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I notice from watching videos on YouTube of The Ventures live that they played using the bridge pickup mostly. I see other players like most of the players from Japan or other countries using the bridge pickup like 90% of the time. When I play using the bridge pickup in my USA 1971 Mark 1 it is ice pick in the ear. How is it when others play theirs it isn't ice pick in the ear? I don't think it's a matter of adjusting the EQ on the amp or tone on the guitar. There is something more to it than that. The Ventures and others get a very trebly tone but not ice pick in the ear.

What position do you use and does your bridge give the ice pick in the ear effect? Thanks.

Have you tried lowering the lead pickup a bit?

duojet55 wrote:Have you tried lowering the lead pickup a bit?

No, I never even thought of that. thanks I am going to try that tomorrow.

If that works and takes out some of the shrillness from your lead pickup, you may also want to adjust the fingerboard pickup to match it volume-wise. You'll want a nice pleasing tone balance in the middle position.

duojet55 wrote:If that works and takes out some of the shrillness from your lead pickup, you may also want to adjust the fingerboard pickup to match it volume-wise. You'll want a nice pleasing tone balance in the middle position.

Good suggestion. I didn't get around too doing it yet but I am going to tomorrow. I will post the results on how it is. Thanks.

I think it's the amp. It's a 1971 Fender Princeton Reverb. I decided playing through my Tweed Deluxe clone and it's fine. No ice pick in the ear. Just no reverb on that amp. I will just hook up the Fender Reverb unit to it. Yesterday i just used my echo pedal. The Reverb is put away so I have to take it out and hook it up.

I still have my Princeton Reverb I bought new in '78 and play my Ventures through it. My guitar seems fine on any pickup combination. The Princeton is a great little amp, but you might try a graphic equalizer pedal with it. It'll give you a lot more control over the tone.