Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

[Guitar Toad]

A stratocastor plugged into a good tube amp and DS-1 pedal may be all that you ever need....

Yesterday, I was playing my strat through the Reverend HellHound getting some cool clean vintage style strat tones with the neck and some quacky notch 2 and 4's. Just straight to the amp, no pedal.

Went for some aggressive sounding classic rock stuff with the bridge pup and the DS-1: tone at 12 O'clock, level at 9 and distortion at 12 O' clock. HellHound set for UK, volume at 3 gain, treble, presence, bass and mids all dimed. It sounded really good.

Then I remembered reading on one of the countless OD/Dist pedal threads, something that I decided to try. I began the experiment. DS-1 set distortion to 0, level dimed, tone dimed. HellHound Mids and Bass 0, treble at 5, presence 0. Gain still dimed and volume at 3-4.

These adjustments turned my little ol JV strat into a HB sounding monster. It sounded so good. The notch 2 and 4 positions sound exceptionally good. Those quacky tones morphed into a bonafide HB sounding, noise cancelling voice for power rock This generated some very Santana or Gary Moore-like compressed vibes. Powerful chords. Lead notes that are just electric, and full of high voltage rock and roll.

This was only with a little ol' Reverend Hellhound amp with a stock DS-1. I can only imagine how great, how much better the sonic emissions would sound from a real Plexi (or Celtic amp) and a modded DS-1.

I can't image a more verstile gear set-up than a Strat through a tube amp with a DS-1 pedal. I can go from pure vintage strat to aggressive Satriani tones with my little ol' gear set-up. I have several more of these experiments to run before I have exhausted all the infinite possiblities.

But, I'm sure that most of you guys already know this...

 

[JeffB]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Stock strats a DS1 and Marshalls worked just fine for Gary Moore.......Check out Corridors of Power, Victims of the Future and We Want Moore...

some of the best Strat "metal" tones ever IMO.

 

[coachc55]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Also listen to Jeff Beck on his live bootleg album at B.B King's club. I think he's using a pro rat distortion and Marhalls, along with vintage hot noiseless fenders, but man he's got some mean tone.

CoachC

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

That's why a strat has always been my favorite all around electric guitar....I can play just about any style of music with it and it's very versatile tonewise.

You can't do Sultans Of Swing on a Les paul and get that in between twang,but Clapton showed us that you can pull off Cream stuff with a strat or close enough...I like having both Fender and Gibson humbucking type instruments to cover my tastes,but the strat is still King!

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Stock strats a DS1 and Marshalls worked just fine for Gary Moore.......Check out Corridors of Power, Victims of the Future and We Want Moore...

some of the best Strat "metal" tones ever IMO.

I'm with you! Gary Moore is one of my favs! Victims of the Future is a great guitar album! I have the cd but want to pick up the new remastered version from the UK oneday.... Garys strat a DS1 and a Marshall is a great combo.. I remember seeing Gary on a Rock School program back in the 80's.... This was a video series done in the 80's and had lots of great artists taking about there gear and playing. Gary Moore was showing off his Boss pedal board, his red strat and his Marshalls.. His Marshalls were set cleanish and his Dirt sound was the DS1! Loved the little clip of him playing live in the studio with his band which included Ian Paice from Purple...

WhoFan

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

So, in your expert opinions what (pedal addition or pup change) would make my set-up better and even more versatile. I need to add either a delay, phaser, chorus or wah pedal. Hmmm. where do we go now?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

If you want that versatility straight from the guitar, try the Dave Gilmour set from EMG. It does all you mentioned straight from the pickguard.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

I'm with you! Gary Moore is one of my favs! Victims of the Future is a great guitar album! I have the cd but want to pick up the new remastered version from the UK oneday.... Garys strat a DS1 and a Marshall is a great combo.. I remember seeing Gary on a Rock School program back in the 80's.... This was a video series done in the 80's and had lots of great artists taking about there gear and playing. Gary Moore was showing off his Boss pedal board, his red strat and his Marshalls.. His Marshalls were set cleanish and his Dirt sound was the DS1! Loved the little clip of him playing live in the studio with his band which included Ian Paice from Purple...

WhoFan

Yup...I saw that show!

You can really hear it on We Want Moore...his basic tone doesn't have a ton of gain, and when he kicks in the DS1..the tone is just about at meltdown level

 

[JeffB]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

So, in your expert opinions what (pedal addition or pup change) would make my set-up better and even more versatile. I need to add either a delay, phaser, chorus or wah pedal. Hmmm. where do we go now?

Hmm..well you have some good pickups in it...but maybe something like a hot for strat in the bridge? or a quarter pounder? I really like the DiMarzio HS3/YJM pickups as well.

For peds..all I've ever used are delay, phaser and chorus...and I use them all pretty sparingly...If I HAD to pick one....prolly a delay for leads...

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

So, I simply discovered what Jeff Beck and Gary Moore have been doing for a living eh? That's how they do it. Cool.

I've been kickin' around the notion of dropping an HB in the bridge, CC or JB. But, I may go with the Texas Hot Custom Bridge and save the CC or JB for my next guitar, the Franken-Toad Strat. I think it'll be a single H.

I can probably swing the THCB and a delay soon. But, a second guitar will have to wait until after graduation in May.

