Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

I think there's a contest going on -- it's been going on for well over a month, if I'm not mistaken -- for best demonstration of a SD product. There are supposed to be over a dozen worthy prizes being given away, and last I checked, there were only four submissions. Maybe part of the reason for the lack of submissions is that it has to be video as well as audio, but if people don't feel comfortable putting together a demo for a prize (like a SD effect pedal), how are they going to flock toward this database idea?

- Keith
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

blueman335 said:
There are a number of posts by players who have put the exact same PU in several of their guitars, and said it sounded different in every one, even though they used the same amp. Which one of those would you choose as being the "right" sound?


Blueman335 please take the following with the utmost respect for your knowledge, expertise and experience.

You have raised so many valid points and unfortunately I don't have much time to address them all at he moment so let me begin by replying to your opening statement (as above.)

Let's say that the several guitars comprised a Strat, a Les Paul Standard, and a Gibson ES 335. and that the player recorded the pup in each guitar.
If I had a Les Paul Standard then I would say the "right sound" would be the Les Paul Standard.
On the other hand if I had a 1954 Strat then I guess I would just have to wait until somebody with a 1954 Strat posted a recording with the exact same pup I wanted to hear.
Cheers:wink:
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Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

KGMESSIER said:
I think there's a contest going on -- it's been going on for well over a month, if I'm not mistaken -- for best demonstration of a SD product. There are supposed to be over a dozen worthy prizes being given away, and last I checked, there were only four submissions. Maybe part of the reason for the lack of submissions is that it has to be video as well as audio, but if people don't feel comfortable putting together a demo for a prize (like a SD effect pedal), how are they going to flock toward this database idea?
- Keith
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Point taken, I don't know.
What I think is that given the response to some of the Polls that are currently under way it may be quite difficult to encourage sound submissions
and yet there may well be no shortage of listeners to the clips.
I very much suspect that those who actually dislike the idea of soundclips will be amongst the first to listen to them.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

gripweed said:
Everybody says this, but why is it true? Music and tone is an art not a science.
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Agreed !
But couldn't art also be found in the mediums of literature, ( posts )soundclips and videos?
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

uOpt said:
Who cares what the pickup sounds like? That's an almost irrelevant detail.

How it plays is the important question.
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How it plays depends on how you play it or how much you are willing to adapt your playing to it.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

wanmei1 said:
I personally would like to extend an invitation to any members with a good collection of SD pups to consider taking up the challenge, particularly Blueman335, Lew and Zhang.
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I appreciate being included in that short list. Whenever I read a post like yours I'm reminded of what Eddie Van Halen said about Ted Nugent. Eddie and Ted were sharing the bill on a show and after listening to Van Halen's sound check, Ted asked Eddie if he (Ted) could plug into Eddie's rig and give it a try. Eddie said "Sure!". And when Ted did plug in and wail for a while through Eddie's amps, Ed says Ted sounded just like Ted.

Personally, I've never found sound clips to be useful. For example, I love Danny Gatton's Tele tone using Joe Barden pickups. I use them in my own Tele. I love 'em. But I sound nothing like Danny! My own taste, touch, note choices, personality, vibrato, etc., etc., give me my own sound.

I also use the same pickup Seymour uses in another guitar: the custom shop alnico 2 Tapped Tele Hot. I love it too. But when I play my guitar with that pickup I sound nothing like Seymour does using that same pickup.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're a real player you'll always have your own tone. Whenever any of my buddy's play my guitars, even if they plug into my amps they always sound just like they always do...they never sound like me.

And vice versa. When I play their guitars I always sound like me.

It ain't the pickups...or the guitar...or the amp that gives a player his or her tone. It's who you are that gives you your tone.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

Lewguitar said:
I appreciate being included in that short list. Whenever I read a post like yours I'm reminded of what Eddie Van Halen said about Ted Nugent. Eddie and Ted were sharing the bill on a show and after listening to Van Halen's sound check, Ted asked Eddie if he (Ted) could plug into Eddie's rig and give it a try. Eddie said "Sure!". And when Ted did plug in and wail for a while through Eddie's amps, Ed says Ted sounded just like Ted.

Personally, I've never found sound clips to be useful. For example, I love Danny Gatton's Tele tone using Joe Barden pickups. I use them in my own Tele. I love 'em. But I sound nothing like Danny! My own taste, touch, note choices, personality, vibrato, etc., etc., give me my own sound.

