Best choice for funk
- Thread starter Nitrox
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Hot _Grits
Buttery Toneologist
Re: Best choice for funk
Overall, if you're going to choose one guitar for general funk duties, it's hard to go past a strat. I'd suggest a maple board one for extra snap and relatively low output pickups to retain some sparkle to the tone. I'd also suggest graphtechs and at least 10-46 guage strings, as heavier strings will snap back tighter and respond better to crisp clean playing.
However, there are other options. Steve Cropper (booker T), Cornell Dupree (King Curtis) and Leo Nocentelli (the Meters) have recorded more funk, soul and r&b between them than anyone on the planet, and all used teles on their earlier recordings. For me, the older, late 60s funk sound (that I go after) is more of a tele thing. Steve used an esquire, Leo used a 72 tele custom. I thoroughly recommend the tele for funk. Non-hollow teles also have that drier, tighter response that you can't get with a strat, due to the lack of routing. Curtis Mayfield preferred semi-hollow teles for his landmark 70s work.
Another very popular funk guitar is the semi-hollow. Large amounts of classic 70s funk was recorded using es335 or similar guitars, often on the middle pickup setting. If you want the 70s Earth, wind and fire/jackson 5 sound, head down this route.
And if you want super clean, crisp 80s funk tone, try a strat or super-strat with emgs. Carlos Alomar laid down some of the iciest funk lines ever with an EMG equipped kramer.
My main gigging guitars are as follows:
57ri strat with aps2s and texas hot (br)
72 tele custom ri
PRS CU22 w/59s. Mostly in the middle pickup position.
hope that helps...
Overall, if you're going to choose one guitar for general funk duties, it's hard to go past a strat. I'd suggest a maple board one for extra snap and relatively low output pickups to retain some sparkle to the tone. I'd also suggest graphtechs and at least 10-46 guage strings, as heavier strings will snap back tighter and respond better to crisp clean playing.
However, there are other options. Steve Cropper (booker T), Cornell Dupree (King Curtis) and Leo Nocentelli (the Meters) have recorded more funk, soul and r&b between them than anyone on the planet, and all used teles on their earlier recordings. For me, the older, late 60s funk sound (that I go after) is more of a tele thing. Steve used an esquire, Leo used a 72 tele custom. I thoroughly recommend the tele for funk. Non-hollow teles also have that drier, tighter response that you can't get with a strat, due to the lack of routing. Curtis Mayfield preferred semi-hollow teles for his landmark 70s work.
Another very popular funk guitar is the semi-hollow. Large amounts of classic 70s funk was recorded using es335 or similar guitars, often on the middle pickup setting. If you want the 70s Earth, wind and fire/jackson 5 sound, head down this route.
And if you want super clean, crisp 80s funk tone, try a strat or super-strat with emgs. Carlos Alomar laid down some of the iciest funk lines ever with an EMG equipped kramer.
My main gigging guitars are as follows:
57ri strat with aps2s and texas hot (br)
72 tele custom ri
PRS CU22 w/59s. Mostly in the middle pickup position.
hope that helps...
Last edited:
MikeRocker
What's Your Forum Nameologist?
Re: Best choice for funk
I gotta 4th that opinion, Strat all the way.
I gotta 4th that opinion, Strat all the way.
Quencho092
New member
Re: Best choice for funk
STRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT....with surfers
STRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT....with surfers
twoheadedboy
New member
Re: Best choice for funk
I love ES-335s or Teles for funk. The strat funk thing is a little too clean and thin for me for the most part. I prefer things to have a little more grind and snarl to them. Of course, the great exception is SRV. He gets some extremely badass funky sounds out of his strat. I have a p-90 guitar on the way, and i'm very interested to see how that works out for funky stuff.
I love ES-335s or Teles for funk. The strat funk thing is a little too clean and thin for me for the most part. I prefer things to have a little more grind and snarl to them. Of course, the great exception is SRV. He gets some extremely badass funky sounds out of his strat. I have a p-90 guitar on the way, and i'm very interested to see how that works out for funky stuff.
Pandemonium
New member
Re: Best choice for funk
I settled on a 335 when I was playing funk but I kept a strat onstage, mostly for out of phase use. A Mutron Biphase was also a big part of my sound.
As far as a tele, Prince has been making fine use of one lately, I'm really digging some of his sounds. He's a master of the genre.
I settled on a 335 when I was playing funk but I kept a strat onstage, mostly for out of phase use. A Mutron Biphase was also a big part of my sound.
As far as a tele, Prince has been making fine use of one lately, I'm really digging some of his sounds. He's a master of the genre.
