Considering a new axe....with Ghost Hexpander rather than GK3 ???? Help?

Started by Smash, September 03, 2014, 07:07:12 AM

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Smash

It's my birthday this week and I'm thinking about treating myself. My old GK3 is getting a little flakey with top E and B sounding weak although the VG level meters show healthy output. They just don't sound as loud as other strings - weird. I've never been happy with the alignment or curve of the pup either tbh.

Anyway I've seen a custom built guitar with HIPshot Contour trem adn Ghost peizos with full hexpander and tractin control. Entwistle HDN (High Definition Neodymium) ultra hot humbuckers connected to a Seymour Duncan Liberator volume pot, a 'TBX' tone control and switched by a 'P' Model Megaswitch giving the five pickup combinations available on a PRS guitar. Schaller disc lock machine heads.

I love the clean look of the Ghost system....I'm just not sure if there'll be a sound compromise.

I've read through the Piezo pup section of the forum but a lot of postings are really old. Bit scared I'll have to reprogram all my patches to suit as some suggest or whether there's anough tweak power available for the Piezo PUP settings in the VG to avoid.

High gain feedback is mentioned also - I have no idea whether any of this got resolved in the last firmware update.

I guess ideally an A/B audio comparison would be great but i can't find anything - can't find much on the Ghost system with VG99 on yourtube either - I think one video.

Thoughts? Should I get a GK custom built into a new guitar? I guess I should drag my VG to the seller and try it out although quite a distance...

Elantric

The Ghost situation remains. (Prone to  hiss , crosstalk, and can feedback at high volume if the bridge is a Gibson TOM Type.

My favorite Piezo system is the post summer 2011 RMC PolyDriveX, found in current production Godin LGX-SA, LGXT, xTSA guitars.

QuoteEntwistle HDN (High Definition Neodymium) ultra hot humbuckers

Be on the watch for the Neodymium PU's excessive magnetic flux = sustain killing magnetic fields due to String pull  - same situation can occur on a Vintage Strat if the Neck PU is set too close to the strings  = a warbling mess due to magnetic flux string pull on each string vibration cycle . 

jerrycali

here's some info for you - I  purchased a used Godin Freeway w/ghost hexpander (stock) - the patches triggered better than both of my Godin xtsa's with the rmc pickups , also the ghost saddles are much more resistant to moisture and if you need to replace any Ghost saddles , all saddles respond with the same output and sensitivity - I had to send the xtsa back after 3 months because the e and d string crapped out  because I sweated on them and when I got them back the repair guy had replaced the two pickup sensors with a different set of rmc's ( they come in 3 different output sensitivities ) - the result was that I had to go into the gr55 and adjust the sensitivities in the main and some patch adjustment - I am now having Kristopher Heels my repair guy replace the rmc's in one of the xtsa's with the graphtech saddles - he  also took out the Godin H-S-H pickups and replaced them with 3 Kinman Blues pickup - you can see the gtr. live performance on facebook - Jerry Cali - hope this helps      -    just saw Elantric's post - I did not notice any hiss in my system using the Ghost but we all have different patch applications and settings - let me add that the rmc in the xtsa using just the piezos and not the gr55 is a great sounding acoustic replication but still prone to moisture shutdown  -you can contact K.Heels here - krhnyc@gmail.com.

Smash

Can't find you on facebook Jerry? :(

@Elantric - not so keen on the LGX stuff - trem is a must. Brian Moore iguitar would be alternative then possibly? I think it was RMC? There's a demo of Alex Hutchins playing a Brian Moore with VG99 on youtube I found.

Elantric

QuoteElantric - not so keen on the LGX stuff - trem is a must.

Agreed!
Thats why I added one to my 2013 Godin LGX-SA = the best 13 pin guitar I own.


Details

Elantric's Tips and Blog: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6125.0

Big Jim

I put the hexpander ghost system on my Parker. Couldn't be happier. I don't have any noise or false triggers on my VG-99. Tried it on a gr55 and didn't like it at all but on the 99, it's perfect.
Well worth the money and time. To be honest, my normal pups make more noise than the ghost.

