Comparison Epiphone Matt Heafy Les Paul Custom vs LTD KH-602

The ability to disable one of the coils in a humbucking pickup.

Pickups with this feature are, in fact, universal modules that can operate in both humbucking and single-coil modes. See "Pickup Diagram" for details on both. And the ability to switch between these modes allows the musician to change the colour of the sound without resorting to external gadgets or changing instruments. For example, for a dynamic composition with rich overdrive, it is more convenient to use a classic humbucker, and for a slow, lyrical melody, just move the switch and you can enjoy all the advantages of a single-coil.

The number of tone controls provided in the design of an electric guitar.

One tone control is responsible for the sound of the electric guitar as a whole; but if there are several such pens, they can have different formats of work. So, each knob can be responsible either for its own pickup, or for a separate frequency band. In the second case, a set of knobs plays the role of an equalizer that allows you to adjust the sound by changing the volume of low and high (sometimes even separately middle) frequencies.

Anyway, the presence of several tone controls expands the possibilities for changing the coloring of the sound by means of the guitar itself, without the use of additional equipment.

The general shape of the body of an electric guitar.

The solid body of an electric guitar can be molded into almost any shape; hollow cases do not give such freedom, however, even among them, the options in shape can be very diverse. However, there are certain standard forms. It is not uncommon for these shapes to be named after a particular "legendary" guitar model, such as the "Les Paul" or "Stratocaster" (after Gibson and Fender instruments of the same name, respectively). It makes no sense to describe each standard form — it's easier to find an illustration in our catalog or on the Internet.

The main, and often the only point, which is affected by the shape of the body is the appearance of the guitar. Also, convenience for the musician to some extent depends on this parameter — for example, some models allow you to play while sitting, resting the instrument on your foot, for others this method is weak or not suitable at all. But whether the shape of the body affects the sound of an electric guitar is a moot point. There is an unequivocal dependence only in semi-acoustic models, but for solid bodies there is no clear answer to this question: some musicians claim the superiority of some forms over others, but this moment is largely subjective. In addition, other parameters (types and number of pickups, bridge design, etc.) greatly affect the sound quality.

Now on the market there are guitars with this body shape: Les Paul, Superstrat, Stratocaster, Jazz Bass, Precision Bass, Telecaster, PRS Santana, Flying V, SG, however, there are also completely non-standard options.

A type of cutout provided in the construction of a guitar body.

The notch is located at the point where the neck is attached to the body and can be single or double. The single cutout for a standard guitar hold is on the bottom, under the neck. It is designed to allow the player to comfortably use the higher (closer to the bridge) frets without the body getting in the way of the left hand (or right, in a left-handed instrument). In models with a double cutout, there is also a notch above the neck, it may be smaller than the bottom one. The top notch is provided mainly for aesthetic purposes, to give the instrument a distinctive appearance, but it can also be useful in fact — for example, if the player uses his thumb to hold the frets.

Note that some variants of the body shape do not provide cutouts at all — this is simply not required. Flying B body guitars are an example.

The presence of a protective lining (pickguard) on the body of the guitar.

Such an overlay is located on the upper deck, most often made of durable plastic and differs markedly in colour, due to which it is clearly visible. Its main purpose is to protect the soundboard surface from pick strikes (for example, when playing with dynamic fighting), which could damage the varnished wooden surface. The specific shape and size of the fingerboard may vary, but anyway, it covers at least the surface below the strings (when looking at the guitar in the working position), and sometimes under the strings and even above them.

The material from which the body of an electric guitar is made. For models with cutouts (semi-acoustic, see "Type"), in this case, only the material of the back deck and sides can be taken into account, and data on the top deck is given separately (for more details, see "Deck Cover Material").

Now on the market there are cases of such trees: red, maple, agatis, ash, alder.

It makes no sense to dwell on each of the materials found in modern electric guitars. Their variety is very large, however, unlike acoustic guitars, the body in this case does not play such a significant role in shaping the sound, and its material has a relatively small effect on the acoustic properties of the instrument (although the exact degree of such influence is a moot point). If you wish, you can find detailed data on a particular material in special sources, but in fact it makes sense to look primarily at the appearance of the instrument and its price category.

The material from which the soundboard cover is made is an additional overlay on the upper soundboard, which primarily plays a decorative role and gives the instrument a pleasant appearance. Do not confuse such a cover with a protective overlay (see above about it). And in semi-acoustic instruments with a hollow body (see "Type"), this paragraph may indicate the material of the upper soundboard, and a separate cover as such may be absent.

