Strats, David Gilmour...

SpeedDemon

SpeedDemon

New member
Well i am seriously g.a.ssing over strats lately, and my gilmour obession isn't helping, i think i am gonna dish out cash for a strat sometime in the next couple a months, i want a strat that will give me thick enough tone for zeppelin, but i mostly want it for pink floyd type stuff.
There is a couple a strats in at my local shop, there's a Aerodyne one, which seems like a nice guitar, haven't had a chance to play it yet, but i am gonna, there is also a daphne blue strat(not sure on mdel, didnt look) it really caught my eye, but i am leaning more towards the aerodyne, cause its all black with white binding, i was thinking to change the knobs and pickups to white, it would look absolutly amazing, any comments on the aerodyne strats???
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

Hmmm, those are pretty different tones you're talking about.
You can try coil tapping a HB in the bridge, but I would suggest just going with all 3 as single coils to really nail that kinda tone.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

yea, well im not really trying to get "the" zeppelin tone, i am looking for much more of a pink floyd sound, i would just like to be able to play zeppelin with it, although it is not mandatory because i have a HB equipped guitar, so basically i am aiming for gilmour-esque tone. The main reason i am gonna get a strat is because im seriously gassing for one, and i really want to try and get a gilmour-esque tone because i love all his stuff.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

Just find the cheapest 90-2004 used American Strat on the used market you can find, in a color you like....$400-$600. Then, buy a Twangbanger bridge and 2 Surfers, Texas Hots or SSL-1's, and wrap up the stock pickups for later, in case you want to sell it.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

I would suggest buying a used american series strat(or american std) and fitting the emg dg20 system.............you get gilmour's sound plus the spc midrange boost gives you the ability to go close to a "fatter" zepellin tone.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

iirc gilmour used EMG's in his red strat...
just as an upgrade for an american strat which I can recommend. the highway 1 is pretty nice and felt quite good when I tried it.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

IMO David's best tones were pre EMG's but the later stuff is pretty good as well...If you were looking to get the early Floyd tones I would say get a set of Surfers or SSL-1's and if you want a stronger bridge pickup look into a Twangbanger, if you like the later EMG tone and want something better, get a Set of Bill Lawrence 280's...I have a set of these on loan right noe from theodie, and they are VERY David Gilmour sounding! As for the Strat, if you can deal with a vintage neck (wire frets, 7.25 radius, and a thick as hell gloss on the neck) the MIM Classic series are hard to beat. The 90-04 used American Standards are a good way to go as well, the Highway Ones are pretty nice as well...they are mostly vintage styled, but have the same necks as American Standads, and are quite nice, that said IMHO A Jimmy Vaughan is the BEST Strat that can be had right now W/O going to a Custom Shop Fender...it is pretty much a 57 reissue with a slightly wider nut width, a flatter (9.5) radius, and fatter frets, it also has a satin finish in the neck...killer guitar and if you want the early Gilmour tone you would even have to change pickups, the JV pickups are the best Strat pickups Fender has IMO...I even like them better that Texas Specials or Fat 50's!
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

the guy who invented fire said:
As for the Strat, if you can deal with a vintage neck (wire frets, 7.25 radius, and a thick as hell gloss on the neck) the MIM Classic series are hard to beat.
Click to expand...

Yikes, I HATE glossy necks. Id go for an american strat most likely, they are very well built from what i can tell by my american. Id also put surfers in it, and make sure ur using a tube amp for some good cleans.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

grams said:
iirc gilmour used EMG's in his red strat...
just as an upgrade for an american strat which I can recommend. the highway 1 is pretty nice and felt quite good when I tried it.
Click to expand...

Whatever anyone does, NEVER buy the EMG DG-20 set (Dave Gilmour's prewired EMG assembly). They were the most unstratlike, dull, flat, unresponsive and useless pickups I've ever played.

