NPD (and string gauge change)

[rockabilly69]

This 1st gen Zemaitis reissue (the best of all the reissues) just got a new set of uncovered Wolfetone Legends (they were covered when I got them). It had DiMarzio DP103s in it which didn't quite do it for me. The Wolfetones are lower in output and sing through a gained up amp. No potting and the are just the right amount of microphonic to get interesting:) I also went from .010 Ernie Ball strings to the .009 Pyramid Nickel Classics, and the lighter gauge also added a little bit of snap on top. And. I love the lesser string tension. 

[bolero]

Hey, that's really nice!

I'm a Wolfetone fan too: have them in my #1 Heritage

[bolero]

Is that a mahogany slab gtr body? 1 or 2 piece?

[rockabilly69]

4 hours ago, bolero said:

Is that a mahogany slab gtr body? 1 or 2 piece?

Honduran Mahogany, both neck and body are 3 piece, with reverse oriented grain in the middle piece for stiffness. That is what Tony Zemaitis always did in the originals, and only the first generation of Zemaitis reissues are built that way. The newer ones are one piece, and use African Mahogany. It's a nice wood but it doesn't sound the same. The top on this guitar is slightly carved too, the new ones aren't. Also the first generation models had metal work that were hand engraved, the later ones were laser cut.

Another thing these first generation guitars have unbelievablly good fretwork and the nicest ebony fingerboards that I've ever played on. The grain is ridiculously tight, and they are finished to perfection. They are smooth as a baby's as* so to say. I have 6 Zemaitis guitars, and I really like all of them, but this one, and the Dragon are first generation, and they both really stand out. 

As for Wolfetone pickups, I'm a fan. I have a Legend in the neck of one of my other custom shop Zemaitis guitars along with a Fenris in the bridge. And my Custom Shop SG Special has a mean and meaner P90 set. He really makes great sounding pickups!

The only weak point on the first generation Zemaitis guitars were the pickups, they just used DiMarzio DP103s. They figured it would be a good pickup they thought would work for most people, but frankly they don't do it for me. When Tony Zemaitis built the originals he would many times have the buyer of his guitars supply him with their favorite pickups. If the owner didn't specify what pickup they wanted, Tony would many times use Bill Armstrong pickups that were custom wound for him. His son Kent Armstrong still winds that exact pickup, the 12 pole, so I had him wind me a pair for the Dragon. The don't work with Zemaitis pickup rings so I had to make custom pickup risers for them. Worth it though because they sound GREAT!

 

Edited 1 hour ago by rockabilly69