408s =

[László]

408s = Joy

OK, today I spent a lot of time working with the 408s, and I can honestly say I haven't felt this giddy since they put stents in my cardiac arteries and gave me a medication that made me fairly certain I was on the moons of Meepsor, only with Montana Wildhack instead of the Coneheads.

I felt like this guy with The Orb of Pleasure:

There isn't a way to feel this good legally (unless you're under an anesthetic). I just had a great time. I love these pickups, and the Sig Ltd is such a sweet guitar! I'm really lucky to have stumbled onto great instruments!

 

[Twinfan]

Yet again Les, I told you so! It's a shame that more folks aren't open minded enough to try something new. Here in the UK, the biggest PRS dealer was telling me yesterday that they've sold 4 408s and not had that much interest in the models in general.

It seems that guitarists are a traditionally minded bunch, and the lack of free cash around at the moment isn't helping the situation either.

 

[CoreyT]

What neck pattern?
I am so looking forward to getting mine!

Glad you are thrilled with the 408.

 

[11top]

I was on the moons of Meepsor!

Great vacation destination, Les.

 

[László]

What neck pattern?
I am so looking forward to getting mine!

Glad you are thrilled with the 408.

The Signature Ltd. came with only the Pattern neck, which is similar to the older W/F. It's a dense mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard. I've had some wonderful rosewood necks, but found I prefer the tone of mahogany necks.

Corey, one thing I'd advise when you get your 408: don't just plug into your amp at the "usual suspect" settings. These pickups need, and deserve, their own setup. Also, they are definitely designed to work with the guitar's volume and tone controls. I set my amp up to get a moderate crunch with the guitar at 5-6. I can lower the volume to clean up, and raise it to get more gain. The pickups will go where you point them, and are very controllable with guitar volume and tone. The tone control works like a good passive EQ in a studio, and is worth experimenting with.

Yet again Les, I told you so! It's a shame that more folks aren't open minded enough to try something new. Here in the UK, the biggest PRS dealer was telling me yesterday that they've sold 4 408s and not had that much interest in the models in general.

It seems that guitarists are a traditionally minded bunch, and the lack of free cash around at the moment isn't helping the situation either.

You gave great advice!

You're right about guitarists being traditional, and of course lots of folks want to be able to swap pickups. My thinking is, why would you buy a guitar with special pickups if you don't like them? That's pretty much the whole point of the guitar!

I suspect that the majority of sales people in stores aren't really showing people how to use the pickups; they're handing people a guitar, and saying, "Here, try this." Are they setting the amp up for the guitar? Are they showing people how versatile the pickups are and what they can do? Do they have enough experience with the instrument to really demonstrate it? Who knows.

This may be the main problem. Or not.

I love my other guitars, no question about it. Traditional pickups sound great, too. As always, horses for courses.

But the 408s are phenomenal for a lot of reasons, and they have a uniquely cool sound. I feel very lucky.

Great vacation destination, Les.

Haha! I think that hospitalization was 8 years ago, and I haven't had a true vacation since. So at this point, I'll take anything. My last pleasure vacation was in 1998.

 

[CoreyT]

Thanks, it will take some getting use to.
I am use to always having my tone/volume knobs to the max, as I like it dirty
Lots of sustain and overdrive.

My amp (Carvin V3M with 4x12 and a 2x12 cabinets) can get very nice dirty sounds even at low volume.
No need for a distortion or fuzz pedal with that amp on the dirty channel.

Will have to get use to these pickups.

 

[László]

Thanks, it will take some getting use to.
I am use to always having my tone/volume knobs to the max, as I like it dirty
Lots of sustain and overdrive.

Well, depending how you set up your rig, there are slightly dirty tones, dirty tones, and high gain tones, all controllable with the volume knob.

You will see. At least try it. It's like having an amp with a LOT of dirty channels.

Having this guitar and not using the controls on the instrument is wasting a lot of its potential, though I honestly feel that way about any guitar, it's especially true with the 408s.

 

[jcha008]

I really miss my sig ltd. Absolutely fantastic guitar. Really wonderful lead tones IMO. Soon I need to find another guitar with 408s.

 

[László]

I really miss my sig ltd. Absolutely fantastic guitar. Really wonderful lead tones IMO. Soon I need to find another guitar with 408s.

What led you to sell it?

I've shot myself in the foot so many times selling guitars over the years, that it's a wonder I'm not in a wheelchair.

Of course, the wheelchair will come soon enough I suppose. LOL

 

[jcha008]

What led you to sell it?

I've shot myself in the foot so many times selling guitars over the years, that it's a wonder I'm not in a wheelchair.

Of course, the wheelchair will come soon enough I suppose. LOL

Haha! The wheelchair usually comes for everyone eventually .

I sold the guitar to fund the private stock I acquired recently. The private stock is absolutely perfect for me all around so no regrets there. But the 408's are just so unique in there own way that I wish I still had it in that sense.

 

[László]

I sold the guitar to fund the private stock I acquired recently.

Pics of the private stock needed!