JG FM DR [ridiculous acronym for gustavsson ramos content]

[s.tuliebitz]

more later but thought I'd start sharing:

my futuremaster spent some time with Mr. Dom Ramos. the reunion hasn't disappointed



new photos 2/26:

 

[Shane S]

WOW! Well please do share more.

 

[rockinlespaul]

That is SICK!

Congrats!!!


I'm gonna get one of these pretty soon. The GAS is killin' me. Not sure if I want a Jr. or Special.

 

[Jaya]

That is great. I bet it sounds magical with Dom's pictures.
Enjoy it,

Jaya

 

[s.tuliebitz]

looks unreal imo, but the tone... oh my goodness.

humbucking cc in the neck - series or parallel operation [via push/pull pot]
segmented blade cc in the bridge

master volume
neck tone
bridge tone [push/pull for neck series/parallel operation]

so many usable, incredible sounds. I loved the Throbaks, but this seriously brought it to a new level for me.
Dom's attention to detail and eye for aesthetics is truly unbelievable; match that with his ear... the package is as good as it gets imho.

Oh yeah he decided to make a whole new pickguard and jackplate to complete the theme; definitely a benefit of leaving it with the man himself.
I'm also thankful to have been able to drop off and pick up.


prior to the Ramos treatment, for comparison:

now, close:

closer:

sorry for the cell shots- will hopefully get nicer pics and a clip or two up by the end of the week.
thanks for the nice comments so far!

-st

 

[narad]

Now that's pretty damn sweet. Now I finally have rationale for both a korina bluesmaster and a future master.

 

[Shane S]

That is cool. Did you get replacement saddles for the bridge or did Dom take the plating off them? Also, how did you get the brown/pink G&G case? My Futuremaster did not come with it. Do you mind sharing the cost to have these pickups made and installed by Dom?

 

[s.tuliebitz]

That is cool. Did you get replacement saddles for the bridge or did Dom take the plating off them? Also, how did you get the brown/pink G&G case? My Futuremaster did not come with it. Do you mind sharing the cost to have these pickups made and installed by Dom?

original saddles- the older pic is a bit deceiving as they definitely look different in that shot.
here's a more 'honest' pic:

Its from the first run- came with the original Hiscox which I still have and somewhat ashamedly may still prefer... just so much lighter, and the [Hiscox] fellas from Britain sent me extra 'pillows' so I don't need to worry about the fact its not form-fitted [at no cost btw- great customer service!].
The G&G case is awesome looking but adds some serious weight for the lug. Picked it up second hand.

Don't mind sharing [general] cost info, but please don't quote me. For his 'standard' CC you're currently looking at around $350 a pop if you can get on his schedule.
He's not some esoteric builder trying for the mystical marketing thing- he's just very, very busy and doesn't want to become a slave to a long list of orders...

 

[teleguru]

Wow! Thats so cool, I'd be interested to hear a demo as those look like they ooze tonal greatness! I also like the tele bridge style pickup height screws

 

[GAT]

Wow, that is soooo cool!

 

[standingzero]

That's incredible looking!

 

[s.tuliebitz]

thanks a lot guys!!!
Gil- couldn't have happened without you, so thanks! [snagged the FM from GAT off the emporium last year]

hate to 'honeymoon review', but I've never heard a solid body sound like this before... I'm playing clean and dry through a Pure 64 Nytro II- feel like I hear EVERYTHING. tons of twang, snap, warmth, muscle and everything else you could want (all of this is a function of the position, tone settings and your playing, of course)... extremely dynamic and touch sensitive- probably not for everyone but I'm confident most would at least appreciate the sounds. definitely inspiring me to get better for sure!
IMO these pups are really idea-breaking in terms of what you'd expect in the traditional sense with hb and single coil sounds... couldn't be happier right now.
sorry for the gush- really tried to avoid doing so.

 

[snarkle]

I've never heard a solid body sound like this before... I'm playing clean and dry.…feel like I hear EVERYTHING. tons of twang, snap, warmth, muscle and everything else you could want (all of this is a function of the position, tone settings and your playing, of course)... extremely dynamic and touch sensitive.

Congratulations on the guitar and pickups!

Your description sounds like what I'm hearing from the Vintage Vibe HCCs I put into my Bluesmaster. Have you had a chance to A/B the Ramos pickups with the Biltofts, and if so, is there a significant improvement?

