What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
- Thread starter bornagainplayer
- Start date
roseblood11
New member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
Can't believe that. They share a basically identical construction, both use Alnico 5 magnets and the DC resistance is very close. (SSL-5 = 13.3, FS-1 = 14.2, but vintage pickups were measured at 12 to 12.5...) So they should sound more or less the same...
Can't believe that. They share a basically identical construction, both use Alnico 5 magnets and the DC resistance is very close. (SSL-5 = 13.3, FS-1 = 14.2, but vintage pickups were measured at 12 to 12.5...) So they should sound more or less the same...
roseblood11
New member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
It definitely wasn't, have a look at the videos. It has the brass saddles. And Edge mentioned in an interview, that he didn't like his first strat (in the late 70ies), because of it's weak and thin bridge sound. That's why he added the FS-1 shortly after he got that black strat in the early 80ies. (And he said that he added it to many other strats as well). I think, the FS-1 was there at the Red Rocks concert (`83), listen to Sunday Bloody Sunday on that recording.
The Memory Man isn't very transparent, that's true. But it's much more transparent than most other bucket brigade delays that were available at that time. And since the recording of "The Unforgettable Fire", he mostly used the Korg SDD-3000 anyway. The Memory Man wasn't used during the Live Aid show.
---------------------
The reason why I'm trying to find out the exact specs is that I'm actually building a strat for a friend who is a huge fan of The Edge. He won't even play any U2 covers with it, but he will love it, if it's as close to the original guitar as possible.
Myself, I like the sound of Edge as well, and I get great results for my own music with very similar gear. And as I'm just re-wiring one of my own strats, I thougt that it would be nice to bring it close to those specs as well. But for my guitar, I don't want to hunt old Fender and DiMarzio pickups from the 70ies or 80ies, so I will use a set of SSL-2 and SSL-6, because the string balance of non-staggered pickups is an important part of that sound.
It definitely wasn't, have a look at the videos. It has the brass saddles. And Edge mentioned in an interview, that he didn't like his first strat (in the late 70ies), because of it's weak and thin bridge sound. That's why he added the FS-1 shortly after he got that black strat in the early 80ies. (And he said that he added it to many other strats as well). I think, the FS-1 was there at the Red Rocks concert (`83), listen to Sunday Bloody Sunday on that recording.
The Memory Man isn't very transparent, that's true. But it's much more transparent than most other bucket brigade delays that were available at that time. And since the recording of "The Unforgettable Fire", he mostly used the Korg SDD-3000 anyway. The Memory Man wasn't used during the Live Aid show.
---------------------
The reason why I'm trying to find out the exact specs is that I'm actually building a strat for a friend who is a huge fan of The Edge. He won't even play any U2 covers with it, but he will love it, if it's as close to the original guitar as possible.
Myself, I like the sound of Edge as well, and I get great results for my own music with very similar gear. And as I'm just re-wiring one of my own strats, I thougt that it would be nice to bring it close to those specs as well. But for my guitar, I don't want to hunt old Fender and DiMarzio pickups from the 70ies or 80ies, so I will use a set of SSL-2 and SSL-6, because the string balance of non-staggered pickups is an important part of that sound.
JeffB
Let it B
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
Had them both in the same guitar. If you dont want to believe other peoples experience , then don't bother asking.
Had them both in the same guitar. If you dont want to believe other peoples experience , then don't bother asking.
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
What video, what point? I don't remember the red rocks to be very good in quality but if you have an exact point to look at I'll sure have a look.
I mentioned the Live Aid as a reference for the strat, the sound of the slap delay he uses in Bad could be everything. It is possible the SDD3000 was even used during the War tour too and the EHX MMs used only on the piano and the lapsteel (you can see it and hear it in the Red rocks video during October, New Year's Day and Surrender).
The first 2 albums are instead (quite undoubtedly) EHX MM + AC30 driven, in War there is no delay exept few songs. The color of the memory man I'm referring to isn't about the repeats only but on the dry signal too, there's a 'warmth' added on the mids that you can't hear when bypassed.
