A Do It All TA?

[LarryL]

Because I have a wife -:) I can only manage to have ONE guitar around. I just bought a Drop Top Classic (on the way!) 03-08-06A. It has M1/M1/H3 pickups. Will this give me LP tones AND Strat tones? Would you recommend I swap out any pickups to achieve this holy grail of tone? Should I have gone with a Cobra or Atom instead?

Can someone tell me - in simple terms - the how to use the switch positions?

5 Way, Mini Bridge Split, Add-Bridge Push/Pull VV on 5 split


Thanks,
Larry

[olectric]

LarryL--

That sounds like a sweet guitar. You must post pics when it arrives! The only sound that you may not be able to get would be the quacky strat tone from positions 2 and 4 of a S-S-S strat. But, the Ms are pretty cool. Do you know how the switching works? On an Atom, that switch would work like this:

1. neck M1
2. middle M1
3. neck+bridge
4. middle+bridge
5. bridge

Or, if it is standard 5-way switching, it's like this:

1. neck
2. neck+middle
3. middle
4. middle+bridge
5. bridge

The mini switch splitting the bridge means that it turns the bridge into a single coil (I think the coil closer to the bridge is the active one). Vintage Voicing (VV) makes the split bridge get along with the minihumbuckers. If the push/pull switch adds the bridge to whatever pickup selection you have on the 5-way, then it only makes sense that your guitar has the standard 5-way, not the Atom switching. I'm sure Tom will clear up anything else as well as correct me on anything wrong I have written.

For the record, I have owned a DTC, an Atom, and a Cobra, and I think a dual-humbucker Cobra is the most versatile of the three. The bridge and the middle positions sound like a LP, the neck humbucker sounds like a throaty strat (especially when split), and the middle position w/ tone knob out (splits the two humbuckers) as well as the split bridge by itself sound pretty tele-ish.

[LarryL]

I hope someday to buy another - I need to make this one work for me now. Thanks for your help!

[olectric]

I hope someday to buy another - I need to make this one work for me now. Thanks for your help!

You can never have just one. :) Just ask some of the guys on this forum like Sylvanshine, dannopelli, Suriel Zayas, ryman150, or vai777. Those guys probably have over 25 Andersons just by themselves (sorry if I left any multiple-TAG owners out).

I don't think you'll have a problem making this guitar work for you--you're going to love it!

[picnic]

You can't have just one. I have had my first TA for almost 2 months and the search is on for #2. And wife the wife's approval!

[dannopelli]

I looked up your guitar on the Andy site. WOW I BET ITS GREAT! You have there a VERY versatile guitar, very playable. I think you have purchased a great wood and electronics combination. If I needed a "one perfect guitar" set up it would be almost what you have. In fact I do have that, only mine has m1,m1,m2, solid maple neck, 1 5/8 mediums .50 over. I just wanted the slightly brighter sound of maple neck, and just like the m2 a bit better than the H2, which I had in another Andy at one time.

You have a GREAT guitar. I am sure you will love it and forget about all the "wanting it to sound like other guitar stuff." In my experience, each guitar sounds like itself. And I bet yours sounds killer.

And when you can, you will get another. Maybe an Atom with H's to satisfy your humbucker jones. But I guarantee you that until you can do that you will be VERY pleased with what you have.

Oh yeah, I only have six Andy's. But I do have 21 other guitars...

[Roy (maybe)]

Hi Larry,

Thanks for buying a Drop Top Classic.

To answer the question as to whether you should have done Atom or Cobra instead, I think rests on whether you are most comfortable on a long scale guitar—25 ½-inch scale length—like a Fender-ish vibe or a Mahogany-based 24 ¾-inch—like Gibson-type. Which style of guitar has been most comfortable to you in the past and provides the most useable tones usually determines which Anderson you should start with. However, with that said, once playing an Anderson many players change and expand and are able to play both styles well. And an MMH pickup setup on a DTC is one of the most versatile and flexible ways to enjoy a long-scale guitar.

Have fun and enjoy.

Switching on an MMH Drop Top Classic works like this:

5-Way Switching with Bridge Splitter & Add-bridge Push/Pull Switch for MMH pickups

The small toggle between the volume and tone control is a bridge splitter switch.

Here is how it all works:

Let’s call position 1 of the 5-Way the neck position. Positions 1-5 of the 5-Way switch operate traditionally and the bridge-split toggle switch can be used on any of the settings that includes the bridge pickup to get either series or split from the bridge pickup to blend with the Ms.

The push/pull of the tone control allows for the addition of the bridge pickup to positions 1 & 2 only. This gives the added pickup combinations of neck + bridge to position 1 and neck + middle + bridge pickups for position 2. The add-bridge switch only functions on positions 1 & 2 so there are no redundant switching positions. Bridge splitter toggle switch functions on these setting too.

To sum up:
• Position 1: Neck Pickup
• Position 1 alt: (with push/pull in up position) Neck + Bridge Pickups (bridge series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 2: Neck + Middle Pickups
• Position 2 alt: (with push/pull switch in up position) Neck + Middle + Bridge Pickups (bridge series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 3: Middle Pickup
• Position 4: Middle + Bridge Pickups (bridge series or split with toggle selection)
• Position 5: Bridge Pickup (series or split with toggle selection)

When split bridge pickup selects coil away from the bridge for biggest single coil tone.

Roy (maybe)

[LarryL]

Hi Roy (Maybe).

Thank you so much for the info! I really appreciate it.

Well - I guess I will now have a decision to make - I just bought a Cobra with an M1/M1/HO1+ (04-14-05n)

So now I have the LONG scale and the SHORT scale coming next week! Feels like Christmas!

I'll mull over them for a few weeks, and (maybe) sell one of them.

I guess I'm bitten and smitten by T/A guitars.

Larry

[Roy (maybe)]

Hi Larry,

Now that is a fun situation to be in. Cobra MMH wiring is the same as we described before for the DTC.

Happy Playing,
Roy (maybe)

[LarryL]

Hope I like them - I sold a PRS Custom 24 to finance part of this purchase - loved the feel of the wide-thin neck; liked but didn't love the sound. Hope my new necks are comfortable. I like wide/thin/low action with lots of bending. I know one or both of these will fit the bill.

[Roy (maybe)]

Hi Larry,

I am sure they will. Make sure to check the truss rod adjustments when they arrive.

Happy Playing,
Mr. Maybe

[dannopelli]

Hey Larry,

Hope you can keep both! You really now have two super versatile guitars!

Dan

[olectric]

I just bought a Cobra with an M1/M1/HO1+ (04-14-05n)


Excellent decision!! Remember to post some pics of both guitars!