I also use the same pickup Seymour uses in another guitar: the custom shop alnico 2 Tapped Tele Hot. I love it too. But when I play my guitar with that pickup I sound nothing like Seymour does using that same pickup.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're a real player you'll always have your own tone. Whenever any of my buddy's play my guitars, even if they plug into my amps they always sound just like they always do...they never sound like me.

And vice versa. When I play their guitars I always sound like me.

It ain't the pickups...or the guitar...or the amp that gives a player his or her tone. It's who you are that gives you your tone.
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Lew thanks for your words.
I've heard your meaning expressed many times before but I've never heard them expressed quite as well.
I think that what you say is probably the conclusion that many of us may arrive at.
However I think some of us need to find that truth out for ourselves by going on a "journey" of exploration. ( Quote : Blueman335 )
I guess you might say....."I could save you guys a lot of trouble if you'd just listen to me."
Ultimately i think that the journey may conclude with the realisation that what you've just said is dead right.
Having said that ...Any chance in the near future of you contributing a soundclip ?......I think a few of us on "the journey" would like to hear you.
Cheers - Many thanks for your words.:wink:
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

I think some of us look at PU's & re-wiring as something to look forward to with a new guitar. I like to come up with a new PU combination, and then play with magnets & pots to move the tone in the direction I want. And what to do with push-pulls. This can be fun. It's all in how you look at it.

I recommend getting some extra PU's when you can get a deal on new or used ones (look at tone charts to see that they're a reasonable choice for your style), a variety of magnets, and some pots & caps of different values. With that magic bag of tricks, you can try some things & see what you like. You'll get instant results. And you'll learn why you like things & why you don't like others. This is very good hands-on experience. Those of us giving advice on the forum (whether wanted or not!) are just sharing our experiences. If we took our guitars to techs for PU swaps & wiring, we wouldn't know very much.

Get a soldering iron, dive in, & we'll guide you thru it. You'll be able to teach us a few things before long.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

This is why I think the "tone relativity" factor works for me. If somebody knowledgeable tells me the 59 is brighter than the Alnico 2 Pro, that will be the case no matter how different our rigs are. The 59 will be brighter than an A2P in his metalhead Marshall rig with 1meg pots and no caps, and it will be brighter than an A2P in my Fender Hotrod played squeaky clean for jazz with .047 caps and 300k pots.

Put a 5'6" guy and a 6'6" guy on the same platform, and whether they're in a mine 1,000 feet underground or on Mt. Everest, Guy #2 is always going to be a foot taller.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

blueman335 said:
I think some of us look at PU's & re-wiring as something to look forward to with a new guitar. I like to come up with a new PU combination, and then play with magnets & pots to move the tone in the direction I want. And what to do with push-pulls. This can be fun. It's all in how you look at it.

I recommend getting some extra PU's when you can get a deal on new or used ones (look at tone charts to see that they're a reasonable choice for your style), a variety of magnets, and some pots & caps of different values. With that magic bag of tricks, you can try some things & see what you like. You'll get instant results. And you'll learn why you like things & why you don't like others. This is very good hands-on experience. Those of us giving advice on the forum (whether wanted or not!) are just sharing our experiences. If we took our guitars to techs for PU swaps & wiring, we wouldn't know very much.

Get a soldering iron, dive in, & we'll guide you thru it. You'll be able to teach us a few things before long.
Click to expand...
Been there done that ( except for magnet swaps ) and I think many members have also.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

Zhangliqun said:
This is why I think the "tone relativity" factor works for me. If somebody knowledgeable tells me the 59 is brighter than the Alnico 2 Pro, that will be the case no matter how different our rigs are. The 59 will be brighter than an A2P in his metalhead Marshall rig with 1meg pots and no caps, and it will be brighter than an A2P in my Fender Hotrod played squeaky clean for jazz with .047 caps and 300k pots.

Put a 5'6" guy and a 6'6" guy on the same platform, and whether they're in a mine 1,000 feet underground or on Mt. Everest, Guy #2 is always going to be a foot taller.[/QUO
Strange I find an A2 with 1 meg pot is brighter than an A5 with 250k pot.
I'd really like to hear your set up !
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Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

In order for it to have any valid use, you would have to use the same guitars and the same amps, which would mean a central location...... maybe a studio playing a Les Paul, a Strat, a Tele, maybe a few Shredders, and some rock solid but very well known amps like Fenders and Marshall's. Then Speakers, tubes, etc. etc., so I agree that this is as close to impossible to get it done properly or with any real valid sound clips that would be usable. The other factor is most people will be listening to these clips through a computers speaker system, so how good is that going to sound?
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

blueman335 said:
There are a number of posts by players who have put the exact same PU in several of their guitars, and said it sounded different in every one, even though they used the same amp. Which one of those would you choose as being the "right" sound? This alone shoots down the value of clips to represent the "true" sound of a PU.

