Jump to content

Signature Guitar Replica Project


TFEman
 Share

Recommended Posts

So I know a lot of people apperently like Alex's Signatures, and even own 1 or 2. I can't say I do. I don't. I am going to replicate Alex's Great White using an old 1997 Jackson Performer PS-2. The body is Alder (Or Basswood, not 100% sure), maple bolt on neck, rosewood fretboard, no pickguard. The only downside is that the pickup cavities are HSS. I am going to change that. The pickups I'm using are Lace Sensor Gold's (NOT HOT GOLD).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish you the best! I have been really thinking about trying to build the Ric double neck. I used to be a carpenter but I no longer have a lot of the tools I used to own. Plus I'm poor. Less than poor. I have to earn $343.16 to be broke!

 

:huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wish you the best! I have been really thinking about trying to build the Ric double neck. I used to be a carpenter but I no longer have a lot of the tools I used to own. Plus I'm poor. Less than poor. I have to earn $343.16 to be broke!

 

:huh:

I wish you the best of luck on your 343.16 journey. Also I've seen DIY kits on ebay for double neck bass/guitars. They are all fender-like, but it's a double neck.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always say the same thing - the Signatures get a bum rap because of the studio processing, not the guitar itself. I'm not crazy about the single coil sound (Great White has an active pickup) but I have an Odyssey (HSH) and it's a great guitar. The nicer ones were the neck-throughs with the carved top (there's a pic of Alex with a blue Visionary on the cover of Guitar School in 1990). The bodies were alder. The bolt-ons were made by Godin, and if you can find a Godin Artisan ST Signature, it is nearly identical to the Pegasus carved-top bolt-on.

 

As for the 4080, this guy can make one for about $3.5K: http://www.elitelutherie.com/INSTRUMENTS-LECTRIQUE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always say the same thing - the Signatures get a bum rap because of the studio processing, not the guitar itself. I'm not crazy about the single coil sound (Great White has an active pickup) but I have an Odyssey (HSH) and it's a great guitar. The nicer ones were the neck-throughs with the carved top (there's a pic of Alex with a blue Visionary on the cover of Guitar School in 1990). The bodies were alder. The bolt-ons were made by Godin, and if you can find a Godin Artisan ST Signature, it is nearly identical to the Pegasus carved-top bolt-on.

 

As for the 4080, this guy can make one for about $3.5K: http://www.eliteluth...MENTS-LECTRIQUE

Yeah, I've seen them around. I like the red Visionary the best, besides the Great White. It's just that the body I have is a flat-top.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay so my Lace Sensors have just arrived. I cannot wait to install them, but it's Febuary and that means it'll be quite a bit until I paint "the kid", as I now tend to call it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in how well the lace sensors replicate the Signature sound. I bought an Evans single coil passive pickup a while back thinking maybe I'd try it out for that tone, but haven't got around to installing it. The pickups in the Signatures are still a bit of a mystery to me. Keep us posted.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How's it going, TFEman..? :)

It's going okay. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia/NJ/NYC Area of the Atlantic coast is going to be hit by more snow and more cold, so it may be quite a bit until I paint it. I'm bummed, but we have side projects. I finally got my doubleneck somewhat properly wired, and I'm building a makeshift upright guitar stand for my Ovation. I'll be using my PRS for any covers I do, which since I now have time, I will do. But stay tuned, as much as I can I will be able to talk about the game-plan and "the situation at the bench" as I like to call it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also some specs...

-1997/98 model Jackson PS-2 in the Performer series

-1 pc. Alder body

-Maple neck

-Rosewood Fretboard

-24 frets

-Floyd Rose Pro (Not the one where you cut off the balls of the strings, the OTHER ones)

-No real problems with the guitar, except the pointy tip of the headstock looks like someone beat it on a wall, no biggie.

-I can't wait to play it

-I use fender light nickel 9-47's on almost all of my guitars, except on one guitar I use 11-48 GHS Boomers David Gilmour series (I highly recommend them on a Les Paul)

 

And other useless info about the project and any side projects will be posted HERE ASAP. Stay tuned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in how well the lace sensors replicate the Signature sound. I bought an Evans single coil passive pickup a while back thinking maybe I'd try it out for that tone, but haven't got around to installing it. The pickups in the Signatures are still a bit of a mystery to me. Keep us posted.

I do like the Lace Sensors, but the pups are so quiet. The Bridge?Middle position is my favorite to use, that and the Neck/Mid. The bridge alone has no mid or low end, and the action really matters with these, as with other guitars, I notice no difference. The action is really low on the Jackson, so the pups give a sort of stratty sound. A quacky sound. Nevertheless, I really do like these.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friend of mine just traded emails with Russ from Signature. The Evans passives were offered, but Alex used the actives. They were made by Fernandes, or for Fernandes by EMG, and Russ says the closest thing currently available is the EMG S; it's an active ceramic bar pickup that can be preamped at 9 or 18V.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friend of mine just traded emails with Russ from Signature. The Evans passives were offered, but Alex used the actives. They were made by Fernandes, or for Fernandes by EMG, and Russ says the closest thing currently available is the EMG S; it's an active ceramic bar pickup that can be preamped at 9 or 18V.

I have a set of EMGs in my PRS and they are great but I wanted to try the Lace Sensors first. If I ever build another one in maybe a different color I would throw the Laces inthat and put SA's in the first replica.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always say the same thing - the Signatures get a bum rap because of the studio processing, not the guitar itself.

 

I seem to recall an interview in which Alex Lifeson described the Signature as having a sound he liked, but being uncomfortable to play. Trying to find it ...

Edited by Symmetre
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always say the same thing - the Signatures get a bum rap because of the studio processing, not the guitar itself.

 

I seem to recall an interview in which Alex Lifeson described the Signature as having a sound he liked, but being uncomfortable to play. Trying to find it ...

He mentioned it in Beyond The Lighted Stage

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Friend of mine just traded emails with Russ from Signature. The Evans passives were offered, but Alex used the actives. They were made by Fernandes, or for Fernandes by EMG, and Russ says the closest thing currently available is the EMG S; it's an active ceramic bar pickup that can be preamped at 9 or 18V.

 

This is interesting... When Russ closed down shop in the early 90's, Ottawa luthier Mark Warren of "The Fret Clinic" bought his assembly line stock, completed it and sold it off. I bought a neck-through Odyssey from him in '98 that had been fitted with non-Signature branded Evans passive pickups, possibly the last Signature ever made. He eventually sold off the remaining stock of Signature guitars and Excalibre basses through Metro Music, the shop he operated from. (Please don't call them, Mark retired many years ago and they don't have any Signature parts left.)

 

Around 2005, I picked up a used bolt-on "Metro Custom" guitar at a local used instrument shop, which claimed to be made of "Signature Parts???" and had Mark's card inside. I could tell the body and neck were NOT Signature, but they were LaSiDo, which is Godin, who made the bolt-ons for Signature (see Godin Artisan ST, which they made after Signature died). The neck has a nice ebony fretboard but the pickups that came with it are Fernandes FGI active (9V) pickups. I have to admit, the Fernandez had a far more aggressive sound than the passive Evans in the standard Signatures...

Edited by PW_Guitarist
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...