A story straight from a guy who tinkered with thee most iconic guitarist that's ever walked God's green earth. He stated that people would constantly hound him for specs and settings/tweaks or tricks and what not, that had been done to the guitars of Jimi Hendrix.
I'm not much of a Strat person anymore having ventured into heavier music but a few guitarists keep me coming back to my old strat. More famous players like Hendrix and Gilmour obviously, but more importantly Ritchie Blackmore and Uli John Roth. Having the Scorpions 'Tokyo Tapes', I was blown away by Roth's tone and playing. It didn't seem like a typical Strat - less shrill and more open. To those in the know, Uli Jon Roth is an immensely important figurehead of rock guitar. He learned much about tone production from listening to classical. Roth's Megawing pickups, built by Trident mixing-board designer.
He stated that back then, no one cared about aftermarket parts/pickups because they didn't exist yet. Players never cared either, they took what they had and made it sound great. He then went on to say that pickups are the most overrated part of the guitar.With the technology we have today like the AxeFx, I now believe what he said to be true and still be the same case today.
Uli Jon Roth talks a lot about pickups and active, pre-EQ here and demonstrates his tones ('a pickup system that can deliver outrageous freedom'):System and PSU:Pickup design and demo starts here (after he talks about his LED lights):With the right pickup you can 'bend it too your will' with pre-EQ a fair bit and get a lot of various voicings with it.can cover a lot of ground. Generally, IME, pre-EQ is far more 'useful' vs swapping tons of pickups, etc. To find 'the tone'. Medium output, tonally balanced pickups are all I need as generators; I then sculpt with pre-EQ.I like his 18V system and how he phantom powers his guitar and I've considered doing that at times; having pre-EQ controls right on your guitar makes for an extremely flexible, and instantly tweak-able, setup. I love an active mid-control, in particular, right on the guitar.
I own a lot of different guitars primarily for their pups! They make a HUGE difference in sound. From P-90s to Zexcoils to the amazing (and amazingly cheap) GFS goldfoils - the differences are stellar! I mostly play single coils, but when I replaced my Epi-SG's stock humbuckers with 4 conductor Gibson Classic 57s (I think that's what they're called), the guitar instantly got more balls, more sweetness too. Sort of amazed that anyone would posit that pups don't make a huge difference - kinda like saying an SM57 and a U47 sound the same. Each transducer imparts its own character (and sometimes the cheaper character is what you want: we once tried every damn mic in a fancy studio for my brother's lead vocals, back in the late 70s/early 80s, and it was the 57 that he sounded best on. Then again, we were a punk band!).
I DO NOT believe that 'tone woods' matter much on a solidbody electric! I've heard great guitars made of plastic, cardboard, tin cans, and milk crates. I think that pickups and scale length are the two biggest determinants outside of the player's hands to solidbody electric guitar sound. Wiring comes in 3rd. Type of strings, 4th (unless you're going from flatwound to roundwound or vice-versa, in which case it might be 1st or 2nd place). People really underestimate scale length. Put identical pups into two guitars, one an SG and one a Strat, and they'll sound quite distinctly different - even if you replicate identical wiring.
That longer strat scale will always have more chime.I forgot to mention a few other things: solidity of neck/body joint, bridge mass, nut material. People mostly agreed that no one really was saying that- but I'd argue- in one way they are.You have a guitar. If you change the body- it's not the same guitar, if you change the neck it's a different guitar. So those aside.You change the strings- not that much of a difference no matter how many people they swear by heavy guages tell me i'm crazy for using 7's and 8's-You can change a bridge- but it's not practical, in some cases possible- or worth what the guitar is worth in many cases.What's left? The springs- if they work well- it's not going to be much of a difference- you can change the frets once again- not practicalYou can change the nut- which- i do in many many guitars- from tusq to genuine floyd rose- and it is an improvement- more so in tuning and sanity than sound.You can change your pick- which does a lot of difference- but overall- you're not doing any of those if you like the guitar- if you have to change everything than the guitar is the problem-What's left to do in a guitar you like that controls every aspect of the sound? If there's one thing I've learned its that people don't like it when you tell them that what they passionately believe in is a bunch of bullshit. Be that religion, politics or tonewood.
