Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

[flieger67]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

As much as I loved WS in their day, I always preferred the guitar tones on "Slide it in"!!
In fact I just picked up that CD a few months ago after not listening to it since the vinyl days! lol Still a killer album!!

Cheers
Sean

Did you know that Sykes only played a portion of the guitar parts on "Slide it in" and that the U.S. and the U.K. versions of that disc differ somewhat? The U.K. version features one extra track and some different production on Coverdale's vocals on some parts.

Here's what Sykes told Vintage Guitar magazine during an interview:

Vintage Guitar: What did you play on Slide It In?

John Sykes: I basically beefed up the rhythms. I don't even know if I did any soloing. Basically me and Neil Murray blew over and had two days to do some overdubs. I was thinking, "We'll be here for a week," and Neil is in to day two of doing bass stuff. "I'm like, "How long we got?" They said, "Til the end of the day." And I'm like, "Get this bass board outta here and plug in the Marshall."

Most of it was done, Micky Moody and Mel Galley had already recorded the album. After that, we toured. We had a great band with Cozy Powell. Then we went and toured a while then Cozy got fired and then we found Ansley Dunbar after we had written the '87 album.

I finshed that up, got fired actually before I finished the guitars. I was about halfway through the solos when the producer and I got fired. I thought, "If I don't finish this someone else will." I finshed the solos and got out of Dodge.

 

[Pontiac Jack]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Definitely a "Dirty Fingers" according to johnsykes.com.....

http://www.johnsykes.com/guitars.html


Cheers,PJ

 

[jhale667]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Actually, the real key to his tone on that album was a Mesa/Boogie Mark III Colisum head. I have played a few, and they all were quite able to get that tone. Any good hot pickup will help. And for the OP, yes Gibson Dirty Fingers.

The Boogies were indeed an integral part of that sound. John told me he used a Charvel Strat (not a Kramer) on the few parts that have tremolo on them.

 

[Ringwraith]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

^^^^
kewl!
Tell us how you met him.

 

[dave4378]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

And the reason the LP looks like a 50's design is because it is a 50's design. It's a classic, like the shape of a Strat, a violin, or a drum - you cannot go wrong with it.

Yeah but so are the Flying Vs & the Explorers, but you ditch the scratch plate, Korina style gold bridge & pickups & the trans finnishes for solid all over finnishes & you've already got a more modern & radical looking guitar, but one that's still a classic... eg. 1984 Explorer. That's pretty much all Jackson/Charvel & Kramer did to what's bassically a classic Strat & what a world of difference it made. It's almost a totally different guitar (well, it is actually LOL). Gibson & Fender (which ironically prodiuce Kramers & Jacksons now) tend to lean more towards the vintage designs almost exclusively, which is why they don't really have any guitars i'm interested in owning, not really my style, classic or not. Yeah i know i'm totally off the topic now.

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Yeah but so are the Flying Vs & the Explorers, but you ditch the scratch plate, Korina style gold bridge & pickups & the trans finnishes for solid all over finnishes & you've already got a more modern & radical looking guitar, but one that's still a classic... eg. 1984 Explorer. That's pretty much all Jackson/Charvel & Kramer did to what's bassically a classic Strat & what a world of difference it made. It's almost a totally different guitar (well, it is actually LOL). Gibson & Fender (which ironically prodiuce Kramers & Jacksons now) tend to lean more towards the vintage designs almost exclusively, which is why they don't really have any guitars i'm interested in owning, not really my style, classic or not. Yeah i know i'm totally off the topic now.

True.. but I think of it this way. You go to a wedding gig or something a little fancier than a local club (I have not yet... boo) and you are required to dress up a bit. I can't pull it off with my day glo blue Jackson, BUT I can pull it of with my black gibson explorer or black fender strat.... they 'look more professional' and can pull off a wide assortment of stuff.

I am in no way slamming jacksons or other cool shaped things... but sometimes you have to be a wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

[tc]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

SYKES IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there, corrected your post.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Are you sure? I know he love's his Les Pauls & used them in Thin Lizzy & other bands & projects, but i thought he used a Kramer during the recording of 1987.

1987 was his black Les Paul with a dirty fingers/t top combo. He used his 59 for clean parts and a Charvel for parts that needed a bar.


No Kramers

 

[dave4378]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

True.. but I think of it this way. You go to a wedding gig or something a little fancier than a local club (I have not yet... boo) and you are required to dress up a bit. I can't pull it off with my day glo blue Jackson, BUT I can pull it of with my black gibson explorer or black fender strat.... they 'look more professional' and can pull off a wide assortment of stuff.

I am in no way slamming jacksons or other cool shaped things... but sometimes you have to be a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Oh i'm not knocking any guitar either, if anyone can get what they want from which ever guitar, more power to em, that's what you want. I'm just saying if i bought a Les Paul or a traditional Stratocaster, they'd end up being an orniment next to some of my other guitars & i want guitars that are actually gonna make me wanna pick them up & play them. I have no use for guitars that are just gonna collect dust, that's just a waste IMO. They may aswell go to someone who'll appreciate them.
I myself like all the over the top gimmicky stuff, it seems to fuel my enthusiasm.

 

[always SD]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

one my biggest influence with Gary Moore and Angus and Daryl Stuermer and Clapton and others

 

[always SD]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

it must be a dirty fingers or other

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Actually, the real key to his tone on that album was a Mesa/Boogie Mark III Colisum head. I have played a few, and they all were quite able to get that tone. Any good hot pickup will help. And for the OP, yes Gibson Dirty Fingers.

I haven't played the mighty Colossus (because I'm too young to die), but my standard MkIII is brutally loud even on the 1/2 power setting, which is actually more like 1/4 of full power. It suddenly engages God Mode somewhere around Master Vol of 3!! My entire guitar identity revolves around the Mark III lead channel, which is second to none IMO, and not too different from the IIC+, definitely the same DNA....

Dirty Fingers are much gritter than the 500T, although the 500 is more refined and well balanced. For maximum nasty vintage '80s aggression, I'd pick the Dirty Fingers.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

I am pretty sure its a Dirty Fingers pickup too. You also got to remember that by the time John got to his second studio album with Whitesnake, he had a rack of processing. Listen to his tone on Slide it in or Thin Lizzy's Thunder and Lightning. It is nowhere in the same realm. Thant being said, I found the Dirty Fingers to be a pretty unique high output pickup. It reminded me of a PAF scooped sound and it still retained a wide dynamic range. To me it never felt compressed. If Duncan makes a pickup that is similar, I would love to know which one. The Duncan Distortion is cool, but not voiced the same as the DF.

 

[philthis]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Just for kicks will throw in that Sykes used Mesas on that Whitesnake album, not Marshalls.

I read this too. Dont know what model but it was an awsome tone

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

Think he was using the Coliseum for a while.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Which pickup did John Sykes use on 1987?

SYKES IS DIRTY FINGERS!!!!