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Post subject: '96 Lonestar sounds twangy and shrill vs American Special
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:08 am
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I have a '96 Lonestar that I actually bought new, and have always liked it's playability and feel. Recently I got a used 2010 American Special as a back up. It had been modified with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position by the owner, who worked in the music store where I bought it from. I figured it wouldn't sound a lot different from the Lone Star, since they both had the same Texas special pickups in neck and middle, and a dual coil ( Seymore Duncan Pearly Gates on the Lonestar) in the bridge position.

But, the sound is so different it is like nite and day. Now I never play the Lonestar because it sounds shrill and trebley to me. The Am Special has so much more "punch" and a fatter, thicker sound than the Lonestar. The guys in my band complain when I play the Lonestar now. And it is not just when using the bridge pick up either, even the the middle and neck pickup sound very different between the 2 guitars.

I know the American Special has a "Grease Bucket" tone system. I think that is the circuitry of the tone control system? I'm not real technical, but I read where it lets you roll off some of the treble without getting muddy or something to that effect.

In any case, is there some way to get the Lonestar to sound more like the American Special? Can I / should I put the "Grease Bucket" stuff in the Lonestar? Obviously I have played around with the tone controls, but can't seem to get any where near the same sound.

Now I am considering selling the Lonestar and getting another Am Special, or a Les Paul.


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Post subject: Re: '96 Lonestar sounds twangy and shrill vs American Specia
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:33 am
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That is rather strange. Having owned a '97 Lone Star, I have not experienced this. The only "issue" that I had with it was that the Texas Specials had a rather harsh sounding midrange which was easily rectified by lowering the pickups. Other than that, I don't know what would cause such a drastic difference in tone between two fairly similar guitars.


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Post subject: Re: '96 Lonestar sounds twangy and shrill vs American Specia
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:46 am
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A Super Distortion is a much hotter and fatter pickup than a Pearly Gates. Super Distortion has a Ceramic magnet and the Pearly Gates has an Alnico 2. HUGE difference in output between the 2.

If both guitars were mine, I would expect quite a difference in how they sound.

Now, all of that being said, I have had old Fender/Duncan Humbuckers loose their magnetic pull over time. This had made them sound weak and thin. There are some procedures to re-magentize pickups, I generally use this technique. http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Electro ... -5967.html Towards the bottom of the page is what you are looking for.


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Post subject: Re: '96 Lonestar sounds twangy and shrill vs American Specia
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 9:45 am
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Straticus Maximus wrote:
I know the American Special has a "Grease Bucket" tone system. I think that is the circuitry of the tone control system? I'm not real technical, but I read where it lets you roll off some of the treble without getting muddy or something to that effect.


If set wide open at 10, the Grease Bucket should make no difference at all because at this point it acts like a normal tone control. It's when you start turning it down that the Bucket tames the high end without muddying up the sound.


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