Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:59 am
The ATG is an early '78. As of this morning, it is in transit to Tony ...
As for the differences between the two, I did try to A/B them a bit. The '78 has a cap bypass push-pull pot installed, but it doesn't sound dramatically different either way. Actually, both pickups on the '78 sound similar. Not the same, just not wildly different.
The bridge pickup on the '73 clanks like ... something really clanky (need a good simile here!). I assume the cap is not bypassed on it. The neck toaster is really warm and thick, and works up to a nice thump when you dig in. They sound completely different, but seem to work pretty well when both on at once. The neck is a bit hotter than the bridge, but I think that helps the blend.
The '78 neck was right in line with the other '78 in the old "measure your girth" thread -- pretty slim. I haven't measured the '73 yet but it feels a bit thicker. Still comfortable though, and actually feels a little easier to get around on the lower frets. The '73 is also a bit heavier than the '78, but still well-balanced.
I can't speak to the string height much just because I don't have the '73 set up properly yet. The action's a little high for my tastes and I'm going to put on a set of TI jazz flats because there's some minor tail lift going on. Even with the action a little high, it seems really easy to play.
The jazz flats through the toaster, with a touch of bridge blended in (with maybe just a little fuzz or overdrive), is going to sound perfect for my current project, although I usually like a more aggressive tone.
As for the differences between the two, I did try to A/B them a bit. The '78 has a cap bypass push-pull pot installed, but it doesn't sound dramatically different either way. Actually, both pickups on the '78 sound similar. Not the same, just not wildly different.
The bridge pickup on the '73 clanks like ... something really clanky (need a good simile here!). I assume the cap is not bypassed on it. The neck toaster is really warm and thick, and works up to a nice thump when you dig in. They sound completely different, but seem to work pretty well when both on at once. The neck is a bit hotter than the bridge, but I think that helps the blend.
The '78 neck was right in line with the other '78 in the old "measure your girth" thread -- pretty slim. I haven't measured the '73 yet but it feels a bit thicker. Still comfortable though, and actually feels a little easier to get around on the lower frets. The '73 is also a bit heavier than the '78, but still well-balanced.
I can't speak to the string height much just because I don't have the '73 set up properly yet. The action's a little high for my tastes and I'm going to put on a set of TI jazz flats because there's some minor tail lift going on. Even with the action a little high, it seems really easy to play.
The jazz flats through the toaster, with a touch of bridge blended in (with maybe just a little fuzz or overdrive), is going to sound perfect for my current project, although I usually like a more aggressive tone.
