New (to me) 408

[vchizzle]

Congrats and welcome, she's a beaut!

 

[markintime]

No rain, so outside it went. Here it is in better detail. Not a 10 top, but nice enuf:

That is just very beautiful! Something like that is on my GAS list. Welcome and thanks for posting the pic!

 

[prsrocker1988]

HNGD.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

A perfect time of year for a beautiful Autumn Sky...your admission into Club408 is now official!

 

[jay]

Great guitar. Great color!

 

[VHTStark]

Gorgeous finish! Congrats!

 

[coyote]

Beautiful baby there! Welcome to the PRS family! I love my 408 standard (all mahogany in PRS lingo) it is my main player and is pretty relicked by now. In my opinion these are the most versatile pickups PRS has produced to date. If you want stratier tones roll off the volume to about 7 and voila. Play with the tone knob too you can thicken it up by rolling the tone back a bit.

I used to have three Strats onstage. I rarely gig anymore but I think I'll always have a Strat around if I find I want that tone. And I looove the Stratocaster, it's an amazing guitar. One of the oldest electric guitar designs around, yet it looks more modern than many 'modern' guitars. It certainly has aged more gracefully than the Explorers, Flying Vs, and all those Dean and Ibanez 'pointy' guitars.

But I'm having a blast playing the 408 right now. It feels very different, so I'm laying out chords and bass lines on a looper and then playing over it just to get used to the difference.

BTW, does everyone who gets a PRS soon dream their up their own custom configuration?? I'm thinking that this basic layout is great, but could be even better with
- separate tone controls for each pup. Since access to the tone control is kinda blocked by the vibrato bar, it would be great if you could have a wider variation in tone just by flicking the pickup selector.
- there is not a drastic difference between the humbucking pup and its tapped single coil tone, but hum increases. Sooo.... I would have a single 'tap' switch of some sort, which would only function if you have both pups selected. What it would do is set both pups into single coil mode, and then put them out of phase with each other. So they cancel each others' hum, while getting a significantly different tone into play. Call it a 404 perhaps? lol
- oh, and get rid of the plastic frame that surrounds the pickups. Let the gorgeous wood top shine.

 

[coyote]

Sooo..... a couple months in with the 408, and here's my experience so far.
First off, it's a gorgeous instrument that sounds great and plays beautifully. I have a few things I'd like different - for example, I'd like more variation in the sounds provided by the coil tap switches, and perhaps a fuller bottom end when the tone control is rolled off - but those are minor quibbles. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase.

But what's really interesting is that a) it's taking me much further into the blues than I ever went before, and b) it has re-ignited my passion for many of my other instruments! I was never a big fan of "the blues", so once I got the basics I stopped paying attention. But now I'm delving into it, and finding some new space for expression there. And then the other instruments.... I have a nice Fretless bass and a 7-string, and I'm playing those more. I also have a tonewheel Hammond organ with Leslie, and I'm now firing that up on a regular basis again along with a couple synthesizers. And tonight I pulled out my Lorca classical guitar, and found I'm still decently acquainted with that technique.

So it's been a sort of musical re-awakening. Dunno whether the 408 is cause or effect, but it's certainly a centerpiece of the process.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Very cool months-in follow-up coyote, thanks.

I absolutely love the 408 bridge pup in single-coil mode for bluesy stuff. It's the perfect combination of fatness, roundness and bite for my ears.

Because of the nature of the 408s, agreed that its certainly a more subtle difference in single vs. humbucker mode than a traditional split or tap...if I have been playing my stratty guitars for a few days and then pick up a 408, I sometimes have to look down at the mini toggles to double check which mode I am in until my ears get used to it again.

Being fortunate enough to have several 408s of varying configurations and woods (Paul's Guitars included) I have found a huge difference in the degree of variation of single vs bucker with the woods (based solely on the neck pickup which they all have in common). My two with the most immediately noticeable difference are my Paul's and my 408 semi-hollow. The two with the least are my 408 Brazilian and my PS Paul's (where I think the lower mids emphasis cancels out some of the more instantly-recognizable single coil traits. The Siggys sit somewhere in between them.

