Kramer Nightswan

[seancorker]

I'm afraid you can't have it all in one guitar. Good funktones for me come from strat-singlecoils. If humbuckers: Mules-set in the middleposition provides decent, crispy funktones. Stormy's would do too.

Oh yes I can! 8).

1986 Kramer Pacer routed to HSH with a titanium block, broken D-tuna and yacht varnish - It does everything!

Seriously though, there are plenty of LP an ES players in top Funk bands

[Telerocker]

They are, that's why I mentioned Mules/SM's. I just said what works for me: strat is ultimate funk. With HSS and HSH you can do a lot. I agree. Still I take more than one guitar on stage bec I need specific sounds (I'm in a Top100-coverband).

[seancorker]

They are, that's why I mentioned Mules/SM's. I just said what works for me: strat is ultimate funk. With HSS and HSH you can do a lot. I agree. Still I take more than one guitar on stage bec I need specific sounds (I'm in a Top100-coverband).

All joking aside, yes you are right about strats and single coils and my neck / middle position (Cold Sweat / mothers milk) nails Nile Rogers on my guitar, but I couldn't do it without the MM.

[gwEm]

I bet the middle pickup on that nightswan wired in parallel would be very funky

[seancorker]

Final update and conclusion,

I eventually went for the RY in the middle choice with a push pull coil tap and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I have 5 very very usable sounds.

The Crawler Bridge and RY middle really compliment each other and the coil tap (which just coil taps the RY leaving the slug on) adds a whole new dimension.

I'm very impressed with the RY. In the middle position it works like either a darker mellower bridge, or a biting neck. Through a Marshal valve combo I couldn't stop playing the Small Faces  :? I don't particularly like the Small Faces either! In tapped format it was Fire / Move over Rover time, with a decent Voodoo Chile thrown in for good measure - Fantastic definition and clarity and the best coil tapped sound I've heard.

It still does the sweep pick shred thing as very well.

In clean mode, with the Crawler and tapped RY I got the clean stratty funk tones I was after too.

All in all, If you find yourself with a Kramer Nightswan then a Crawler and Push pull tapped RY is the way to go.

[Telerocker]

Congrats! Thanks for the feedback.

[Kiichi]

I think that is the first time I heart the RY described as dark and mellow. xD

Anyway, sounds like you got a real keeper with that combo!
Are you splitting the crawler too or just the RY?

Oh and a little thing, you say coil tap, but I think you mean split.^^ Coil tapping is really rare and therefore is often used as a term for coil splitting, which is turning a coil of a humbucker off. Actual coil tapping is when you got a special PU where you can use the full winding or just a part of it, leaving out quite a few turns of wire, making it effectivly underwound in most cases. While this is something I think is really cool and would like try with some overwound PUs it is really, really hard to do it is very rarely ever seen.
90% or more of people get what you mean by coil tapping, it is just a little pet peeve of me ;)

[seancorker]

My apologies for irking your pet peeve but Yes the RY was split not tapped.

The push pull only taps (sorry splits) the RY because I like a HB mixed with a SC as a general Funk / clean tone. For me it punches through better live and adds some muscle to the tone.

The RY is a complete revelation. I'd heard people saying it was a bright PU but in a middle position it is articulate but mellow. If you listen to the live version of Rod Stewart / Faces' Stay with me on you tube you get the idea of where it is. Those major / sus4 triad inversions on the D, G and B strings sound full and mellow but never muddy and always articulate no matter how much gain you add, where as the wound strings have a darker neck PU vibe. The fact that it splits ;-) to a very usable single coil sound is an unexpected bonus.

If you step the gain up to metal levels it sweeps very authentically as well.

Happy days!!!


 

I think that is the first time I heart the RY described as dark and mellow. xD

Anyway, sounds like you got a real keeper with that combo!
Are you splitting the crawler too or just the RY?

Oh and a little thing, you say coil tap, but I think you mean split.^^ Coil tapping is really rare and therefore is often used as a term for coil splitting, which is turning a coil of a humbucker off. Actual coil tapping is when you got a special PU where you can use the full winding or just a part of it, leaving out quite a few turns of wire, making it effectivly underwound in most cases. While this is something I think is really cool and would like try with some overwound PUs it is really, really hard to do it is very rarely ever seen.
90% or more of people get what you mean by coil tapping, it is just a little pet peeve of me ;)

[Prawnik]

Sorry to threadjack but I've been lusting after a Nightswan for years, just like you.

Glad you got yours, play it in good health.

[richard]

Glad it's worked out for you. Have fun.