Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Scott674 on February 14, 2008, 02:58:24 AM
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What kind of pups would be best for bringing out a nice Glassy, Sweet, Bell like tone? I don't like trying to describe tone/sound, I find it quite difficult, but was wondering what would do this best? Play something on your first 5 frets while doing your picking/strumming over the 12th fret. It's really.... well... bellish. I can't think of another way to describe it... Hopefully what I've said does it thuogh. Any BKP's "enhance" this? Bring it out more? No guitar in particular, I'm thinking building one around this concept though...
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I assume that you are talking S type guitar but perhaps you could tell us more. The tones you talk of are traditionally ascribed to S types -or at least they are to me.
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lol
will you make a hollow body in bronze cast metal?
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lol
will you make a hollow body in bronze cats metal?
LOL
If pressed, I would say that Mr38th is on the right track ... bell-like, to my ears = Strat neck tones.
The most bell-like Strat neck tone I've come across is the Irish Tour. Mileage may vary, but that's been my experience thus far.
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lol
will you make a hollow body in bronze cats metal?
LOL
If pressed, I would say that Mr38th is on the right track ... bell-like, to my ears = Strat neck tones.
The most bell-like Strat neck tone I've come across is the Irish Tour. Mileage may vary, but that's been my experience thus far.
+1 as well as 11's and relatively high action.
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No guitar in particular... I kinda want to put one together though... Maybe I'll look at a set of Irish Tours for my strat...
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Well also check out the Apaches I would suggest.
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Well also check out the Apaches I would suggest.
Hehe, I figured Apaches would come into the conversation at some point.
To my ears, the Apaches are tonally neutral. They do that classic 'quack and spank' of Strat pups beautifully, but they are not the first pup that comes to mind when I think of bell-like tones.
Admittedly, I've only had very limited experience with the Apaches (In Phil's '50-whatever Strat) versus the Irish Tour neck (which I own and have used in several guitars).
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I can vouch for the bell-ness of the ITs
But I only have uber-trillogies for comparison, and have only had the ITs in one guitar
So take no notice of me!
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Ben, you know me too well. I can't comment on the IT's though and I have no doubt you are correct but I can get a beautiful warm Strat tone out of mine.
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As a non-owner of any BKPs for my Strat , I (as a lover of bell like tones, cluck and quack ) - would have thought ( If I had to guess ) that BKP Sultans are the very ticket .
Having said that, I want some high end 'sparkle' in there too - and presume the lower powered Sultans are the 'sparkliest' of all ... 8)
Any comments ?
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^ Good questions, all
Any opinions, fellas??
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All of the BK strat pickups will do what you are asking. The Stormy Monday can also give you some very hollow sounding clean tones. I would say that the Apache's are cleaner than the Irish Tours, however it also depends on the guitar. There are tones in different guitar contruction which will also determine this. To me the most bell like tones need a 25.5 inch scale, it seems to let the strings ring more.
I think we need an example of the tone you mean, do you have a piece of music where you hear it?
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No I dont' have any particular piece of music in mind. I'm thinking of getting a guitar for this "Tonal Concept" though... Sounds like it'll be a strat. I've never been a fan of the Strat's temolo arm though, which seems to be norm. I never use it and doesn't help any as far as staying in tune and what not. I haven't screwed in the arm on my strat for ages... I think I might find a hard-tail strat.
Where I've got this idea from isn't music, but from playing my guitar by doing my picking/strumming much higher up on the strings than normal. Depending on where you're playing on the fretboard, do your picking anywhere from the 12th fret to the 20th fret. Maybe even unplug it. I absolutely love that sound... It's almost like a classical guitar... but not quite.
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Just get a hard tail, or use 5 springs on the trem. :)
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Mine is a hard tail and has always been a resonant guitar. It is a US made 1970's and as such, has been maligned by many who have changed their tune when they have either played or heard it. I have a trem Strat too (with Slowhands) and have blocked the trem off on that as I am not a fan of them either.
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Those must be a set of slowhands in your avatar then? It looks like a trem bridge to me... I've tried looking, perhaps not hard enough, but couldn't find any clips posted by you... Have you ever posted any clips from either of your strats? I'd be interested to hear each of them!
EDIT: I did see the country boy clip...
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The Strat in the Avatar does have Slowhands though I have not posted any clips of it. I did post one of the other Strat with the Apaches a while back but I think it was culled as there was a shortage of space at the time. I have the gear to do it but time for me is an issue but thinking about it, maybe I ought to do a track with both guitars giving a direct comparison.
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I might be one of the very few people on this forum that own Sultans (neck & middle in an alder strat) - I find them very bright, airy, sparkly.
Also have Irish Tours (neck & middle in a korina strat) & a Trilogy (neck in a Charvel). To my ears the Irish Tours have a nice bright tone with enough "sizzle" to play with more aggressive, crunchy tones as well as cleans. The Trilogy is pretty powerful, but very clean & clear.
But I'm mostly a metal player, so singles aren't really my thing. IMO the best clean tone in existence comes from a Holy Diver neck. YMMV etc... :)
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Hey Scott - I think it is safe to say that the tones you're after are very Strat like. So you don't like trems - then get a hardtail. I'm going to build a hardtail strat next I think.
Both Apaches and Irish Tours will give you these tones. I have played both sets. I cannot vouch for the rest of the sets but I can guarantee they will sound nice.
My Apache'd Strat and my bro's MIM Irish Tour strat are the nicest sounding strats I have ever played.
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Yeah, Right now I've got a MIM fat strat. I've also been looking at Warmoth ALOT as of late and would really like to put a custom together through them... Im tossing back and forth between getting a VHII-Irish Tour HSS Set for my current strat, and a completely new strat from Warmoth.... with some Irish Tours. That's just part of my mile long wish list though... we'll see what happens.
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...part of my mile long wish list ...
:lol: I have one of those too :)