When you do that chances are you're not going to convince them, you're only going to trigger some form of cognitive dissonance that causes them to lash out at the messenger, not the message. Because then everything is right with the world again.I've built several guitars using different woods. Alder, swamp ash, ash, mahogany, with maple necks, or rosewood necks. To me they all sounded the same, long before I even heard about the tonewood debate. I now prefer to use alder for guitarbuilding, because ash and mahogany are just too much of a pain in the nether regions to get a good finish with. I prefer maple necks just for the visual look, but I'll go with whatever looks best depending on the guitar's color scheme I'm going to do. Everything matters a little bit.
A guitar is the sum of its parts. Each part has some role to play in the whole system. Pickups certainly do matter, as do wood and construction type (bolt vs set neck, etc.), strings, picks, hardware and so on, but each part's contribution is often much more subtle than people want to believe (or at least not as much as sellers want you to believe). Put a PAF humbucker in a Strat and will not sound exactly like a Les Paul. Put a Fender single coil in a Les Paul and it will not sound exactly like a Strat. Each can sound a little bit closer though.
People like to oversimplify what they do not fully understand and point to one thing and say 'That's why it sounds like that'. In reality, it is the combination of hundreds of factors or more.
That reality does not sell parts. Hype and misdirection does. I'm loving the conversation here right now. Like I said before, my 'clickbaity title' was meant to get more people into the conversation but maybe it was too much so that people jumped to gun to defend that pickups do matter. It is a matter of opinion whether or not something matters to you or not so this was all just about getting experiences and conversation going which it did so that's a good thing.Much like and several luthiers I've talked with (that I believe have a good understanding of everything that goes into making a guitar) have said that guitarists should pay more attention to everything that touches the strings so the nut, saddles, maybe even frets if you really think about it. Something that's easy to notice is when a plastic nut muffles those open chords. There is a wide spectrum of beliefs when it comes to guitar hifi and while at the other spectrum there's that Gibson guy just can't get the right sound without a nitro finish, at the other end of that spectrum is that guy who will make any tone work for him.
I'm sure we would all like to be that guy that makes all gear sound good but that's not always the case for all of us. Also it's really easy for everyone to read about stuff with Google and all that but once again first hand knowledge is IMO more valuable (hence the point of this thread). Surely you'll find a pickup company on Google stating that pickups are the biggest thing you can change in a guitar and that may very well be the case.
I think we can all agree that:PICKUPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE - But does the difference matter to you? Can you get something out of a pickup that you can't do with EQ, drive and compression? I for one can get something out of my Fender, Gibson, PRS and Music Man guitars that the other brand can not do. Tone-wise the differences will be more about the single coil vs split coil vs humbucker thing.
You can't use EQ to make a humbucker to sound like a single coil so at least there I would say pickups matter to me. However placing Strat pickups in an Ibanez did NOT make it sound like a Strat. IRs start to get expensive once you have spent a lot of money on different sellers just to find out that a library from 5 years ago sounds 'better' than an up to date offering.I´m short by $100 to hit the 1K spent on IRs, i have stopped because i really cant hear any more benefits of buying the newest library.But i have spent a small fortune on pickups also, especially PAF clones and 1 vintage set. To me pickups have a tremendous impact in tone and feel on the way your amp will behave.Every song has a magical IR, but the fewer you have the quicker you´ll find it. Don't forget that IR's are linear. They do not take into account the minute differences you get from changing levels. Even for speakers and cabinets, the response you get at 80dB may not be exactly the same as the response you get at 110dB.
It's usually pretty close, but there are usually minute differences (and sometimes even big differences if you push the speaker into breakup). Pickups are physical systems as well and they too can sometimes have similar idiosyncrasies (resonances, microphonics, etc.) that an EQ curve isn't going to fully capture. Don't forget that IR's are linear.
They do not take into account the minute differences you get from changing levels. Even for speakers and cabinets, the response you get at 80dB may not be exactly the same as the response you get at 110dB. It's usually pretty close, but there are usually minute differences (and sometimes even big differences if you push the speaker into breakup). Pickups are physical systems as well and they too can sometimes have similar idiosyncrasies (resonances, microphonics, etc.) that an EQ curve isn't going to fully capture. Cone breakup happens at low levels. Volume isn't a significant part of a guitar speaker's sound.Our ears do like louder sounds though, so probably has more to do with perception/psycho-acoustics.This is from Celestion:'The effect of signal level is not huge,” says Ian White, 'and certainly not as big as it is on the amplifier.
