Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

STRATDELUXER97

Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Was watching this dvd again today....I hear a nice difference between the 2 Ibanez guitars he plays....The grey chrome one more than likely had the Fred in the bridge and a PAF Pro in the neck....

The blueish chrome one has a set of Duncans....Someone told me he was using a PG in the bridge? PG in the neck maybe also?

When he plays the Dimarzio axe his tone is slightly gainier and the notes aren't as clear as the Duncan equipped axe,plus the tone is toppier and not as round.......The Dimarzio pickup is a custom made pickup with it's own heavier vibe that is very unlike the Vintage rounder tone of the PG Duncans below...

The Duncan Ibanez is warmer,rounder,a bit cleaner,and seems like it would have had a bit more lowend....He also uses the Duncan Ibanez on alot of the slower and bluesy tunes and the Dimarzio Ibanez for the grinding tunes....The Duncans have that classic round,warm tone we all have learned to love and to me,it's more of a vintage type of tone..

This Fred pickup is very cool....I've never used any other pickup that sustains so easily and controllable and it's clearly been part of Satch's whole vibe all these years....Even on this dvd he seems to favor the Fred/Paf Pro guitar over the Duncan Ibanez..

One of my favorite players of all the great guitarists ever!
 
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Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

Yup.. search function ;).

But yes, it was a PG set.
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

DeadSkinSlayer3 said:
Yup.. search function ;).

But yes, it was a PG set.

Cool thanks guys...Yes I preach to others all the time about the search feature! LOL.....Call me crazy,call me lazy! :smack: :laugh2:
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

STRATDELUXER97 said:
The Duncan Ibanez is warmer,rounder,a bit cleaner,and seems like it would have had a bit more lowend....He doesn't get the sustain with this guitar and I find Satch working a bit harder on his pulloffs and hammer ons as far as getting the sustain he got with the bridge Fred...He also uses the Duncan Ibanez on alot of the slower and bluesy tunes and the Dimarzio Ibanez for the grinding tunes....The Duncans have that classic round,warm tone we all have learned to love and to me,it's more of a vintage type of tone..

And yet, alot of guys complain that the PG set is to bright. :smack: Makes you wonder how often guys are actually complaining because they either can't play very well or because they have a lousy amp or because they're basing thier observations on the tone they hear sitting 2 feet away from thier amp in thier bedroom...
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

Lewguitar said:
And yet, alot of guys complain that the PG set is to bright. :smack: Makes you wonder how often guys are actually complaining because they either can't play very well or because they have a lousy amp or because they're basing thier observations on the tone they hear sitting 2 feet away from thier amp in thier bedroom...

You're right buddy...Alot of times you wonder if we need to spend every bit as much time tweaking the amp controls? :smack:

I did notice that the Dimarzio Fred/PAF Pro combination that Joe used on that dvd was brighter and gainier,and had "alot" more overall sustain and harmonics compared to the warmer,rounder,bluesier tones I heard from the PG set he was using..
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

I have the album but not the dvd of this live set so far... Raspberry Jam Delt-V has to be the most amazing piece!!!!! I have to get this DVD oneday! I love the G3 dvd i have.... the one with Yngwe... Those red Ibanez's and the Peavey JSX amps sound amazing!
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

Lewguitar said:
And yet, alot of guys complain that the PG set is to bright. :smack: Makes you wonder how often guys are actually complaining because they either can't play very well or because they have a lousy amp or because they're basing thier observations on the tone they hear sitting 2 feet away from thier amp in thier bedroom...


I think that a PG has the perfect PAF tone with just the right amount of CUT to it...I have found that when playing in a group setting with only one guitar player (me) I like playing my Les Paul with Antiquity's...it fills up a lot of space and sounds great but in a 2 guitar player setting I like to play my Gibson Moderne (which is loaded with a PG set) because it still has that vintage Gibson tone (PAF) but with just enought cut to make single notes stand out!
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

I'm really not seeing how you can determine he had more sustain based on the audio alone. You are not taking into account what effects may be in use, what volume knob moves are made etc. Only the player can really make that determination.

