The New Tone Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Telegram Sam
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I don't know. I don't really have a preference on Strats. I think mine would look better with a Rosewood fretboard, but I don't really care either way. All of my other guitars have Rosewood boards though, so grabbing the Strat with it's Maple board and long scale length is awkward to me. When I didn't know any better I didn't care. It was just a guitar that I played. I thought nothing of fretboards or pickups or anything. I just got drunk, popped a few hits of acid, plugged in, and turned it up. In a way I really miss those days. Now I geek out on gear like a retard. 22 year old Greg would kick 41 year old Greg's ass for being a tool. :laughings:

The pickup toggle was a mod I did a long time ago. It didn't come that way. I thought "yeah, all pickups at once!" It doesn't sound good. The neck + bridge is kind of cool though. I've shielded it with copper foil and tape too. Helped a little. I've swapped the 5-way switch and pots about a dozen times. Still got the original trem arm though!

What I do like about this Strat is that the pickups are slightly mellower than typical Strat single coils. They're still stupidly clean and bright, but they don't kill your ears like some can. And they're very responsive to how close they are to the strings. I guess it's pretty good for a Strat. I just don't like Strats now that I know better.
 
Greg_L said:
22 year old Greg would kick 41 year old Greg's ass for being a tool. :laughings:
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That's funny, but it's true about me too man....I can't imagine you tripping dude, I used to do that shit too...Last time I did any acid was 1990....I dropped 3 hits of blotter, & put about 250-300 miles on my shitty camaro, & didn't leave the little shit town I grew up in...I was always a big pothead back in the day, always had something to smoke, always....:).

To me, any Fender-y guitar, whether it be a strat or tele just looks better or "right" to me with a maple neck/fretboard....Dunno why, but I've always been that way...

I could swap p'ups & do some mods to that guitar, but really dude, it's not much...I knew that when the girfriend gave it to me, I wouldn't tell her that for anything though...I told her "it was ok", but didn't tell her it was about as cheap as could be had...I'm pretty used to cheap gear though, up until last summer, I went the cheap route on everything gear-wise...

I dunno, I've got that Custom Custom p'up just lying around, I could hot-rod it & see how it sounded...But, when I put that p'up in my blue strat, it lasted about 10 minutes, & I took it right back out, very, very shrill sounding...I'll probably just leave it like it is though, so if I ever want a single coil tone, I've got it.....There is a song or two I've been working on that would probably sound better with a tone like that instead of the Lester believe it or not...
 
minerman said:
Ok, here's the cheap strat ran through the DSL...I did add some delay in the daw though, to keep it from sounding like complete shit...:laughings:.

Strat > Danelectro vibe > DSL > '65 > '57

Danelectro Cool Cat Vibe:
Mix: 2-3
Speed: 3-4
Intensity: 5-6

DSL: 50w mode, OD1
Resonance: 0
Presence: 3
Bass: 5
Mids: 10
Treble: 4
Volume: 3
Gain: 7

Cheap stratw/vibe

Sorry this clip is so long, I actually like how this sounds...lol...Like any single coil guitar, it can get pretty harsh sounding pretty quick, this is the neck pickup all the way through, I was trying to keep it from being so harsh, & give it a little bottom at the same time....
Click to expand...

For a cheapo, that Starcaster actually sounds pretty good. Sound pretty classic Strat to me. Agreed that it could use just a little bit less preamp gain, just so it only breaks up when pushed a little harder. But that sounds like a good swampy southern rock tone in the making.
 
Lol, 34 year old JD would beat the piss out of 21 year old JD for being an alcoholic waster who smoked way to much gear and got a shit degree because of it.
 
minerman said:
That's funny, but it's true about me too man....I can't imagine you tripping dude, I used to do that shit too...Last time I did any acid was 1990....I dropped 3 hits of blotter, & put about 250-300 miles on my shitty camaro, & didn't leave the little shit town I grew up in...I was always a big pothead back in the day, always had something to smoke, always....:).

To me, any Fender-y guitar, whether it be a strat or tele just looks better or "right" to me with a maple neck/fretboard....Dunno why, but I've always been that way...

