Maybe I overdid it this Black Friday / weekend ?

Very nice. Not that I know what half the stuff is supposed to do. Specs on guitar and post-honeymoon reports please. Unless, you mean overdoing was obtaining the Child of Mine music sheet? Ha, I need a copy of that one, looks better than my efforts. Been working on the intro and solo parts for a while now, having fun, at long last adapting from "nylon" grip to "electric" grip (yeah, doing that intro classical left hand style is fun), and proving that I cannot aspire to be a musician. I do plan to buy Duncan Alnico Pro II's someday... It is time they coil-split the Slash versions.

The guitar is a Cort ACR 300. Mahogany just about everywhere. Active EMG pickups that are supposed to sound like PAFs.

Actually I'm thinking of returning the Cort for a refund. It sounds muddy compared to my JS-100. That and I don't like the schlep of having to worry about batteries in my guitar.

It's tricky though. I got an extra 10% discount because I spent over a threshold. If I return the Cort then I could lose that 10% discount on everything else. The shop even had a sign saying they're not required to refund if the stuff isn't broken.

I really wanted a fixed bridge LP style axe to jam on but not sure if this is the one.

Would really appreciate any advice.

Is it that bad, or is it not just the natural process of splurge regret? That usually subsides after a few weeks of playing. Everything looks very cool.

Hang on there - the active pickups might need adjustment in height and pole piece stagger, but I think it really requires passive PAF style pickups, end of story. And, do not give up the fixed bridge idea. One does need that. Does not have the same "vibe" without the "trem springs", but I enjoy both.

I did read somewhere on the interwebs about a signature player that went back to passive pickups after playing actives for years, saying the actives do not have the sound. David Gilmour? Your JS is a "hands on" guitar, I suspect if you get the Cort back to "traditional" (no such thing), you will want to keep it.

This is a nice guitar, sort it out, even if it means having to spend money (next year) on lower output PAF style pickups (and the right pots and caps...). A LP style will be a LP style, shape, feel, weight, neck profile wise, I suspect (never even handled one), and if you have a good guitar, if it plays lekker (after adjusting from the JS), if you look at it and think "yes", then sort it out as you go along. The other option is a fixed bridge Ibanez with a neck similar to the JS100, with good pickups. But, then, that would be just an Ibanez. A very nice one, to be sure.... In fact I need one of those, with a neck profile like my Jem Jr. My current fixed bridge needs a wider neck. Any old excuse, eh? As for mud, after my "tone pot and treble bleed mods" thing, I cannot complain about mud. Boy, is it bright now... I can fix that, and I now know that guitar does not need "better" pickups to get what I wan, sound wise. My Pointy toy, well, it will have to endure a pickup swop. Which will bring it to less than half the cost of a new "upgrade" guitar.

The advice from studmissile is good - play it for a while. Then work on the pickup thing (are the caps the correct value, does it have 25K pots?). Sigh. Might need more money. Is it wise to spend money on it? If it plays, if it feels good, if you look at it and think..., yes, for sure. Normal advice to rather save up for a real guitar to be ignored in that case. Pickups and pots for say, R2 800 (unless you go Duncan), might be better than another R10 000 to buy a "better" instrument, which also might not be "quite there".

An aside, the photo of the amp shows a "shark tooth" inlay Ibby in the background. Yours?

Paid R6800 with the case. I normally don't buy guitars new either. This was an impulse buy.

Yeah the battery part is annoying me too.

Eish

Nice new kit bud.. congrats

modulator Hang on there - the active pickups might need adjustment in height and pole piece stagger

Will definitely fiddle with that (after some YouTube). Thanks ?

studmissile Is it that bad, or is it not just the natural process of splurge regret?

Not really sure to be honest. Partially I think it's coz I think I can get a better guitar second hand.

modulator I suspect if you get the Cort back to "traditional" (no such thing), you will want to keep it.

Definitely something I'm considering but also think maybe I should buy something cheaper to upgrade.

modulator This is a nice guitar, sort it out, even if it means having to spend money (next year) on lower output PAF style pickups

That's where I'm leaning right now. Just take it as a gift toy to myself and enjoy.

I think I got frustrated when I compared it to the JS but it's not meant to be the same. The main reason I wanted a fixed bridge was for easy alternate tunings in Rocksmith.

So the only thing left is if I'm okay spending so much on a toy ? I've never seen any of my guitars as toys.

modulator An aside, the photo of the amp shows a "shark tooth" inlay Ibby in the background. Yours?

Yep and likely for sale. Hardly ever play her but she's beastly.

RodneyVikens Those pickups do have a more muddy sound but you can brighten it with an boss EQ.

By muddy I mean distorted chords lack clarity. With this it just sounds a lot messier. The individual chord notes don't ring out as clearly. Sounds a bit dirt and not in the fun, gritty way. More like how my el cheap Starfire sounds but not that bad ?

NorioDS I would like to buy a Taylor new one day..... in my dreams I guess.

Paid R6000 for my Epiphone Dot (hollow body) and Hardcase second hand but never played.

guidothepimmp Yerp. Sounds like too much output..

Have you rolled the vol back a touch? And played with the tone? These LP style guitars have lots of siunds hidden in those controls.

Only a bit but haven't fiddled much with it yet. I'll definitely try that. Thanks!

guidothepimmp Are those active pickups? They look passive.

Yep definitely active EMGs. Got the battery cavity and everything. One thing I considered is maybe the battery is a bit pap so I'll try it with a fresh Energizer and, if that works, I'll keep a spare in the case at all times.