Just get a Fender that feels good to you and sounds good unplugged. Make sure it really resonates and that you dig the looks of it. Then put in 3 quality single coils designed off of original strat pickups. The best luck I've had is with WCR "SR" single coils (my end all strat pickup), although there are other pickups that are great too. Duncan's "Antiquity Surfer" set would fit the bill nicely and Bill Lawrence makes some great stuff as well.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

the_Chris said:
Whatever anyone does, NEVER buy the EMG DG-20 set (Dave Gilmour's prewired EMG assembly). They were the most unstratlike, dull, flat, unresponsive and useless pickups I've ever played.
Click to expand...


Really, I love the set I have in my ash '77.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

Benjy_26 said:
Really, I love the set I have in my ash '77.
Click to expand...


They just didn't sound like a good vintage strat should. With that said, the set was used with a MIM Fender Strat, so maybe ash works better than the poplar that mine was probably made of with that set. I read crazy reviews of the pickups, shelled out $325 (yes, when they first came out) and put them in only to be completely let down. The guitar, along with the pickups got sold within a week or two.
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

the_Chris said:
They just didn't sound like a good vintage strat should. With that said, the set was used with a MIM Fender Strat, so maybe ash works better than the poplar that mine was probably made of with that set. I read crazy reviews of the pickups, shelled out $325 (yes, when they first came out) and put them in only to be completely let down. The guitar, along with the pickups got sold within a week or two.
Click to expand...


Maybe you got a bad sounding piece of wood.

I get very good traditional strat tones from mine by putting the SPC control at about 8 and the EXG control at around 3. Heck, it can even do SRV-ish stuff in the middle position through my BF Bassman. ;)


And the high gain tones?

It gets along fabulously with my Mesa/Boogie V-Twin preamp. :burnout:
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

TwilightOdyssey said:
Tho, the original Zepplin stuff wsa done on a Tele, ya know :)
Click to expand...


The engineers at Ardent Studio here in Memphis did a lot of work on Led Zeppelin III. I'm told that Page used the Tele, the Les Paul, and a Watkins WEM Dominator to cut the record with. The WEM is a Class A amp. Its very simplistic, and just happens to have a great tone. The vintage and reissue Marshall 18 watter is basically a copy of the WEM.

They also said that Page did weird stuff mic'ing the amps. One instance involved getting a large cardboard carpet roll thingy, and setting that in front of the amp speaker, with the mic at the other end. Interesting. Might have to try it sometime.

AS FAR AS THE STRAT GOES: I'd stick with a simple, straight ahead model. MIJ is good, but you want to replace the pickups, pots, and switch. Personally, I'd go with Antiquity pickups. EMG's sound cruddy to me. I'm interested to know that Gilmour used an Orange Treble & Bass Booster on The Wall for his clean tones. I have a BSM Orange, and will soon be checking into that tone. Probably best to run a compressor in front of the Orange.

peace & great tones,

Randy
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

someone's gonna throw something at me eventually, but another shout for MIJ fenders :laugh2: - they come up a lot cheaper than the MIA used ones, and the necks are lovely and fat on them..

and gloss necks - my strat came with one, i got a green plastic scouring pad (meant for pans) and gave it a long, light rub. the varnish comes off real easy, and you're left with the sweetest matt neck you've ever had...

if this sounds weird, PM me.. if enough people PM me, i'll post some pics hehe - its not as drastic as it sounds!

tom
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

I'd be interested to know how much Gilmour used that red EMG strat for recording. I always figured he went with the active set-up for live shows because of the versatility and good immunity to electronic and magnetic interfearence. I would imagine regular strat pickups would have been all but usless for the "Divison Bell" shows.

I wouldn't mind owning a real strat. Though with all the different models Fender makes now, trying to pick one is a bit insane! They must have 50 different guitars they call a "Stratocaster" ranging from $250-$2000. Is it just me or is it a bit daft to have so many models?
 
Re: Strats, David Gilmour...

Try a new Strat with the S-1 switch. The regualr 5 positions give regular Strat tones. With the S-1 engaged, you get a whole range of thicker, chunkier tones. I think all the new American Strats have the S-1. The regular ones have the vintage single coils, the Deluxes have the noiseless single coils.
 
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