What video, what point? I don't remember the red rocks to be very good in quality but if you have an exact point to look at I'll sure have a look.
I mentioned the Live Aid as a reference for the strat, the sound of the slap delay he uses in Bad could be everything. It is possible the SDD3000 was even used during the War tour too and the EHX MMs used only on the piano and the lapsteel (you can see it and hear it in the Red rocks video during October, New Year's Day and Surrender).
The first 2 albums are instead (quite undoubtedly) EHX MM + AC30 driven, in War there is no delay exept few songs. The color of the memory man I'm referring to isn't about the repeats only but on the dry signal too, there's a 'warmth' added on the mids that you can't hear when bypassed.
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
BTW, do you please have a link or a reference for this? I'm interested in it and the rest of the interview being so technical,
thank you
BTW, do you please have a link or a reference for this? I'm interested in it and the rest of the interview being so technical,
thank you
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
thank you! my SSL5 is indeed very midrangey, maybe too much, based on what you're saying it is possible the FS1 would suit better my guitar
thank you! my SSL5 is indeed very midrangey, maybe too much, based on what you're saying it is possible the FS1 would suit better my guitar
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
If DC resistance and magnet type determined the sound, the entire Duncan line could be reduced to ~4 pickups. A PAF, a Strat, a Tele, a P90
If DC resistance and magnet type determined the sound, the entire Duncan line could be reduced to ~4 pickups. A PAF, a Strat, a Tele, a P90
roseblood11
New member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
How can a passive pickup be "midrangey"? The bass response of a passive PU is totally flat... It might appear "midrangey", as the resonance peak of an overwound pickup is at a lower frequency than usual. This should be the cause in both, the SSL-5/6 and the FS-1. Maybe the amplitude of the resonance is a bit higher in the SSL-5? This wouldn't be bad, as it's easier to lower the amplitude than to raise it. Does anybody have a comparison video that shows both pickups with the exact same settings? (same guitar, fresh strings, same adjustments etc...) Still, both pickups won't sound identical, as the staggering is a bit different.
--------------------
I'm not sure, if the black Strat was modified before the Red Rocks concert. Maybe it wasn't... I just thaught that it sounded fatter than before. But I found a video from may `83, that clearly shows that the bridge saddles were still stock. And that was just one week before Red Rocks.
How can a passive pickup be "midrangey"? The bass response of a passive PU is totally flat... It might appear "midrangey", as the resonance peak of an overwound pickup is at a lower frequency than usual. This should be the cause in both, the SSL-5/6 and the FS-1. Maybe the amplitude of the resonance is a bit higher in the SSL-5? This wouldn't be bad, as it's easier to lower the amplitude than to raise it. Does anybody have a comparison video that shows both pickups with the exact same settings? (same guitar, fresh strings, same adjustments etc...) Still, both pickups won't sound identical, as the staggering is a bit different.
--------------------
I'm not sure, if the black Strat was modified before the Red Rocks concert. Maybe it wasn't... I just thaught that it sounded fatter than before. But I found a video from may `83, that clearly shows that the bridge saddles were still stock. And that was just one week before Red Rocks.
marcello252
Well-known member
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
Ok, maybe (maybe) I've found an evidence of the fact the Bridge pickup of the Black Stratocaster used by Edge at the Red Rocks ISN'T stock.
I saw the Red Rocks DVD once again (I can't even imagine how many times I've seen it) looking for a close up of the strat. The quality isn't so high, the digital conversion create strange artifacts
Anyway, although I haven't found anything about the brass saddles (the ones in that strat shine in normal chrome color, it's impossible to say if they are original or not) there's a part during New Year's Day where the cameramen is close to Edge's picking hand, I took some shots, this is the more clear:
https://goo.gl/photos/afWP9T6tkDXWtZXq5
As you can see the Bridge poles are STAGGERED, the neck seems FLAT, the middle in this pic seems staggered but in other shots I took, where the bridge is not visible, seems flat like the neck.
