Ye Olde Agathis Question

[idsnowdog]

Maybe you could compile a list of decent sounding Youtube links to pickup demos and have your son pick the ones that he likes? A lot of them suck, but there are also some good ones.

Companies to look for:
Entwhistle
Kent Armstrong
Lawrence
Mighty Mite
GFS
Guitarheads
Dragonfire

[dominus]

Agathis is very close to Mahogany in tonal character. Any pickup that sounds great in Mahogany will sound good in Agathis.

For Duncans, get a Duncan Custom in there. I've got one in a Squier and it sounds awesome. The Custom 8 will also sound good.

For GFS, grab a Crunchy PAT. Stick an A8 in there if you're feeling adventurous.

[jacksontrader]

I have a B C Rich Mockingbird ST that's got Agathis wings and it doesn't sound all that bad I can do anything but metal with it. It has Rockfield Mafia pickups in it stock and it is actually quite articulate. Granted it's a neck-thru with ebony board and that may make a bit of a difference but I wouldn't discount a guitar on what it's made of. Any guitar can sound good. I've went to guitar shops and played different guitars of the same model and they all sounded different. If I was wanting to keep it cheap I would go with either GFS or Dragonfire pickups good luck.

[JeffB]

Agathis is very close to Mahogany in tonal character.

If you are talking about typical import guitar faux mahogany then I would agree with you.

If we are talking Honduras, other South/Central American or even African I could not disagree more. Agathis has none of the depth, overtones, and clarity of real high quality mahogany species.

[dominus]

If you are talking about typical import guitar faux mahogany then I would agree with you.

If we are talking Honduras, other South/Central American or even African I could not disagree more. Agathis has none of the depth, overtones, and clarity of real high quality mahogany species.

I was referring to it being dark/warm.

Change your signature if you're going to post like that.

[LatsMcGee]

Agathis does best with bright pickups, I recommend the Bill Lawerence xl-500 from personal experience in agathis bc rich guitars, I like the Jazz neck for agathis bodies also....

[JeffB]

I was referring to it being dark/warm.

Change your signature if you're going to post like that.

And again you don't know what you are talking about.

My signature has nothing whatsoever to do with anything at all in this thread. This has nothing to do with personal ability to make great guitar sounds which is what my signature is actually talking about. It's about skill. Not tone.

So don't make me out to be a bad guy because you made a ridiculous claim, and then tried to qualify your point later in the most general of terms which is completely different than "very close". Which they are not.

[Barron1]

For GFS, grab a Crunchy PAT. Stick an A8 in there if you're feeling adventurous.

Seriously, how does it sound? I am curious

[MetalManiac]

Agathis does best with bright pickups, I recommend the Bill Lawerence xl-500 from personal
I

n me experience, having tried tried the Xl500 in Agathis, you want to stay miles away from really bright pickups like the XL in Agathis in less you want t get icepicked....

[Aceman]

Well, I consulted the wood guide at Warmoth. Surprisingly, Agathis is NOT an option.

There was an interesting discusion at DOA (Dean) by Mike Batio. The point was most of the tone is in the neck. Hmmm. Perhaps. Now, is that 90/10, 80/20, 60/40 - don't know.

But if that's the case - I'd go with the neck wood as a base. However, if, as Dominus says, it's warm/dark, and I believe he knows more about agathis than any of us, something with some high end zip.

Regardless - I agree with the high-output with a bold personality approach. I was going to say afew that come to mind:

X2N - and of course wire it for single/parallel/series
Distortion - Nice screamer!
ToneZone - I think it would be nice and even in there.
Custom - PAF with tons of personality

[LatsMcGee]

n me experience, having tried tried the Xl500 in Agathis, you want to stay miles away from really bright pickups like the XL in Agathis in less you want t get icepicked....

Really? Mine wasn't ice picky at all, it had a real nice grindy attack, granted my rich was tuned to drop b or standard c at the time, the notes really jumped but not ice picky at all, what amp were you playing through?

[dr. ad]

get a used airzone and screamin demon and change positions/mags/poles until you're happy, should be relatively cheap
i would bet money that you could put the stock demon in the neck and AZ in the bridge and never need to mess with it.
but i am drunk.

[Aceman]

get a used airzone and screamin demon and change positions/mags/poles until you're happy,

Could this EVER be bad advice?

[IanBallard]

Tone is in the genitalia.


/thread.