stringsets which sound as good as the Elixirs?

 

[abt]

My question to you is which guitar feels the best when you play it? I bet there's something special about that old Kelly that just feels right. Sometimes the answer is as simple as that.

 

[TheDude]

Alder is brighter than Mahogany. Thicker strings sounds "beefier". Kelly -> Alder -> 10 - 52 = brightest/tightest.

Also the shape is also a factor when it comes to fat/bright/tight/flubby. As an example of that I had Thordendal play different mahogany guitars through the same sound, using a Les Paul, an Explorer, an SG and a Flying V equipped with the same pickup (500T). The Les Paul was flubby, the SG brighter, the Explorer had enough of everything, and the V was really bright. Too bright.

 

[STINNETT]

Lighter gauge strings are going to have a sharper attack for sure. I don't know what exactly you mean by "tighter" sounding, but that might have something to do with it.

Most would not consider it tighter because the strings are obviously going to feel much looser in the same tuning.

I would ask what sort of bridge each guitar has.