Monaco III vs Newport w/Phat Cats

[oloboy]

I've become a Hamer-holic since I picked up a Studio Custom a few years back. I have that guitar, a Tele and a Strat. I'd like to get a p90 hollow to semi-hollow for that raw, woody, jazzy tone.

Can people who have experience with both these guitars compare and contrast them? Does one compliment the LP, T and S quiver better than the other?

Thanks.

[django49]

The MIII has been described as a "Strat on Steroids". If you are looking for that sort of thing, you might lean that way. Personally, with those other guitars, I would go for the NP with Phat Cats.

Keep in mind the difference in scale lengths between the different guitars too. And are you looking for a Bigsby? My presumption is that you are given the way those models are typically equipped. You MIGHT get more of a "jazzy" tone with a fixed tail.

IMO, hard to wrong with either.

[Disturber]

The MIII has a touch more of tele/strat to it's tone clean to semi clean. But when blasting it through a Marshall it feels nothing like it, then it's raw P90 nirvana all the way. It sounds great through most amps, clean or overdriven. Can be jazzy and bluesy, smooth or raw. It's a little snappier than the Newport.

The Newport is more Gretsch like clean to semi clean. The Phat Cats did not sound all that great through my Marshall. Didn't drive it enough, sounded trebly and thin. I swapped the mags to A4/A5 neck and A5A/A8 in the bridge, made a good guitar a killer tone monster. A well recomended easy mod, it gave my Newport a lovely full, fat, round tone, but still with bite. Can go from rockabilly to jazz, and overdriven it rocks like hell.

[oloboy]

It seems the Newport compliments my other guitars better with its hollow/Gretsch thing. The MIII is just so damn cool! Can its carved semi-hollow center cop that airy acoustic sound also? That and the raunchy p90 grind in one guitar would be sweet. The quacky strat 2 and 4 would be icing.

I'd love to find a Newport 90 but it seems those are pretty rare finds.

[Michael_B]

Disturber's mod sounds great. I want to give that a try. Where did you pick up the mags?

I've never seen A4/A5 or A5A/A8 designations, before. Is that either A4 or A5?

[dhuber]

The MIII has been described as a "Strat on Steroids". If you are looking for that sort of thing, you might lean that way. Personally, with those other guitars, I would go for the NP with Phat Cats.

I agree with the top statement that the MIII sounds pretty Straty. Being a Strat player I love the 25 1/2 scale of the Monaco's. I now have the MIII and the Monaco. The P-90's are bit hot for my taste but they sound decent at 3/4 volume. the MIII does not sound as woody as the Monoco with the Seymour Custom's. I've never played a NP but I won't be surprised if I find one in my collection someday. To me the Monaco and MIII are the best guitars ever built by anyone.

[Tres Aardvarks]

I was wondering the same thing. Wish I could get my paws on both and A-B them

[Disturber]

Disturber's mod sounds great. I want to give that a try. Where did you pick up the mags?

I've never seen A4/A5 or A5A/A8 designations, before. Is that either A4 or A5?

Sorry for the late reply.... check out ebay. There is a seller called Addiction FX who sells humbucker mags. Or I think Sheptone sells mags, I bought from him earlier.

Two mags in each Phat Cat. I have an A4 and a A5 in the neck, and a A5 and an A8 in the bridge.

[jaberwock]

I have four Strats, and two Teles, and the MIII has a very different tonality to my ears, more lows, and mids, and a softer attack ; fabulous guitar !! need to change the rotary switch for a six way toggle from Stewmac though, add some handwound P90's and it will make it one of the finest sounding guitars you'll come across..... at stage volumes the carved spruce top almost feels like its alive, but with no undesirable feedback issues.

[LordsoftheJungle]

For me the MIII wins with its deeper, richer tone. It's noisier than the Newport and I liked it better with Lollar P90s, but it still won out.