The reason some of us more experienced guys are skeptical is that you'll probably wind up more confused & disillusioned than you are now. Without taking into account the dozens of major variables, you probably won't be able to duplicate the sound in the clips. All it takes is one variable to throw off the tone. Amps & speakers are as much of the tone as the whole guitar itself. Do clips really "help" anyone? There will probably be a lot of pissed off players who didn't get the sound they expected.
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+100.

In reality, going to a guitar store and playing a few common guitars with Duncans in them will tell you more. The '59, Jazz, and JB are good starting points for understanding the other models.

But really, the biggest problem is not being unfamiliar with the tones of different Duncan models. The bigger problem is people not having a clear understanding of what sort of tones they are looking for in a pickup.
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

wanmei1 said:
Lew thanks for your words.
I've heard your meaning expressed many times before but I've never heard them expressed quite as well.
I think that what you say is probably the conclusion that many of us may arrive at.
However I think some of us need to find that truth out for ourselves by going on a "journey" of exploration. ( Quote : Blueman335 )
I guess you might say....."I could save you guys a lot of trouble if you'd just listen to me."
Ultimately i think that the journey may conclude with the realisation that what you've just said is dead right.
Having said that ...Any chance in the near future of you contributing a soundclip ?......I think a few of us on "the journey" would like to hear you.
Cheers - Many thanks for your words.:wink:
Click to expand...



Jump Marine was kind enough to post one of my tunes that I sent him on the Tips and Clips page.

I think the cut does show off the Antiquity Surfers pretty well.

I'm playing my favorite Strat, through my old late 50's Fender tweed Princeton for the rhythm guitar and through my old Deluxe Reverb for the solos.

The Princeton is the amp I took lessons on when I was still in high school in Detroit in the 60's. I went back to Detroit for a visit and the amp was still there at Hewitt's Music in one of the lesson rooms so I bought it. Great amp!

Here ya go: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=120909&highlight=lews+real+deal
 
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Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

Zhangliqun said:
wanmei1 said:
I'm not surprised at that at all. Going from 250k to 1 meg on the vol pot would definitely make a bigger difference in brightness than switching from A2 to A5.

What set-up?
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What set-up ?....Your just being modest of course !
Rumour has it that you have over a hundred vintage Les Pauls, Es 335's, Strats and Teles not to mention your Martin acoustics and your collection of rare Fender, Vox, Marshall and Mesa amps.
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Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

Lewguitar said:
Jump Marine was kind enough to post one of my tunes that I sent him on the Tips and Clips page.

I think the cut does show off the Antiquity Surfers pretty well.

I'm playing my favorite Strat, through my old late 50's Fender tweed Princeton for the rhythm guitar and through my old Deluxe Reverb for the solos.

The Princeton is the amp I took lessons on when I was still in high school in Detroit in the 60's. I went back to Detroit for a visit and the amp was still there at Hewitt's Music in one of the lesson rooms so I bought it. Great amp!

Here ya go: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=120909&highlight=lews+real+deal
Click to expand...
Lew is this the right link ? - could you check it ?
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

wanmei1 said:
Lew is this the right link ? - could you check it ?
Click to expand...

Hmmm...nope. Wrong link. Ryan must have changed it. I'll see if I can find it.

Thanks!
 
Re: Until we have a Soundclip Data base of pickups its all just a lot of talk.

wanmei1 said:
Having said that ...Any chance in the near future of you contributing a soundclip ?......I think a few of us on "the journey" would like to hear you.
Cheers - Many thanks for your words.:wink:
Click to expand...


Ask and you shall receive.....
This is Lew, Sherrie Scott, Micheal Willis on bass and brother Bruce on drums. Gear:

'57 Strat with Antiquitiy Surfers, '66 Deluxe Reverb and '59 Tweed Princeton
"We are Through"
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6286160

**Lew, I moved all of your tracks to it's own page http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=768232 **
 
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