My 2004 Fender Showmaster FAT HH (Sold)
This guitar rocks! I played one in the
music store and had to have one to round out my now "intermediate"
guitar collection. (Note that this is an old article that I
have kept so that you can see the change in my perspective over
time.)
28 August 2007
Just added this page. This guitar absolutely rocks! It came with three way switching, but since the Seymour Duncan '59 and Pearly Gates Plus both came in the four wire conductor versions, I had it easily modified to a five way switch like the Showmaster FMT HH. The neck is very thin, and set, meaning access to the upper frets is very easy. I like how light and comfortable this guitar is as well. It came with a graphite nut and locking tuners already, so I installed Graphtech String Saver saddles and Schaller Strap Locks on it, and now it's great! I get very little detune when using the tremolo bar, assuming I don't slam on it like an ape. Overall, I couldn't ask for anything better in a basswood body with two humbuckers.As for sound, the '59 is very round and full sounding, almost Les Paul-ish in this guitar, but with more clarity and brightness than the typical Les Paul I have played. The Pearly Gates Plus (a Fender take on the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickup) has an Alnico V magnet and is not much more output than the '59, so it's like having a slightly over-wound '59 in the bridge. It has lots of mid range tone and fatness, but still with some brightness.
I tried swapping the screws for the Allen head screws that come with the Seymour Duncan Full Shred pickups. Overall, it did improve string clarity, but this guitar didn't have a problem in that category. It did make the pickups less punchy overall, so I swapped the screws back to the way they came stock. My usual practice with humbuckers was to screw the tops of the screws down until they were flush with the top of the pickup, but on this guitar, I put them back the way they came stock, and got more brightness but still with punch.
As for this guitar, I don't use it often in church because usually we play stuff that requires single coil pickups, mainly Hillsong and Paul Baloche. However, I've used it before, with excellent results. It has 500k rather than the typical 250k potentiometers, so it has more load on the amp, and as a result I have to make minor changes to my configuration. The only problem I have is a minor one: no numbers on the knobs. I like to go by numbers on my knobs while playing, and not having them means I usually keep my volume and tone at their max.
I will record sound clips soon, and/or get some from church for this space. Thanks for visiting!
Traded
At the time, I got sick of the lack of output at the bridge and the tone of the wood. It was an excellent guitar, and part of me wishes I could buy one all over again. I traded it for a Schecter C-1 Classic.In hindsight, this was a horrible idea. I ended up buying a second Showmaster HH and this time I changed the pickups. I should've done that in the first place.
So for all those out there who are looking for their guitar: if you like the body and the neck and how it plays but the pickups don't work for you, swap the pickups.
Credits
Earvana, Graphtech, Schaller, Stratocaster, Showmaster, Boss, HCT, and Fender are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Seymour Duncan and the stylized "S" logo are all registered trademarks of Seymour Duncan Pickups, with which I am not affiliated.