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Post subject: 80s strat sound
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 12:39 am
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Hi everyone, i was wondering how to create that sound that you hear in alot of eighties pop and r&b songs. The heaven album by bebe and cece winans is a good example. I believe keith thomas played alot of guitars on that album. Also michael boltons how am i supposed to live without you is a good example. Ive tried to recreate it but it wont sound as thin and clean. Even rolling off the low end won't help. But ive been told its because the guitarplayer i record with isnt using a single coil element. So to save the hassle of replacing elements, im thinking about getting my own strat. I was wondering what would be a good budget choice.


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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 10:54 pm
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For such a tone, the guitar type won't matter so much as the pickups. I'd recommend the Custom Shop '69s for the most authentic sound. Any mid-priced Strat equipped with these pickups should deliver the vibe you seek.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 12:41 am
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I wouldn't even put the CS69's as a compulsory element, even though the CS Hitmaker has those, and in a way Mr. Rodgers's sound universe is one side of the sound in question - except that Mr. Rodgers grooves. (No offence meant to Mr. Bolton...)

IMHO and very simplified, the main keys to the thinnish (tinnish?) sound are a) Strat, b) clean and c) compressed.

Choosing a budget Strat, I'd first look at the 50's style models with vintage(r) style, lower output pickups - seems many of the 60's models try to get more output, more crunch from the pickups. Plus, there is the fretboard thang - everybody knows that a maple FB is brighter than a rosewood one. :twisted:
Among new guitars, Squier Classic Vibe 50's (below 500) and Fender Classic (Series or Player) 50's (about 700) come to mind first. Going for second hand models, maybe add the MIJ Fender ST57 and ST54 - just stay away from the ones with Texas Specials and other in-your-face pickups.

One thing to note: pickup height experimenting pays off. A vintage type single coil can sound surprisingly different when positioned extra high or extra low.

I have no experience with that guitarplayer software, so the 'clean' and 'compressed' parts may require the right amp and a compressor(/suppressor) pedal. Just out of curiosity, what kind of guitar are you using now?


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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 5:37 am
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Most of the sound is effects.
Stick a compressor first in line, feed that into a chorus, followed by a really short slap delay, and add a bit of reverb fairy dust to taste.

Any guitar with lowish output pickups will suffice, although guitars with a slightly hairier output can be tamed by rolling the guitar volume back.

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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 10:44 pm
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Thanks everybody for taking the time to reply! Someone adviced me to get this one right here:

https://www.thomann.de/nl/fender_squier ... _mn_ab.htm

Its a strat, maple and has the single coils. I think im just gonna go to a guitarstore and hear it for myself.


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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 10:51 pm
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jmattis wrote:
I wouldn't even put the CS69's as a compulsory element, even though the CS Hitmaker has those, and in a way Mr. Rodgers's sound universe is one side of the sound in question - except that Mr. Rodgers grooves. (No offence meant to Mr. Bolton...)

IMHO and very simplified, the main keys to the thinnish (tinnish?) sound are a) Strat, b) clean and c) compressed.

Choosing a budget Strat, I'd first look at the 50's style models with vintage(r) style, lower output pickups - seems many of the 60's models try to get more output, more crunch from the pickups. Plus, there is the fretboard thang - everybody knows that a maple FB is brighter than a rosewood one. :twisted:
Among new guitars, Squier Classic Vibe 50's (below 500) and Fender Classic (Series or Player) 50's (about 700) come to mind first. Going for second hand models, maybe add the MIJ Fender ST57 and ST54 - just stay away from the ones with Texas Specials and other in-your-face pickups.

One thing to note: pickup height experimenting pays off. A vintage type single coil can sound surprisingly different when positioned extra high or extra low.

I have no experience with that guitarplayer software, so the 'clean' and 'compressed' parts may require the right amp and a compressor(/suppressor) pedal. Just out of curiosity, what kind of guitar are you using now?


Yeah my guitarplayer also mentioned that it should be a maple one. Im not sure which one, i think its a fender tele with humbucker pickups. It sounds great but it seems you just cant get it to sound as subtle as the guitarparts in those records i mentioned. They almost sound like whispering steelguitars for lack of a better description lol


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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 12:25 am
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jmattis wrote:
Choosing a budget Strat, I'd first look at the 50's style models with vintage(r) style, lower output pickups - seems many of the 60's models try to get more output, more crunch from the pickups...Fender Classic (Series or Player) 50's (about 700) come to mind first.


In the case of Fender's MIM Classic Series Strats, the '50s edition uses the exact same pickups as the '60s model. Thus, aside from the fretboard composition (maple for the former, rosewood for the latter), these instruments sound somewhat similar.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: 80s strat sound
Posted: Sat May 20, 2017 1:47 am
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True dat on the MIM Classic Series Strats, they have the same pickups.

But that's not the case in Classic Players series, Classic Vibe series, or many Japanese STfiftysomething vs the corresponding STsixtysomething models.
Fifties pups usually low output, sixties pups with a little more power. (Plus, of course, that omnipotent difference in fretboard material ...)

That's why I wrote "many of the 60's models"... :mrgreen:


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