In general, the value of this parameter is similar to the material of the body (see above) — adjusted for the fact that the deck cover also directly determines the appearance of the electric guitar, and in semi-acoustic models it affects the sound more than the rest of the body. However, the main criterion for choosing this parameter may well be the aesthetic preferences of the musician.

The type of bridge provided in the construction of the guitar.

The bridge is often referred to as the part used to secure the strings to the body, but this is not entirely true. There are many models where the bridge plays only the role of a nut (limits the length of the scale), and the string is fixed in a separate device (stop bar) or even in the guitar body, through the method (see below).

All modern breeches can be divided into two main categories. The first is fixed, in which the strings are fixed, and the tightening during the game can only be performed with the left hand on the fretboard. They somewhat limit the set of techniques available to the musician, but they are inexpensive, compact and do not complicate the tuning of the guitar. The second variety is tremolo("machines"), which have a lever under the guitarist's right hand, allow you to change the tension of all the strings at once and achieve interesting effects that are not available with a conventional tightening. The disadvantages of "machines" are the opposite of the advantages of "fixes": tremolo bridges are more expensive, often cumbersome, with frequent use they can quickly detun the instrument, and tuning is often quite difficult, requiring specific skills and tools. Note that tremolo machines are used only in electric and semi-acoustic guitars, bass guitars are equipped only with fixed tailpieces.

The main...types of bridges found in modern electric guitars are as follows:

— Fixed. This designation is used for all fixed breeches other than the popular varieties described below.

— Hardtail (fixed). A distinctive feature of "hardtails" is a metal plate that plays the role of the basis for other mechanics. Such a plate is installed on the top deck; it is bent up from the far side (from the fretboard), and the saddles for the strings are attached simultaneously to the base and to the bent part. The fastening of the strings is often done through. This type of bridge allows you to individually adjust for each string not only the length of the scale, but also the height above the fretboard.

— Tune-o-Matic (fixed). Bridge in the form of a plank, on which saddles for strings are fixed. In this case, the strings can be attached to the body of the guitar (through method), to a separate stop bar or in the holes on the bridge itself (however, the latter is rare). Tune-o-Matic allows you to individually adjust the scale for each string, however, the height above the neck is changed only by changing the height and inclination of the bar (for this, an adjustment screw is provided at each end of the bar).

— Tremolo. Tremolo machines that do not belong to any of the varieties described below; this option is also indicated in cases where the manufacturer, for some reason, did not specify the specific type of "car". This category includes mechanisms that are quite diverse in design and functionality, so the features of such a bridge in each case should be specified separately.

— Vintage Tremolo. One of the first varieties of tremolo machines, developed by Fender. Externally, such a device looks like the Hardtail described above, supplemented by a movable (swivel) mount and a lever for adjusting the tension; fastening strings — most often through. Keep in mind that Vintage Tremolo's are designed primarily for downtuning; it is possible to raise the system with the help of such a machine only slightly, and then this will require certain tricks. Another drawback is that heavy use of the tremolo arm detunes the guitar quite quickly — especially if the player has neglected the tuning rules, which, although not difficult for Vintage Tremolo, are quite specific. On the other hand, “vintages” are inexpensive, and you can compensate for the mentioned drawback, for example, by using a top lock. The classic "vintage" is attached to the body with six screws, but there are also twin-screw versions — they are simpler and at the same time keep the system longer with active use.

— Wilkinson (tremolo). A further development of the design of the Vintage Tremolo described above. One of the key differences of the "Wilkinson" is that the strings in it are held on the bridge itself, and not on the body of the guitar. Because of this, this type of breeches stay in tune much better than the original "vintage" breeches. In addition, the lever in such "machines" is attached without thread, so that the likelihood of backlash is reduced to zero. On the other hand, Wilkinson bridges are noticeably more expensive, and their main function is to lower the tuning (although, again, with some tricks, a slight increase is possible).

