Members darren0203 Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 A month or so ago I got a Raven West RG650SP, I changed the pickups to the KFK81/85 because the stock ones were way too bassy/muddy. It helped alot but it still sounds very brittle and hollow (like theres no mids maybe)compared to how these pickups sound in every other guitar iv'e heard them in. I would just get rid of the guitar but it plays really good and looks sweet too. It also probably has no resale value. So I was wondering if I sand this super thick clear coat off and put a thin satin coat on, it would help? Any Ideas, anybody have this problem? Or anything to know before I start? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CoqBelliqueux Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 I don't know, but it looks badass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CoqBelliqueux Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Well, EMGs sound similar in all guitars, so maybe that's an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 maybe but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phaeton Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Are you sure they are wired correctly? If they are out of phase they can attenuate the mids and sound thin and brittle. Is there a huge difference between what the guitar sounds like unamplified in a quiet room and what it sounds like through a clean amp with a flat eq? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BoneNut Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 I did what you're thinking about with an Epiphone Sheraton. I had bought it used and abused so there were many nicks and scratches. I sanded the clear finish to within a millimeter of it's life. That got rid of all the scratches and dings but I don't think it made any major difference in the tone. Considering it was a semihollow, I'd imagine it would make even less difference on a solid body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 I doubt changing the finish will change the inherent tone of the guitar. It might slightly help with resonance and maybe a 1% difference in sustain, but it's not going to change a brittle tone to a full, robust one. I'm not an EMG hater at all, but I don't think they are known for their robust tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CoqBelliqueux Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 I'm not an EMG hater at all, but I don't think they are known for their robust tone. What? I think people scoop with EMGs because they want to be metal. Kerry and I have had gigantic tones with "just" these and a Marshall. The picture is of Kerry, not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members darren0203 Posted February 23, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Maybe they were wired wrong, a local guitar shop owner did it and he eliminated the tone pot so i could have the boost switch without drilling any holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benzem Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Maybe. But changing pickups will definately help(change) your tone and that is where I would start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alchemist Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 you will likely not hear any difference..... likely you wired them wrong... its ok happens to everyone or you may look at changing out the pots, can have a huge difference....also play with pickup height maybe:idk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 The overly brittle and bright tone could be a result of far too much maple in the body imo. So sanding finish off may give a bit of a woodier tone, but it would then be just a woodier version of what you have now which doesnt really help it. However if it really is thick coat of finish, removing it might improve the sound if finish is the source of unpleasant treble. It wont hurt to sand off the finish. So its worth a try kif you have the time and patience. Do use a basic good wood sealer and finsh on it after all sanded to include final fine sanding for nice smooth surface. Mingwax all in one wipe on, sealer, tint and finish is one good option for that imo. Just give it light ultrfine sanding after dry to smooth it out. If it has mahogany or otherwise normally dark sounding back for the body with that maple top. Then that increases the chances of finish removal improving the sound. I'm largely going by your saying that youve liked the sound of the pups in other guitars as my guide. And that you find you did wire them correctly rather then that being the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 What? I think people scoop with EMGs because they want to be metal. Kerry and I have had gigantic tones with "just" these and a Marshall. The picture is of Kerry, not me. I used to listen to Slayer quite a bit from Haunting The Chapel (LP picture disc no less!) up through Reign In Blood and I saw Slayer in concert twice. His was the very definition of thin tone. Again, not an EMG hater, but not the 81 certainly isn't the first pickup I think of when I think 'full, robust' tone. It's certainly capable and I agree with most here that something is wrong with the wiring of the guitar or possibly a forgotten amp setting, but still... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sxyryan Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 I have refinished a few guitars, and have noticed little to no change after pulling off the thick poly. All the change I noticed could have been caused by different strings and setup quirks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roygbiv Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 i did this experiment once: recorded a guitar part with the thick finish on it. then took the finish off all the way to bare wood and recorded the guitar with the same setup. the result: ZERO difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yavin Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Maybe they were wired wrong, a local guitar shop owner did it and he eliminated the tone pot so i could have the boost switch without drilling any holes. So, if he eliminated the tone pot, you have no control over your tone meaning, I believe, both trebel and bass are basically set to 10 all the time. I think I would check the wiring and then add a tone pot before I messed with sanding off the entire clear coat. That is quite a task... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 It won't make a damn bit of difference. If you think the finish makes a major difference on a solid guitar, well you're higher than a hippie on a helicopter ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Joby1knobi Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Are you sure you have 25K pots in there? if you still had 500K, I would think that would change your tone to thin brittle pretty fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 The finish has an affect on how the guitar feels in your hands. I can understand that some people prefer the feel of a satin finish (especially on a neck), but all this nonesense about being able to HEAR the difference between different finishes (or even thicknesses of finishes) on a solid bodied electric guitar does my head in! The finish is 10 - 20 microns thick on a thin finish and up to about 100 microns thick on a thicker finish (maybe a little thicker on a sparkle finish). Compared to the thickness of the guitar which is about 50,000 microns it is insignificant. You'd need to be a bat to hear any difference! Judging by the posts on the tinnitus thread, I'd be surprised if most of us could tell the sonic difference between a guitar and a banjo at 30 paces, let alone the thickness of a layer of paint! Listen to the guys with advice on the pickups, that's going to make a much bigger difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benricci Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Will sanding too much clear off help my tone? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 No. What he said ^^^^^^^^^. Why can't I be concise? It's a real skill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TmPn Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 Tone is in the fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 IMO that wood on that style of guitar would look better in an oil finish. That and a pickup change and you'd be all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stormin1155 Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 If you were to list all the things that will change the tone of a guitar, it's finish would probably be at the very bottom. Some of the things that will make more difference are your amp, the type of strings, the bridge, pickups, the cord you use, pedals, the kind of pick you use, nut, etc.... Stripping and refinishing it will only make it crappy looking (unless you are an experienced finisher, which you probably aren't, otherwise you wouldn't be asking the question). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roygbiv Posted February 23, 2010 Members Share Posted February 23, 2010 . fix'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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