These cone break-up mechanisms happen at a few microvolts input. You don't need to drive 20 Volts into the thing to make them happen. There are some level-related effects that come into play, but they're not the ones we've been talking about up to now. As the level goes up, the voice coil does heat up naturally. That will cause some compression and it could cause some other things to change slightly as well, so the sound will change a little bit as the speaker is driven harder. But the sound character of the speaker is just as much there at low levels as it is at high levels.”The voice coil heating up would be part of the new Speaker Compression parameter in Axe-Fx I think.On thegearpage, Jay Mitchell recently wrote that 'cone breakup' is not related to nonlinearity, and can be captured in an IR taken at a realistic mic position.My guess is that cone breakup essentially creates phase additions and cancellations at the higher frequency range of a woofer, creating peaks and lows which are linear and capturable by an IR.
“It was a really special day for all of us,” remembers the guitarist.“Though it wasn’t the first time I’d been back to the Plaza, I believe it will be the last time because I’ve been told the venue will be demolished for the Olympic Games. That was almost the starting point for this; I thought it would be good to do a farewell concert for the venue, because I felt Tokyo Tapes were my most important shows. The hall still has a beautiful sound that’s identical to how it used to be.“As you can imagine, it’s a bit nostalgic for me! I didn’t have much time on the day because we were filming for Japanese television, but all in all, it was a very exciting day and show, and I’m glad it’s been captured.”Having been using his own self-designed custom Sky guitars since the '80s - fitted with up to an extra octave of frets - there was no question what axe he’d be playing on the night. As it turns out, he stuck to just one single instrument for an overwhelming majority of set.Technically, my top frets are spaced a whole tone apart, so most people would count those as two. I have that spacing to get a real singing tone high up there in the stratospheric regions“Apart from a classical Godin nylon seven-string in the middle of the set for some improvisation, I just used one of my favourites for the whole show,” he reveals.“I’m not sure how many frets it has; they’re all a bit different maybe 35 or 36 or something like that. I don’t think in terms of frets; I think in terms of pitch.
Technically, my top frets are spaced a whole tone apart, so most people would count those as two. I have that spacing to get a real singing tone high up there in the stratospheric regions. The original ones struggled to get a good sound with semitone steps, which made good tone harder due to lack of space for the fingers.”Behind him were three full stacks of Blackstar cabs fed by two Blackstar 100-watt Artisan hand-wired heads and the original Marshall Super Lead Tremolo used on all the Scorpions albums.“I don’t really look for new gear, not at all,” offers the guitarist. “I usually get a lot of pedals to try out at trade shows, but on stage I tend to use a small selection of my favourites. I wouldn’t even call myself a pedal freak”Here he gives us five tips to musical godliness, or as he prefers to call it, the five common diseases of guitar playingTokyo Tapes Revisited is out on 16 December via UDR Music. Prev Page 1 of 6 Next Prev Page 1 of 6 Next. “Just five tips?
This is like the question from hell. Even good guitar players are neglectful of rhythm playing or rhythmical playing. They tend to have a sloppy right picking hand. It’s very important to make sure that your right hand can employ a variety of picking styles. They all sound different and I always find it questionable to use just one everything sounds same-y, and it’s not as flexible.“Work with a metronome and concentrate on achieving a flexible and dynamic right hand with which you can accurately pick notes at different energy levels. Phrasing has a lot to do with placing accents. Some notes are designed to be twice as loud as others.
That gives meaning to music, rather than the slack approach people often employ, which I find boring to listen to.“Assess your right-hand abilities and help it develop a life and mind of its own. With lead guitar players, it can be more of a passive bystander in their skills. It’s the most common lead guitar player disease, especially for those who play in the high-gain field - it’s the kiss of death when it comes to definition almost a form of lying to yourself about sloppy and underdeveloped technique.” Prev Page 2 of 6 Next Prev Page 2 of 6 Next 2. Left hand path. “The same goes for the left hand. Most players will have a preference; they’ll know one hand is more developed. It depends on whether you’re more rhythmically or melodically inclined.
Ideally, you should strive for an equal development of both hands so that they both work perfectly in harmony together. That means the left hand needs a strong sense of rhythm, position, with all fingers stretched evenly and able to do whatever you need independently.Your four digits are like the dancers, but the thumb is like the controller mastermind behind the curtain, running the show“I still use various chromatic exercises for this that I learned when I was kid! If you use your ears, you’ll be able to tell whether there’s room for improvement. Look at the accuracy of the rolling movements, finger by finger. The thumb should completely flexible, too.
