Two identical guitars

REDD

REDD

Fractal Fanatic
I have two ESP M-II guitars with the same pickups, strings and even the same color but one sings and sustains for days and the other doesn't. The pickup string gap is the same and not too close. The only thing I can come up with is its the wood or the pickup. They sound the same though. Any ideas out there? Thanks
 
NeoSound said:
possibly a high fret choking the sound, is the truss rod relief the same?
Click to expand...
No, I can't get the truss rods the same. One has a perfect flat neck and the other I can't get to adjust to the same action. I didn't know this could affect sustain.
 
I would have them both set up by a luthier (so they are done professionally and will be as close to identical as possible).
If they don't sound the same....sell the weak one.
Some guitars are magical....some suck.
Get rid of the sucky.....keep searching for the magical.

(at least that is the speech I give my wife as to why I buy and sell so many guitars...hahahaha)
 
And I agree with the other posters.....all things being equal, if one rings more....just a better piece of wood.
 
Play them both unplugged and compare that way.

Playing an electric guitar unplugged is my litmus test for sustain. Strum the same chord on different frets, low to high, and ballpark count how long it takes to die out.
 
Wood makes a difference. I once ordered 2 telecasters from MF. They both arrived in defective/used condition. They sent 2 replacements. I had all 4 in my possession at once. Same noiseless pickups in all 4. 2 of them were Ash , the other 2 were Alder.
All 4 sounded different , and one (ash) had a tone that was miles above the rest.
It was SO much better sounding , I had my wife listen. She heard it too beyond a doubt.
It was a shame , cause one of the Alder ones had the sweetest neck and was gorgeous. - sounded like ass though. Lol

Unplugged works a little to tell , but for me , a really great clean tube amp will tell you a lot. Dr Z Maz 18 is probably the best one for the job in my arsenal.
 
1poorplayer said:
Wood makes a difference. I once ordered 2 telecasters from MF. They both arrived in defective/used condition. They sent 2 replacements. I had all 4 in my possession at once. Same noiseless pickups in all 4. 2 of them were Ash , the other 2 were Alder.
All 4 sounded different , and one (ash) had a tone that was miles above the rest.
It was SO much better sounding , I had my wife listen. She heard it too beyond a doubt.
It was a shame , cause one of the Alder ones had the sweetest neck and was gorgeous. - sounded like ass though. Lol

Unplugged works a little to tell , but for me , a really great clean tube amp will tell you a lot. Dr Z Maz 18 is probably the best one for the job in my arsenal.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it figures. The one that plays like butter is the one that doesn't sustain for me.
 
I am with barthrecords, play them unplugged, this is the only way you will here any difference in wood. Density will change the sustain, but if they are made of the same wood and have the same weight, density can not be much different. If they seem to sustain the same unplugged look at electronics. if unplugged one is choking, look at bridge , nut, neck joint, ect.
 
1poorplayer said:
All 4 sounded different , and one (ash) had a tone that was miles above the rest.
It was SO much better sounding , I had my wife listen. She heard it too beyond a doubt.
It was a shame , cause one of the Alder ones had the sweetest neck and was gorgeous.
Click to expand...
and you didn't mix and match the bodies and necks before sending them back?
 
There's also the pickups (EMGs?) - one guitar's active circuitry could be stronger/more efficient than the other

The FR bridge ..... the trem block, the springs, the locking nut

If you felt slightly mental you could swap stuff between them to see if there's differences in sustain
 
Check your bridge to make sure its solidly in place, and not bending or possibly have saddles that have cut into the metal in such a way they are loose and vibrating. A bridge problem like this will kill sustain, however will most likely also show some evidence when it comes time to tune as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom