Mayones Hydra vs. ESP LTD KS-7

[Music With Marky]

This was fun to do!!

 

[video:youtube]

[Larryz]

@ Mark, Great job of doing a review! I'm not a 7 string kind of guy or into the genre, but if I were, the ESP at half the price would get most of the sounds needed. I do like the Hydra for the playability comments and would go that route if not too expensive for my bank account. Not a big fan of the lack of a headstock and the fine tuner bridges (as I have had one at one time of the fine tuner whammies) but I could get used to it if I had to. Good shoot out...I liked the "Spanky" fun clip LOL!

[Music With Marky]

@ Mark, Great job of doing a review! I'm not a 7 string kind of guy or into the genre, but if I were, the ESP at half the price would get most of the sounds needed. I do like the Hydra for the playability comments and would go that route if not too expensive for my bank account. Not a big fan of the lack of a headstock and the fine tuner bridges (as I have had one at one time of the fine tuner whammies) but I could get used to it if I had to. Good shoot out...I liked the "Spanky" fun clip LOL!

 

I had to have Spanky in there! Thanks for checking it out.

[desertbluesman]

Nice work Mark.

[Music With Marky]

Nice work Mark.

 

Thanks!!

[Caevan O’Shite]

Well done, MwM. I felt that the Hydra sounded much better than the KS-7 on the brief clean-toned parts in your intro; but to me, the KS-7 sounded warmer and more 'classic' with distortion. Subjective, "vive la difference"!

 

I have zero interest in the Evertune bridge for several reasons; impaired sustain, tone, and- particularly- its weird response to bending. It seems to offer several inescapable problems of its own in exchange for problems I don't have much of.

[Music With Marky]

Well done, MwM. I felt that the Hydra sounded much better than the KS-7 on the brief clean-toned parts in your intro; but to me, the KS-7 sounded warmer and more 'classic' with distortion. Subjective, "vive la difference"!

 

I have zero interest in the Evertune bridge for several reasons; impaired sustain, tone, and- particularly- its weird response to bending. It seems to offer several inescapable problems of its own in exchange for problems I don't have much of.

 

Thanks for checking out the video! I agree about the Evertune for most everything I play. I do see where it's great for some types of players though.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Re: the Evertune bridge- I play fingerstyle 100% of the time, never use a pick, and have quite a degree of 'finesse' in my playing, if I say so myself. I certainly don't need anything that will reduce the impact of my "touch", tone, attack, bending, or sustain!

 

(Tangent ahead! Forgive... )

 

I believe that there's a 'missing link' for many players in achieving classic style and tone- the effect that acoustic-feedback, the interaction between amplifier, speakers, room-acoustics, and the guitar and strings- has on harmonic-overtones, character, and sustain. The Evertune seems in opposition to all of that.

 

If one can't play at moderate to higher volume levels, one can find alternatives. Though it's a bit wonky and unwieldy, I really love what the Maniac Music Sustainiac 'Model C' does for me; it clamps a powered vibrating-transducer onto the headstock of the guitar, vibrating the whole guitar to induce acoustic-feedback with your choice of an emphasis on fundamental notes, harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend of the two. Looks very 'mad scientist', sounds fantastic!

[Winston Psmith]

I much preferred the sound of the Hydra, overall, but the scale length on both Guitars seemed short for an ERG? 25.5 and 25.4 inches? Would have to have them in my hands to check out the 7th string tension.

 

I've been looking into ERG's, both 7- and 8-strings, for a while now, and still trying to find the right one? Thanks for this video, at least I have a better idea about these two, now.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Re: the Evertune bridge- I play fingerstyle 100% of the time, never use a pick, and have quite a degree of 'finesse' in my playing, if I say so myself. I certainly don't need anything that will reduce the impact of my "touch", tone, attack, bending, or sustain!

 

(Tangent ahead! Forgive... )

 

I believe that there's a 'missing link' for many players in achieving classic style and tone- the effect that acoustic-feedback, the interaction between amplifier, speakers, room-acoustics, and the guitar and strings- has on harmonic-overtones, character, and sustain. The Evertune seems in opposition to all of that.

 

If one can't play at moderate to higher volume levels, one can find alternatives. Though it's a bit wonky and unwieldy, I really love what the Maniac Music Sustainiac 'Model C' does for me; it clamps a powered vibrating-transducer onto the headstock of the guitar, vibrating the whole guitar to induce acoustic-feedback with your choice of an emphasis on fundamental notes, harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend of the two. Looks very 'mad scientist', sounds fantastic!

I"m a guitar dabbler who is primarily playing at home volumes- low- for many reasons. (Two of them have furry, pointy ears.)

 

Personally, I have a Fernandes Ravelle Elite which came standard with their 2 switch Sustainer system and an eBow for those situations. (Of course, because I am just a dabbler, I"ll probably never master either one like the guys from Suicidal Tendencies or Andy Timmons, but damned if they aren"t so fun that I really don"t care! )

[Music With Marky]

Re: the Evertune bridge- I play fingerstyle 100% of the time, never use a pick, and have quite a degree of 'finesse' in my playing, if I say so myself. I certainly don't need anything that will reduce the impact of my "touch", tone, attack, bending, or sustain!

 

(Tangent ahead! Forgive... )

 

I believe that there's a 'missing link' for many players in achieving classic style and tone- the effect that acoustic-feedback, the interaction between amplifier, speakers, room-acoustics, and the guitar and strings- has on harmonic-overtones, character, and sustain. The Evertune seems in opposition to all of that.

 

If one can't play at moderate to higher volume levels, one can find alternatives. Though it's a bit wonky and unwieldy, I really love what the Maniac Music Sustainiac 'Model C' does for me; it clamps a powered vibrating-transducer onto the headstock of the guitar, vibrating the whole guitar to induce acoustic-feedback with your choice of an emphasis on fundamental notes, harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend of the two. Looks very 'mad scientist', sounds fantastic!

 

Does this sound/work the same as the Sustaniac pickup in my Schecter? I've used the heck out of that thing!

[Music With Marky]

I much preferred the sound of the Hydra, overall, but the scale length on both Guitars seemed short for an ERG? 25.5 and 25.4 inches? Would have to have them in my hands to check out the 7th string tension.

 

I've been looking into ERG's, both 7- and 8-strings, for a while now, and still trying to find the right one? Thanks for this video, at least I have a better idea about these two, now.

 

Sure thing. I would say they both play looser, so if you like more string tension to look at higher scale lengths. I've got a Skervesen Swan 8 that's Scale length: 28" - 26". You might want to check one of theirs out. They play tighter.

[Caevan O’Shite]

If one can't play at moderate to higher volume levels, one can find alternatives. Though it's a bit wonky and unwieldy, I really love what the Maniac Music Sustainiac 'Model C' does for me; it clamps a powered vibrating-transducer onto the headstock of the guitar, vibrating the whole guitar to induce acoustic-feedback with your choice of an emphasis on fundamental notes, harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend of the two. Looks very 'mad scientist', sounds fantastic!

 

Does this sound/work the same as the Sustainiac pickup in my Schecter? I've used the heck out of that thing!

 

It works completely differently, and sounds and behaves much more like 'natural' acoustic-feedback from a loud amp and speaker-cab would. It's a big honkin' stompbox that is the amplifier that drives the vibrating-transducer, and adds harmonic-overtones as desired See the photos below...

 

it clamps a powered vibrating-transducer onto the headstock of the guitar, physically vibrating the whole guitar to induce acoustic-feedback with your choice of an emphasis on fundamental notes, harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend of the two.

 

Results will vary greatly from one instrument to another- just as they would plugging different axes into a given amp- as the guitar, its materials and construction, pickups, and strings, etc., are a part of the whole equation. It's feedback! From acoustic vibrations, not just electronic signal-processing, and not from magnetically exciting and driving the strings.

 

Literally endless sustain, as long as there's electrical power. There's a control to choose between an emphasis on fundamental notes or harmonic-overtones and octaves, or any blend.

 

It works with clean as well as overdriven or distorted tones! At any volume, even NO volume- one can get these results, very much like playing near a LOUD amp and speaker, even with no speakers and using headphones, going DI, whatever.

 

It can easily be put on one guitar (or bass, etc.) or another, as long as it's got enough of a headstock to clamp the transducer on, temporarily installed, not permanently.