I could swap p'ups & do some mods to that guitar, but really dude, it's not much...I knew that when the girfriend gave it to me, I wouldn't tell her that for anything though...I told her "it was ok", but didn't tell her it was about as cheap as could be had...I'm pretty used to cheap gear though, up until last summer, I went the cheap route on everything gear-wise...

I dunno, I've got that Custom Custom p'up just lying around, I could hot-rod it & see how it sounded...But, when I put that p'up in my blue strat, it lasted about 10 minutes, & I took it right back out, very, very shrill sounding...I'll probably just leave it like it is though, so if I ever want a single coil tone, I've got it.....There is a song or two I've been working on that would probably sound better with a tone like that instead of the Lester believe it or not...
Click to expand...

It wouldn't hurt to doctor it up though. I upgraded everything on my Epi SG and it made a huge difference. Nice single coils and quality pots would probably make that guitar sound as as good as any "real" Fender.
 
Greg_L said:
It wouldn't hurt to doctor it up though. I upgraded everything on my Epi SG and it made a huge difference. Nice single coils and quality pots would probably make that guitar sound as as good as any "real" Fender.
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Yeah dude, I agree with that...I've already replaced the 1/4" jack, apparently the original shit the bed while sitting in the closet...While I had the pickguard off cleaning the mess up, I did notice the pots are really small looking compared to what I'm used to seeing in guitars...I do have a few new pots, not sure how many, but I know I have at least a couple...Pickups are another story though, the only p'ups I have lying around are the Duncan CC, & a stock Ibanez bridge humbucker...I'd really like to leave this a S-S-S guitar, as my other strat has a 'bucker in the bridge...I might look into getting some better p'ups for it...
 
That's the plan dude, I'll just have to wade through the ocean of p'ups & make a decision on what to get...lol...I will say the tele I had years ago had Lace Sensor p'ups in it & I thought they were great, but, that was playing live, & I didn't really give a fuck about my tone like I do now...
 
I think you just gotta decide what kind of single coil sound you want. Vintage, bluesy, high output? The only one I know anything about is the Dimarzio FS-1. It's a fatter, hotter single coi sound. I only know about it because Johnny Ramone used it in his Mosrite in the later years, and his sound was pretty aggressive for a single coil. It drove his JCM 800s very hard.

 
Greg_L said:
I think you just gotta decide what kind of single coil sound you want.
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Exactly dude...that's why I said "wade through the ocean of p'ups"....:laughings:.

I'm not writing any p'up make off, but I do know Duncan & Dimarzio both make good p'ups...

I personally don't think I'd want super high output p'ups in this guitar, as that's not what I'm after with it, more of a vintage-ish type sound, but, it would be nice to get a little gain without all the fuckin' noise a single coil has...Just guessing, medium output & noiseless...

I think it's pretty much a crap shoot when choosing pickups too, what might sound good for one player might sound like shit for the next....:D
 
Alright, here's a clip with the strat into the Chupa...Sounds much better to me, not as shrill as the DSL...Of course, it can still get bright, but again, it's much better to me....

strat > Chupa > '65 > '57

Chupa:
Resonance: 0
Presence: 3
Bass: 1.5
Middle: 6
Treble: 2
Master: 5
Era: plexi
Gain 2: 5
Gain 1: 6
Bright 2: C
Bright 1: C
Focus: off

ChupaCheapStrat

No eq or post-processing in the daw at all....I did flip the p'up selector switch through all the positions while playing, you can definitely hear it the switch is dirty...

The guitar hasn't been played very much apparently, as the pots are scratchy (they seem to be getting loosened up the more I move 'em), & again, it was just plain filthy, but for not having a dime in it, it's an ok guitar...Definitely needs some upgraded electronics though, dunno about the tuners, I'm sure they're as cheap as you can get, but it does seem to stay in tune pretty good so far...
 
Thanks dude, the DSL is just a bright fuckin' amp man...Especially on the red channel, when going for gain-y tone, I usually have to keep the treble & presence almost all the way off with any guitar I use...The strat is even brighter than the LP/Ibanez, so it'd be really easy for me to have a harsh sound...which I usually end up doing...:laughings:...