Smash

Quote from: Elantric on September 03, 2014, 09:47:32 AM
Agreed!
Thats why I added one to my 2013 Godin LGX-SA = the best 13 pin guitar I own.


Details

Elantric's Tips and Blog: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6125.0

Jeez what the hell is that trem? Looks like it could survive on the road without the need for any flight case!

I'm not a massive dive bomber but I do pull up on the trem as well as slur into notes so it needs to be very stable in terms of returning to tune. LGXT looks viable

@big jim - glad to hear - I guess I should take VG99 and audition with the guitar and see how I feel.

mbenigni

Quote from: Big Jim on September 03, 2014, 11:49:42 AM
I put the hexpander ghost system on my Parker.

Is the Parker in question the MIDIFly in your profile pic?  I have the exact same guitar (and a second one in the gray color.)  Awesome guitars but I haven't actually used the MIDI in years.  How difficult/costly is the conversion to GK compatibility?  And is it reversible?


Elantric

QuoteJeez what the hell is that trem? Looks like it could survive on the road without the need for any flight case!

Here is my 2013 Godin LGX-SA with GFS Xtrem - I Love it!
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Xtrem-Top-Mount-Vibrato-Four-Finishes_c_376.html






The big deal about the Godin LGX-SA with Xtrem (Bigsby type tremolo) is the stability  when Palm Muting and increased sustain  vs a Godin xtSA with Strat Tremolo.

The stock Godin xtSA has a "Floating Tremolo" which I find unplayable with my technique. The xtSA required a Tremolo Stopper (like the SuperVee Mag-Lok) , but still has many restrictions for me  - like a wider Strat style String to string spacing at the Bridge, makes it harder  ( further distance) to play fast cross picking solos. 

The LGX-SA feels more refined and its stock Seymour Duncan Pickups (on the latest LGX-SA models) sound great to me.  But I'm the type who prefers playing a Les Paul or Gretsch type guitar vs a Strat.     

Big Jim

Quote from: mbenigni on September 03, 2014, 12:52:07 PM
Is the Parker in question the MIDIFly in your profile pic?  I have the exact same guitar (and a second one in the gray color.)  Awesome guitars but I haven't actually used the MIDI in years.  How difficult/costly is the conversion to GK compatibility?  And is it reversible?

Not easily reversible since the parker saddles are hard wired to the acoustic preamp. The only mod i need was to enlarge a small part of the cavity to except the 13 pin plug. I just used a dremel with a sander bit. I like having the s1/s2, pups and syn switch and volume control on the lower horn. Best place for it. Also the Parker has a switch for electric, acoustic or both (something the godin is missing IMHO). You'll have to check with graphtech site for prices and as I recall I had to dig to find the parker saddles. But they are there.

mbenigni

Quote from: Big Jim on September 03, 2014, 01:46:10 PM
Not easily reversible since the parker saddles are hard wired to the acoustic preamp. The only mod i need was to enlarge a small part of the cavity to except the 13 pin plug. I just used a dremel with a sander bit. I like having the s1/s2, pups and syn switch and volume control on the lower horn. Best place for it. Also the Parker has a switch for electric, acoustic or both (something the godin is missing IMHO). You'll have to check with graphtech site for prices and as I recall I had to dig to find the parker saddles. But they are there.

Thanks for the info, Big Jim!  Not sure I'm ready to take a dremel to these particular guitars, though.  I know there's no real market for them, but they're an interesting bit of Parker's history.

giffenf

I put one in a Cabronita-type Tele I built a couple years ago, and once I tweaked the low-end EQ in the pickup configuration (sorry, I don't have the 99 handy and don't remember exactly what the setting was called), it sounded (and continues to sound) great.  Prior to that, the low-end was boomy to the point of unpleasantness.  The only goofy thing about it is that when I'm playing it at home, it picks up Spanish-language radio stations which you can hear through the amp.  This has earned it the nickname "Cheapacabra."  It's probably just a grounding problem, but I haven't felt sufficiently motivated to do anything about it.


aliensporebomb

Looks a bit like my new axe in terms of color scheme:



I need to Borg it though - and internally at that. 
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.