educate me on guitar pedals

[Brock]

Played an acoustic for 10 years playing folk and bluegrass shit. Bought a cheap strat about a year ago have pounded on it every day, and have figured out I don't know dick about electric guitar. I've been running it through a roland microcube, which is great up to a point. It has simulated effects like trem, phaser, chorus, etc. If you twiddle the knobs on it, it can approximate just about any rock sound there is. Be that as it may, I think I've progressed enough to invest more money into this habit. I've decided to buy a better amp, so I'm open to suggestions, but pedals are what I really don't understand. Also head unit?

I'd like to build a pedal board, with a few different effects, but in particular, I want to play a lot of dick dale/ventures type surfy stuff. I'll occasionally want to play around with some hard rock tones, but I find myself more interested in the bluesy end of things. I know we have some experts around here, so go on, spill.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Cochise

Those are nice, I had a 50s, but I didn't prefer the V shaped neck and the 7.25 radius. Of course that's just a matter of preference. (I think only the 50s have the V neck, the others have the modern C shape)

I've always been a fan of the V necks but I'm good with modern C as well. My Dad recently picked up a Custom Shop 56, which has a V neck and a 9.5 radius. As a lifelong Les Paul and 335 player, he loves it.

But I'm with you on the 7.5 radius. It's not conducive to my playing. 9.5 is about as curved as I can handle and while I have a few 10-16 compound radiuses fingerboards, the Gibson straight 12" is my favorite.

[RobBlake]

strymon bluesky is a beautiful sounding pedal.. one of my fav lead guitarist uses it.

I highly suggest Polytune pedal. Has settings for different tunings like E/Eb etc and guitar and bass.

Just try your best not to muddy up your sound.. so if you learn how to set up your sound before using effects outside of your amp.. you will be on your way

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I've always been a fan of the V necks but I'm good with modern C as well. My Dad recently picked up a Custom Shop 56, which has a V neck and a 9.5 radius. As a lifelong Les Paul and 335 player, he loves it.

But I'm with you on the 7.5 radius. It's not conducive to my playing. 9.5 is about as curved as I can handle and while I have a few 10-16 compound radiuses fingerboards, the Gibson straight 12" is my favorite.

Nice. I'd like to own one of the american vintage strats someday.

One thing I liked about the road worn though was that it had the tall/thin frets. I'm not a fan of vintage frets, but I've probably just been spoiled by the fact that everything comes with jumbo these days. I like the subtle vibrato you can do with finger pressure behind the fret when you have the 6105s.

[RobBlake]

Since this is essentially a help thread... anyone know of some good websites to find some decent humbucker pickups *particularly for the bridge* for a telecaster?

[Brock]

Originally Posted by RobBlake

Since this is essentially a help thread... anyone know of some good websites to find some decent humbucker pickups *particularly for the bridge* for a telecaster?

I've been looking at a seymour duncan hb for when I get tired of this guitar's tone. Probably take years.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Brock

I've been looking at a seymour duncan hb for when I get tired of this guitar's tone. Probably take years.

I wouldn't recommend bastardizing your Strat. The results are never satisfactory. Either it won't sounding thick like a humbucking guitar or it'll no longer sound like a Strat,

IMO, the better option is to purchase a guitar designed with humbuckers. Epiphone is offering unusually high quality guitars for the price. A G400 Pro, which is their best SG, has the Epiphone Pro Bucker pickups, which are Chinese made versions of the Gibson Burstbucker Pro's. Same materials, same winding machines, same magnets.

Have a local luthier cut a bone nut and you'll have a nice guitar that will compliment your Strat.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by RobBlake

Since this is essentially a help thread... anyone know of some good websites to find some decent humbucker pickups *particularly for the bridge* for a telecaster?

IMO, Jason Lollar is making the best pickups in the world right now. They sound absolutely amazing. I'm currently using them in three of my 13 guitars and I plan to replace a Gibson Burstbucker Pro and a Classic 57 Plus at some point this year.

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/mer...caster-pickups

[Brock]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I wouldn't recommend bastardizing your Strat. The results are never satisfactory. Either it won't sounding thick like a humbucking guitar or it'll no longer sound like a Strat,

IMO, the better option is to purchase a guitar designed with humbuckers. Epiphone is offering unusually high quality guitars for the price. A G400 Pro, which is their best SG, has the Epiphone Pro Bucker pickups, which are Chinese made versions of the Gibson Burstbucker Pro's. Same materials, same winding machines, same magnets.

Have a local luthier cut a bone nut and you'll have a nice guitar that will compliment your Strat.

