Need new gear

[MrStitch]

I'm going from Metal to Blues. But my gear sucks for blues.

I have a cheap Marshall solid state head (yuck).
S100 effects processor to add some chorus and reverb.
Ibanez guitar. Not sure exactly what model, since Ibanez isn't too helpful in that department... But judging by the design and feel, i'd say it has to be one of the better ones for sure.

I know, my amp sucks total ass. But daddy here is on a budget until next year when I can drop the serious cash.

How can I get a full, rich, yet gritty lead sound... or at least, something close to it.

Suggestions??

[sweetpeee]

I know, my amp sucks total ass. But daddy here is on a budget until next year when I can drop the serious cash.

How can I get a full, rich, yet gritty lead sound... or at least, something close to it.

It's tough to know what you're dealing with, without hearing it. One thing you may want to try is not using any effects at all, turning the gain on the amp all the way down and using this as a starting point for your tone. You may want to back off the volume knob on the guitar to see how much of an effect it has on your tone. When you're happy with the basic tone, then add reverb, chorus,maybe a quick delay to thicken it up a bit etc.


J.P.

[Anfontan]

Although the Gibson 335 is probably the guitar everyone thinks of as the ultimate blues guitar, a Strat or Tele copy would be a good choice since the single coils are great for the 7th, 9th, or diminished chords used in blues. The pickups and the longer Fender scale length give you a clear, cleaner tone for leads and rythmns. I have a Fernandes Strat copy that is a great all around guitar for Rock, Blues, even Country stuff.
A hybrid amp, tube pre-amp solid state power amp, works well for blues for me, I even have a solid state Fender Deluxe that is great as well-once I found the sweet spot on the overdrive sound.
These are only guidelines, and only my opinion of course, look at the equipment the early blues dudes used. Elmore James had an old acoustic with a soundhole pickup he used for many slide classics.
Does your Ibanez have coil taps on the Humbuckers? That would be a good sound to start with. Practice those Pentatonic scales and go for it.

[TelePaul]

Yeah I gotta agree, Telecaster or Strat. I play alot of up-tempo blues, and I love the Bridge pick up on a tele. I also play a solid state marshall, an AVT, and I'm pretty happy with the emulated break-up you get when you up the gain. So yeah, a Tele in the bridge pick up, dig in for crunchy blues, try rolling off the tone pot a little and adding a dash of reverb. If you're serious about a new amp and need something to tide you over, I'd go with a Boss BD 2 bluesdriver....they help with that clipped blues overdrive. Depending on what you've got to spend, you can get them on e bay for quite cheap (Boss are reliabe pedals, so a second hand purchase will be a safe enough bet) or go with a Robert Keeley modified pedal (www.robertkeeley.com) Im guessing your current guitar, from what Ibanez I've played has a humbucker, single-coil, humbucker set up.....problem with Ibanez is that theyre perfect for shredding but lack the low-end ya want for your blues. An Ibanez ts 9 tubescreamer will help here, again, Robert Keeley mods coem highly recommended. Eventually, you'll wanna upgrade to a tube amp; nothing says blues like a saturated tube amp breaking up naturally. Think about what you need it for; a Fender Blues Junior will sound great but its output isn't huge. Maybe a Marshall TSL? If you are recording, try using some compression (I use a humble boss CS 3) to even out the sound. I love it, great for slide. Hope this helps.

[MrStitch]

It just so happens that I do have a compressor around here somewhere. I never did use it a whole lot before. Maybe it will come in handy here.

The amp I have is strictly solid state... and a cheap one at that. So i'm not even sure I have a starting point thats even worth dealing with... But i'll kick around that volume thing, and see what happens.

The pick-ups I have are a humbucker, and two single coils. They read "V6" S3" and "S2", respectively. If anyone has information on those things, it'd sure help. I have no clue what version of an Ibanez this is, but would like to find out.

Also, what are "Coil Taps"? I believe thats the first time I ever heard that term used.

Along with that compressor, I also happen to have a presonus blue tube as well. But even if I use that to get some tone, won't my crappy marshall kill it anyways?

If it doesn't, maybe I could use the blue tube for quality gain, the compressor (whatever that is suppose to do), and then the effects processor for depth. (lord... this gets complicated)

[MrStitch]

Guess I should probably add that some day, i'd like to get a new guitar. But I don't want a fender. Nothing wrong with a Fender.... it's just that they're pretty much a staple for the whole blue's thing.

I'd like to find something that hardly anyone has ever heard of. You know... try out something new. I'll be taking that approach when I go buy an amp as well. I was thinking about getting an Orange amp next year.... but they seem to be gaining ground lately. I wonder how long till they're all tapped out by everyone.

[MrStitch]

Guess I should probably add that some day, i'd like to get a new guitar. But I don't want a fender. Nothing wrong with a Fender.... it's just that they're pretty much a staple for the whole blue's thing. Finally found my guitar too... http://www.ibanezrules.com/catalogs/us/1992/r_3.jpg

It's the 442R, Violin finish. According to the brochure.... maybe this guitar will do what I need?

