Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

[deadlock]

After going through a DiMarzio phase, I'm back to Duncans. I'm thinking of doing an APHII/SH-6 combo in my guitar (mahogany BC Rich). I was wondering if an APHII will actually give me a solid Slash tone...or is his tone more about amps, rack equiptment and his fingers. Otherwise, I'll just go for a 59 or Jazz in neck.

I'm not one of those people who expects to sound just like Steve Vai because they installed an Evolution in their Ibanez. :dunce: Know what I mean?

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Slash has used both '59 and APH, actually '59 could be the one used more on the classic records.

 

[millsart]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

With the right amp settings it can get you pretty darn close, though most any SD neck pickup with the tone rolled back gets you pretty close as well with the right amp settings.

So I guess you could say both yes and no. The APH II is not the key to his tone alone, but it certainly won't be working against you either.

Slash would sound just like Slash if he was playing a SH-1 in the neck etc, though honestly I think Slash would sound like Slash playing a tele =)

 

[Inferno]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Slash has used both '59 and APH, actually '59 could be the one used more on the classic records.

I don't mean to question you, but where did you hear that he used duncan 59's? I've heard that he uses the stock pickups on some of his older Les Pauls, but I've never had proof of him using anything in the SD lineup besides the APII's.

To answer your question, APIIs will get you in the ballpark as will a good Marshall tube amp. Even with the right gear you still won't sound 100% like him - but it should be close enough for most of us.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Slash's tone is pretty much impossible, I've discovered. I've never heard somebody emulate it perfectly, although there's a guys on here (NUNOSLASH) who gets *DARN* close with his gear, and if I remember he doesn't even have a Marshall tube amp.

It's the combo of guitar, tone, volume, A2Ps, and your pedals. Pedals are a big factor, that I have never gotten right.

 

[drjones]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

If it helps you decide, I recently swapped the neck pick up in my epi les paul from a 59 to an APII. 59 was just to bassy/muddy for. I like APII much better. Slash is one of the tones I was chasing, and I think the APII sounds much better through my marshall than the 59 ever did.

Cheers

 

[theodie]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

I was wondering if an APHII will actually give me a solid Slash tone...or is his tone more about amps, rack equiptment and his fingers.

If you have a 24.75 scale guitar and you play through a Marshall or an amp with EL-34's, you will be gold. That is basically what you need for a Slash tone. Also, Slash uses the tone control ALOT! This is mandatory for a Slash tone.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

I could get a pretty good Slash tone with the A2P, but I think it has to do with your tone pot/cap choice as well. Obviously if you run it full out you aren't going to get a creamy neck tone, the A2P is very clear and articulate, I liked it a lot.

 

[deadlock]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

If it helps you decide, I recently swapped the neck pick up in my epi les paul from a 59 to an APII. 59 was just to bassy/muddy for. I like APII much better. Slash is one of the tones I was chasing, and I think the APII sounds much better through my marshall than the 59 ever did.

Cheers

Wow, I'm surprised...I always thought the APHII would be muddier than the 59. How does the APHII compare to the SH2 just in clarity?



By the way THANKS TO EVERYONE...I wasn't expecting to get so many responces in a few hours.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

The reason the '59 feels "muddier" is because of the extra bass you get with the A5 mag. Depending on your amp, that can equate to "fuller" or "muddier". Not to mention the different response you get with A5 vs. A2.

 

[nightwing122087]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

The closest chance you'll have to getting Slash's tone is playing a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall tube amp. I actually have the Marshall Silver Jubilee 2553 head, which is the 50 watt model of the 2555 (the 100 watt model that Slash used on Appetite for Destruction). I usually play my strat, but I recently took my Les Paul (loaded with Seth Lovers) out and started playing it a little more and noticed how similar the tone was to Slash's.

Even when I play with my strat..it doesn't really sound like Slash. Its the combination of the Les Paul into the Marshall that gives it the tone (and warm sounding pickups).

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

I don't mean to question you, but where did you hear that he used duncan 59's? I've heard that he uses the stock pickups on some of his older Les Pauls, but I've never had proof of him using anything in the SD lineup besides the APII's.

To answer your question, APIIs will get you in the ballpark as will a good Marshall tube amp. Even with the right gear you still won't sound 100% like him - but it should be close enough for most of us.

