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Dangit, I wish I could get a Strat to Sound like This.


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This popped up in my youtube feed, as i've been watching too many stratocaster videos. It's a demo of the new Eric Johnson Thinline, done by sweetwater through a Friedman amp. Great freakin tones.. ones that i can never seem to get out of a strat-type guitar.  Even with the super shiny lacquered fretboard, I want one.

Also, anyone know if the progression Rob Carr is playing at the beginning part of some longer song? It's a great progression, and I'd love to hear the rest of it if anyone knows what it is.

 

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3 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

It's a demo of the new Eric Johnson Thinline, done by sweetwater through a Friedman amp. Great freakin tones.. ones that i can never seem to get out of a strat-type guitar.

You probably don't have access to Sweetwater's studio, either. I love their demos. Unlike most on youtube, they always sound great.

There's a pedalboard in front of the Friedman. Prolly a fuzz/od, chorus and delay, and who-knows-what FX in post-production. So, don't feel bad if you can't get the sound of a fully automated, 48-track studio at home. 

Strats are easy to get a great sound from. You just have to experiment with your amp and (all-important) the balance of the pickup heights. "Strat-itis" is a real thing, and there is a fine line between clever and stupid.

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 It is good to see people who actually care about something that sounds nice. I'm always amazed at how even companies like Mesa Boogie can't seem to get good demos for their gear.  Carvin Amplifiers was notorious for it's crappy demos.

I need to break out my SD pickup booster to see if I can get a more beefy bridge sound. The G&L Legacy has an overwound bridge, so it should be good enough to get some good tones.

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Additionally, you can always use the booster (or your amps preamp od) for a slight boost with the Strat's volume at about 7. Get a good, grinding sound and turn the guitar volume up for solos. The tone control is very useful in this respect, too. The Fender TBX control was a genius invention in the 80's.

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Get a Monaco III. It can do most of these tones, if not all.

Perhaps it will sound a tad fatter on the high strings when soloing. But I think it sounds cooler. It is definately in the same ball park. A fat semi hollow strat sound than rocks like hell.

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9 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Carvin Amplifiers was notorious for it's crappy demos.

For sure.  But they were a good representation of what the amp actually sounded like most of the time...

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38 minutes ago, The Shark said:

For sure.  But they were a good representation of what the amp actually sounded like most of the time...

Sad but true. Thankfully some modifications and speaker swaps usually were good at fixing that. My 90's X-100B though sounds incredible, and their bass amplifiers were top notch, IMHO.

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6 hours ago, Disturber said:

Get a Monaco III. It can do most of these tones, if not all.

Perhaps it will sound a tad fatter on the high strings when soloing. But I think it sounds cooler. It is definately in the same ball park. A fat semi hollow strat sound than rocks like hell.

The first time I saw that demonstrated it blew my mind.  The Monaco III really can get into Fender territory. 

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6 hours ago, tbonesullivan said:

Sad but true. Thankfully some modifications and speaker swaps usually were good at fixing that. My 90's X-100B though sounds incredible, and their bass amplifiers were top notch, IMHO.

I had a 50wt 2x12 BelAir that sounded great, but it ate tubes like crazy.  Had a 100B, but it sounded like a chainsaw.  Used 25wt greenbacks.  Graphic EQ just couldn't overcome the "buzz".

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I have long enjoyed EJ's style, phrasing, tone, and songcraft.  One of the greats, IMHO. I do not, however, consider his usual tone to be very Strat-like ("Steve's Boogie" notwithstanding). To me, it sounds more like a set neck guitar with low-wind humbuckers or mini-hums routed through a litany of outboard gizmos and into a tube amp on the high-burner setting. So...you wouldn't be the only one that has difficulties getting a stock-spec Fender Strat or similar platform to sound like EJ. 

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On 7/31/2018 at 3:34 PM, Biz Prof said:

I have long enjoyed EJ's style, phrasing, tone, and songcraft.  One of the greats, IMHO. I do not, however, consider his usual tone to be very Strat-like ("Steve's Boogie" notwithstanding). To me, it sounds more like a set neck guitar with low-wind humbuckers or mini-hums routed through a litany of outboard gizmos and into a tube amp on the high-burner setting. So...you wouldn't be the only one that has difficulties getting a stock-spec Fender Strat or similar platform to sound like EJ. 

                                      I saw  Eric Johnson live  more times than anyone else [And I'll be seeing him here again in Minnesota in the fall ] Way back to his time with "MARIANI" and  "THE ELECTROMAGNETS" he was always a incredible guitarist. Some guys just have "IT" from the start and he is definitely one of those.His "Strat" sound has changed through the years somewhat but you can always tell it is him. I think his best period  was during the "TONES" era , though I REALLY love the Electromagnets and the sound Eric was getting during that time. 

 

 

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On 7/31/2018 at 8:59 AM, Disturber said:

Get a Monaco III. It can do most of these tones, if not all.

Perhaps it will sound a tad fatter on the high strings when soloing. But I think it sounds cooler. It is definately in the same ball park. A fat semi hollow strat sound than rocks like hell.

DONT talk about M3... 😂

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I'm not much of a vintage guitar guy.  I like everything about that guitar except the nitrocellulose lacquer on the fret board.  I don't think I'd like nitrocellulose lacquer on the back of the neck either for that matter.  I suppose it wears off over time.  The light weight, 12" fretboard radius, and A3 and A5 Pickups would be nice.

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5 minutes ago, dhuber said:

I'm not much of a vintage guitar guy.  I like everything about that guitar except the nitrocellulose lacquer on the fret board.  I don't think I'd like nitrocellulose lacquer on the back of the neck either for that matter.  I suppose it wears off over time. 

Per Fender's crap marketting:

" Thin, porous and delicate, it’s a premium finish prized for sonic qualities that let body woods breathe with their true tonal character, and for an appearance that ages and wears in a distinctive way appealing to many players. "

Guess that's fretboard's gotta breathe! Even though from what I've heard it's only the top coat, and the body sealer and color coats are most likely NOT nitro.

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On 8/1/2018 at 7:11 PM, tbonesullivan said:

Per Fender's crap marketting:

" Thin, porous and delicate, it’s a premium finish prized for sonic qualities that let body woods breathe with their true tonal character, and for an appearance that ages and wears in a distinctive way appealing to many players. "

Guess that's fretboard's gotta breathe! Even though from what I've heard it's only the top coat, and the body sealer and color coats are most likely NOT nitro.

                         Yes there is always some skilled marketing going on here.......................the tree has been cut and so the wood is by all counts dead for sure................no breathing going on...........where do people get this stuff dreamed up?:wacko:

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On 7/30/2018 at 10:35 PM, tbonesullivan said:

I need to break out my SD pickup booster to see if I can get a more beefy bridge sound. The G&L Legacy has an overwound bridge, so it should be good enough to get some good tones.

It’s interesting to see how I try to do exactly the contrary with my HB-equipped guitars. I mean, the ones whose tones I like the most have *underwound* bridge pickups —either HB our HB-sized single coils. 😐

BTW, wasn’t tone in the fingers? 😏

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Most of the "legendary" rock sounds were not made using high output pickups. I mean, they help, but in the end, there's so much else that goes into it.

Most of my guitars have "middle of the road" output pickups.

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