Pimpocaster re-re-revisited
Attempt 1 : Started off with a Cort Garage II, installed the graphtech ghost saddles and upgraded pickups to try and create a ridiculously over the top - "one guitar to rule them all" build. Was hoping for good cleans, real good drive tones and a midi guitar that tracked well.
I didn't get any of those. Upgraded pickup poles didn't line up with the strings when installed in the slanty positions of the garage II. Pups always sounded a bit harsh in this build. The midi either tracked okay or terribly. After much fettling, I suspect it was my crappy midi guitar technique coupled with trying to get the GI=20 to play nicely with my interface. Oddly the GI-20 tracked great with a sound canvas module!
Setting up the midi with software (laptop) or hardware (sound canvas) instruments was a massive faf.
Attempt 2 : I needed a djentstick to practice some techniques I wasn't getting on bass. Discovered that the piezo side of the ghosts worked REALLY well and took to distortion/high gain like ducklets to waterlets.
Restrung like a 7 string and jammed it for a while, till I got the left hand muting down. The blend of bridge pup and piezo's worked great, I can see that being the way to track precise djenty/metal lines...But it was a bit of a waste since it's a 25.5in scale and the B was a tad floppy (even strung up w/baritone strings)
Attempt 3 : I have absolutely no idea where the idea originated from - but on Sunday I looked at the guitar and thought...What happens if I string it up with nylon strings?
Well. Now. I reckon I have finally figured out this guitars calling. I'm rather amused by how much I like it now.
Strung up with some medium tension trebles (some old martin strings I had) and a cheap set of "hard tension" dadi cheepie basses.
Had to cut some ball ends off some used electric strings and tie them onto the ends of the strings so they string up like a standard electric string. They work fairly well with the current tuners, though you'll be happy to have a electric string winder to help. After stretching the strings in, tuning is pretty stable.
String tension is quite low - imagine fitting a set of 7's to a strat. But it's quite playable! Hoping that some extra high tension strings will give it a taut, snappy feel that I'm used to. If a set of high tensions don't work out (Probably pro arte composites) - Thomastik has some interesting string options (The KF110 & KR116 flatwounds for nylon) or a set of silk n steels for a more electric guitar feel.
There's a hint of acoustic volume, but not much - despite the Cort having a fat neck and resonant body. However, the plugged in tone is legit. It sounds just like a nylon stringer's piezo output.
Fair amount of setup still to do - there isn't much info on doing this kinda stoopid on the internet(s) - so I'm fixing things as I go along. Had to deepen the nut slots for the treble strings, raise the saddles a bit and back off the truss rod a bit. Intonation is WAY out, only the high E string is perfect, the rest are up to 1/2 step out. Not gonna hassle too much until I get some higher tension strings on.
Since I only have the hexpander board (not the acoustaphonic preamp), I'm running it through a GK ready Boss OC-20G as a external acoustic preamp - has pickup sim, octaver and distortion. Pretty handy pedal if you have a GK ready guitar! Pickup sim can sound like a full on ovation quacky thing - fortunately the electric guitar pup sims eliminate some of the quackyiness - still sounds like a nylon string w/piezo.
The octaver tracks perfectly on all strings, all positions. No warble or hunting for notes. Sounds a bit muddy on the low E string though. What is nice is that you can do string splits for the octaver - have it running on the E & A strings and the rest clean.
The distortion is pretty crappy...but you can dial in a bit of grunt and w/the octaver you can get some interesting noises. I reckon I had a pretty cool led zep style rock tone at one point!
I know that piezo tone is a good place to start as a tone modelling source. Since there'll be almost no feedback, one get can real silly with wahs, drive and fx.
It's very early days for this iteration - but I thought I'd share the latest instalment of the Pimpocaster Saga ?