What I've Discovered After Owning 105+ Guitars...

I like speakers with tons of clean headroom. To my ears, speaker 'breakup' (or what some call that classic Celestion growl) is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I want absolute clarity even at nearly full volume...I also do not want to chose speakers to offset what my amp may be lacking, much in the way people choose a Vintage 30 for it's "midrange spike" characteristics ti enhance their mids. I want an 'uncolored' voice and I'll let my (3) EQ's (onboard amp and (2) GE-7's) do the talking.

I've destroyed Creambacks, Greenbacks and Vintage 30's in my 40 watt Marshall DSL40C's....just literally blew the cones off the surrounds.

When I was playing in the Judas Priest Tribute, I only found two speakers that could handle my settings and volumes.

1. Electro-Harmonix 12VR75

2. Custom 50 watt WGS Reaper HP 55 Hz

Currently, I'm into neodymium speakers and the 250watt Celestion Copperback 101db spl is on my list of post-Christmas goodies...
 
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RVA said:
I will stand behind compression. I use it almost all the time. Everything is more forward, balanced, and "easy". I should add that I play clean with low to moderate output pups.

For those who play with gain and/or active pups, you may not use compression because it has already been added by virtue of these 2 things.

They say hot pickups add compression, but I am less clear on whether this is perceived or actual. Anyone have any info on this?
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I run a compressor only for the benefit of volume level stability.
 
Robert Herndon said:
I like speakers with tons of clean headroom. To my ears, speaker 'breakup' (or what some call that classic Celestion growl) is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
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Same here.

I’m not a fan of speaker breakup, either.

I think I need to make a continuation of my list! I’ve thought of a few more items.
 
gball said:
Wait...What? Are you saying you put everything on 10 and never touch them?

IMO Most of the great tones are in the middle somewhere! I almost never have a knob maxed out - the sound is too harsh for me when they are dimed.
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It's all in the capacitors....and how the total load of the pot reacts with the pickup....
 
gball said:
Wait...What? Are you saying you put everything on 10 and never touch them?

IMO Most of the great tones are in the middle somewhere! I almost never have a knob maxed out - the sound is too harsh for me when they are dimed.
Click to expand...

I'm a serious amateur. I hope to learn how to adjust all these things after I learn to play better.
 
smitty_p said:
Well, since we’re at it, I figured I’d throw in my observations from my life of playing. Take this with two aspirin and call me in the morning:

1. I’m not a fan of maple fretboards. I prefer ebony on Les Pauls and rosewood on everything else.

2. I like pretty much anything that can sound good, but the primitive simplicity of tube amps fascinates me.

3. I am not at all particular about guitar neck profiles.

4. I am very particular about control locations and layouts.

5. I think a Stratocaster’s volume knob is in exactly the perfect location!

6. You can’t trust YouTube sound demos.

7. I wish I would have prioritized amplifiers more when I was younger.

8. I think a 42” pedal board is just about right!

9. Before learning guitar, I should have taken five years of piano.

10. I love it when other people play Telecasters!

11. I have no favorite anything - no favorite guitar, no favorite song, no favorite guitar player, no favorite style of music…

12. I know less today than I thought I did yesterday.

13. I like what I like, even if it isn’t what someone else likes.

14. Wound-G strings rule!

15. I’m learning to appreciate non-master volume amps.

16. Music is not worth getting upset over.

17. If my house was on fire, I think I’d let my guitars burn and just replace them with one ES-335 and call it done.

18. A Peavey amp can fall backwards off a 1 foot high stage and keep working.

19. In the words of ETSG member, Paul G, “If you want to get something that sounds as good as whatever, buy the whatever.”

20. Guitar forums are less for talking about guitars, and more for just talking to each other.

21. I reserve the right to be fickle and change my mind at any time!
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I have a few more items to add to my list of observations/opinions:

22. I’m not a fan of speaker breakup.

23. I often switch pickups and adjust volume and tone as I play.

24. You can add dirty but you can’t add clean!

25. Given an either/or choice, I would rather listen to creative and interesting chord voicings than a fast guitar solo.

26. A really good bass player is one of the best assets that any band can have.

27. A really well-made acoustic guitar is an amazing thing.

28. I prefer covered humbucker pickups on Gibson guitars. Possible exceptions are Vs and Explorers.

29. I prefer uncovered humbucker pickups on Strat-style guitars.

30. I like pie.

31. An integral component of my guitar practice routine is a cup of black, dark roast coffee.

32. One day I’ll be dead and none of the music I’ve played or the gear I own will matter to anyone, especially me!
 
I like Brazilian rosewood fingerboards best example I have a early custom shop fender stratocaster put a maple neck on it
thin sounding put a 1960 slab board neck on it rings like a bell I have a 1953 fender Esquire had a Brazilian fingerboard neck made for it
sounds like a 1950's Burst Les Paul why I don't have a clue it just is. Next choice would be ebony.

CS strat 001.JPG

D necks 002.JPG
 
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