I'm also wondering why you and/or Dom opted for this pickup configuration. What does the segmented pickup in the bridge add to the mix, as opposed to a blade-style unit? How does the series option sound in the neck position? Why one humbucker and one single-coil?

Sorry for being so curious, but I'm still thinking of adding some Doms to my guitar—although I'm extremely happy with it as it stands!

 

[todd richman]

That looks great.

 

[amc]

very cool......

 

[s.tuliebitz]

thanks a lot guys- the nice notes are really appreciated!

Have you had a chance to A/B the Ramos pickups with the Biltofts, and if so, is there a significant improvement?

I'm also wondering why you and/or Dom opted for this pickup configuration. What does the segmented pickup in the bridge add to the mix, as opposed to a blade-style unit? How does the series option sound in the neck position? Why one humbucker and one single-coil?

hey snarkle! im guessing you're referring to the Throbak humbuckers that were in there (SLE-101)... while I didn't directly A/B I definitely have a solid idea of what I heard then compared to what I hear now, and for me there is absolutely a significant improvement.
now let me qualify: the Throbaks in this guitar kill and I wouldn't really be as bold as to say the Ramos pups significantly improve on the tone(s) you get with the Throbaks... they're just quite different and I am very happy with the differentiation I'm now getting. if I was going for a more traditional korina Gibson sound (which Johan is undeniably going for with this guitar), the Throbaks would win IMO (and probably beat any other set of humbuckers I've had the opportunity to play). I decided to go for more of a hi-fi sound and these absolutely deliver, but with so much more than I expected.

as to the configuration: entirely my choice. I love a humbucker in the neck position and my favorite bridge tones are single coil... so it just made sense for me. Dom was originally hesitant to agree on the humbucker as its extremely labor intensive- somehow our conversations convinced him otherwise and voila.
they work great together- I'm basically living in the middle position right now, but each combination of tone setting(s) and position have their own merit.

the segmented blade adds a bit more string-to-string clarity and definition. definitely benefitted from Dom having the guitar in his hands as the string spacing and segmented blade pieces are perfectly aligned (will post a pic soon to show).

need to experiment more with the series option, but so far it seems subtle... adds a slight bit of mids and gain. may eventually opt for a demeter boost circuit or something similar, but for now I've got plenty of experimenting to do.

 

[snarkle]

hey snarkle! im guessing you're referring to the Throbak humbuckers that were in there (SLE-101)...

Thanks; that's really informative!

I wasn't referring to the Throbaks, though, but to Pete Biltoft's Vintage Vibe HCC pickups. I replaced the Legends in my JG with HCCs for pretty much the same reason you swapped out the Throbaks: I didn't want a ’burst clone so much as something with a jazzier, more transparent sound. They're working out for me, but I'll have to give Dom's work some thought.

I'd probably go with a single-coil bar in the neck position and the segmented poles in the bridge...

 

[s.tuliebitz]

Thanks; that's really informative!

I wasn't referring to the Throbaks, though, but to Pete Biltoft's Vintage Vibe HCC pickups. I replaced the Legends in my JG with HCCse for pretty much the same reason you swapped out the Throbaks: I didn't want a ’burst clone so much as something with a jazzier, more transparent sound. They're working out for me, but I'll have to give Dom's work some thought.

oh gotcha entirely misunderstood! yeah no I definitely wasn't able to compare with the Vintage Vibe pickups. would love to though- let me know if you ever have your BM in the NYC area!

 

[snarkle]

oh gotcha entirely misunderstood! yeah no I definitely wasn't able to compare with the Vintage Vibe pickups. would love to though- let me know if you ever have your BM in the NYC area!

Alas, that would mean smuggling Brazilian across the U.S. border!

So if you're ever in B.C....

I've got to say I'm happy with the Vintage Vibe units. They sound fantastic, were quite inexpensive, and Pete did a really good job of matching their faux-tortoiseshell covers to Johan's faux-tortoiseshell pickguard.

 

[s.tuliebitz]

Alas, that would mean smuggling Brazilian across the U.S. border!

So if you're ever in B.C....

I've got to say I'm happy with the Vintage Vibe units. They sound fantastic, were quite inexpensive, and Pete did a really good job of matching their faux-tortoiseshell covers to Johan's faux-tortoiseshell pickguard.

Yeah I bet they're awesome! Mind sharing a pic?