General Gear and Tab Season IV: Can it play barre chords?

[Cider]

Alright, since I'm already asking... how does a Strat sound?

I know it's a crazy noob question, but I've never been able to tell the distinctive sound of anything other than a really twangy tele

[jonbrown]

I'm guessing it's smoother perhaps? If the strat has smaller frets that is.

 

I sort of want a metal zone now

 

The fretboard on a strat has more of a curve to them than a manson fretboard. This makes it easier to slide because you have more room for mistakes and the other strings aren't in the way as much.

 

And also because im pretty sure he needs that strat neck pickup for that smooth slide toanz. Sustainiacs won't give you that.

 

Alright, since I'm already asking... how does a Strat sound?

I know it's a crazy noob question, but I've never been able to tell the distinctive sound of anything other than a really twangy tele

 

Look up any live video of hendrix playing, or SRV, or eric clapton, maybe even eric johnson etc etc etc

[haze015]

Alright, since I'm already asking... how does a Strat sound?

I know it's a crazy noob question, but I've never been able to tell the distinctive sound of anything other than a really twangy tele

 

Like a thinner sounding Tele. David Gilmour's sound is probably about as stereotypically "Strat" as it gets:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnC7TdkRnP4

[nerd herd]

Alright, since I'm already asking... how does a Strat sound?

I know it's a crazy noob question, but I've never been able to tell the distinctive sound of anything other than a really twangy tele

 

Short answer, a strat sounds lovely.

 

And also because im pretty sure he needs that strat neck pickup for that smooth slide toanz. Sustainiacs won't give you that.

 

The sustainiac is quite good as a normal pickup, but the globalist sounds better with a proper single coil

[Cider]

Thanks guys! I'm getting a better idea now.

 

I'm guessing The Globalist slide part is played with the neck pickup, then?

[heyjackk]

Thanks guys! I'm getting a better idea now.

 

I'm guessing The Globalist slide part is played with the neck pickup, then?

 

Yeeep. It's still amazing that he gets it to sound so beefy on the seven string part.

[jonbrown]

Yeeep. It's still amazing that he gets it to sound so beefy on the seven string part.

 

With an axe fx 2 and a kemper at MB's disposal, anything is possible. And the whammy DT's octave down on the downtune side is mostly responsible for that b33fy sound too, you won't be able to get the same sound on a regular whammy's octave down.

 

Going by the first point though, I'm pretty sure with the amount of crap MB's running his signal into, most of the time the tone won't even sound that different on the same patch with different guitars. Just look up a crowd recording of Knights at newport from last year, that's the only time Matt used the strat for Knights, still sounds b33fy as all hell.

[heyjackk]

With an axe fx 2 and a kemper at MB's disposal, anything is possible. And the whammy DT's octave down on the downtune side is mostly responsible for that b33fy sound too, you won't be able to get the same sound on a regular whammy's octave down.

 

Going by the first point though, I'm pretty sure with the amount of crap MB's running his signal into, most of the time the tone won't even sound that different on the same patch with different guitars. Just look up a crowd recording of Knights at newport from last year, that's the only time Matt used the strat for Knights, still sounds b33fy as all hell.

 

Yeah I guess although I own an Axe FX II and a Whammy DT and it doesn't sound quite that beefy on the Drop Tune side but then I probably just haven't found the right distorted toanz in the Axe FX yet. I have a feeling for a lot of what he's doing he's actually mixing a DH4 and a Marshall sound and blending them together.

 

Seeing as he used the Strat at one point for Knights I'm kinda surprised he still gets the FF built into his bombers when that must mean he's not actually using one during Knights/is using one in his rig setup?

[jonbrown]

Yeah I guess although I own an Axe FX II and a Whammy DT and it doesn't sound quite that beefy on the Drop Tune side but then I probably just haven't found the right distorted toanz in the Axe FX yet. I have a feeling for a lot of what he's doing he's actually mixing a DH4 and a Marshall sound and blending them together.

 

Seeing as he used the Strat at one point for Knights I'm kinda surprised he still gets the FF built into his bombers when that must mean he's not actually using one during Knights/is using one in his rig setup?