As for the Peavey amps, the Denver G3 amps are prototypes. Honestly, I don't like his tone on the Denver or Tokyo DVD's. I don't know if its the new instruments that aren't quite broken in or the amps but the SF DVD just crushes those 2 G3 disks tonally in my opinion.
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

the guy who invented fire said:
I think that a PG has the perfect PAF tone with just the right amount of CUT to it...I have found that when playing in a group setting with only one guitar player (me) I like playing my Les Paul with Antiquity's...it fills up a lot of space and sounds great but in a 2 guitar player setting I like to play my Gibson Moderne (which is loaded with a PG set) because it still has that vintage Gibson tone (PAF) but with just enought cut to make single notes stand out!

I agree. When I play alone I go for a warmer fuller tone than I go for when I'm performing with other musicians. My buddy AJ goes for a lot of bass and rolls off the highs when he plays at home...and I can't get it through his head that the reason his sound disappears when he plays onstage is because he's using the same bass and rolled off highs tone that he uses at home. So you can't hear him when he's onstage competeing with keys, drums, bass, etc.

I have a feeling that alot of players who find the PG to bright and aggressive are guys who are not performing onstage.

Lew
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

TheArchitect said:
I'm really not seeing how you can determine he had more sustain based on the audio alone. You are not taking into account what effects may be in use, what volume knob moves are made etc. Only the player can really make that determination.

As for the Peavey amps, the Denver G3 amps are prototypes. Honestly, I don't like his tone on the Denver or Tokyo DVD's. I don't know if its the new instruments that aren't quite broken in or the amps but the SF DVD just crushes those 2 G3 disks tonally in my opinion.

The album is great for San fran... can't wait to see the dvd.... Joe's using Marshalls on the San Fran is he not?
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

WhoFan said:
The album is great for San fran... can't wait to see the dvd.... Joe's using Marshalls on the San Fran is he not?
Yep, still playing the Chrome Boys through Marshalls
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

TheArchitect said:
I'm really not seeing how you can determine he had more sustain based on the audio alone. You are not taking into account what effects may be in use, what volume knob moves are made etc. Only the player can really make that determination.

As for the Peavey amps, the Denver G3 amps are prototypes. Honestly, I don't like his tone on the Denver or Tokyo DVD's. I don't know if its the new instruments that aren't quite broken in or the amps but the SF DVD just crushes those 2 G3 disks tonally in my opinion.

You watch the video,he changes his guitar,and plays the next tune with the same effects and setup and you hear the guitar with the Duncans is warmer and clearer sounding....Doesn't really matter about the variables....My ears hear a difference between the guitars he's using and I'm watching the guitars he's playing...The only difference might be that he switches over to the other 4x12 cab? He stated on the interviews that he couldn't decide on the Greenback 25 watters or the 75 watters(I think)and that he went with both....Either way you slice it,you do hear a difference between the Duncan loaded axe and the Dimarzio axe...My ears don't lie.....:laugh2:

I'm just saying that I definately hear a tonal difference and differences I can speak about with his guitars,cause I hear it on the dvd....

Think of it this way,if I didn't actually hear a difference by listening and watching the dvd,why would I post what I heard on the forums? LOL...... ;o) Watch it and listen and you'll hear what I'm hearing...
 
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Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

Lewguitar said:
I agree. When I play alone I go for a warmer fuller tone than I go for when I'm performing with other musicians. My buddy AJ goes for a lot of bass and rolls off the highs when he plays at home...and I can't get it through his head that the reason his sound disappears when he plays onstage is because he's using the same bass and rolled off highs tone that he uses at home. So you can't hear him when he's onstage competeing with keys, drums, bass, etc.

I have a feeling that alot of players who find the PG to bright and aggressive are guys who are not performing onstage.

