Finally joining the USA/strat head crowd

[fuel0707]

I was going to await until it arrives (which should be tomorrow, if I read the UPS site correctly) to post, but what the heck, I'm going to go ahead and post.

Over the weekend, I bought one of the San Dimas Natural Series guitars from the Music Zoo. Originally, I was leaning towards the 1 HB ash-body model, but my wife thought mahogany looked better and I decided that I really preferred a neck pickup. And having some experience with the full, throaty tone of mahogany, I decided to go with this one:





And my thanks to Straycat for helping to make the purchase of my first Charvel possible. He bought my old Ampeg half-stack which provided the cash I needed for this ax.

So after lusting for a strat head Charvel for many years, I should have one in my hands very soon.



Out of curiosity, what do you guys think of the Duncan Custom 5 and/or SCR1n that are in this guitar? I've never used a single-coil-sized humbucker but I like the tones that Andy Timmons gets with that style of pickup (though he's using DiMarzio pickups.)

[dg]

Nice one! I think you're really going to love it. I haven't tried a Custom 5 in a mahogany guitar, just alder. I wasn't fond of it (lacking in mids, at least for me), and swapped it out for a Custom. It's all personal taste. There are guys here and on other boards, who I respect a lot & who know good tone, that love the C5. You've just got to try it out for yourself. It may sound great in that axe.

[Partial @ Marshall]

The custom 5 sounds great in my Mahogany custom...It is a very tight pickup with a natural mid scoop, but full.... I think you will like it. I also have one in my Santana..maple/koa/spruce. A little thinner but sounds killer. Tell us what you think when you get it

[Robert Burns]

Very nice! And i'll bet it wont be your last?

[fuel0707]

Very nice! And i'll bet it wont be your last?

LOL! My wife is telling to not even joke about getting another guitar for 6 months. But she did leave the door open for possible future acquisitions. I can probably come up with another few guitars I'd like to have if I had to...

[shreddermon]

Cool guitar. Congrats.

Out of curiosity, what do you guys think of the Duncan Custom 5 and/or SCR1n that are in this guitar?

I'm not a fan of the Custom 5 at all. I'd swap it out for a Custom - much better and open-voiced, IMHO. I dig the Cool Rails in the neck, though. They're cool in mini-humbucker-ish kind of way.

[SEEGERMANY]

Too cool! Enjoy!

[ADR]

SCH-Weeeeeeeet

Very Nice, You'll love the SD SCR-1 in the neck,it's super quiet and def sounds like a single coil (will have the Strat tone)
Like stated the TB-14 has scooped mids,With the MAH body ,may want more midrange. Should sound thick and big with that stock Pup though.I have the same exact set up (H-S) and would never change the stock Pups in my Charvel.
Make sure you give us an update,more pix and your feedback on the guitars tone,hope you love the neck Pup like me.(has tone,not like the Hotrails tone)

ps:BTW. .I've posted her before about always wanting one,nice grab.

[ejs0614]

enjoy, but the acquisitions come faster and faster with each purchase...beware!!!

[fuel0707]

Tell me about it - in the last four months of '07, I scored an RR5, a DK2M and Fender Malmsteen Strat. I never thought I'd be able to talk my wife into another guitar but she was really supportive. Still, you gotta know when to push it and when to lay back.

[surfreak]

I have owned 4 of those Mahogany Naturals, from different batches and with different pickup/tremolo combos, and they've all been great guitars!

You'll love this one, it is in my opinion definitely the most "toneful" modern San Dimas you can buy.
You will find that the Custom 5 sounds very differently depending on the density and weight of the mahogany body: if yours is heavier than 8 lbs and feels "hard" (meaning you can't dent it easily with a fingernail or a pick), then the Custom 5 will sound thick and mid-heavy, and it won't feel scooped at all.

If instead you got one of the lighter and softer bodies, weight between 7.5 and 8 lbs, then the Custom 5 will sound brighter and "spankier", for lack of a better term, kind of the typical alder tone but just a bit richer and bassier. This is the tone I prefer.

[sonicsamurai]

looks good!

[fuel0707]

If instead you got one of the lighter and softer bodies, weight between 7.5 and 8 lbs, then the Custom 5 will sound brighter and "spankier", for lack of a better term, kind of the typical alder tone but just a bit richer and bassier. This is the tone I prefer.

Thanks for that input. When I talked about the guitar with Joe at MZ, he weighed the guitar and said it measured 7 pounds, 8 ounces. So I guess the guitar will fall into the alder-like category with a little more richness and low end. Sounds quite good to me!

[Bryan]

I'm very curious about these as well. I'm looking forward to your comments on the guitar, as in tone, neck, feel, everything. It might push me over the fence.