Are you familiar with the wiring mod where you have a toggle switch to a second set of pickup combos? Another thing I doubt I will actually do, but was wondering if it was worthwhile.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Brock

Are you familiar with the wiring mod where you have a toggle switch to a second set of pickup combos? Another thing I doubt I will actually do, but was wondering if it was worthwhile.

On the Strat? I kind of sounds like you're referring to a 7-way switch instead of the standard five (unless your 60's Strat is wired with a 3 way switch?).

There are tons of mods out there but I prefer a standard 5 way switch were it's as follows: Neck, Neck/Middle, Middle, Middle/Bridge, Bridge.

My favorite mod with this wiring is to move the first tone knob, which is wired to the neck pickup, to the Bridge pickup. That way, you can roll off top end and "fatten up" the Bridge tone.

[Ragged Robin]

Originally Posted by Brock

Played an acoustic for 10 years playing folk and bluegrass shit. Bought a cheap strat about a year ago have pounded on it every day, and have figured out I don't know dick about electric guitar. I've been running it through a roland microcube, which is great up to a point. It has simulated effects like trem, phaser, chorus, etc. If you twiddle the knobs on it, it can approximate just about any rock sound there is. Be that as it may, I think I've progressed enough to invest more money into this habit. I've decided to buy a better amp, so I'm open to suggestions, but pedals are what I really don't understand. Also head unit?

I'd like to build a pedal board, with a few different effects, but in particular, I want to play a lot of dick dale/ventures type surfy stuff. I'll occasionally want to play around with some hard rock tones, but I find myself more interested in the bluesy end of things. I know we have some experts around here, so go on, spill.

It depends on what kind sound you're going for, then getting what you need to accomplish it. I would look up some artists you're into and see what kind setup they're running for ideas, or even messing around with a few at a shop. When I was really into 90s alternative I picked up mostly Boss pedals -- Digital Delay, Tremolo, Flanger, Metal Zone (didn't like this at all) and also the tuner one. The Digital Delay was the most powerful in terms of usage, I loved just setting it off to make ridiculously ****ed up distorted ambient noises and then throwing in the Flanger and Tremolo for maximum space noise epicness.

I also had a Proco RAT2 that I really liked but mostly played out of the built-in distortion on my head (randall rg2 or something like that) because it had a particularly delicious and juicy channel 2 distortion.

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I wouldn't recommend bastardizing your Strat. The results are never satisfactory. Either it won't sounding thick like a humbucking guitar or it'll no longer sound like a Strat,

IMO, the better option is to purchase a guitar designed with humbuckers. Epiphone is offering unusually high quality guitars for the price. A G400 Pro, which is their best SG, has the Epiphone Pro Bucker pickups, which are Chinese made versions of the Gibson Burstbucker Pro's. Same materials, same winding machines, same magnets.

Have a local luthier cut a bone nut and you'll have a nice guitar that will compliment your Strat.

I don't mind it on a Strat, I like frankenstrats but on a Tele nooooo ****ing way, completely defeats the purpose. I completely agree on the other notion though, I went sort of the same route when I had an Epiphone Dot, put a Seymour Duncan distortion on the bridge and jazz on the neck, also put a tromolo arc/bar thing on it.. om nom nom nom (I think I sold the whole thing for only $300 on ebay lol..)

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Ragged Robin

I don't mind it on a Strat, I like frankenstrats but on a Tele nooooo ****ing way, completely defeats the purpose. I completely agree on the other notion though, I went sort of the same route when I had an Epiphone Dot, put a Seymour Duncan distortion on the bridge and jazz on the neck, also put a tromolo arc/bar thing on it.. om nom nom nom (I think I sold the whole thing for only $300 on ebay lol..)

I get that but as inexpensive and well made guitars are today, picking up a decent Strat style body with a humbucker is such an easy alternative.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Brock

Are you familiar with the wiring mod where you have a toggle switch to a second set of pickup combos? Another thing I doubt I will actually do, but was wondering if it was worthwhile.

Some people put a push-pull pot or an extra switch like David Gilmour uses to give them different combinations, like wiring the pickups in series or giving all three pups or the neck & bridge combination. There are wiring diagrams online if you want to do that, you just need to know how to solder.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

IMO, Jason Lollar is making the best pickups in the world right now. They sound absolutely amazing. I'm currently using them in three of my 13 guitars and I plan to replace a Gibson Burstbucker Pro and a Classic 57 Plus at some point this year.

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/mer...caster-pickups

I have the Dirty Blonde set. I am just a hobbyist, but I really like them.