My guitar isn't sound like it should :( mp3s

[Mendel]

I also posted this on Harmony Central so i'm overposting:

hello everyone,

I have a C-1 Blackjack and a Epiphone Les Paul with both a emg 81 in the bridge position. There is only 1 problem: my schecter has this very irritating, un-tight hum sound and I am wondering how i can remove this. Yes I do know these are 2 different guitars but the schecter is more expensive i would expect more quality ? My Jackson RR3 sounds almost as my Les Paul.

When i play metal stuff and palm mute it doesnt sound and feel right. It's muffy and dull. The les paul sounds much tighter when i palm mute and is less muffy bassy.
I recorded both guitar with the same sound (same pickups) so you can hear what i mean:

Schecter:
www.mendelb.com/Schecter.wav

Les Paul:
www.mendelb.com/Paul.wav

Anyone know what the problem is ?

Thanks,

Mendel

 

[tobin1]

Did you install the 81 yourself?

 

[KeithTidd]

i haven't listened to the clips yet, but are you using fresh batteries in both guitars?

 

[Black neon bob]

Yeah, check for fresh batteries first.. i also have this weird plunky sound when i end a palm-mute.. is that what you mean? because i don't really hear it in that clip, it just has a more fizzy sound it seems.. that could be strings, wood of the schecter, etc.

 

[Mutant]

same strings ? same pots ? same distance string to pickup ?

 

[Mendel]

same strings ? same pots ? same distance string to pickup ?

Both guitars have same strings, (new) batteries, same body wood. Though the neck scale of the schecter is 25.5 But when i listen to other records from bands who used the same guitar it sounds fine.

When i play with my schecter i just don't get that metal palm mute chunk you know what i mean ?

i thought i posted it up hear because most guys on other forums don't have the ear for it to indentify it.

You can hear clearly the schecter is less good sounding then the les paul. But the les paul was way cheaper then the schecter guitar.

Anyone have some tips

 

[AeternusEternus]

Take the EMG out, remove the connector, flip it around, connect it, put the EMG back in. When I installed a 707 in my Jackson, it was the weirdest thing. We had it wired properly, but the little connector (is it 3 pins? I can't remember) was on backwards. We were getting output from the EMG WITHOUT having a battery hooked in, and it was awful and noisy. When we flipped the connector, it sounded great.

Maybe that's the secret behind the shitty EMG HZ sound

Edit: Actually, this probably isn't the solution. I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

[Mutant]

When i play with my schecter i just don't get that metal palm mute chunk you know what i mean ?

i thought i posted it up hear because most guys on other forums don't have the ear for it to indentify it.

Yes your 81 pickup in bridge sounds kinda like my 18v EMG 707 in Viper 407 neck.

I recorded both guitar with the same sound

You mean you didnt tweak your amp/stombox/whatever to the new guitar sound ?

What i would try to do in this situation is:

1 Install 2 9v batteries to make the signal more dynamic (3 way temp harness nondestructive mod)
2 Turn the volume pot lower to make peaks as high as without the 18v mod (the rest of the signal will become quieter = tighter sound in theory)
3 Screw in the pickup screws so it sits lower and farther from the string.
4 Use some expander set to quick atack and release so it makes the humming aftersound go away.
5 Alter your muting technique to the new guitar so the string becomes quiet earlier.

 

[Metaltastic]

Take the EMG out, remove the connector, flip it around, connect it, put the EMG back in. When I installed a 707 in my Jackson, it was the weirdest thing. We had it wired properly, but the little connector (is it 3 pins? I can't remember) was on backwards. We were getting output from the EMG WITHOUT having a battery hooked in, and it was awful and noisy. When we flipped the connector, it sounded great.

Is this actually an issue? Cuz in my pickup swapping that I've been doing (for all my shootouts and such), I always wondered which way the connector should be plugged in; I figured if it mattered they'd fucking indicate it a little better, but it's still a fear of mine that I might've done it wrong...

 

[NickL]

Is this actually an issue? Cuz in my pickup swapping that I've been doing (for all my shootouts and such), I always wondered which way the connector should be plugged in; I figured if it mattered they'd fucking indicate it a little better, but it's still a fear of mine that I might've done it wrong...

the little arrow goes on the side you can see. if you do it wrong they sound terrible

 

[006]

Yeah, +1 to that. There is an arrow on the connector, it's gotta be facing up, doesn't really matter which side it's on.

~006

 

[Mendel]

Hmmm i will check the connector.
Also when i had the emgs installed they (the shop) had some problems because first there where seymour duncans in it with a 5 toggle switch.
Now with my emg's it has a 3 way switch. Could there be some way, they made a mistake so when i choose my neck pickup it actually chooses the middle setting or something ?

Also, do you guys agree with me that my blackjack sounds not right ? I can't remember how it sounded with the original seymours though.
But I am not crazy right ? The schecter sounds weird, bit muddy.

If i posten picks of the inside, could you guys maybe detect something ? Maybe it was wired wrong ?
I will do anything to make my blackjack sound good and I know it should.

 

[Black neon bob]

Just listened again.. it seems that the schecter is not as tight as you would want it to be.. it sounds like the pickups generate more gain.
The les paul has that "tack tack tack" palm mute sound, very tight, very clean.. where as the schecter does not really cut the palm mute but keeps them going by some sort of gain you don't want/need.

 

[Mutant]

Could there be some way, they made a mistake so when i choose my neck pickup it actually chooses the middle setting or something ?

It should be easy to check.
Just hit the pickup (lightly ofc) or mute all strings with a sock etc above the other pickup and strum.

 

[Mendel]

Just listened again.. it seems that the schecter is not as tight as you would want it to be.. it sounds like the pickups generate more gain.
The les paul has that "tack tack tack" palm mute sound, very tight, very clean.. where as the schecter does not really cut the palm mute but keeps them going by some sort of gain you don't want/need.

EXACTLY !

100% accurate about what I mean. I'm so scared it's just the guitar quality, but then i check out other guitar players who also use the blackjack and those sound pretty neat !

Is there anyone else on this forum with a blackjack ?