Bring Them On Back Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I'm interested in playing hard rock riffs, right up to heavy palm muted stuff, but also strummed rhythms, and being able to play rocky solos like Angus Young, jazzy solos with warm soft tones, and shred as well. I know you can shred about equally well on SG, Strat or Tele (maybe less so on the tele but I've seen it done before at my guitar centre). But SGs have got to have the worst clean tones, I know Clapton used one a bit but not on anything really bluesy, it's got a kind of 'buzzy' (that's not the word I'm looking for lol) sound without distortion. And the warm jazzy sound I like is more of a Strat thing, also on a tele with the right pickups and amp settings. Like what Jimmy Page did on SIBLY, but a bit cleaner without all the little scratchy noises between some notes. The SGs best for the rock riffs, and I guess you can get something pretty good out of a strat. And for strumming I only like the tele, the Strat just doesn't sound right. The rocky solos can be done on any of them really I guess. So pretty much, if I want SG riffs, Telecaster rhythm, and probably Strat solos, what's the right guitar? I've heard the Les Paul Jr suggested but a) I'm not a les paul fan at all (no offense to Page fans here )and looks do count for something (I wear my guitar a bit high and Les Paul high... ugghhhh looks awful) and I can't play the higher frets of a Les Paul comfortably. I could mix and match pickups as well, change strings, use effects and amps, do some rewiring. I'm not getting one for a long time but I'm just curious now, and I'm good with electronics and woodworking and all that so with some help from someone that won't ***k up a brand new guitar I'd be happy to learn the electronics. Also if it helps my own tone in my fingers is very strong open chords (like AC/DC) and something like Slash or David Gilmour in solos, but on a completely different end of the scale to Gilmour I'm working on it though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 SG's have bad clean tone? Since when. When you are talking about the differences between Fender's and Gibson's usually it comes down to single coil tones compared to humbucker tones. There really isn't a way to make one sound like the other without heavy mods that only get you somewhat close. It's sounds like you want versatility rather than any one tone and IMO I think the way to go is with a humbucker equipped guitar, an SG would be a good choice. SG's aren't quite as "thick" sounding as a heavier bodied guitar and sound very "woody" through a clean amp. Honestly I think the answer lies somehere in between, maybe consider an HSS Strat or some other bucker with single coil combo in a Strat or Tele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonzoLikeDrumer Posted July 7, 2009 Share Posted July 7, 2009 I think what you are thinking about here is the tone/sustain and not the grit of a guitar. The SG (I've owned two over the years) has almost the same sound as a Les Paul it's just that the Les Paul is such a heavy piece of timber that it has much more sustain than a SG. This means that at lower dirt setting's a Les Paul will take longer to start braking up, while at higher dirt setting's it will have a huge tone and long lasting crunch. Most Strat's are what I like to call twangy sounding. The Tele has some more warmth but it's no where near a Les Paul or a SG, the pre 1970's SG's had a lot less beef in the body and where easy to flex the neck if you played it with a hard/strong grip. I believe this is why the Les Paul was so much more popular in the long run, the SG is more of a lightly played axe than one you can slam around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Them On Back Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think what you are thinking about here is the tone/sustain and not the grit of a guitar. The SG (I've owned two over the years) has almost the same sound as a Les Paul it's just that the Les Paul is such a heavy piece of timber that it has much more sustain than a SG. This means that at lower dirt setting's a Les Paul will take longer to start braking up, while at higher dirt setting's it will have a huge tone and long lasting crunch. Most Strat's are what I like to call twangy sounding. The Tele has some more warmth but it's no where near a Les Paul or a SG, the pre 1970's SG's had a lot less beef in the body and where easy to flex the neck if you played it with a hard/strong grip. I believe this is why the Les Paul was so much more popular in the long run, the SG is more of a lightly played axe than one you can slam around. wow I've always thought the Strat had the warmer tone and the Tele was twangy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Them On Back Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think what you are thinking about here is the tone/sustain and not the grit of a guitar. The SG (I've owned two over the years) has almost the same sound as a Les Paul it's just that the Les Paul is such a heavy piece of timber that it has much more sustain than a SG. This means that at lower dirt setting's a Les Paul will take longer to start braking up, while at higher dirt setting's it will have a huge tone and long lasting crunch. Most Strat's are