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Another ultimate strat-tone thread

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  • Another ultimate strat-tone thread

    To describe tone it's like a strat with super quack, less highs/airy like and thin woody bass strings that are super clear, yet the treble strings just shine without being harsh, I think the 5-2 concept would be awsome on a more authentic type of pickup. I've been reading the ultimate strat tone forum and I think if SD would make a neck antiquity pup with bright wind in the neck (DC=5.5k-5.9k) and 5-2 concept I would just roll over and die.

    basically one song can put out my idea of the best strat neck pup, jimi hendrix Band of Gypsys-"Who Knows". LISTEN TO IT/DOWNLOAD IT
    WHATEVER MADE HIS GUITAR SOUND LIKE THAT IS TRULY AMAZING.

    I like almost all the tones on band of gypsys, even when I say almost he uses the same guitar most tracks.
    There seems to be a sort of inconsistency in his tones, but on that song it's the best sound a guitar could be IMO.
    Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
    JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
    Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
    Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
    Dunlop Classic Crybaby
    Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

  • #2
    Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

    A major thing to consider is that I don't really find the transparent glassy/parallel sounds that are associated with strats (2nd/4th pos.) to be all that great nor defining to the strat sound considering that they didn't do the 5way thing until a while after the strat was already super popular. But I'll always take a 5way over a 3way.

    Ironically Jimi's pups in Band of Gypsys sound less trebleful and woodier than SRV's glassier, pups. What's Ironic about this is that, during the Pre-CBS years the pups were supposed to sound warmer, louder more solid and bell-like as opposed to glassy and transparent thinner late 60s+ pups. Anyone who has played a lot of vintage strats (lew) could help me out a bit. I know that there's a lot of stuff to jimi's tone (so many toys on the floor) but there's a natural beauty to his "who knows" tone
    Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
    JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
    Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
    Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
    Dunlop Classic Crybaby
    Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

      stevies tone was brassier for sure. the different amps and fuzz vs tube screamer contributed to it. ive also read that the pups in no1 were pretty low wind but who knows.

      as far as a 5/2 antiquity, i bet they would sound great!! and i bet if you are willing to pony up the cash the custom shop will do it for ya. people used to use the notch positions even before the 5 way, pretty sure thats how they got that nickname. people used to notch the switch to put stops in.
      the last old strat i played was a 63 that was pretty bright, even on the neck pup. great sound

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

        You're describing my APS set. Try them out. You'll thank me later.
        Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

          I think you'd really dig Fender Fat 50's. They have that woody Texas vibe on the low strings and are still clear enough to have that nice vintage sweetness.
          I use Surfers and Fat 50's. Both are great, but the Surfers are big and clean, while the Fat 50's remind you of a smoke filled bar. they have great character.
          Originally posted by Boogie Bill
          I've got 60 guitars...but 49 trumpets is just...INSANITY! WTF!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

            I'm not looking for a specific SET, just the best neck strat pup. Personally I'd fatten-up the middle position on a strat, and the bridge would be a harmonic-rich hot tele sound. Anyway that post was kinda of pointless since i'm not really shopping now I'm just listening to a lot of band of gypsy stuff and love his tone in the neck. THE BEST
            Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
            JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
            Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
            Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
            Dunlop Classic Crybaby
            Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

              btw was the notch position the same sound back then when you set your 3way in-between, isn't the modern notch tone (when there's a rwrp middle) two coils in parallel out of phase, in a weird way different from humbuckers. wasn't the old notch tone still 60 cycle hum, and just sounded like pos 1&3 at the same time. do you get a cleaner glassier tone when you have that mod where you get all 3 pups or neck&bridge pup, are those positions "parallel" sounding.
              Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
              JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
              Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
              Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
              Dunlop Classic Crybaby
              Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                bump........pppppp pp p pp please
                Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
                JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
                Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
                Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
                Dunlop Classic Crybaby
                Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                  The notch position is parallel. The original strats had identical pickups, so everything was in phase and no hum cancelling occured. Later, they made the middle pup a reverse wind AND flipped the magnets' polarity. This meant that the signal was still in phase (the sound is the same as it was before) but the noise was out of phase (for hum cancelling)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                    hokay, cuz I knew there was some trick in that differed from a HB style of humbucking.
                    Fender MIA Strat (Blue/Red Velvets)
                    JB Player Strat (Norton/PAF Pro w/ 5way superswitch)
                    Fender HotRod Deville 212 Cleans baby clean.
                    Vox Valvetronix 30w AWESOME!!!!!
                    Dunlop Classic Crybaby
                    Do you know any geniuses, I wish I knew myself better.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                      Originally posted by brinton
                      hokay, cuz I knew there was some trick in that differed from a HB style of humbucking.
                      The only difference between these two wirings is that the HB has both coils wired in series and in a strat's neck/middle, the coils are wired in parallel.
                      Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                        Originally posted by Benjy_26
                        The only difference between these two wirings is that the HB has both coils wired in series and in a strat's neck/middle, the coils are wired in parallel.
                        But a key difference for sure, eh? hehehe

                        I'm guessing that if the two were wired in series, the output should be a little hotter and the tone would be different...I've never tried that with strat pickups, so I have no idea how it would sound.

                        Farkus
                        2007 Strat ('78 bridge, a2 Pro neck)
                        1976 Strat (Antiquity 1 set)

                        Fender, Mesa, Marshall Amps

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Another ultimate strat-tone thread

                          The notch positions on strats have been used since the 1950s, long before the 5-way switch became the norm. Buddy Guy used the 2 position on most of his early recordings. There was no hum canceling, as was already stated, but the tone is the same as on the modern strats.

                          Getting back to the original post, "Who Knows" is one of my favorite Jimi tunes. Here are some things to consider when trying to cop this tone:

                          1) His guitar is detuned a whole step (actually a little less than a whole step according to my ears). If you have never done so, try getting a set of thicker strings (at least 11s), and play with your guitar tuned down a whole step. Your entire tone will be thicker, while string bending will be easier.

                          2) Hendrix played with his amp cranked up, and used the volume on his guitar to control the amount of distortion. If you take your average strat, say a new American Series, plugged it into a fuzz face and a marshall with the guitars volume on 10, you probably would not like the results-your tone would be thin, very buzzy and way too loud. Rolling back the volume is the key to Hendrix's distorted tones.

                          3) His uni-vibe effect is all over Band of Gypsys. I am not sure if he uses it on Who Knows, but I suspect that it is in there, set to a high speed, low intensity setting to replicate a Leslie Speaker. If you want to experiment with this type of sound, find a used Voodoo Lab MicroVibe-it does a great job of replicating the univibe sound without breaking the bank.

                          I use the Fender Custom Shop '69s, and they get close enough to that tone for me. Whatever you use, avoid the mid heavy overwound Texas special type pups-they dont do Jimi or Stevie as well as a good vintage voiced pup. The fender 57/62 is a good replacement pup and you can get them at MF for real cheap-like $35 or so for a single neck pup.
                          Gibson ES-335 (stock '57 Classics)*Warmoth Tele (PGn/Brobuckerbridge) *Fender American Strat w/DiMarzio Fast Track Is*Fender Princeton Reverb*Martin D-28*Favorite effects-Maxon AD80*80s Ibanez TS-9*80s Boss OD-1*Fulldrive 2*Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive and MicroVibe-Maxon AF-9*Vox Wah

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