Is it the bridge a FS-1? Is it something else? Impossible to say, they seem different indeed.
Ok, maybe (maybe) I've found an evidence of the fact the Bridge pickup of the Black Stratocaster used by Edge at the Red Rocks ISN'T stock.
I saw the Red Rocks DVD once again (I can't even imagine how many times I've seen it) looking for a close up of the strat. The quality isn't so high, the digital conversion create strange artifacts
Anyway, although I haven't found anything about the brass saddles (the ones in that strat shine in normal chrome color, it's impossible to say if they are original or not) there's a part during New Year's Day where the cameramen is close to Edge's picking hand, I took some shots, this is the more clear:
https://goo.gl/photos/afWP9T6tkDXWtZXq5
As you can see the Bridge poles are STAGGERED, the neck seems FLAT, the middle in this pic seems staggered but in other shots I took, where the bridge is not visible, seems flat like the neck.
Is it the bridge a FS-1? Is it something else? Impossible to say, they seem different indeed.
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
...well not so impossible indeed, the apparence of the FS-1 is very close. The FS-1 has only the two central poles raised, exactly like the one in the picture I took...
http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/standard-strat/fs-1
...well not so impossible indeed, the apparence of the FS-1 is very close. The FS-1 has only the two central poles raised, exactly like the one in the picture I took...
http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/standard-strat/fs-1
Lewguitar
New member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
The SDD-3000 delay is the easiest way to get the Edge's sound.
I have the pedal version. It's my favorite delay of any of the classic delays I've owned: Memory Man, Echoplex, Carbon Copy, etc.
It'll get your Strat into U2 territory faster and with more authenticity than any pickup swap.
The SDD-3000 preamp thickens up the Strat's tone better than my Memory Man or Echoplex ever did. They are both nice tools to have, but the Korg SDD-3000 is the one to get, IMO.
The SDD-3000 delay is the easiest way to get the Edge's sound.
I have the pedal version. It's my favorite delay of any of the classic delays I've owned: Memory Man, Echoplex, Carbon Copy, etc.
It'll get your Strat into U2 territory faster and with more authenticity than any pickup swap.
The SDD-3000 preamp thickens up the Strat's tone better than my Memory Man or Echoplex ever did. They are both nice tools to have, but the Korg SDD-3000 is the one to get, IMO.
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
I think you are right about it, I tried it only once in a shop it was very nice but I had not the chance to test it in a 'real' environment, still I understand what you're saying about the color. I have the MM and it does something similiar indeed.
I'm currently using a TC triple delay, that's really really cool, but it lacks a quick control over the modulation and there's no color on the signal, this might be a pro but, talking about Edge sound, turns out being a con
I think you are right about it, I tried it only once in a shop it was very nice but I had not the chance to test it in a 'real' environment, still I understand what you're saying about the color. I have the MM and it does something similiar indeed.
I'm currently using a TC triple delay, that's really really cool, but it lacks a quick control over the modulation and there's no color on the signal, this might be a pro but, talking about Edge sound, turns out being a con
Lewguitar
New member
Re: What pickups does "The Edge" use in his Strat?
Unfortunately the SDD-3000 pedal has been discontinued by Korg. Or appears to have been.
It got a bad rap because it was extremely versatile and had both analog SDD-3000 presets and digital delay presets and there was a volume difference between the two.
I hope they reissue it with just the SDD-3000 preamp and analog SDD-3000 sounds.
Those are all I use anyway.
Unfortunately the SDD-3000 pedal has been discontinued by Korg. Or appears to have been.
It got a bad rap because it was extremely versatile and had both analog SDD-3000 presets and digital delay presets and there was a volume difference between the two.
I hope they reissue it with just the SDD-3000 preamp and analog SDD-3000 sounds.
Those are all I use anyway.
Similar threads