Your four digits are like the dancers, but the thumb is like the controller mastermind behind the curtain, running the show.“Be firm and flexible, using the right amount of pressure. I use scalloped necks which tell me exactly when too much pressure is applied. The guys that use too much pressure push notes horribly sharp on a scalloped fretboard you’ll hear that jerkiness in their playing.“There are guys that play lightly with their left hand, which also sounds flaccid-sounding, with little definition or response from the strings. Find exactly the right amount of pressure.” Prev Page 3 of 6 Next Prev Page 3 of 6 Next. “Expression is very important. Every angle the pick attacks the string will give you different sounds and colours, which adds to the expression in your tone.
That can be used in conjunction with your left hand being steady or a moving note that has vibrato.“There are an infinite amount of ways to do vibrato - you could go precisely in time with the music in triplets or semi-quavers, or you could start slowly, speed up in the middle and then taper off almost like a bird increasing its speed of flight.“These concepts need to be investigated because they are important colours you can add to your music. The more you have at your disposal, the more interesting your playing will be, provided you know when enough is enough.It’s in the fingers, but at the end of the day, the real master is your mind“Apply these tools with good taste. Some people seem to overdo everything where it’s very mannered or underdo everything to the point where it gets predictable - boring, to my ears. It’s in the fingers, but at the end of the day, the real master is your mind.“Try to see the notes clearly in front of you while you play.
I seethem - I can literally feel the movement of the string with my whole body. It’s almost like an extremely tunnel-visioned lens extending from my mind through the tip of my fingers and into the end of the note. It’s hard to explain, but that’s how it feels!“And the more you feel, the better the outcome. It can be microscopic and macroscopic; you have to sit back so you can see the whole picture. Luckily, our minds are perfectly capable of doing that because we all have a bit of split personality, or at least should be able to do that.
Every artist will know what I’m talking about here!” Prev Page 4 of 6 Next Prev Page 4 of 6 Next 4. Tone comes from the mind. “Choice of tone is one of the weakest areas for most modern players. Somewhere in between the late-'70s and 2000s we had a major casualty in the guitar community the feeling for tone! It’s a result of our natural tendency to choose the easy way out and go for the lowest common denominator.“To produce a great guitar tone you need a lot of imagination. You need to hear it inside yourself and want it.
The process takes effort: it’s not easy - you need the right guitar and the right amp.“You need to adapt your playing to create the right sound. I went as far as buying houses according to sound that’s the true extent of my deranged mind.
I’ve become more normal now, in later age, but I’m still searching for the perfect tone. It’s always difficult. I know some players out there have a great tone most of the time and sound like themselves, but always use the same equipment.A lot of players sound the same and play with super-high gain. It’s the kiss of death for any real statement of tonal quality“It’s very much a mental thing: imagine your tone. Use the vision of your subconscious. I’ve never sat down and wanted to sound like Uli Jon Roth; I just wanted to make the sounds I could hear in myself.“A lot of people don’t have the desire any more, so a lot of players sound the same and play with super-high gain. It’s the kiss of death for any real statement of tonal quality.
From a distance it can sound okay, but when you’re really exposed to it for longer periods of time, it’s awfully flat and meaningless. I really don’t like it!” Prev Page 5 of 6 Next Prev Page 5 of 6 Next.
“This isn’t just a lead player disease; it goes for all musicians. There’s a lack of willingness to see the whole picture. Most guitarists tend to want to play flashy leads - it’s more like an ego trip of fast scales and arpeggios that sound empty. They get played at breakneck speed without any meaning whatsoever, bypassing 99% of the music-loving public.“The era I come from, in the late-'60s and early-'70s, flashiness virtually didn’t exist. Every guitar player strived for expression that related with the music and touched people in a deeper emotional way.
Nowadays, younger players are spoonfed all the licks of the previous generation, but it’s very rare that I hear someone who actually can make sense musically. They blast through certain scales or use certain bends all the time - it feels like there’s no novelty left.In some regards, the guitar is still in puberty there’s plenty to be discovered still“I would advise the guitar community to go out and search for new ways of expression, because there’s plenty left! In some regards, the guitar is still in puberty there’s plenty to be discovered still.
Get out there and bring it to the table. Don’t try to be original for originality's sake. Be grounded in every aspect of your musicality, especially technique.“Don’t try to impress or be flashy - the music already gives you framework. Listen deeply to the music, starting with single notes, building up to little phrases. Then think about harmonies and rhythms and everything else that exists in the laws of music. The same laws govern us on a mental, physical and spiritual level - music has the key to everything as long you know what you’re looking for. Play with heart and soul, rather than cold mechanical stuff with no feeling.” Prev Page 6 of 6 Next Prev Page 6 of 6 Next.
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