Which One would you choose, Tonewood or Pickups?

[Given To Fly]

Okay, so I have been GASing for Schecter Solo II lately. My choice is down to Schecter BlackJack ATX solo II vs Schecter Platinum Solo II. They both have similar features. But two features that set them apart are the tone wood and pickups. Blackjack ATX has Swamp-ash wood and duncan Blackouts, on the other hand platinum has Mahogany and EMG 57/66.

I have tried both of them, and they both play and sound great. I am now really confused of which one to get. In terms of tonewood, I much prefer Swamp Ash. for that airy and snappy tone. On the other hand, I like EMG 57/66 better than the blackouts for that paf sound.

So If you were to choose between tonewood and pickup, which one would you pick? Cheers.

You can not change the wood, but you can change the pickups. When it comes to wood, acoustic guitars offer a much easier path to understanding why certain woods are used. In fact, the word "tone" usually does not come up until you start talking about the top of an acoustic guitar; almost everything else is discussed in structural way. The short hand version would be: you want to build a guitar that offers the least resistance (usually means light weight) to the vibrating strings without collapsing in on itself.

The same concept applies to electric guitars but to a minuscule degree because there is no "acoustic body," just a solid piece of wood. (Applies only to solid body guitars). With that said, different woods offer different levels of resistance to the strings which then affects the tone of the vibrating strings and what the pickups eventually "pick up." Guitars are a complex ecosystem of sound that we can control just enough to know we will never be able to completely control the outcome.

Personally, I would go with the guitar that is the most enjoyable to play and weighs the least. Everything else can be changed.

 

[stevexc]

You can not change the wood, but you can change the pickups. When it comes to wood, acoustic guitars offer a much easier path to understanding why certain woods are used. In fact, the word "tone" usually does not come up until you start talking about the top of an acoustic guitar; almost everything else is discussed in structural way. The short hand version would be: you want to build a guitar that offers the least resistance (usually means light weight) to the vibrating strings without collapsing in on itself.

The same concept applies to electric guitars but to a minuscule degree because there is no "acoustic body," just a solid piece of wood. (Applies only to solid body guitars). With that said, different woods offer different levels of resistance to the strings which then affects the tone of the vibrating strings and what the pickups eventually "pick up." Guitars are a complex ecosystem of sound that we can control just enough to know we will never be able to completely control the outcome.

Personally, I would go with the guitar that is the most enjoyable to play and weighs the least. Everything else can be changed.

Hit the nail on the head.

However, I'd add my recommendation - buy the one that looks prettiest. When it comes down to the wire all that matters is how cool you look.

 

[Zado]

For what it's worth, the mahogany body will most likely be significantly heavier. If you're gigging or have back issues, this can matter a lot.

Schecter,as many others korean builders (if not every of them) use Meranti wood instead of classic Mahogany.Sound wise they are similar,and wood figure's the same,but the density is quite different,that why "mahogany" schecs are usually not THAT heavy.

That said,I suggest the op considering the hybrid

 

[guigan]

Wtf. they have hellraiser hybrid solo? I can't see the model in schecter website. PErhaps it's discontinued?

 

[will_shred]

yeah man... you could spend literally hours getting caught up in the "tonewood" debate, it will really just made your head spin so don't waste your time. In my personal experience having played hundreds of guitars including plenty of vintage/boutique models from America/Japan/You name it. For electric guitars I really don't think species makes a noticeable difference. It will give you an idea of how much the guitar will weigh, but that's about it. There are too many variables with each individual tree and different parts of different trees. Plus names like "mahogany" or "rosewood" for example could encompass any number of different species that may be completely unrelated but share certain wood characteristics in common. It really comes down to the individual guitar and how every variable comes together to produce the final output from your amplifier. As others have said, whichever one sounds best acoustically will probably sound best though the amp, pickups and hardware can be changed, wood can't.

TL;DR: The tonewood debate is silly, buy whichever guitar inspires you to play.

 

[RV350ALSCYTHE]

Tonewood is negligible in the world of electrics in regards to tone. Otherwise everyone would've come to the conclusion that you have to match gear 100% to re-create a certain tone, which is BS. Change a pickup, adjust your eq and you can find any sound. Where have you Ever heard someone suggest that "You should swap that swamp ash body for a chambered mahogany if you want that classic tone".

Where it does matter is tactile sensation, which has nothing to do with the final sound. I like maple neck mahogany body combo because of the way it feels. Even though i have multiple examples, they all sound very different, but the tactile sensation is the same within species and similar densities. Compared to a maple/alder, or maple/poplar guitars they feel very different in the hand unplugged, sound different unplugged. Once plugged in they sound like whichever pickup is in there

When I had an 89 LPC people would argue that it had a maple cap because they could hear it, but it was an all mahogany guitar
Same with my KE1, "I'm telling you, it's a maple neck-thru with mahogany wings!" Catalog clearly states maple/poplar.
I also have a modded KV from the lowend JS series...refinished that and found a 1/4" MDF top underneath guitar still sounds solid and like an emg81

Make your decision on comfort/feel, everything else can be adjusted/changed.

 

[jerm]

pick whichever you liked best in terms of playability/aesthetics. Pickups can be swapped out later on if you want it to sound different.

 

[Zado]

Wtf. they have hellraiser hybrid solo? I can't see the model in schecter website. PErhaps it's discontinued?

DCGL exclusive iirc

 

[thedonal]

I love the word "tonewood". It implies specific, exotic woods (in my head, anyway! ), rather than any wood that could be used in a musical instrument.

Oh how marketing keeps moving forward!

 

[Halowords]

Tonewood "voodoo" aside, the Blackjack has an Ebony fretboard and the Platinum has a Rosewood fretboard. The Ebony will likely have a faster more immediate attack, just because it is a harder wood and will reflect the vibrations back from the strings. The Rosewood is a softer/oilier wood (although obviously still hard) and the notes may bloom. That is not necessarily a tone thing, and you may not even notice it, but some have noted that Ebony fretboards can be, or tend to be, associated/described as having the notes more, almost percussive. The sound is, again, immediate. While Rosewood is described as the note being a bit of a softer attack.

Of course, you may or may not notice that, there are fans of both, I have and enjoy both, and once you throw in the other variables (the individual guitar, amp, settings, venue, effects, gain, weight, strings, tuning, a band, perhaps), any impact of the tone woods or pickups can be adjusted or less important than you initially think.

If ordering online, I would probably get the Blackjack for a more modern sound, the Solo-II Platinum for a more vintage sound (or at least vintage-constructed) instrument, realizing swapping pickups or changing any of the other variables can probably radically change things. If ordering in person, go with whichever feels and sounds right to you.

-Cheers

 

[Action]

I once lined the body cavity of a cheap strat with aluminum foil to shield it. the guitar acquired an incredible volume and tone unplugged, two or three times louder than it had been, loud enough to be used acoustically. Your sound has got nothing on my tonefoils.

 

[marcwormjim]

SRV, Guthrie Govan - Hell, even Steve Howe, will tell you that tone is in the teeth.

 

[guigan]

Hi, Did not mean to awaken the zombies.

I finally made my decision and took home the Blackjack ATX. I really wanted to love the platinum series (due to EMG 57/66), but the fret job was abysmal. They stick out like crazy. When I compare them side by side, seems like the blackjack atx fret ends is smoothen out. Other than the fret job, the finish is also much better with the ATX.

NO PIC? Wait for my NGD thread.