I'd like to find something that hardly anyone has ever heard of. You know... try out something new. I'll be taking that approach when I go buy an amp as well. I was thinking about getting an Orange amp next year.... but they seem to be gaining ground lately. I wonder how long till they're all tapped out by everyone.

[JCH]

This might help you identify your Ibanez. There are hundreds of models listed. I found the website when I was trying to ID a vintage Ibanez that I bought.

How's yours rigged?.. Trem? Locking nut?.. Do you have a picture? I wouldn't give up on the guitar until you play it through some different amplifiers. The tone of the amp will be the most significant part of your overall sound. (provided that your guitar isn't an absolute POS)

[Henry Mars]

If I was going to be a blues player I would get an Early '60s Telecaster and a no frills tube amp like a late 50's vintage Fender Bassman. Screw all of the effects. Blues has got to come from the player. My second choice would be my beloved ES 335 or a Gibson Birdland Model through a similar amp.

[Anfontan]

Ok I checked out the style of guitar, that would work alright I think. Its good it doesnt have a locking trem and locking nut, those things seem to really deaden open chords to me. A coil tap will let you split the coils on a humbucker, giving you 1 single coil or the 2 coils for humbucking sound
in the same pickup.
Is your amp one of the MG solid states? Those are alright, kinda compressed to me though as far as the Marshall tone goes.
You might even lower the pickups just a tiny bit so the tone will be less gritty from the humbucker...not too much though.
Get some blues discs and play along, it will all work out!

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by Henry Mars

If I was going to be a blues player I would get an Early '60s Telecaster and a no frills tube amp like a late 50's vintage Fender Bassman. Screw all of the effects. Blues has got to come from the player. My second choice would be my beloved ES 335 or a Gibson Birdland Model through a similar amp.

Wow those are some excellent dream rigs.....would absolutely be the stuff to wish for!!

[sweetpeee]

A coil tap will let you split the coils on a humbucker, giving you 1 single coil or the 2 coils for humbucking sound

I've thought about this for quite a while. I have a friend that use to have a ford pick up truck. It had two seperate gas tanks and you could fill it up at the gas station from either side of the truck.If one tank was nearly empty,he'd just flick a switch in the cab and switch tanks.

What a great freakin' idea!! You don't have to pull into a gas station and line up your vehicle on the "propper" side. So why don't they do this for ALL vehicles? You could keep the same size tank,just have access from either side of the vehicle. I feel the same way about coil taps.Why aren't they standard on humbucking pickups? As far as I know, not guitar manufacturer has made this a standard feature.(okay, semi-rant is over)

J.P.

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by sweetpeee

I've thought about this for quite a while. I have a friend that use to have a ford pick up truck. It had two seperate gas tanks and you could fill it up at the gas station from either side of the truck.If one tank was nearly empty,he'd just flick a switch in the cab and switch tanks.

What a great freakin' idea!! You don't have to pull into a gas station and line up your vehicle on the "propper" side. So why don't they do this for ALL vehicles? You could keep the same size tank,just have access from either side of the vehicle. I feel the same way about coil taps.Why aren't they standard on humbucking pickups? As far as I know, not guitar manufacturer has made this a standard feature.(okay, semi-rant is over)

J.P.

Coil taps only work on a 4 wire humbucker, older and cheaper guitars only use a 2 wire, I wish I could do it on my 77' Gibson Paul but I'm 2 wires short of the 4 that are needed. The gas tank analogy is a great comparision, I like your explanation!

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by Henry Mars

If I was going to be a blues player I would get an Early '60s Telecaster and a no frills tube amp like a late 50's vintage Fender Bassman. Screw all of the effects. Blues has got to come from the player. My second choice would be my beloved ES 335 or a Gibson Birdland Model through a similar amp.

Hey i agree with the Tele but this guys on a budget; hows he gonna afford a late 50s bassman?? Or an early 60s Tele for that matter? I don't think you should screw the effects; even Stevie Ray Vaughan had his TS9.

[ermghoti]

Blues is about feeling, not equipment. The MG will probably sound pretty craptacular dirty, but if you leave it clean, and go for a BB King vibe, you should have enough to work with. Otherwise, drop $150 on an Epihpone Valve Jr comvo, which would be spectacular for your purposes, kick around the idea of getting a good OD pedal (TS-9, et al), and maybe invest in some primo pickups for the Ibanez.

[32-20-Blues]

To be honest, the tone of your amp only really matters if you are trying to emulate a certain type of blues - specifically, the variety favoured by SRV, Clapton et al. Early electric Chicago blues is equally as emotive, and often more so, than the flamboyant, scale based playing of many 'guitar heroes'. More relevant, in my opinion, to succesful blues playing is establishing a groove, and, as has been said before, feeling.

Take a look at the Howlin' Wolf Chess cuts featuring Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot's more avant-garde work, or the rough, driving sound of R.L Burnside for examples of this. None of them fly around the fretboard (although Ribot can), but they are nonetheless outstanding performers. Sustain may not be as important as you think in this context, and a convincing tone for his type of playing can certainly be had from a solid-state amp.