I'm sorry, I really don't remember what site it was on, but it said he used '59's on the LP copies.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

ive never heard that before and i used to love slash. you sure he wasnt talking about '59 les paul copys? i know he had a distortion in a mockingbird, maybe with a 59 in the neck? either way he sounds best with a les paul with a2p's

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

I have an APHII neck in a 9lb, 25.5" scale alder tele with maple neck and got close. I use 500K pot and .022uf cap.

The APH II is a very unique pup, IMO. It got this thick BUT clear singing voice when the tone is rolled all the way down.

I found the APH II to be extremely height sensitive. It took a while for me to dial in the sound.

I also got real pafs in a LP reissue. The neck paf (short magnet - probably A5) had .015uf cap. Comparing the two, my tele neck has a thicker but clearer singing voice. The LP neck has more mids and seem to cut through a little better.

I played for my guitar friends, and they could tell the difference between the 2 sounds, but were surprised that one came out of a 25.5" scale tele. They were amazed at the "thickness" of tele neck.

 

[Kokopelli]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

To me the essential Slash sound came from his goldtop LP Classic (which was stolen) on the Tokyo DVD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPftjc2UQh8

It sounds much better on the DVD than on youtube.

That goldtop had this deep thick growl (notice the beginning and end of the clip), BUT it also got this amazing sparkling top ends - a very wide tonal spectrum. Even Slash admitted that that particular goldtop Classic was a very special guitar. I think Gibson gave him a R7 as a replacement.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Slash used Alnico 2 Pros on everything with GNR- they were even in the BC Rich Mockingbird. The Les Paul Replicas (the Chris Derrig and Max Replicas) both had original PAF's in them. When they were brought to Slash to record Appetite, he didn't like the original PAF's and had SD Alnico 2 Pros installed instead.

The amp used on Appetite wasn't a Jubilee. There's been alot written about the amp. The amp was owned by SIR studios and it was a Tim Caswell modified Marshall- I think it was a MK II. The amp was used by George Lynch as well, and many other bands as it was a studio amp. The story is after recording Appetite, Slash wouldn't return the amp and walked off with it (stole it) from the studio. Some time thereafter, SIR studios learned that GNR was rehearsing somewhere, and sent a few guys in to steal the amp back. No one knows where the amp is now. Mind you- at the time, Slash was a big heroin addict. He sold any guitars he had to support the habit, and it was the producer of GNR that arranged for him to get the Max and Derrig replicas as well as use the MK II amp.

The Jubilee was used on tour for appetite, as well as for all the subsequent recordings. It was a limited edition. Once his got destroyed or damaged in the riot, he asked Marshall to make him a few more- that's when the Slash signature amps were made.

I don't thing A2P's will make you sound like Slash. There's just too many variables. MY Ernie Ball/Music Man Axis into a Marshall JCM800, or even a DSL401, nails Slash's tone better than my Les Paul does.

He's also used custom scatter wound A2P's. Lately he's been using the stock Gibson burstbuckers for Velvet Revolver. Maybe he used '59's in the green Guild guitar.

 

[revolution]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Motor City Pickups also make a 7.6k "Velvet Rose" pickup. Scatterwound. Seems like it might be going after the G'Nr sound. If you want to emulate the first album then stock A2 pros will help get you there but if your going for the more "quacky" cocked wah type sound he used on the Illusion record and beyond then I'd do the custom shop APH as suggested above.


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[PoorMan]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

Slash has used both '59 and APH, actually '59 could be the one used more on the classic records.

My friend is pretty tight with the Slash camp. He uses stock Gibbos and APH-1s exclusively in his Pauls.

You can get pretty darn close to the Slash tone with a APH-1 and a good Marshall amp. I can approximate his lead tones by boosting the mids a bit, but that could be specific to my amp.

 

[disturb]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

The AII Pro set I have in a LP Classic, sounds very close.

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Will an APH II actually give a Slash tone?

I too have started to believe that the site ha mixed up Duncan '59 and LP '59, they certainly said something about Slash using Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59's, but must have meant APH II's. Sorry about that. APH II certainly has more that midrange wibe that Slash has, but amps, pedals, studio hassle, and Slash himself are certainly bigger part in the sound.