considering an exchange

[Chad]

Glad to hear a happy ending.

[vondran]

Sounds like it all worked out. Plus, your wife is way cool !!!

One thing I would have been interested in you checking was how the SoCal and SD2 sounded unplugged. When I picked up my SoCal I found the SD1 had more bite where as the SoCal had a little more acoustic midrange. I attributed it to the top routing and the extra middle pickup route under the pickguard on the SoCal. It was a tough call, but I ended up liking the rounder SoCal sound and ended getting that one. Any other day, it may have gone the other way.

In the end, I find if I like the tone, sustain, and feel unplugged I can always get the guitar to sound great plugged in. It may be as little as playing with pickup hight, or swapping out the pickups, but I always end up with a keeper if it sounds great unplugged.

[veniculum]

Sounds like it all worked out. Plus, your wife is way cool !!!

One thing I would have been interested in you checking was how the SoCal and SD2 sounded unplugged. When I picked up my SoCal I found the SD1 had more bite where as the SoCal had a little more acoustic midrange. I attributed it to the top routing and the extra middle pickup route under the pickguard on the SoCal. It was a tough call, but I ended up liking the rounder SoCal sound and ended getting that one. Any other day, it may have gone the other way.

In the end, I find if I like the tone, sustain, and feel unplugged I can always get the guitar to sound great plugged in. It may be as little as playing with pickup hight, or swapping out the pickups, but I always end up with a keeper if it sounds great unplugged.

I agree with you...the telly version definitely sounded right unplugged. In all honesty...I did play both strats unplugged, but I really didn't hear too much of a difference. If there was a difference, it was too subtle for my ears....that said, I didn't play them back to back unplugged, so that in itself could be the reason that I can't give a good comparison. In any event, I loved the SoCal...it played great, and once I made a few adjustments (particularly the pickup height), I was able to make it sound pretty darn good. I just prefer the Duncan pickups...totally an individual taste thing.

And yeah...I gotta admit...my wife is pretty cool.

[SATCH1967]

swap out the pups or exchange for a strat with the duncans. I have become over the years more a duncan fan, than dimarzio's, I do like the old,,old Dimarzios the hard to find ones, hehe