 

Yeah I'm not really sure what it is either but I think he has a patch that emulates the same tone of the custom turkish pedal used for the recording, then he's got the DT on the octave down to get the live tone to sound close to the recording.

 

And I think the built in FF isn't used for anything other than the PiB squeeling anymore, because even for PiB it's all axe/kemper now.

[heyjackk]

Yeah I'm not really sure what it is either but I think he has a patch that emulates the same tone of the custom turkish pedal used for the recording, then he's got the DT on the octave down to get the live tone to sound close to the recording.

 

And I think the built in FF isn't used for anything other than the PiB squeeling anymore, because even for PiB it's all axe/kemper now.

 

Even with the custom Turkish pedal it's amazing he got a good sound out of it. Remember when I found out what it was James posted a YouTube video and it sounded very disappointing haha. I am wondering whether he's just got a very thick string on the Strat to play it in Drop A. Sounds more natural than using the DT.

[james90]

Even with the custom Turkish pedal it's amazing he got a good sound out of it. Remember when I found out what it was James posted a YouTube video and it sounded very disappointing haha. I am wondering whether he's just got a very thick string on the Strat to play it in Drop A. Sounds more natural than using the DT.

 

It's the ampeg V4B he was using (well, assuming that's what he used on the actual recording)

 

They have a really unique midrange control, which can add some pretty extreme sounds. I recall MB himself mentioned this in an interview as well.

 

And do we know what tuning he's using? AADGBE?

[heyjackk]

It's the ampeg V4B he was using (well, assuming that's what he used on the actual recording)

 

They have a really unique midrange control, which can add some pretty extreme sounds. I recall MB himself mentioned this in an interview as well.

 

And do we know what tuning he's using? AADGBE?

 

I'm assuming AADGBE. The slide parts are predominantly on the G and D string so would make sense. Would mean he doesn't have to use an octave effect too. I'm still convinced there's some double tracking going on or that Morgan's also playing guitar during that part too though.

[jonbrown]

I'm assuming AADGBE. The slide parts are predominantly on the G and D string so would make sense. Would mean he doesn't have to use an octave effect too. I'm still convinced there's some double tracking going on or that Morgan's also playing guitar during that part too though.

 

Well if you look at some videos of him playing the part live, he's not picking or fretting the 6th string. He's playing it on the 5th A.

[Fish Luke]

Does this look ok for HAP string post heights? All the strings are in line except the low E where the post doesn't quite go high enough.

[jonbrown]

Does this look ok for HAP string post heights? All the strings are in line except the low E where the post doesn't quite go high enough.

 

Jesus that looks way too high, I have all of mine the lowest that they can go with a little bit of slack on the low E, but not THAT much slack.

[Fish Luke]

Jesus that looks way too high, I have all of mine the lowest that they can go with a little bit of slack on the low E, but not THAT much slack.

 

Thanks! Some of the pictures on the gotoh website made me think I was supposed to line the strings up perfectly.

 

Looked on the Mansons gallery and it was obvious that the string posts were much lower like you said so. I've altered them about as low as they can go.

[Cider]

So I went to Guitar Center earlier today and played with a bunch of Strats. I love how light they are (*lighter* than LP's is what I meant)

 

The new American Elite Strat is really nice. Some of the American Standard ones I played with were pretty sloppily made though. Same thing with the MIM ones - some nice, some downright embarrassing. Worst guitar was the Eric Clapton strat - I loved the V neck but the Fender sticker made it look like a cheap Chinese fake >">

 

In any case, I want a Strat. The American Elite ones are pretty pricey though - for that money I think I should just buy a body and a Warmoth neck and put it together myself. Shouldn't be that hard, right?

[jonbrown]

Thanks! Some of the pictures on the gotoh website made me think I was supposed to line the strings up perfectly.

 

Looked on the Mansons gallery and it was obvious that the string posts were much lower like you said so. I've altered them about as low as they can go.