what I like to call twangy sounding. The Tele has some more warmth but it's no where near a Les Paul or a SG, the pre 1970's SG's had a lot less beef in the body and where easy to flex the neck if you played it with a hard/strong grip. I believe this is why the Les Paul was so much more popular in the long run, the SG is more of a lightly played axe than one you can slam around. wow I've always thought the Strat had the warmer tone and the Tele was twangy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Them On Back Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think what you are thinking about here is the tone/sustain and not the grit of a guitar. The SG (I've owned two over the years) has almost the same sound as a Les Paul it's just that the Les Paul is such a heavy piece of timber that it has much more sustain than a SG. This means that at lower dirt setting's a Les Paul will take longer to start braking up, while at higher dirt setting's it will have a huge tone and long lasting crunch. Most Strat's are what I like to call twangy sounding. The Tele has some more warmth but it's no where near a Les Paul or a SG, the pre 1970's SG's had a lot less beef in the body and where easy to flex the neck if you played it with a hard/strong grip. I believe this is why the Les Paul was so much more popular in the long run, the SG is more of a lightly played axe than one you can slam around. wow I've always thought the Strat had the warmer tone and the Tele was twangy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonzoLikeDrumer Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 wow I've always thought the Strat had the warmer tone and the Tele was twangy With a clean setting there both twangy sounding. If you slap in some over wound pick-up's you can get some different sound that will be nice a crunchy but both are twangy sounding. Pick up's can make a difference but I still say twangy for both. Why do you think so many Country player's use them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evster2012 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 My Tele has a Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge and a Quarter Pound Tele in the neck and I've used it for gigs that required everything from Pink Floyd to Black Sabbath and Ozzy. Huge crystalline clean tones and tear your face off shred tones. I've always found that unless your pickups are too weak, it's really all in your touch and your amp and effects settings. My black Strat also has a Duncan bridge, and DiMarzio HS3s in the middle and neck. My red Strat is bone stock, as is my Les Paul Standard. My other Les Paul has EMG 81/85s. That said, I can pretty much use any of them for a gig with just a little tweaking of my amp and effects settings. As for clean tone from a Gibson, nudge the volume knob back a bit. Just ask BB King about clean Gibson tone! As for SIBLY, that's a small amp well cranked up. The hair's coming from the power tubes, not the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Poobah Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 The day you buy a Tele is the day you become a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huw Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Get the SG, turn the bass down & treble up on your amp, & learn to use the Gibson style control set (ie 2 vols, 2 tones + 3 way selector). You will be able to do all that you want that way. With the bass on the amp down, a Gibson neck Humbucker can sound alarmingly Fender-esque, especially with the treble cranked. You compensate for the extra top by rolling back the bridge pickup's tone control. Set the amp vol & gain so that the guitar volumes can roll up from sparkly cleans at about 3, through crunchy around 5 to 7, & rocking out at 10. Bingo - job done, home in time for tea! ; ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evster2012 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Hi huw! Nice to see ya mate! And yes, excellent advice as always from our resident Les Paul forum guru! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huw Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Ev! How's things, bud? Is it me, or have you had an extended break - not seen you about for ages it seems? Then again, I don't get on here as much myself these days: the joys of fatherhood!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evster2012 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Ev! How's things, bud? Is it me, or have you had an extended break - not seen you about for ages it seems? Then again, I don't get on here as much myself these days: the joys of fatherhood!! Yeah, took a hiatus from forums for a bit. No biggie, just needed a break. Congrats on daddyhood bro!!! New topic: Forcing guitar on younguns: Getting in there before they discover Guitar Hero, and how to keep it real. Cheers bro! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huw Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 New topic: Forcing guitar on younguns... Get them strapped into their booster seats in the car - captive audience! We have a bunch of classic rock compilations in the glove box, & so far they love it. Sweet Home Alabama is their current favourite... ...seeds planted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.