Grateful Dead Music Forum

Most of my time in the basement is sans effects and usually my Tele into a small tube amp.

And I've gotta say that pure signal with a short cable seems to be the tone that mostly does it for me.

Not sure what kind of feedback I'm looking for here except maybe an AMEN from my brother on the pure beauty of guitar straight into a low wattage tube amp.

Tonight it was:
08 Am Std Tele > Hogan Mogami cable > Fargen HotMod'd Fender Blues Jr.

HEAVEN!

AMEN my brother.....This isn't something I give a lot of thought to because I've spent so much time and energry building the perfect 400 lb beast with my Garcia rig. But I also have a 52 tele reissue that I play straight into my Blues junior or DRRI. I have to say that there's something very special and satisfying about the pure kick ass tone that it yields and the simplicity that goes with it. If I wasn't such a gear junkie and didn't have such an interest in copping Jerry's Super 2 era tone, I could probably ditch everything else and be happy with it.

Couldn't agree more!

As much as I enjoy playing with different amps, speakers, and guitars, my personal tonal center of the universe is an E series squire straight into a 78 Champ. Sometimes just the basic set up frees me up for writing and learning - and not having to mess with pedals, settings, etc.

10-4

FretWilkes wrote:10-4

BTW, strummin-doppelganger-Wilkes, I though of you with that Blues Jr as I know she's your #1!

Also, I am gonna do a parts build on a blackguard butterscotch blonde and parts should be delivered within a few weeks

Happiness is a Tele straight into a small tube amp

if ya say that to the tune of the beatles song "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
then a little 'Bang Bang Shoot Shoot' it is fun.


I too love small tube amps, yabba dabba do.

strumminsix wrote:Also, I am gonna do a parts build on a blackguard butterscotch blonde and parts should be delivered within a few weeks

Good luck on the build Nick.

Here's one I did a few years ago. I won the raw body and neck on the TDPRI and I fleshed it out with Callaham hardware, a Van Zandt bridge pickup and a Duncan neck pickup. I was shocked how nice it came out!

The body and neck were Warmoth.

Yabba Dabba Doo indeed!!!!

FretWilkes wrote:

strumminsix wrote:Also, I am gonna do a parts build on a blackguard butterscotch blonde and parts should be delivered within a few weeks

Good luck on the build Nick.

Here's one I did a few years ago. I won the raw body and neck on the TDPRI and I fleshed it out with Callaham hardware, a Van Zandt bridge pickup and a Duncan neck pickup. I was shocked how nice it came out!

The body and neck were Warmoth.

Wow! BEAUTIFUL! I did the same and got a Warmoth body and neck. Ordered all the hardware from them too. Opted for a 6 saddle to lip bridge and decided on a set of Dimarzio True Velvet pickups on her. Fingers are crossed!

BTW, nice application of "flesh". Had to stop a meeting a few years back and define flesh vs flush:
FLESH: adds details
FLUSH: removes unnecessary details

In this case components but you catch my drift.

strumminsix wrote:decided on a set of Dimarzio True Velvet pickups on her. Fingers are crossed!

I'm interested in your opinion on the True Velvets. I've been toying with the idea of loading a Red Velvet in my Strat bridge position.

The difference between a vintage Strat® bridge pickup sound and a classic Broadcaster® or Tele® tone is mostly a matter of attack and definition - the Strat® stings and screams, while the Tele® punches and sings. We thought it would be neat to have a Strat® pickup that does both, and this is it. The punch comes from the bottom-loaded Power Plate™, the sting from custom coil-winding and the True Velvet™ magnet stagger, and a unique mid-range “growl” that’s a result of a hand-calibrated magnet structure.

Personally, I would have reversed "sings" and "screams" in the description.

Hey SS!
Sorry for my delay but a big AMEN to you brother. I certainly love effects and have em all, and especially love Bobby's and the way he uses them. They certainly are an integral part of the different Dead eras. But I have always been a big fan of Geetar>Cable>Amp. Guitars are beautiful instruments to me with their build, wood, and electronics tonal qualities and it is so fun and appetizing to me to take the basic setup and get the different and really pure tones from the settings on the guitars and amps. Obviously the speakers make a huge difference.
I have been playing a lot lately with Jonarobb and our sets up are me: Schecter Cs/h1>Heritage Patriot>HT Cab 2x12 with original cone K120s. Jonarobb: Custom Alligator styled strat>my 1974 Blackfaced super reverb that he retubed (power and preamp). Those two guitars combine beautifully. Not to mention he is the absolutely best guitarist I've ever played with. Everything is pure tone and the sounds are amazing. We make good noise!
The only problem right now is i am sitting like 10,000 miles away in a hotel in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. I've bought a bunch of instruments native to West Bengal but they're mainly purcussion so no substitute for gutar. I hope to rememdy that soon by buying a cheapie guitar here. I've been here two weeks and have 5 more weeks left and I am already scratching my arms! I need a fix!
I hope all is well with everyone in the states and I will be back in Denver 3 days prior to Furthur's 3 night run at Red Rocks...Wooooo Hooooo!

Peace,

Gil