Lew

Lew "your" ears are shot and maybe he does hear the highs that you don't? :laugh2:
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

The Fred came out in 1989....I think Surfing did come out before this pickup...Not sure on what pickups he actually used prior to the Fred though? More than likely he was using the PAF Pro pretty extensively and an interview in my Dimarzio catalog said he's been using Dimarzios for 15 years or so....

"We designed FRED® to bump the mid-range of the PAF Pro® EQ up a notch, but in the process, something unusual happened. Harmonics that humbuckers usually don't reproduce started popping out, particularly with overdriven amps and distortion units. FRED® has about the same power as the PAF Pro®, but the unusual overtones create a sound with more crank and growl. Joe Satriani was the first player to discover and exploit these qualities, and it's been his main bridge pickup ever since. FRED® is really sensitive to changes in pick attack and control settings, and its distinctive tone makes a great recorded sound for both penetrating solos and tight rhythm tracks.
Tech Talk: The Fred® started out as a prototype designed to add a little midrange to the PAF Pro®. When we sent one of the first ones to Joe Satriani, he discovered and exploited a unique tonal characteristic - the Fred®'s ability to emphasize upper midrange and treble harmonics through an overdriven and distorted amp. Many standard humbuckers have a tendency to fatten up with distortion. The Fred® does the opposite; it gets tighter and brighter, much like a single-coil. Joe uses the Fred® strictly as a bridge pickup, but it's also a distinctive neck pickup - works really well with a Norton®, Tone Zone® or Evolution® bridge model".
 
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Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

STRATDELUXER97 said:
You watch the video,he changes his guitar,and plays the next tune with the same effects and setup and you hear the guitar with the Duncans is warmer and clearer sounding....Doesn't really matter about the variables....My ears hear a difference between the guitars he's using and I'm watching the guitars he's playing...The only difference might be that he switches over to the other 4x12 cab? He stated on the interviews that he couldn't decide on the Greenback 25 watters or the 75 watters(I think)and that he went with both....Either way you slice it,you do hear a difference between the Duncan loaded axe and the Dimarzio axe...My ears don't lie.....:laugh2:

I'm just saying that I definately hear a tonal difference and differences I can speak about with his guitars,cause I hear it on the dvd....

I know they are different tonally but thats not what I am talking about. You said you could hear a difference in sustain between instruments which is a different thing than tone. They are two different guitars. How can you isolate the pup as the difference in sustain when the instrument itself plays such a huge role in natural sustain? How can you say that where the guitars volume is set doesn't matter in that regard? Satch works the Volume control more than most. How the heck are you determining what other settings are or are not being changed? You can't even see the amp heads or what the tech might be changing on them. The timbre of the instruments is obviously different but to pin a difference in sustain on the pups is just not reasonable with all of the unknowns.
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

TheArchitect said:
I know they are different tonally but thats not what I am talking about. You said you could hear a difference in sustain between instruments which is a different thing than tone. They are two different guitars. How can you isolate the pup as the difference in sustain when the instrument itself plays such a huge role in natural sustain? How can you say that where the guitars volume is set doesn't matter in that regard? Satch works the Volume control more than most. How the heck are you determining what other settings are or are not being changed? You can't even see the amp heads or what the tech might be changing on them. The timbre of the instruments is obviously different but to pin a difference in sustain on the pups is just not reasonable with all of the unknowns.

Hey ya know what? Whatever! :smack: :fing25:

Quit picking on me and learn to respect your elders! :banana:
 
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Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

My guitar is the shop right now getting a Fred put in, I can hardly wait to crank out some satch on it. I'll have to agree that on the DVD the pearly gates did have a warmer tone when ccompared to the Fred, which is something I didnt expect after seeing all the reviews about it being super bright.
 
Re: Satch's Pickups On The Live San Francisco DVD

hmm... on cool #9 on that dvd when it pauses on that really high note from the whammy pedal and zooms in on the p'up, it looks more to me like a screamin demon than a pg?? maybe its just weird lighting on the top coil....
 
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