[benanne]

I have a couple of questions that probably fit in different forums, but then again they are also pretty basic, so I'll post them here. I've had my Schecter Omen 7 for a couple of months now (my first seven, and also my first guitar), and some things are starting to bother me about it.


First: the strings.
The ones currently on it are the ones it came with. I'm not sure what gauge they are, but judging from the extra string set that came with it, I'd say 9s. They are definitely pretty light. So light in fact, that the fret buzz on the lowest 2 strings is pretty much unbearable. The tension on the low B is too low so it's really floppy. On top of that, I kinda like to drop it to A, because that allows me to chug away some power chords, which is pretty gratifying for a beginner like me . This only makes it worse, of course.

So I've been reading up about this, and I think I should probably give 11s a try instead. Even on the higher strings I think I'll like it better, because my playing style seems to be rather violent (although that might change once I actually learn to play properly). I have a couple of questions about this:

• Can I just get a set of 11s somewhere? All these brand names mean nothing to me, and I know that if I ask, I'll get a million different suggestions... how can I tell which brand I want, though? It's not like I can try them all. The guitar has a 25.5" scale, despite what Schecter's website says (I measured it).

• Also, because I want to drop the lowest string to A, maybe I should get an even heavier gauge for that? If I tune it to AEADGBE with a standard set, maybe the tension will be too uneven. I dunno, I'm just speculating here, making sure I've got everything covered.

• When I string it with these heavier gauges, the neck will obviously be under more stress. Will I have to adjust the bridge or the truss rod? This is something I would very much like to avoid. The problem is that I bought this guitar online from a shop in France (because of the ridiculously low price), so I don't really have a shop to go to and have it all taken care of for me (Unless I drive to Paris ). I'm also reluctant to do these things myself, because I don't want to break anything. I guess what I'm asking is: will the increase in string tension require any adjustments, or is the increase actually negligible and can I leave everything as it is?

Second: the pickups.
I was warned repeatedly that this guitar came with shitty, muddy sounding stock pickups. I figured as an absolute beginner, I wouldn't care much because I'd have no idea what "good tone" is, anyway. In many ways, I guess I still don't know, but the muddiness is starting to bother me nevertheless. So I suppose the time has come to replace them.

I've run into the same problem with this: I have no idea what to look for in pickups, and how to compare them. I've read (again) a million different suggestions on here, which makes it all the more confusing. Maybe if I describe what I'm trying to do, that can help narrow it down?

Basically, I am a huge fan of progressive / technical metalcore and djent. This is why my first guitar is a seven this is also mainly the stuff I would like to (learn to) play, so I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to use this as the selection criterium. Other than that, it might be relevant that I only play through amp sims. The only guitar related hardware I own is a Pod GX, real gear is not an option (not just because of financial reasons). That might change in the future, but probably not anytime soon.



So yeah, these are the things I'm wondering about. Replacing the strings is something I'd like to do soon, the pickups are more of a long term thing (mainly because it's a bigger investment, and also because it'll probably require that I find someone to install them for me).

Thanks for any insights you might be able to give me

[MaxOfMetal]

Regarding strings, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the exact set that you like. Though, it's usually a good idea to start going up (or down) one gauge at a time. Though feel free to jump up to 11s, especially if you want a lot more tension. As far as what brand, that all depends on what is most readily available to you.

Though, you always have to adjust the bridge (for height and intonation) and the truss rod (for tension/relief) every time you switch string gauges. It simply must be done if you want your guitar to play properly. It's nothing that could truly harm or destroy the guitar, but if you want to play with low buzz free action and in tune, it must be done.

As for pickups, try adjusting them (raising them closer to the strings) before completely writing them off as bad. Also try to adjust your POD patches to compensate. It's a pain, but it'll certainly improve the tone for now. In the future, you might want to look into players', with tones you like, gear to see what pickups they're using.

[benanne]

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

Regarding strings, it takes a lot of trial and error to find the exact set that you like. Though, it's usually a good idea to start going up (or down) one gauge at a time. Though feel free to jump up to 11s, especially if you want a lot more tension. As far as what brand, that all depends on what is most readily available to you.

Is 9 to 10 a big difference? I figured since people go all the way up to 13, I might as well go with the middle ground. Maybe I should take it one step at a time? I don't know, there really is a LOT of fret buzz on the lower 2 strings, I get the feeling I won't even be able to fix this with 10s. But that's all very speculative, not so long ago I didn't even know what a string gauge was.

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

Though, you always have to adjust the bridge (for height and intonation) and the truss rod (for tension/relief) every time you switch string gauges. It simply must be done if you want your guitar to play properly. It's nothing that could truly harm or destroy the guitar, but if you want to play with low buzz free action and in tune, it must be done.

bummer. I'll have to find someone who wants to help me take care of this (and who I can trust). Or pay someone to do it

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

As for pickups, try adjusting them (raising them closer to the strings) before completely writing them off as bad. Also try to adjust your POD patches to compensate. It's a pain, but it'll certainly improve the tone for now. In the future, you might want to look into players', with tones you like, gear to see what pickups they're using.

Frankly, I think this is a waste of time, because just about everyone says "it came to life once I replaced the pickups" about this guitar. I'll try to find out what gear my, umm, idols, are using thanks for the hints!

[MaxOfMetal]

Originally Posted by benanne

Is 9 to 10 a big difference? I figured since people go all the way up to 13, I might as well go with the middle ground. Maybe I should take it one step at a time? I don't know, there really is a LOT of fret buzz on the lower 2 strings, I get the feeling I won't even be able to fix this with 10s. But that's all very speculative, not so long ago I didn't even know what a string gauge was.

Going from 9 to 10 isn't, and it's well worth a try. Also, some of the buzz could be coming from a poor set-up. If you didn't get the guitar fully set-up when you received it, it probably needs one.

Originally Posted by benanne

bummer. I'll have to find someone who wants to help me take care of this (and who I can trust). Or pay someone to do it

There's about a hundred very helpful tutorials online. It's not the easiest way, but it's very good to know what needs to be done.

Originally Posted by benanne

Frankly, I think this is a waste of time, because just about everyone says "it came to life once I replaced the pickups" about this guitar. I'll try to find out what gear my, umm, idols, are using thanks for the hints!

Taking a screw driver to adjust the pickups takes about a minute, maybe two, and is FAR cheaper then just buying new pickups, then paying someone to install them. Though, it's your time and your money.

[benanne]

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

Going from 9 to 10 isn't, and it's well worth a try. Also, some of the buzz could be coming from a poor set-up. If you didn't get the guitar fully set-up when you received it, it probably needs one.

It's possible. I should look for someone in the area who knows this stuff. Not gonna be easy, though

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

There's about a hundred very helpful tutorials online. It's not the easiest way, but it's very good to know what needs to be done.

I suppose, but even if I do it myself (actually, I would like to do it myself so I can do it again in the future, if I have to) I'd like to find someone who could supervise.

Originally Posted by MaxOfMetal

Taking a screw driver to adjust the pickups takes about a minute, maybe two, and is FAR cheaper then just buying new pickups, then paying someone to install them. Though, it's your time and your money.

I guess it can't hurt to do this now. I'm still gonna replace them eventually, though