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Post subject: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:32 pm
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Looking to pick up in a Telecaster. What should I be looking for to help get the twangy country sound maybe along the lines of Brad Paisley etc? Obviously the amp has a lot to do with it too but lets start with the guitar itself:

Body wood: Ash vs alder? (Does it matter?)
Pickups: Alnico II magnets?
Saddles: vintage style 3 (brass?) vs 6 individual saddles? (Does it matter?)
Neck: Maple?

Thanks
Chris


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:10 pm
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Ash body,3 saddle and Duncans 5/2 isn't bad or contact one of the many handwinders in business today. A simple 1 channel quality tube amp will get you there with minimal effects. When I say effects, I'm not talking about the latest EH noisemaker or some useless DIY fuzz. A simple delay/echo pedal, a quality Boost/OD, a compressor and that's about it. Learn to love the bridge position single coil. And most importantly of all, practice all you can with hybrid picking. Clean technique is key. Some people to check out: Ray Flacke, Brent Mason, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Wade Hayes, Danny Gatton, Scotty Anderson and a myriad of others.
Amps are important but don't get too caught up in the latest flavor of the month. Keep in mind Brent Mason made a name for himself while playing every gig he could packing around a pair of Peavey Special 112's. Scotty Anderson can plug straight into a Fender and get phenomenal tone. Jim Rolph not only winds some of the worlds best pickups, he's also a VERY good guitarist in his own right with the ability to get great tone straight into an amp with no gimmicks.


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:26 pm
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from what i have read ash and alder do have their own sounds but is such a small difference that it is extremely difficult to hear.

The higher the number when it comes to pickups the stronger magnetic field it is. The higher it is the brighter it sounds while picks with lower magnetic fields have warmer sounds.

i dont know if the the saddles effect the sound but i know that the six saddles keep the strings in tune better but some people think that the 3 saddle brass looks better and it has the vintage tele look. there are hybrids out there that give you the best of both worlds

http://compare.ebay.com/like/400062934107?
var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=214033140880&crlp=1_263602_309572&UA=M*S%3F&GUID=c06ad7cb12a0a0b3f8f2ce62ff6d4871&itemid=400062934107&ff4=263602_309572

fretboards are personal taste. I am a rosewood guy generally but i have played guitars with maple boards and thought they felt great. Just like the Ash vs Alder maple vs rosewood is a subject that has been around forever and its just personal taste again i dont think it effects the sound too much.


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 7:57 am
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Welcome to the forum....I have an `07 Am. Deluxe Tele with Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups that I play through a Blues Jr. It has that twang and yet can go into a warmer tone when switched to the neck pickup. 6 individual saddles gives you better intonation than the 3 brass saddles so I would go with that. I tend to like maple fretboards because of their looks but thats a matter of taste. Ash has a bit more sustain than alder and the Tele I have is made with select alder. I notice it has a little more sustain than the Strat I had.

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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:02 pm
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Thanks for ALL the replies. I appreciate it.

@randini ("Ash body,3 saddle and Duncans 5/2 isn't bad...")
If I had an alder body would that change your opinion of SD pickups? Still the 5/2s or something different?

Thanks
Chris


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:31 pm
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The Seymour Duncan 5/2's work well with either. I would HIGHLY suggest a Jim Rolph wind once you start having an idea of where you want to go as far as your tone. The bridge and the saddle material will have more of an effect on tone than the alder vs ash. Another important item is the nut. Get a bone nut installed.


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:45 am
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Quote:
or contact one of the many handwinders in business today


Aaron at Rumple will be glad to make you a set to your liking.

http://www.rumpelstiltskinpickups.com/Tele_Pickups.html

Great guy, player and strives for customer satisfaction. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:37 pm
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I'm not convinced alder or swamp ash, rosewood or maple, 3 piece or 6 piece bridges are the deciding factors of twang. I feel that the scale length, playing style, amp used, string gauge and pickups are responsible for the Tele twang. Strings-10's are usually the standard; Amps-Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, Twin Reverb or generally any good quality tube amp w/reverb; Pickups-I would start with Seymour Duncans' Broadcaster set or the Fender Original Vintage Tele set, both will be twangy. There are a bunch of botique pickup makers out there (Don Mare, O.C.Duff couple of good ones), but the prices will go up accordingly. One of the "Kings of Twang", Don Rich, used 50's and 60's Teles' (primarily) and a coil cord plugged straight into a Twin Reverb-TWANG!! I haven't mentioned any pedals, but you can decide that after you find your tone. Good luck :D


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 6:51 am
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Again, thanks to everyone for help. One last question...

I'm thinking of one the before mentioned bridge pickups for my twang but what if I wanted a little versatility in the neck position for say classic rock (Stones) & blues? And yes I know Keith had a PAF in the neck position, but what about something single coil that might work too without doing modification to the pickguard etc? Something that would well across the board.

Tx
Chris


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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:24 am
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I would go to a music store and play a few different guitars until I found the sound I was looking for. Then you can decide which pick ups you like better and can make the mods to your own guitar. After owning 3 Strats and 5 Teles I finally found what I was looking for in an Am. Deluxe Tele with the factory pick ups. I like it so much I sold all the others and out of the 3 I still have, this is my main guitar.

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Post subject: Re: Country Tone/Twang Recs
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:28 pm
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You could pick up a used American Fat Tele...I have one and it covers all the bases and then some. S1 switching, coil tap for the neck humbucker, rather versatile guitars.


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