Glad you are inspired to break out the other instruments again. My talent/inspiration doesn't stray beyond six string steel acoustic and the occasional bass...

 

[BALIstic]

That is just very beautiful! Something like that is on my GAS list. Welcome and thanks for posting the pic!

She's a beaut Clarke........Big congrats in order !

Im also a Strat guy......BUT.......

I have a Pauls Guitar (same family) and now a 513. The 513 does very good single coil tones. IMO, It does everything well. The guy I bough it off also had a BRW neck 513 and that was very different, much darker sounding. Seriously good guitars though.

Now I'm a PRS guy too.....hook, line and sinker.

 

[Spikedog007]

Sooo..... a couple months in with the 408, and here's my experience so far.
First off, it's a gorgeous instrument that sounds great and plays beautifully. I have a few things I'd like different - for example, I'd like more variation in the sounds provided by the coil tap switches, and perhaps a fuller bottom end when the tone control is rolled off - but those are minor quibbles. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase.

But what's really interesting is that a) it's taking me much further into the blues than I ever went before, and b) it has re-ignited my passion for many of my other instruments! I was never a big fan of "the blues", so once I got the basics I stopped paying attention. But now I'm delving into it, and finding some new space for expression there. And then the other instruments.... I have a nice Fretless bass and a 7-string, and I'm playing those more. I also have a tonewheel Hammond organ with Leslie, and I'm now firing that up on a regular basis again along with a couple synthesizers. And tonight I pulled out my Lorca classical guitar, and found I'm still decently acquainted with that technique.

So it's been a sort of musical re-awakening. Dunno whether the 408 is cause or effect, but it's certainly a centerpiece of the process.

This is awesome! I've been there, it's a great feeling to "re-awaken".

 

[Mark Ace]

Now your in real trouble. My first PRS was a 408. And now I have 5. The 408 is my favorite and I will never ever part with her. Congrats and it seems like your enjoying it.

 

[coyote]

Now your in real trouble.

Yeah, probably. Lol

the next thing on the list, should it ever happen, would perhaps be a 2013 Experience 408 semihollow.... and then if I ever get into custom builds, a pair of guitars in the colors/patterns of my cats' eyes. My dream config at this moment is the 408 bridge pups in both bridge and neck position, on a 24 fret semihollow with tremolo

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Smokin' guitar!

 

[jay]

Very cool months-in follow-up coyote, thanks.

I absolutely love the 408 bridge pup in single-coil mode for bluesy stuff. It's the perfect combination of fatness, roundness and bite for my ears.

Because of the nature of the 408s, agreed that its certainly a more subtle difference in single vs. humbucker mode than a traditional split or tap...if I have been playing my stratty guitars for a few days and then pick up a 408, I sometimes have to look down at the mini toggles to double check which mode I am in until my ears get used to it again.

Being fortunate enough to have several 408s of varying configurations and woods (Paul's Guitars included) I have found a huge difference in the degree of variation of single vs bucker with the woods (based solely on the neck pickup which they all have in common). My two with the most immediately noticeable difference are my Paul's and my 408 semi-hollow. The two with the least are my 408 Brazilian and my PS Paul's (where I think the lower mids emphasis cancels out some of the more instantly-recognizable single coil traits. The Siggys sit somewhere in between them.

Glad you are inspired to break out the other instruments again. My talent/inspiration doesn't stray beyond six string steel acoustic and the occasional bass...

Very interesting the comparison between guitars with the same pickups. On my Paul's I've become used to hear the difference between humbucker and single coil but I also think it highly depends on the amp settings and also on how you play. To me it's like: I know it's in single coil so I know that playing in a certain way will emphazise single coil character. I play quite a lot of John Mayer and I am absolutely happy with the results (well, I'm happy with how the guitar plays, not with how I play ...).

