Grateful Dead Music Forum

If one were to get an electric "off the shelf" setup to play GD at home what would be the best setup to match the tone of Jerry? I know this is a loaded question because Jerry had many different tones througout his career. I am just a decent acoustic player that is looking to get into electric but I want to get someting that sounds awesome and is fairly easy to play. I've played some friends home setups and they don't sound that good. What guitar / amp setup would come the closest without replacing pickups etc. What would be some good effects pedals to have also? Thanks for any responses. I've read this fourm for a long time and thoroughly enjoy the knowledge of the people who answer posts like this!

Off the shelf... well, I'm not the expert that some of the other guys are, but I'd probably say: Strat (3 single coils), Fender Twin, distortion depending on what era you're looking for, mutron, good phase, a good delay, Boss octave. That should have you somewhere in the ballpark.

You'd spend days and a left nut trying to find a decent sounding Mutron, try an Electro Harmonix Qtron (envelope filter) instead (same engineer designed both...) way easier to get and cheaper...

Good call, I guess what I meant was that or something of the like. I actually just switched to a Qtron myself and am well satisfied. My buddy uses a Boss Filter which I couldn't get decent results from but he likes it. I know the Discombobulator is also highly recommended. I've yet to try one.

Depends on how loud your "home setup" needs to be... oh and your $ budget, of course.

My friend has a Strat and a small Fender Sidekick amp. It sounds pretty good at low volume.

I'd say the Fender Stratocaster sound is a good choice for the majority of Jerry's tones from '72 on. I actually have a Roland Cube 30 as a practice amp and I can get a decent sound on the "Blackface" setting.

Jim

Considerations:
- sound kinda like JG
- buy at Guitar Center / Sam Ash
- you are primarily an acoustic player

I'd grab an Am Std Strat (maple neck & fingerboard) + Deluxe Reverb Re-Issue + POD M13 and ask Jon S about JG tone Settings.

From what I am hearing, a Strat may be the way to go. How about something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-Fender-America ... 4cecb31664

I don't like buying off E-bay as you never know the history of the guitat and you can't check it over before purchasing but would something like this be OK?

Thanks!

csfl wrote:From what I am hearing, a Strat may be the way to go. How about something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-Fender-America ... 4cecb31664

I don't like buying off E-bay as you never know the history of the guitat and you can't check it over before purchasing but would something like this be OK?

Thanks!

It was setup as a metal-head guitar I am guessing with that dual in the bridge and the bass side of the other 2 pickups bottomed out.

Looks like a nice at an okay price if you want a dual in the bridge and ready for a setup. However, I'd value it at $700 but that's just me.

I'd pick up the jerrified schecter that kierweir has posted for 5 bills. If your looking for the europe 72 sound then you might want to consider a strat but I think you may get more jerry sounds with kierweir's guitar. Fender twin may be more amp than you want for home us, look for a tube amp with good reverb on craigsist. If you do not have any pedals then you might want to consider looking into a modeling amp like the axefx or line6.

I am strictly a living room musician. This is my home setup. It is somewhat "good sounding." At least to my ears in a small room.

- Fender Stratocaster (MIJ 88) - Maple neck, stock electronics.

- Fender Super 60 (red knob, tube, Rivera design, 1 x 12) - Bright, clean channel (some have said not very loud on clean, but its loud enough for my ears),
Gritty overdrive (very loud, cannot turn up louder than 3 in the house)

- Effects: Boss Dynamic Wah (AW-3) > Boss Metal Zone (MT-2) > MXR Phase 90 (M-101 Block Logo) > Digitech DigiDelay (X-Series Digital Delay)

- On the shelf now but usually in the chain: Danelectro Transparent Overdrive (CTO-1). I love this thing for $29. Metal housing, True By-Pass, huge volume boost, and really warm drive that allows the guitars natural tone to sound through. I took it out of the chain for the time as I am just experimenting with other tones while using the amp's nice overdrive for crunchiness and boost.

strumminsix wrote:Considerations:
- sound kinda like JG
- buy at Guitar Center / Sam Ash
- you are primarily an acoustic player

I'd grab an Am Std Strat (maple neck & fingerboard) + Deluxe Reverb Re-Issue + POD M13 and ask Jon S about JG tone Settings.

I'm Jerry-fying a DRRI and am going with a weber california speaker, jj 6v6's, and low gain preamp tubes.

ronster wrote:I'd pick up the jerrified schecter that kierweir has posted for 5 bills. If your looking for the europe 72 sound then you might want to consider a strat but I think you may get more jerry sounds with kierweir's guitar. Fender twin may be more amp than you want for home us, look for a tube amp with good reverb on craigsist. If you do not have any pedals then you might want to consider looking into a modeling amp like the axefx or line6.

Sorry boys she's sold!