NorioDS
Your "muddy" description is why I play clean almost all of the time - I have had no luck yet to set up my equipment to give me a satisfying sound when distorted/overdriven/fuzzed - things turn into a mess. Frustrating. I want string definition, clarity, not noise. It is the reason my plans to build a pedal board and decent noise-free power supply without daisy chains has not progressed beyond plans the past three or more years. And, the one pedal refuses to work with any power supply other than it's brand name...

With "Toy" I refer to playing for fun, which, when it works out, the toy becomes a tool. Someone once said to me: "A rifle is a tool. A tool needs to do a specific job. Alter it to do that job."

OK, so getting past the feel guilty ("ouch!") for cutting up and modifying (and devaluing) expensive equipment, "toy" as well as "tool" needs to work. Thus the endless modifying, setting up, experimenting, and constant fiddling to have fun when playing (or success when working).

I have no knowledge of active pickups, those you have now could be labelled "active passives" if I understand the design parameters? (You will have googled a lot already, pap batteries are blamed, string height is blamed, too much output is blamed, going to 18V is advised, replacing a crappy amplifier seems to be common advice. Sure. Replacing a crappy guitar as well. Sure. Ignore those.) Someone with experience can tell us if going to larger value pots might help brighten the tone?

Hope you get the Cort's playing setup sorted for you, and then play around with the EMG pickups to see if you can get it closer to what you think you want. You might get a "better" guitar secondhand, but this one starts off brand new.

Your sharktooth Ibby, my pointy is a monster as well, I am slowly getting to "tame" it, but I suspect the pickup swop thing is inevitable.

modulator (You will have googled a lot already, pap batteries are blamed, string height is blamed, too much output is blamed, going to 18V is advised, replacing a crappy amplifier seems to be common advice. Sure. Replacing a crappy guitar as well. Sure. Ignore those.)

Meh why Google when I have you lot to teach me ? I've done a tiny bit of Googling on specs and reviews but nothing indepth.

As a general rule, with guitar, I try go by feel. So the first thing is that the guitar is getting a complete setup. Once I have her back, I'll open up Rocksmith and probably jam every day for a week or so. And if I'm liking the way she plays there (where any sub-par characteristics are hidden by effects and "fun" songs), then the next step will be to go back to my amp (the secondary use for this particular guitar) and see how I can improve how she sounds there. That's when I'll start mucking about with pickup heights, etc. But first, I'll just turn back the volume and fiddle with the tone knobs a bit seeing as that's easier and won't break anything ?

I'm actually excited about it all. It's a learning curve. I've never understood all you peeps who "get" all this technical guitar stuff. It all just seemed too "hard" so I've always rather focused on the playing part and a tiny bit of theory. But, as it turns out, a bit of technical knowledge can be fun and very, very helpful. (Especially when you're not happy with the tone of an otherwise nice guitar.)

modulator Hope you get the Cort's playing setup sorted for you, and then play around with the EMG pickups to see if you can get it closer to what you think you want.

Thanks!

modulator Your sharktooth Ibby, my pointy is a monster as well, I am slowly getting to "tame" it, but I suspect the pickup swop thing is inevitable.

I gotta say, although I love my Ibanez guitars, I'm not a "balls to the wall" metal kinda player. I love that music but when I play, I generally prefer to pull it back a bit. So it's never really full-on metal. More hard rock and definitely screaming ballads. So the pups in my JS-100 are perfect for me.

And it doesn't hurt that @andrewjbryson changed the pickups for a Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" in the neck position and a Dimarzio "FRED" for the bridge. I just LOVE how that thing sounds! ?

One day, when I'm big, I'm gonna buy a top-of-the-line JS-series guitar. Right now that means I need to save R25k-R35k ? Yowch!

ScottyDogg Can you upload an example of the 'muddy' sound? I'd be curious to hear.

Once I get her back, I'll try do that.

ScottyDogg Also, what effects, amp and speaker are you running it through.

Orange Micro Terror. Sounds superb with my JS-100 going thru it but the Cort didn't sound nearly as good.

Also, don't worry about the battery, should last ages - just don't leave the guitar plugged in when you're not playing

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Never occurred to me that it would turn "on" by plugging the cable in. (And it makes perfect sense to do so.)

NorioDS I gotta say, although I love my Ibanez guitars, I'm not a "balls to the wall" metal kinda player. I love that music but when I play, I generally prefer to pull it back a bit. So it's never really full-on metal. More hard rock and definitely screaming ballads. So the pups in my JS-100 are perfect for me.

You might have gone this route, but if not, try it. I managed to take a lot of the Ibanez's bite off and converted it to an almost tolerable friendly bark, by lowering the pickups, and playing with the screw pole-pieces. It is a long process of "yes, this is good!" and later, "hmm, lower that one a bit more?", but the rumour is, at some stage one hits that elusive sweet spot that will make even the worst guitar and pickups respond to your playing. Maybe not quite. My limited experience does however indicate that "better" pickups sound much different. After setting up.
Allowing this demon shredder's/metalhead's dream guitar to turn into just a sweet, lekker playing instrument.

NorioDS
It has been a while, any feedback on the Cort? Still no love? Need new pickups/pots/caps? Ergonomics all wrong?

modulator Hey bud

Honestly haven't played her much but the little I've played, I still prefer the pups in my JS.

I DO like having the variety in sound. They're just different enough that it makes it more fun to do a loop with the Cort and then noodle with the Ibby.

I reckon a pup upgrade is on the cards somewhere down the line.

And she's still super pretty. Love having her on my wall (and in my hands). So no complaints there. Just the pups and tuning stability that don't work for me.