Grateful Dead Music Forum

First of, many thanks to everyone that has posted so much detailed information on this board, your passion for the music in inspiring!

I'm currently putting together a "gigging" Bobby rig (bar gigs mostly) and after reading pretty much everything in the Bobby Tone section here, I've settled in on most of the pieces.

So far, it looks like:

* One of my Mesa Boogie combos (Studio 22 currently with a Celestion speaker or, more likely, my Express 5:25 with a Tone Tubby Hemp Cone speaker)
* Ibanez UE 400
* TS9 > AF9 in the UE 400 effects loop
* Ibanez DM1100
* Still considering Compressor/Limiter Options
* Still considering Equalization directly after guitar (maybe just my Boss EQ pedal)

Now I'm on to the guitar. Like some others here, I find some of the Bobby chord shapes (literally) a stretch. So, after much deliberation, I'm leaning towards going the "shredder" guitar route, getting something that's going to be really easy to play. I'm eyeing an early 90's MIJ Ibanez that has the "Humbucker | Single Coil | Humbucker" configuration.

I'm sure I'll need to change out the stock pickups. I'm thinking some sort of PAF replacement for the Humbuckers. I have a Lace single coil sitting in the music drawer, not sure how appropriate that would be as a replacement.

So, any suggestions? Will I want to Coil Tap the Humbuckers? Do I want the middle PU to be out of phase? Any suggestions on what Humbuckers and single coil to get?

Looks like the BWM1 reissue has DiMarzio PAF 36 Anniversary PUs and an Area 61 PU all with Alnico mags.

What era are you shooting for?

Shredder guitar sounds like late 80's / 90's tone to me.

Since you have H/S/H I'd go with EMG 89 humbuckers and a SA single coil. With a EMG SPC control. The swiches would need to be a on/off/on DPDT switch so you can switch between Hum and Single.

If you're going for a Cowboy tone get the Cowboy pickups

Thanks for the ideas Dozin. I recognize that era makes a huge difference with Bobby tone and that settling in on a tone tends to be a journey for "Bobby" players.

That said, my favorite Dead areas are the One From the Vault, mid/late 70s and 87 to Brent's death. Generally, I like to play tube amps and more analog effects (I like using low powered tube amps cranked up, thus the Studio 22 and Express 5:25).

I know the "shredder" is a compromise as the rest of my equipment is more 70s, but I'm going for playability over authenticity here. That's why I guess I'm leaning more towards the Cowboy.

In my profile pic here it's a Jackson Soloist SLSMG. Very shredder guitar. I loaded it up with a pair of Pearly Gates, wired up mini toggles for series, single parallel and the use the tone knob to push pull out of phase. I can cover a lot of ground with it. But it does a beautiful 76 tone so well.

Thanks strumminsix, good to know. Glad to hear you can get a '76 tone from a guitar like this!

Pretty sure the cowboy reissue had virtual pafs from dimarzio
dont think they r produced anymor

ski_rick wrote:Thanks strumminsix, good to know. Glad to hear you can get a '76 tone from a guitar like this!

I also have D'addario chrome flatwound 10s on it. Forgot to give you part of the recipe, my bad yo! This is an amazing guitar that soundn't sound like it does. LOL!

alcorelectric wrote:Pretty sure the cowboy reissue had virtual pafs from dimarzio
dont think they r produced anymor

Cowboy used a DiMarzio DP 197 in the bridge and a DP 196 in the neck + a 410 single coil in the middle---same is in the Poor Man's Cowboy I built. These are no longer available.

The 410 was replaced by the Area 61

JDB30 wrote:

alcorelectric wrote:Pretty sure the cowboy reissue had virtual pafs from dimarzio
dont think they r produced anymor

Cowboy used a DiMarzio DP 197 in the bridge and a DP 196 in the neck + a 410 single coil in the middle---same is in the Poor Man's Cowboy I built. These are no longer available.

DP 197 and 196 was called Virtual PAF
So it is the same thing

Choices...Choices...I wish I could buy them all and give them a try!

2016 Cowboy Reissue = DiMarzio PAF 36 Anniversary | DiMarzio Area 61 | DiMarzio PAF 36 Anniversary

2005 Cowboy Reissue = DiMarzio Virtual PAF | DiMarzio Virtual Vintage | DiMarzio Virtual PAF

strumminsix = Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (? for middle single coil)

Dozin = EMG 89 | EMG SA | EMG 89 w/ EMG SPC Control

Other = Ibanez Super 80 Flying Fingers (? for middle single coil)

Discontinued ones can be found on eBay/Reverb, what's a guitarist to do?