— Bigsby (tremolo). Another representative of the "timeless classic", perhaps the first tremolo system in the world. Today it is used mainly on vintage-style guitars; particularly well suited for semi-acoustic instruments, as attached to the end of the guitar, not to the thin top, and does not place heavy loads on the soundboard. A distinctive feature of the Bigsby is that as a stop bar to which the strings are attached, such machines use a round rod that rotates from the movement of the lever and thus changes the tension of the strings. Due to this, such bridges have a number of advantages: they can work both down and up, they are easy to tune and keep the system well and respond to the slightest movement of the lever, allowing the musician to control the sound very precisely. In addition, Bigsby systems have a stylish appearance. On the other hand, they are quite massive and bulky, expensive, and the adjustment range is relatively small (smaller than that of the same Floyd Rose).

— Floyd Rose (tremolo). One of the most popular tremolo systems used by professional musicians. It is similar in design to the Vintage Tremolo, in particular, it is also mounted on two bolts and has a spring that compensates for the tension of the strings. However, the design of the Floyd Rose allows the action to be changed both downwards and upwards (increasing the tension), providing possibilities that are not available with "vintage" and similar systems; and similar machines differ from Bigsby in a wider range of adjustment. Note that the design of instruments with such bridges usually includes a top-lock — a device that clamps the strings on the fingerboard at the nut. Thanks to this, the “floyd roses” perfectly keep the system when actively working with the lever. All this led to the popularity of these systems among guitarists. On the other hand, setting up and caring for such breeches is a very difficult, painstaking and delicate matter. So, for setting strings and tuning, a whole set of keys may be required; when a string breaks, the system “floats”, and replacing a damaged string is inevitably associated with retuning the entire guitar; moreover, the system can go astray even from inaccurate movement of the instrument or a strong blow with the palm when muting the strings. Therefore, Floyd Rose type machines are mainly recommended for advanced guitarists with experience in handling electric guitars. And even professional musicians sometimes prefer to go to the master, rather than messing around with the service themselves.

— Kahler (tremolo). A system similar to Floyd Rose, but without springs and fixed directly to the body, usually with 4 screws. This allows you to slightly increase the sustain (due to improved contact of the strings with the body). The rest of the advantages and disadvantages are in most cases the same as Floyd Rose. However, high-quality solutions are also produced under the Kahler brand, which are not cheap, but have an improved design and are devoid of a number of disadvantages — in particular, such models are insensitive to changes in the position of the instrument and sharp muting of the strings with the palm of your hand.

— Zero Resistance (tremolo). Another improved version of the Floyd Rose described above, which is distinguished by the presence of a blocker — a device that rigidly fixes the bridge. Thanks to this, the system does not “float” when the string breaks, and the tuning of the guitar is noticeably simplified compared to the original Floyd Rose. The disadvantage of ZR is traditional — a high price.

It is worth noting that the above list does not include specific brands of bridges, but only their general types; within the same type, there may be models that differ somewhat in design and functionality.

A method of attaching the neck to the body used in an electric guitar.

— Boltov. The most inexpensive and practical (in terms of production and repair technology) method of attachment: the neck is bolted to the body. Thanks to this, the assembly of the guitar is extremely simple, and the neck can be easily removed from the finished instrument for repair or even replacement with a new one. Note that although the bolt method is considered “low-cost” (and is found mainly in instruments of the corresponding level), it cannot be said that it is definitely worse than other options: guitars of this design have relatively weak sustain, but they give a bright, sharp tone with good attack. They can be used in almost any genre, but they are still considered the most suitable for heavy music.

— Pasted. A neck mounted in a recess in the body and secured to the recess with epoxy or other adhesive. This design does not allow for such a powerful attack as on bolt necks, but it provides excellent sustain and a pleasant coloration of the sound. And in general, the adhesive connection is considered more advanced, because. better reveals the acoustic properties of wood. On the other hand, such tools are more complicated and more expensive, both in production and in repair, than “bolted” ones.

— Through. The name of this method is due to the fact that the neck passes...through the body through and through, to the “lower” (from the side of the bridge) butt. Many instruments of this type, from the back, look as if two additional pieces were attached to the solid piece of wood from which the neck and middle part of the body were carved to give the body the desired shape and width (although the manufacturing technique is, of course, somewhat more complicated). It is believed that the neck-through mount maximizes the capabilities of the wood and allows you to achieve the highest quality sound, with a flat frequency response and excellent sustain. However, such designs are very expensive, and besides, they require extremely careful handling — especially since the repair of a through neck is at best difficult and expensive, and often impossible at all. Note that this option is used mainly in basses, electric guitars with a through mounting method are produced much less frequently.