#1930037 - 04/21/08 08:07 AM
A Strat Newbie confesses.
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RobRose
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Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 180
Loc: Ottawa, ON
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Hi All. I've been a Gibson player for 25 years... never could play a strat -- I have owned three, but could not play them due to scale, neck, rig -- there was always a reason. I finally found a perfect strat for me (a custom shop)... It has a maple neck (I wrongly thought a rosewood neck would be closer and more familiar -- it may be, but I don't get the tone and feel I was looking for -- a major lesson learned).
2 questions:
1) I NEVER play the bridge pickup alone -- I find it sounds very bite-y and harsh... I was thinking of replacing it with a single space humbucker like a Duncan Lil 59 or JB Jr. Thoughts? How would this impact the tone of the bridge-middle combination?
2) I play through two amps -- A CARR Vincent (all tube -- very boutique-y tone) and a Mesa LoneStar. Any tips from players using both Gibsons and Fenders on adjustments to amp controls when moving from guitar to guitar... Great Fender players have great tone and my assumption is that every knob they own from guitar to pedal to amp is twiddled to be optimized for that Strat... I've (of course) done the same for a Gibson-style guitar. Tips, please?
Thanks,
Rob
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LP, CS-336, TA DropTop T, ASAT Cstm, Ravelle Cstm, Cstm Shop Strat, Reverend Charger290 & Parris Models, Custom Variax, Godin Freeway, Martin DC16RGTE, Schecter Bass
Mesa Lonestar, Carr Vincent amps
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#1930098 - 04/21/08 10:09 AM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: RobRose]
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Michael Patrick
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Registered: 04/18/07
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Loc: Madison, WI
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I really don't touch any of the knobs on my amp or pedals when I switch from a Gibson to a Fender. Some pedals I may use more or less with one or the other because I think they match up better. Otherwise, I plug in and go...
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#1930133 - 04/21/08 11:02 AM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: RobRose]
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GuitarPlayerFL
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Registered: 10/06/02
Posts: 1300
Loc: Florida
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I'm not a Strat expert, but I've noticed two things in the years I've had them.
1) I've had humbuckers in the rear with a split coil switch and, to me, it does not sound the same combined with the middle pup as does a stock single coil in the rear.
2) Not sure about your Strat, but I always wire the rear pup to the tone knob. Stock Strats (at least they used to be) aren't wired to the tone knob. If you reduce the tone to about 2, you can get away with a distorted tone on the lead pickup.
I will probably be asking another Strat question here on another thread about amp settings with Strats. I have a hard time dialing in acceptable dirty tones as Strats tends to be tinny.
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A great Jazz/Chord Melody Master (my former instructor http://www.robertconti.comLP/Strat/Tele/PV/Wolfgang/POD/JTM 45 Keys: RD700SX/XP-10/Karma (FKA GuitarPlayerSoCal) "I Love L.A." - Randy Newman
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#1930255 - 04/21/08 02:36 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: Hardtail]
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splitting hare
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Registered: 05/29/07
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Yeah... I don't think much about tone changes on the amp between guitars. I may dial the gain up or down a little depending on what I use. The rest though, I dial through the Strat controls.
Usually, on the LP, I have all P/U controls maxed... usually.
I am kind of the same way. I generally have the tone backed off a little on the Strat, maybe about 7 or 8. The controls on the LPs are maxed. If need be I might back off on the volume controls on any of them, but VERY little.
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#1930271 - 04/21/08 02:55 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: splitting hare]
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mdrs
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The biggest thing about changing from a strat to a LP in my experience is the volume. Generally, Gibby LP's are much louder. So, I usually adjust the guitar volume to accomodate the difference. With the old Fender combos, I'll generally turn down the volume on the amp to protect the old speakers, and also to get the proper tone....a Gibby LP can overpower the smaller of the vintage Fender combos and render your tone "mushy".
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#1930274 - 04/21/08 02:58 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: mdrs]
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mdrs
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Also, I've had a lot of success with using the bridge pu on a Strat to get a rock and roll crunch. I'm typically using a older Marshall or a JCM-800 reissue, or a good Fender combo. I don't always need it, but the Klon helps a lot, too.