A couple/few guys over in the Marshall forum have been modding their DSL's (the new ones, not the older amps), & I'm thinking about doing a couple little mods to mine, all of 'em can be easily reversed, all they've done is snip one leg off a few caps in the red channel's circuit path...Been thinking about it for a week or so now, but I'm still not sure I'm gonna do it...It wouldn't be a problem putting the amp back to stock as far as that goes, I'm just trying to find out as much as I can about what these little mods do beforehand...The mods I'm talking about are supposed to tame the highs a little, & make it more of a older, more vintage sounding amp....
 

Same old short powerpoppy thing from before but with a lead intro added.
Double tracked with some tonal variation and a slight change in one spot.
How does the lead sound tone wise compared to the track?
It's only a guide/experiment but does it do the job?
Makes the track a little more '78 to my ears.
 
Minerman,
Around 30 seconds sounded best to me but the PUs don't sound "god". Time for some Frankenstein work.
 
Haha, I plugged in my ol red Strat just a little while ago for the first time in years. The strings actually still sound pretty good on it (they were new when I stuck it on the stand), and get this, it was still in tune! Honest to God. I strummed an open E chord and it rang true and in tune. Then I warbled the trem and that was that. Anyway, I couldn't get through one single tone clip without the input jack crackling and shorting out. Lol. Time to solder. I need to change the pots again too.
 
minerman said:
Alright, here's a clip with the strat into the Chupa...Sounds much better to me, not as shrill as the DSL...Of course, it can still get bright, but again, it's much better to me....

strat > Chupa > '65 > '57

Chupa:
Resonance: 0
Presence: 3
Bass: 1.5
Middle: 6
Treble: 2
Master: 5
Era: plexi
Gain 2: 5
Gain 1: 6
Bright 2: C
Bright 1: C
Focus: off

ChupaCheapStrat

No eq or post-processing in the daw at all....I did flip the p'up selector switch through all the positions while playing, you can definitely hear it the switch is dirty...

The guitar hasn't been played very much apparently, as the pots are scratchy (they seem to be getting loosened up the more I move 'em), & again, it was just plain filthy, but for not having a dime in it, it's an ok guitar...Definitely needs some upgraded electronics though, dunno about the tuners, I'm sure they're as cheap as you can get, but it does seem to stay in tune pretty good so far...
Click to expand...

These sound fine to me as well. Not as sparkly as a Strat can be, but definitely usable and serviceable tones there. They will come in handy as texture in mixes for sure. I think I like the Strat paired with the dark Chupa here, better than with the bright DSL. Although that DSL tone would come in handly for textures as well. Double either of these with an LP through those amps and it'd be a nice juxtaposition.
 
rayc said:

Same old short powerpoppy thing from before but with a lead intro added.
Double tracked with some tonal variation and a slight change in one spot.
How does the lead sound tone wise compared to the track?
It's only a guide/experiment but does it do the job?
Makes the track a little more '78 to my ears.
Click to expand...

I like the intro lead just as texture here (I'm using that word a lot tonight). I don't think I'd like it as a featured lead sound, but the fuzzy kind of direct-to-console sound of it is a nice flavor.
 
I was jacking around with the new delay pedal, so I threw down a quick repeating chord progression. Then I dug out the e-bow for some real shoe-gazing fun. The rhythm guitar came out pretty dark, I think either my tone knob was rolled too far back, or my cab-grabber has sagged and the mic is farther from the cone center than it used to be.

Guitar: Tele, neck pickup, tone rolled back (and volume rolled back for the e-bow tracks)
Amp: Fender '68 Deluxe Reverb RI, vintage channel (Volume: 5, Treble: 5, Bass: 3, Reverb: 3)
Mic: SM57, Preamp: RME FF UCX
Delay is a JHS Panther Cub in front of the amp (not in the fx loop).
e-bow tracks...well, doesn't really matter. It seems all e-bow tracks sound about the same no matter what you send them through :)

And for posterity, bass is a Fender MIM P-bass, drums are SD2.0 Roots with the rods selected.

 
Tapudi,
I like the "dark" rhythm guitar.
Delay is fairly subtle - well done you on not pushing it hard.
I love the ebow sound/effect.
I'd buy one except they are stupidly expensive downunder - $140+I don't have a delay pedal either - I'm too hopeless with that sort of thing not to rely on non destructive FX in the box.
 
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