With regard to guitar choice, I understand entirely what you mean in your ambivalence towards Fenders, great guitars though they are. Have you checked out Deusenbergs, German solid mahogany instruments that are relatively unheard of, but fantastic quality? 1 humbucker, 1 single coil, great feel.

One of the most interesting guitars for blues playing has to be the Reso-Dan. This is a Danelectro routed out post-production and fitted with the metal cone from a resonator, complete with piezo pick-up and a blend pot. Google Resodan to find out more. They were produced in England about three years ago, but stopped for a time. Now that Danelectros are back, you could buy one for three hundred and fifty dollars and pay a luthier an extra hundred to fit the cone. That's the most unique guitar you will find at a reasonable price, and they sound unreal.

Or else buy a Squier Strat, 200 dollars, and customise the hell out of it. You could throw some proper Seymour Duncans into it, and still have a fair bit of change from five hundred. Sure, it'll look like a Fender, but if that still bothers you, get creative with sandpaper, some lacquer and a spray gun.

Anyway, congrats on choosing the blues as your next venture, it's a rewarding genre. Keep the Marshall, and experiment. Remember, feel and groove not compressed-to-hell sustain. Good Luck, and keep us posted on what you decide to do.

[Henry Mars]

Originally Posted by TelePaul

Hey i agree with the Tele but this guys on a budget; hows he gonna afford a late 50s bassman?? Or an early 60s Tele for that matter? I don't think you should screw the effects; even Stevie Ray Vaughan had his TS9.

I'm kind of a purist. Yea I know about the budget stuff ... but hey I like to dream of getting the stuff back that I thought was crap back then .. and got rid of for what ever reason. Who knew that it would end up being valuable.
Kind of like my old comic book and baseball card collections which I probably could retire on if I didn't get rid of them.

Now I feel like I need a good ass kickin'.

[MrStitch]

Thanks 32-20, those are some great Ideas and good leads.

I read the material on my guitar, and since I'm on a budget, I just might stick with it, and try to get as much out of it as I can. Turns out my 442R was made for just about anything.... in a generalized/simplified fashion. I'm sure it could use some work tho. Might have to bring it into a shop to clean it up, go through the connections, etc. I'm a player, not a tech.. .hahahah.

Since my new band is playing straight up rock, then this guitar will do good there as well.

That leaves me with just the amp. For my new band, it does well as long as the effects are running..... without that S100.. it would make a deaf man cringe!

I've never in my life played a tube amp before, so I was curious - My current 'lead guitar' sound is so pathetic and dry.... completely lifeless. If I have the S100 running, it sounds a little better 'cause I add the reverb and chorus. But it's like anything else - It's hard to turn crap into gold.

Is this what the 'tone' is all about in the tube amps?

The only real examples I have are whats on CD's from the pro bands. And of course, they're running all kinds of crazy stuff.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

Coil taps only work on a 4 wire humbucker, older and cheaper guitars only use a 2 wire, I wish I could do it on my 77' Gibson Paul but I'm 2 wires short of the 4 that are needed. The gas tank analogy is a great comparision, I like your explanation!

It can be done; you just need to find and cut (and splice into) the crossover wire that runs from one coil to the other. It's not that big a deal.

[32-20-Blues]

Originally Posted by MrStitch

Is this what the 'tone' is all about in the tube amps?

The only real examples I have are whats on CD's from the pro bands. And of course, they're running all kinds of crazy stuff.

I know what you mean. If you want to find a good example of pure tube amp tone, listen to some of the Rory Gallagher tracks on 'Live in Europe' or 'The Irish Tour,' particularly 'What in the World' and 'Hoodoo Man'. Rory never used anything other than a Fender into a tube amp - no effects, no pedals, no nothing - so this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Plus, it's some great blues playing too.

Good Luck.

(By the way, I dug up some old reviews of your guitar - it'll do perfectly for what you need)

[cephus]

You know, I don't think that you need new equipment. Maybe a mild, non-metal fuzztone like a rat. that guitar looks pretty normal. As long as the fingerboard isn't too wide and flat.

I'd suggest putting 10s on if you have something lighter on it now. The middle and rhythm pickup are the best for blues, so the humbucker isn't gonna mess with you.

I have sat in or borrowed solid state shitty amps before and was always able to get a decent tone using my rat and strat.

get a clean tone on the amp and use a fuzztone to get it barely distorted. That is where solid state amps really suck. If you try to use their internal distortion, that boundary between clean and dirty is where they sound the worst, and the tube amps sound the best. But a decent fuzz tone can get you there. Maybe that tube preamp would work too. You just want to start with a mostly clean tone.

I think a good transition from rock to blues is early AC/DC. It's not like after listening to shredding for years you'll be able to slip right into thinking delta blues played with a broken wine bottle is the cat's ass. Angus and some other blues rock players can help you get aclimated to the note choices that make the blues.