Anyone heard a Z coil guitar with a Mahogany Body?

[JagInTheBag]

Just curious how it sounds compared to the standard swamp ash...

[Salmon]

Have not heard it but I suspect that the character of the Z-coil which is adjusted/compromised in a sense to get in single coil range would override any difference body wood might make.

[NickHorne]

I can't see that Z's are adjusted or compromised, they are single-coils.
They are just a fancy take on a P-bass or Electric XII pickup, with adjustable polepieces.
I would expect them to take on the fattening string-behaviour differences that a mahog body brings, just as usual. Might be getting towards a Gibson mahog / P-90 zone but with more snarl and twang, and no hum.
Come to think of it, a mahog "Junior" Asat with a saddle-lock bridge and just the one (bridge) Will Ray hot Z-coil would be something really fun... quartersawn no 4 neck on mine, please. Yummy.

[KenC]

Come to think of it, a mahog "Junior" Asat with a saddle-lock bridge and just the one (bridge) Will Ray hot Z-coil would be something really fun... quartersawn no 4 neck on mine, please. Yummy.

Put that in an SC body with no pickguard and call it a "Z-1"...I'd take it over a Fallout any day!

Ken

[Salmon]

I can't see that Z's are adjusted or compromised, they are single-coils....

I stand corrected as to how it is achieved yet the unique tone of the Z-coil is what I hear foremost and I suspect this would bear little difference between woods.

[gvitale]

That's an interesting question, at least for an Asat Z3 owner like me.
No idea on the answer, however...

I would perhaps try to broaden a bit the question since I know that G&L makes a Tribute version of the S500 with mahogany body.
Did anyone try both the ash (or alder) and mahogany S500?

Definetely off topic, but... why doesn't G&L make a USA mahogany S500?

[JagInTheBag]

They do make a Mahogany S-500, the Semi Hollow is a hog body with maple cap

[gvitale]

Ok, didn't notice that...
still my question is meaningful if I add the words 'solid body', I guess.

anyone tried both alder and mahogany s500? I'm becoming really curious.

[KenC]

Definetely off topic, but... why doesn't G&L make a USA mahogany S500?

Quite a few of the early ('82 through about '84) S-500s had mahogany bodies. They are wonderful, but the wood and the electronics are both different from what it used now. The pickups (which, come to think of it, were also different from the current ones) worked very nicely with mahogany.

I guess my answer was a bit off-topic from your question, but if you ever have the chance to try an old 'hog S-500 you should go for it.

Ken

[Craig]

They do make a Mahogany S-500, the Semi Hollow is a hog body with maple cap

You've got the S-500 Deluxe (Maple cap on Mahogany body) mixed up with the S-500 Semi-Hollow (Swamp Ash body).

[Craig]

That's an interesting question, at least for an Asat Z3 owner like me.
No idea on the answer, however...

I would perhaps try to broaden a bit the question since I know that G&L makes a Tribute version of the S500 with mahogany body.
Did anyone try both the ash (or alder) and mahogany S500?

Definetely off topic, but... why doesn't G&L make a USA mahogany S500?

There was a Special Build Mahogany S-500 in 2004 along with the Comanche Mahogany Special Build, Legacy Special Mahogany Special Build,
and Legacy HB Mahogany Special Build. See: Production List of G&L Instruments (USA).

Also, here is an interesting quote, from Fred Finisher: (see full post: Finish processes, how we did it then by Fred Finisher)

The mahogany bodies were discontinued early on when Leo became convinced that the
tone of these instruments was not as good as the maple and ash bodies. When this happened, the bodies in production
were pulled and destroyed so any early G&L's that are mahogany are from a small group that were completed prior to this
change.

[JagInTheBag]

Good information Craig. I know that early hog bodies seem to be greeted with some enthusiasm when talked about or shown by owners on this forum, I am simply looking for a tone report from someone that actually plays one. The sonic properties Leo was looking for across an entire line may not be what I'm after in this particular instrument.

[gvitale]

Thanks Craig for the detailed infos.

It is curious to see that Leo Fender was kind of disappointed by the Mahogany+MFDSC sound...
That needs more insights...

[JagInTheBag]

Darth gave me some background on this. The "Leo didn't like the sound." is less likely than it is the fact that Hog has always been hard to source in volume, cost more, am made for heavier guitars with no significant difference in tonal difference with Alder with the MFDSC pickups.

[Salmon]

I can't see that Z's are adjusted or compromised, they are single-coils....

I stand corrected as to how it is achieved yet the unique tone of the Z-coil is what I hear foremost and I suspect this would bear little difference between woods.

Interesting, Paul Gagon describes the Z-coil as a humbucking pickup:

[youtube]ZdkjFdQnFjg[/youtube]

[tomanche]

I've wondered how this would sound too. There were a few (four?) Comanche VI in mahogany, if memory serves. Someone had one in Colorado in a thread a few years back on this board. "Rare Comanche" dated Sep 10, 2010. http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic ... che#p10363

The Z-coil/hog combo is tempting in light of how awesome the MFDs sound in the hog ASAT Jr.

Come to think of it, a mahog "Junior" Asat with a saddle-lock bridge and just the one (bridge) Will Ray hot Z-coil would be something really fun... quartersawn no 4 neck on mine, please. Yummy.

I made a variation of this theme recently with my mahog ASAT Jr. by putting the overwound ASAT MFD in the bridge slot... Nice girth.