 

Yeah for me, the best mileage you can get out of the HAP is having all the posts the lowest they can go, I've heard it depends on your preference for string tension and how bendable you want them to be but I've tried a lot of various heights and they all felt the same to me so I just put them at their lowest and kept them there. Looks cooler that way

[haze015]

So I went to Guitar Center earlier today and played with a bunch of Strats. I love how light they are (*lighter* than LP's is what I meant)

 

The new American Elite Strat is really nice. Some of the American Standard ones I played with were pretty sloppily made though. Same thing with the MIM ones - some nice, some downright embarrassing. Worst guitar was the Eric Clapton strat - I loved the V neck but the Fender sticker made it look like a cheap Chinese fake >">

 

In any case, I want a Strat. The American Elite ones are pretty pricey though - for that money I think I should just buy a body and a Warmoth neck and put it together myself. Shouldn't be that hard, right?

 

Never come across badly made MIA or MIM's, just most need a setup, which a lot of shops won't do.

Look at getting a Fender though, better in the long term.

[Cider]

Never come across badly made MIA or MIM's, just most need a setup, which a lot of shops won't do.

Look at getting a Fender though, better in the long term.

 

That's true. The paint on the necks were sloppy on the ones I didn't like. Ones I liked felt really good though. I'm a big fan of the satin maple neck.

Liked the maple fretboards more than rosewood too, simply because Guitar Center doesn't oil their fretboards and all the rosewood boards were so damn dry :mad:

[haze015]

That's true. The paint on the necks were sloppy on the ones I didn't like. Ones I liked felt really good though. I'm a big fan of the satin maple neck.

Liked the maple fretboards more than rosewood too, simply because Guitar Center doesn't oil their fretboards and all the rosewood boards were so damn dry :mad:

 

Forgot the new USA's have a different finish on the neck to my ones. Both of mine are maple as well, just think they look better more than anything.

[heyjackk]

So I went to Guitar Center earlier today and played with a bunch of Strats. I love how light they are (*lighter* than LP's is what I meant)

 

The new American Elite Strat is really nice. Some of the American Standard ones I played with were pretty sloppily made though. Same thing with the MIM ones - some nice, some downright embarrassing. Worst guitar was the Eric Clapton strat - I loved the V neck but the Fender sticker made it look like a cheap Chinese fake >">

 

In any case, I want a Strat. The American Elite ones are pretty pricey though - for that money I think I should just buy a body and a Warmoth neck and put it together myself. Shouldn't be that hard, right?

 

Strats are amazing to be honest but only really for what suits them. Personally I'd love one for playing stuff like the 1975 or John Mayer (and Biffy of course ) but they're so pricey in Aus.

[haze015]

Strats are amazing to be honest but only really for what suits them. Personally I'd love one for playing stuff like the 1975 or John Mayer (and Biffy of course ) but they're so pricey in Aus.

 

Errrr they are used for pretty much everything. When Hendrix was using them they were regarded as a "surf guitar" and only good for that...

[james90]

Never come across badly made MIA or MIM's, just most need a setup, which a lot of shops won't do.

Look at getting a Fender though, better in the long term.

 

Thinking about it, I haven't either. Although, I did have one of those high end '65 reissue jazzmasters for a few months, and there were a few things not right with that one.

 

Replaced it with a '65 reissue strat though (in sunburst of course) which is very nice though, and quite different from most strats that I've played.

 

Forgot the new USA's have a different finish on the neck to my ones. Both of mine are maple as well, just think they look better more than anything.

 

Yeah, it's a smoother thinner satin finish from what I remember. Most satin finish necks are probably more like the older ones.

 

Errrr they are used for pretty much everything. When Hendrix was using them they were regarded as a "surf guitar" and only good for that...

 

They were? I could certainly imagine the offset Fenders associated with surf, but Strats... not so much. Maybe because they're now used for pretty much everything like you say.

[haze015]

They were? I could certainly imagine the offset Fenders associated with surf, but Strats... not so much. Maybe because they're now used for pretty much everything like you say.

 

Probably bit of an exaggeration, but yeah, very closely associated with the genre.