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Post subject: Tone maturity...
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 5:56 pm
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I have heard many people over the years say that as their playing progressed and became better, that over time most people gravitate towards a strat for its multiplicity of tones....

I have to say that I have found this to be true in my case. Don't get me wrong, I own an LP Junior, Custom, and a Standard, but my two strat Deluxes have become my go to guits as of lately, and I notice that began as my playing excelled.

I am finding myself turning down the distortion, etc and truly soaking in good bell-like tone of my strats, and when pushed with my Visual Sound Open Road pedal, I am in a special place musically.

I say all of this because ai would like to hear your stories of how your tone has matured and what part did a fender strat have in that process.

Please do not think I am downing any other type of guitar or company, to each his own. I just wondered if any others have been so taken with the Strat as I have been as of lately.

Throw some pics up of your strat as well. Cheers.


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:38 pm
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Welcome to the grown up tone club! Lol.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:48 pm
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I played this Les Paul through a ‘78 Fender Twin Reverb exclusively for nearly thirty years until chronic health issues ten years ago forced me to consider both a lighter guitar and amp......

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I’d started with a Fender Strat back in ‘68 and those are the roots to which I returned. However, never having been satisfied with the contemporary fare found on the rack at any guitar shop, I decided to build my own. I love the heavy overdriven humbucker sound but I’ve discovered that I can approximate that vibe with careful pickup selection and a variety of outboard pedals. However, no stompbox can make a Les Paul sound anywhere close to a Strat. The ash hardtail guitar below is one such product of my various experiments. At 6 lbs, 11 oz it’s a relative bantamweight in comparison to the ‘78 Les Paul Standard above. My amp rig has grown lighter as well: this ‘64 Vibroverb weighs but half what my silverface Twin Reverb tipped the scales at......

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I still own and play a variety of guitars (including Gibson Les Paul’s) but my go-to guitar will always remain a Strat or in my case, a “strat-like object”.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:33 pm
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Besides less distortion and more tone, what also comes with maturity is appropriate use of the volume control. Think rhythm levels and lead levels. Dynamics.

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My other guitar is a Strat.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 11:30 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Besides less distortion and more tone, what also comes with maturity is appropriate use of the volume control. Think rhythm levels and lead levels. Dynamics.


I fully agree! The more my playing increases in skill level, my ear becomes more discerning and the volume and tone knobs have become a very close friend lately on my strats. Great input guys. Keep it coming. 8)


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:13 am
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Over the years, my taste in tone has changed, ranging from bright Telecaster tones of Andy Summers, to thick rich Cream Clapton tones. Now, I'm me. Me tone. One of the best compliments that anyone ever gave me was, "I recognize your playing when I hear it."

The first time I even really thought about tone was back in 1993. I had been trying to get as much treable out of my amps and Tele as possible. Then I went into Music 6000, in Olympia, WA, and played a stripped to wood and stained '87 Strat Plus w/Rosewood fretboar. O...M...G! The tone was amazing. I heard sounds that I never even thought ab out. It was a very spiritual moment for me. I knew that I had to have THIS guitar. I had to trade my MIJ Tele Custom and take out a small loan to get it.

In the '80s The Police
In the '90s I was all about SRV tone
Early 2000s It was modern Clapton tone

At some point, I realized there were tone knobs on the guitar. Now I use whatever tone I need for a particular song. My tastes vary on a month-tomonth basis. Back in 2008 I was using a Hwy1 with the tone turned down to 4, DS-1 pedal and Fender Hotrod VeDille.

Last year I was using a homebuilt Andy Summers Tele to get a very Blind Faith Clapton-like tone.

Currently, I'm using my '76 Strat, Effects, switching between a DS-1 and Zack Wylde OD pedal, and my Hod Rod DeVille.

I also have PRS McCarthy I will use once in a bit.

To answer your question: My tone goes with the song, but usually a Strat is in there somewhere. It's better to ask me what I don't like.

I'm not a big fan of thick sounding modern Gibson pickups, crunchy distortion or saturation of overwelming volume.


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 7:13 am
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I do not like the general truthfulness of this as it relates to me >.> I hated Strats and Fender in my early playing years (single coils?? FFS those sound weak, I need humbuckers for the metalz!) I was rather pissed even when Fender bought Jackson in 2002 :lol:

Now I own two Strats I am rather fond of them. I think the OG Strat Plus was definitely a high point for Fender. My '95 is a fine instrument.

I still have my Carvin DC125C with it's very powerful M22SD, a Schecter 7-string, and I just picked up a used Ibanez S1XXV (in bright green :mrgreen: ), so I'm not done with the sound of my youth by a damn sight, though hehe.

But I have a great appreciation for single coils these days, and a coil-tapped humbucker in the bridge doesn't sound like an angled single coil in the bridge.

I still can't bring myself to own a Telecaster, though :p


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 12:11 pm
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When I started out playing I had a telecaster, a fuzz pedal, wah and a solid state amp.
Now 20 years later, I am seeking Les Paul tones and I have pedal board with 11 pedals and a tube amp. I was never much of a tone seeker until I joined the band I am in. I brought out my strat and it doesn't cut it. I might try some new pickups.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:37 pm
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yodacaster wrote:
When I started out playing I had a telecaster, a fuzz pedal, wah and a solid state amp.
Now 20 years later, I am seeking Les Paul tones and I have pedal board with 11 pedals and a tube amp. I was never much of a tone seeker until I joined the band I am in. I brought out my strat and it doesn't cut it. I might try some new pickups.


What kind of music are you playing? I'm surprised that the Strat is not working. My church band director and I were talking about the problems with being heard, and we agree that my Strat cuts through pretty well.