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#1930289 - 04/21/08 03:23 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: mdrs]
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Bluesape
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Whenever I gig, I have at least 1 Strat-type axe, and 1 HB axe, typically it's the Freeway and LP that come along, being the newest toys. I set the amp where I want it, and rely on fx for the rest. Because Strats are inherently cleaner and thinner than LP's, a nastier distortion setting may be in order with SC pups. The Freeways are very Stratty in positions 2,3, and 4, but typically those are used for quieter passages. In 1 and 5, they scream like SG's, and can go with the same fx as the LP.
If my brown 355 is doing the HB duty, then I'll bring an actual Strat or a Blade, as that particular 355 has splittable HB's, and can share amp settings just fine with a SC axe.
Having both types of pups on the same axe allows one to attenuate to a point, just by going to SC. That option isn't there with a Strat, so a touch more OD, a pedal you don't normally need to use with Gibby's, should get ya there.
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Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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#1938194 - 05/06/08 05:13 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: Bluesape]
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RobRose
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Registered: 02/16/08
Posts: 180
Loc: Ottawa, ON
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Thanks for the advice guys! I will live with the strat for a while before I think about popping in a humbucke rin the bridge...
_________________________
LP, CS-336, TA DropTop T, ASAT Cstm, Ravelle Cstm, Cstm Shop Strat, Reverend Charger290 & Parris Models, Custom Variax, Godin Freeway, Martin DC16RGTE, Schecter Bass
Mesa Lonestar, Carr Vincent amps
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#1938230 - 05/06/08 05:52 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: Dr. Ellwood]
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mdrs
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The biggest thing about changing from a strat to a LP in my experience is the volume. Generally, Gibby LP's are much louder. So, I usually adjust the guitar volume to accomodate the difference. With the old Fender combos, I'll generally turn down the volume on the amp to protect the old speakers, and also to get the proper tone....a Gibby LP can overpower the smaller of the vintage Fender combos and render your tone "mushy". This is what I do, I use a old Shure mono line mixer between the Strat and the LP's and the amp. I adjust the amp for max volume that I want to use in the venue. I adjust each guitar for the maximum volume, per channel volume, the Master volume on the far right end of the mixer adjusts the over all max volume going into the amps front end. SO... a single coil guitar is as loud as a humbucking guitar, once adjusted, the amp is never touched: 
Dr. Ell....that Shure Mono Line Mixer is the best solution for this type of thing that I've seen.
Is this line mixer a commonly used item? Are they still made?
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#1938273 - 05/06/08 07:29 PM
Re: A Strat Newbie confesses.
[Re: mdrs]
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Dr. Ellwood
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Registered: 06/07/02
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The biggest thing about changing from a strat to a LP in my experience is the volume. Generally, Gibby LP's are much louder. So, I usually adjust the guitar volume to accomodate the difference. With the old Fender combos, I'll generally turn down the volume on the amp to protect the old speakers, and also to get the proper tone....a Gibby LP can overpower the smaller of the vintage Fender combos and render your tone "mushy". This is what I do, I use a old Shure mono line mixer between the Strat and the LP's and the amp. I adjust the amp for max volume that I want to use in the venue. I adjust each guitar for the maximum volume, per channel volume, the Master volume on the far right end of the mixer adjusts the over all max volume going into the amps front end. SO... a single coil guitar is as loud as a humbucking guitar, once adjusted, the amp is never touched: Dr. Ell....that Shure Mono Line Mixer is the best solution for this type of thing that I've seen. Is this line mixer a commonly used item? Are they still made?
No Doc, no longer made but there are lots of mono mixers available I'm sure. They are powered and completely transparent in the signal chain, just a efficient pad to keep the max volume on each guitar right where the amps are happy, simple solution, set and forget it's there.
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Moderator: myles_rose, A String, Bluesape
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I've played Strats and Gibson's forever and once I'm setup on the amps I never touch anything. The stock Strat has everything I ever need to do any kind of material that a Strat is used on, I don't personally have any reason to change PU's. On the 5 position switch I use the #3 position and get all the Strateness I want, if I need some other kind of tone I go to the Gibsons. IMO Great Strat players KNOW when to be great Gibson players and always have both on stage with them. 