I also absolutely agree on the fact that single coil sound in these is "the perfect combination of fatness, roundness and bite". In fact I use them split 90% of the time. On the other hand, when I try to get a Les Paul-neck-rolled-off-tone sound, it becomes harder. My impression is that it has something to do with the guitar itself rather than pickups, maybe the brass inserts in the bridge, I don't know ... (sorry, a bit off-topic here).

 

[alantig]

Sooo..... a couple months in with the 408, and here's my experience so far.
First off, it's a gorgeous instrument that sounds great and plays beautifully. I have a few things I'd like different - for example, I'd like more variation in the sounds provided by the coil tap switches, and perhaps a fuller bottom end when the tone control is rolled off - but those are minor quibbles. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Very cool follow-up!

Isn't there a cap in the circuit? Maybe changing the cap value could give you the fuller sound you want. I'm no expert on that, so you might want to get a bag of salt to go with that...

 

[coyote]

Very cool follow-up!

Isn't there a cap in the circuit? Maybe changing the cap value could give you the fuller sound you want. I'm no expert on that, so you might want to get a bag of salt to go with that...

Dunno, I'll have to research it. Interesting if true.

 

[coyote]

Just an interesting side note: Today I cut into the Antonio Lorca classical guitar and installed a pickup and electronics. It's a good guitar but not high-end, and therefore a perfect candidate for this. Three things were involved: under-saddle piezo transducer, vol/tone control unit, and output jack. So I had to modify the saddle first, in order to fit the pickup. I got lucky and did it right (whew); Dremels with cutting wheels are a modern miracle.The next step was to drill the hole in the bridge and top to pass the wire thru. The first time you take a drill to the top of a nice acoustic guitar is an act of faith lol... again I managed to get it right. So the pickup sits correctly under the modified saddle.

Next was cutting a square hole in the high side for the control module. I did that well using the Dremel, but found out too late that the finish is ultra sensitive. Lesson learned: if I ever do such a mod again, masking tape and plastic covering go EVERYWHERE on the guitar, and not just over the immediate areas on which I'm working. Because even though I cut the hole cleanly and vacuumed as I worked, some areas of the finish many inches away from the hole are now slightly cloudy from the resultant dust hitting them. Nothing drastic, but still a bit of a bummer. At least those cloudy spots are on the sides and back, and not on the top of the guitar.

Then the output hole needed to be drilled. I taped the area, a drilled a 1/4" hole, then widened it with a round file until the jack fit. And I learned something here too. As I was deciding on the hole location, I thought about my archtop Jazz box. It has its output hole on the bottom side (similar location to the 408).... I used to dislike that spot, imagining I would prefer the output hole to be the rear strap button. But that location does not work if you are sitting, and holding your guitar in the 'proper' position!! So because this guitar has no strap knobs I put the output jack on the bottom side, and gained a new appreciation for the thinking involved in such an apparently trivial thing. Turns out it's not trivial at all.

So aside from the unfortunate cloudy spots on the finish, it looks 'factory' and sounds great. I'm running it into an old Fender Acoustisonic SFX (which, btw, the 408 sounds awesome with), and I'm very happy with the result. I have an old Harmony dreadnought that is going to get the same treatment, except on that guitar I will use an active/pre-amped control module (I went passive for the classical guitar).

 

[coyote]

Isn't there a cap in the circuit? Maybe changing the cap value could give you the fuller sound you want. I'm no expert on that, so you might want to get a bag of salt to go with that...

Been playing it a lot the past few days after these posts.... I decided that it doesn't make sense to try to modify the instrument. The tone is the tone, and is unique and interesting. My job is not to try to make this 408 sound like any of my other guitars; my job is to make it sing as-is. And the more I play it, the more comfortable I'm getting.... and the better it is sounding.

 

[alantig]

Been playing it a lot the past few days after these posts.... I decided that it doesn't make sense to try to modify the instrument. The tone is the tone, and is unique and interesting. My job is not to try to make this 408 sound like any of my other guitars; my job is to make it sing as-is. And the more I play it, the more comfortable I'm getting.... and the better it is sounding.

Makes sense. I don't mind some mods, but usually my philosophy is "I bought this guitar because it sounds like this". I've swapped pickups, but rarely.