Did SRV actually use...

[Guitar Toad]

SO did SRV actually high output single coils like antiquity texas hots in his guitars, or what Fender calls Texas Specials? Or did he have/use vintage style pups and created his sound with the tube screamer and great amps to get his sound?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

SO did SRV actually high output single coils like antiquity texas hots in his guitars, or what Fender calls Texas Specials? Or did he have/use vintage style pups and created his sound with the tube screamer and great amps to get his sound?

to my knowledge SRV never got to use the Texas Specials, and as far as I know all his Fender Strats had Fender pickups in them...the while hardtail Strat has lipstick tubes in it, and I have no idea about the Hamiltone...

 

[flank]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

well the ant texas hots are not high output whatsoever, its a vintage single coil with an A2 mag

but on to SRV, he just had stock fender pickups, which were actually measured to be right at or even a tad below average vintage measurements!. heh......... he got the huge sound from the way he played mostly, but also because he used gigantic strings, and had an array of nice and solid tube amps which were cranked up........and the tubescreamer just shaped the tone a little bit

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

In the write up about taking apart #1 the fender team found out they were just ordinary vintage pups.

Luke

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

to my knowledge SRV never got to use the Texas Specials, and as far as I know all his Fender Strats had Fender pickups in them...the while hardtail Strat has lipstick tubes in it, and I have no idea about the Hamiltone...

Yes, according to what I've gleaned from these forums that Texas Specials etc were created because of SRV (and other great Texas players) not necessarily for him/them.

I am assuming that he did not use Texas specials.

Therefore my question is what did he use did he use stock fenders pups or custom wound fender pups or others. for example on Texas FLood, how did he produce that awesome brightly slightly overdriven bluesy sound?

I had thought that La Grange was with Pearly Gates, but I learned today on another site that he, Billy Gibbons, used a 54 strat hardtail and created some awesome sound through "vintage pups" and amp set ups. Is all this true/accurate?

Did SRV's sound come about the same way?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

This is all very educational. Thanks.

I'm inspired...to worry less about pickups and worry (perhaps) more about amps.

Thanks guys.

So, it ain't the pickups?! It's gotta be the pickups!? No, it ain't the pickups? It was talent...and creativity....cool.

 

[Armotron]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I think he just had stock '63 Fender pickups in his Number One Strat, pickups from that time were made different then the standards now, i think the ones found in his number one measured somewhere around 6k or a little less... SD Surfers get pretty damn close to his tone.

He usually used quiet pickups, and let the amp do the work.

You should always work a little on both the Amp and the Pups, but it always comes down to the playing.

 

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I started a thread about this awhile back.

Everything said above is right, he used the stock pickups in his 60s (don't know what year) that were around 2k. (really low output) He used some super heavy strings and played really hard. It's a wonder how that didn't pull up the bridge or warp the neck a little.. but anyway, 2k stock strat pickups, some good tube amps, the rest is just SRV magic.

 

[Armotron]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I started a thread about this awhile back.

Everything said above is right, he used the stock pickups in his 60s (don't know what year) that were around 2k. (really low output) He used some super heavy strings and played really hard. It's a wonder how that didn't pull up the bridge or warp the neck a little.. but anyway, 2k stock strat pickups, some good tube amps, the rest is just SRV magic.

2k??? Are you sure about that? That sounds pretty damn low, i dont know, but were any Stock Fender Strat pups made that low? Lew had a website somewhere with a list of all the years of vintage Strat pups, and i recall that the 63's were somewhere around 6 k roughly?

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

all too often people concentrate more on his gear than his playing. ive slowly been moving up in string gauges and my attack has increased also. this is one way to begin to get that SRV sound but unless u got the heavy strings, heavy playing and a nice cranked old fender itll be harder to sound like him IMHO.

 

[hacker]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

He also recorded with several amps at a time. Heavy strings, his heavy attack and lots of amp volume is what you are hearing.

 

[Low_fidelity2100]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

Why do you guys even care what stevie used?

Even if you sound exactly like him, you'll never "sound" like him. And take as much offence by that as you want.

Worry about playing, not about gear......Ed

 

[Boleslaw Gers 666]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I think the key to his tone isn't the pickups, but the strat and the tube screamer(s).

 

[Imp]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

yeah, it sounds to me like he always had the amp running on full whack, and changed the volume with his guitar's volume pot.. this gives you a saturated, fat valve sound..

and texas hots have misleading names heh - theyre about 6.4k.. lovely tone though

 

[bluey@sunni]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I think the key to his tone isn't the pickups, but the strat and the tube screamer(s).

Also remember the whacking great amp behind SRV, the tried and trusted Fender or the awesome Dumble. Last time I spoke to an Aussie amp builder(Reynolds-Valveart) the price for a Dumble head landed in Australia was about US$16000! Can buy alot of amps for that cash, even if a Reynolds JFR25 is $4000, only 25W but full class A tone!
If you chase up a copy of Guitar Player, September 1985, they have an article on Howard Dumble and it gives you an insight into how the "mad scientist" amp builders think. Are we not blessed for their diligence, my neighbours disagree!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

According to Cesar Diaz, who worked as SRV's amp tech, Stevie used vintage Strat pickups with about 6K DC Resistance in his #1 Strat which was a '63 Strat alot like mine.

The three pickups in my old '63 Strat all measure about 6.2K out of the guitar.

The pickups in my '63 are black bobbin pickups.

The Antiquity Surfer neck pickup measures about 6.4K, BTW.

The SSL-1 neck pickup I just unpacked and measured was 6.6K.

According to Cesar Diaz, SRV prefered lower output vintage Strat pickups closer to 6K.

I can get excellant SRV, Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Mark Knopfler, etc. Strat tone with the SSL-1 or Surfers...even though they are slightly stronger than what SRV or Hendrix used.

SRV's huge tone came from huge strings, high action, strong hands and tons of talent and soul.

Lew

 

[aestus]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

I also read that the guitar he used to record "Cold Shot" with was loaded with emgs...


Tom

 

[Lee_M.]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

Just recently watched a DVD Concert on Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The singer/lead guitarist Todd Park Mohr has some very strong Blues influences and quite frequently rips some phenomenal SRV-esque licks. His rig is nothing like Stevie's (Gibson GA40, I believe, with no tubescreamers), yet he sounds very similar with a Strat. Todd has a very strong right-hand attack on the guitar and that is what I think yields the powerful SRV vibe.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

Why do you guys even care what stevie used?

Even if you sound exactly like him, you'll never "sound" like him. And take as much offence by that as you want.

Worry about playing, not about gear......Ed

No, offense takin at all Low_fidelity2100, speak and I'll listen. If you noticed my comments after starting this thread, the education I have gotten from the answers to the SRV question have led me to do exactly what you said. Don't worry about the gear? Worry about the playing, the heart and soul.

Which reminds me of a Hank Williams thought. WHen you play or sing, can you make people feel what you feel in side? Can you make people feel something about life, living, love? Can you make the unnoticed people feel noticed?

That is essence of art.

If we set out to play simply to be noticed, to become famous we may accomplish nothing. It may never happen.

But, if you set out to move human beings with music, communicate and share life and love whether it be in a garage or a church or a living room, I can accomplish that. But, I may never become famous.

And sure it's ok to talk about gear and the tools that the more successful players have used for their craft.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Did SRV actually use...

There's nothing wrong with emulating the tones of our heroes...it's a great way to get started.

SRV wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix just as badly as the SRV wanabes want to sound like SRV!

I used to try my best to get Clapton's Cream tone and Jeff Beck's tone on "Truth"....and Hendrix's tone on Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand.

No biggie. It's normal.