BTW, I'm listening to Rory Gallagher right now; the live disc from the BBC Sessions. His plays a really hot sounding strat? Is he a dry signal player? Plug his strat into the Marshall and crank it up and he is ready to roll?

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

How about a tapped hot in the bridge so you can switch between vintage/hot? A humbucker in the bridge is cool, but you lose that awesome notch position sound.

And yes, Strats are the best guitar, bar none.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Todd, you just hit the nail on the head. This is also why I love Strats. Granted my rig is slightly different but still, it's a tube amp, and an overdrive out front. I do like the Little 59 in my Strat though but through the Marshall, it still sounds like a Strat. It's easily my most versatile guitar.

If you like the pickups you have in it now, keep em' and just add in a delay, just like Jeff mentioned. Maybe a chorus if you want it. I prefer chorus when playing in stereo. It's very cool. Otherwise I use it during clean(er) parts and that's it.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Yup...I saw that show!

You can really hear it on We Want Moore...his basic tone doesn't have a ton of gain, and when he kicks in the DS1..the tone is just about at meltdown level

I also have We Want Moore! Great album and love the way they stretched out the cover of Shapes Of Things on that live album!

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Todd, you just hit the nail on the head. This is also why I love Strats. Granted my rig is slightly different but still, it's a tube amp, and an overdrive out front. I do like the Little 59 in my Strat though but through the Marshall, it still sounds like a Strat. It's easily my most versatile guitar.

If you like the pickups you have in it now, keep em' and just add in a delay, just like Jeff mentioned. Maybe a chorus if you want it. I prefer chorus when playing in stereo. It's very cool. Otherwise I use it during clean(er) parts and that's it.

I am slowly getting up to speed and learning the options that I have with this strat. I want a humbucker ladden guitar so bad, but fear losing the strat character if I change the bridge pup too radically in this JV strat.

I'm starting to sound like a purist. I can't believe it.

I once thought that I would never play a strat, or own one. Now I don't think I wouldn't want to be without one. If I had my SSS, then added a strat with a single H, and an HSS super strat. Then I would be totally set. OK, one more an HH strat. I think I could settle with 4 strats. Well, maybe a 5th one would also be necessary at some point.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

If you want that versatility straight from the guitar, try the Dave Gilmour set from EMG. It does all you mentioned straight from the pickguard.

:scratchch

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Todd, I think Rory played through Vox ac-30's. He had a great tone with that old Strat.:beerchug:

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

If you want that versatility straight from the guitar, try the Dave Gilmour set from EMG. It does all you mentioned straight from the pickguard.

I'd have to agree here. However, I hated the voicing of the pickups, they were very bland and didn't deliver any "great" tones, just thin to beefy decent tones. The SPC Presence and EXP Expander circuits really help shape the tone of the pickups, but I wasn't too crazy with how they responded to my rig.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

I am slowly getting up to speed and learning the options that I have with this strat. I want a humbucker ladden guitar so bad, but fear losing the strat character if I change the bridge pup too radically in this JV strat.

I'm starting to sound like a purist. I can't believe it.

I once thought that I would never play a strat, or own one. Now I don't think I wouldn't want to be without one. If I had my SSS, then added a strat with a single H, and an HSS super strat. Then I would be totally set. OK, one more an HH strat. I think I could settle with 4 strats. Well, maybe a 5th one would also be necessary at some point.

I know what you mean. I have an HH Strat, a SSS Strat although it's really an HSS Strat with the Little 59 and a single Hum guitar. My HH may go HS but I'm debating that yet again...lol. If you love the JV as it is, leave it as it is and get an HH or build an HH. Your bases would be covered for a while there.

It took me a while to really learn what my Strat would/could do. I initially got it because I always wanted an American made Stratocaster. The the pickup swapping started and I was never really happy with it. Taking the little 59 out for a while was the best thing I did because once I popped it back in, I knew that was the one for it.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

Todd, I think Rory played through Vox ac-30's. He had a great tone with that old Strat.:beerchug:

Really that's a Vox? Wow. Cool. What a great sound!

Is the AC-30 an EL-84 tube amp?

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Who Says You Can't do that with a Strat...

I know what you mean. I have an HH Strat, a SSS Strat although it's really an HSS Strat with the Little 59 and a single Hum guitar. My HH may go HS but I'm debating that yet again...lol. If you love the JV as it is, leave it as it is and get an HH or build an HH. Your bases would be covered for a while there.

It took me a while to really learn what my Strat would/could do. I initially got it because I always wanted an American made Stratocaster. The the pickup swapping started and I was never really happy with it. Taking the little 59 out for a while was the best thing I did because once I popped it back in, I knew that was the one for it.

I got my strat because I wanted to buy new. Now, I know that I could have saved some cash by going with used. But, for the money and buying new the JV strat was getting rave reviews and I viewed the purchase as possibly the best bang for my buck. First, I ordered a Fat Strat from MF. But it was on back order for more than a month. it was the pewter body with the black pickguard. It looked really good. But, I was getting impatient and they had the oly white JV in stock so I called and changed the order and took delivery on the JV.

Since it came out of the box it felt very comfortable to play and sounds great. I wanted a versatile guitar and it turns out it is more versatile than I had imagined.