I may have covered this before, but I find playing differently than the other guy makes a world of difference. We'll have two or three guitarists on stage, but I always make sure I'm playing either in a diffent place in the song, or with a completely different tone. Also turning down helps.

I was in a band that practiced in a small room where everything just sounded a like hot mess. Somestimes we'd play at the bass player's house and it would sound so much better. The lead guitarist (band leader) was like, "Why does it sound so mcuch better her?"
My answer: Because we're not turning up to compete with a Neal Pert drummer all the time.


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:02 pm
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paris wrote:
yodacaster wrote:
When I started out playing I had a telecaster, a fuzz pedal, wah and a solid state amp.
Now 20 years later, I am seeking Les Paul tones and I have pedal board with 11 pedals and a tube amp. I was never much of a tone seeker until I joined the band I am in. I brought out my strat and it doesn't cut it. I might try some new pickups.


What kind of music are you playing? I'm surprised that the Strat is not working. My church band director and I were talking about the problems with being heard, and we agree that my Strat cuts through pretty well.


We are playing classic rock/hard rock. We're in humbucker territory. We also play loud. Too loud. Earplugs loud.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:21 pm
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I like a full LP type tone. When I'm on stage I find that I play with too much treble. I'm still struggling to find my tone onstage. I agree with Yoda, that the drummer makes a big difference in how I need to set my amp. A louder drummer creates more mush as everyone turns up to get heard.
I'm definitely big on using the tone controls. It makes a big difference if the guitars volumes are around 5, then the tones have a chance to work.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:30 pm
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I started out on a Les Paul, of course I grew up 15-20 miles from the Gibson Plant and everybody who was anybody played one. I liked the tone it had, especially for the blues and rock we were playing then. I switched to a Strat in 74/75 trying to chase EC's Derek & the Dominos tone...still playing a Strat and still chasing that tone. I must admit though my guitar playing buddy says I sound better on my 335! He can be kind of mean though!
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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:59 pm
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yodacaster wrote:
paris wrote:
yodacaster wrote:
When I started out playing I had a telecaster, a fuzz pedal, wah and a solid state amp.
Now 20 years later, I am seeking Les Paul tones and I have pedal board with 11 pedals and a tube amp. I was never much of a tone seeker until I joined the band I am in. I brought out my strat and it doesn't cut it. I might try some new pickups.


What kind of music are you playing? I'm surprised that the Strat is not working. My church band director and I were talking about the problems with being heard, and we agree that my Strat cuts through pretty well.


We are playing classic rock/hard rock. We're in humbucker territory. We also play loud. Too loud. Earplugs loud.


I always disagree with the belief that a certain guitar goes with a certain kind of music. There are plenty of clasic rock songs that use Strats. '70 Heavy Metal for that matter. I'm sure that I don't need to list all the classic rock songs that use a Strat. I will say that there are some pretty iconic Gibson songs too.

By the way, which band do you cover the most? Also how many guitarists do you have and who's playing lead?

In our church band, I'm on lead guitar, the rythm guitarist is using a PRS McCarty (one of the reasons I'm playing my Strats) and sometimes we have an acoustic guitarist. My lead style in church is either the edge, the Police or a few bluesy leads. Modern Christian rock is filled with this ryhthm/lead sound.

I've had this conversation with someone here on the forum, and it might be you, but check this video out. It might help a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcCjFTvUFls

I hope all this helps.

Side bar blather: For my Humbucker tones, I'm playing a PRS McCarty (10 top and signed by PRS). I traded it for my '03/'04 Les Paul Std (AAA flame top). I've owned 3 Les Pauls and 1 ES335, yet I keep going back to my Strats and 1 Tele. Now in all fairness, the Tele has a SD Jazz Pickup in the neck.


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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 7:24 pm
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paris wrote:
What kind of music are you playing? I'm surprisekd that the Strat is not working. My church band director and I were talking about the problems with being heard, and we agree that my Strat cuts through pretty well.


We are playing classic rock/hard rock. We're in humbucker territory. We also play loud. Too loud. Earplugs loud.[/quote]

I always disagree with the belief that a certain guitar goes with a certain kind of music. There are plenty of clasic rock songs that use Strats. '70 Heavy Metal for that matter. I'm sure that I don't need to list all the classic rock songs that use a Strat. I will say that there are some pretty iconic Gibson songs too.

By the way, which band do you cover the most? Also how many guitarists do you have and who's playing lead?

In our church band, I'm on lead guitar, the rythm guitarist is using a PRS McCarty (one of the reasons I'm playing my Strats) and sometimes we have an acoustic guitarist. My lead style in church is either the edge, the Police or a few bluesy leads. Modern Christian rock is filled with this ryhthm/lead sound.

I've had this conversation with someone here on the forum, and it might be you, but check this video out. It might help a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcCjFTvUFls

I hope all this helps.

Side bar blather: For my Humbucker tones, I'm playing a PRS McCarty (10 top and signed by PRS). I traded it for my '03/'04 Les Paul Std (AAA flame top). I've owned 3 Les Pauls and 1 ES335, yet I keep going back to my Strats and 1 Tele. Now in all fairness, the Tele has a SD Jazz Pickup in the neck. end quote

We cover a bunch of different songs. Tom Petty and the Police to Judas Prist and The Ramones. I've tried all electrics and the Strat just doesnt cut it. Humbuckers and P90's yes, but strat single coils? Not right now. Maybe new pick ups or save it for the blues.

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Post subject: Re: Tone maturity...
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:53 pm
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I have 2 strat Deluxes, one with P-Rails, and the other with Seymour Duncan '59 humbuckers in it, and Standard strat with Dimarzio injector pickguard, so I've got a full field for tones. I get my LP Humbucker fix via my gold strat with buckers, and I actually like their tone better from it than my LP Custom or LP standard. Just my opinion, but love what I'm hearing lately!


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