Grateful Dead Music Forum

It was an experiment.

Here's a series of clips from our Halloween gig. Old country hall in hippie country up here in BC. Light show by Greg Evans with the old school equipment that came from the days of the Vancouver Trips Festival - the real deal.

Playing through my Fractal Ultra into a 70's BWG power amp into a 2x12 D120F cab, and also switching to a black faced 73 Vibrolux in just a few places.

PRS Toreo - Shakedown
2001 Strat w/ Area 58's - Last time>Love light
1998 LP Standard DC w/ 1965 or 66 Gibson PAF's - Gimmie Some Lovin
1981 Aria Pro II - China Cat, Other One> Going Down The Road

Peace,

James

Sounding great. I like the Aria Pro II tone the best. It's a nice full tone with biting highs. Is it a stock setup or did you hotrod the Aria Pro Jerry style?

Ha, well that's a great question.

The techs thought it already had a buffer in it, those stock pups are so low output, piano like. So no buffer in this guitar.

It had a dummy coil in the middle spot. To try something different I put a 1/4 pounder SLL5 (I think) Seymour Duncan in the middle spot - bought it off someone on this board actually - there is a thread on it somewhere. Super middy, very heavy. I used the toggles as switches to turn the pups on and off. It sounds good with the more treble like neck stock neck pup.

I'm using the 3 leaf proton as a bit of a treble boost in some of the china cat jams. Its a sweet sweet setup with the SD pick-up - I think its very Jerry like - although some on this board may argue with that.

But I do wonder how it would sound with a 1/2 Super 2 (split) in that middle spot.

Thanks for the comments.

I came to the same conclusion - albeit the Aria is a bit of a one trick pony. I do like my near stock Strat as well. For a more vintage sound. I'd be happy with those two. I used my LP in another band - more blues/ jazz roots stuff. Its amazing on its own - but just not that great in an environment with other guitars. It takes me a while to settle in with it. Every time I bring it to a gig I usually put it down after one song.

Here's the Aria in its stock life before the SD addition:

Peace,

James

Yeah, I remember seeing that thread when you first got it with the original electronics. Cool guitar. I got my Aria II around the same time. It's a different model than yours and I completely switched out the electronics and added a middle pickup. Somebody had already modded it prior to me getting it and I didn't like the pickups that were in it. Great guitars and can be found for a good deal.

I think the guy from Cheap Trick had 4 necks on 1 guitar.

Why stop at a 4 in 1? The cure for chronic string breakers who demand the same tone out of each neck.

OK, now there's the perfect example of--"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

Too funny.

Peace,

James

James T, where do you live?

The best place on earth, British Columbia, BC on Bowen Island.

20 minutes by ferry to Vancouver.

We play up and down the Sea to Sky corridor. Including Whsitler, over on the Sunshine Coast and in White Rock BC.

Peace,

James

I have cousins in Victoria I visit sometimes.

Well you should come over and visit here.

For sure. Always welcome Jon.

Peace,

James.