How to I get that Strat front pickup sound?

rocket launcher · #1 02-10-2017, 12:34 PM

After being on an acoustic guitar only journey for many years, I am starting to play my electric again once in a while.

I have been playing/learning blues mostly as that's what I find the most fun to play these days.

I currently have a '78 Gibson SG with dual DiMarzio Super Sistortion Dual Sound Humbuckers I has installed back '82. With the coil tap switches I can get single coil tones.

I am playing through a Lab Series L5 amp, which has a very unique range of tones. Lab Series was a joint venture between Moog and Gibson set up to make solid state amps that sounded like tube amps. BB King played through one live just like mine all the way to the end.

What I would love to do is get that Stevie Ray/John Mayer front Strat pick up sound, but cant seem to get there with the SG plugged right into the amp.

Any suggestions on stomp boxes/effects that might help me get there with this set up?

Mr Bojangles · #2 02-10-2017, 01:34 PM

Plug in a Strat!

Steely Glen · #3 02-10-2017, 01:56 PM

That sound is iconic for a reason. Get a Strat.

rocket launcher · #4 02-10-2017, 02:23 PM

Well right now the option of paying a couple hundred dollars is better than spending a couple thousand.

To some degree, I have an easy to play electric guitar with a front single coil pickup. There has to be some kind of gizmo that can get me closer to that Strat tone.

LSemmens · #5 02-10-2017, 05:10 PM

Distract the daughter and trade one of her guitars for a Strat.....oooh I am norty.

Hurricane Bob · #6 02-10-2017, 05:31 PM

you need a tube amp to get all the glory like a fender deluxe reverb

paulp1960 · #7 02-10-2017, 05:32 PM

I don't think you will ever get a strat sound from a Gibson SG. Those humbucker pickups with split coils never really seem to match real single coils imho. You could do worse than a Standard Strat they are only £500 in the UK.
Or even a Squier if you can handle not having the Fender logo.

wrathfuldeity · #8 02-10-2017, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket launcher

I currently have a '78 Gibson SG with dual DiMarzio Super Sistortion Dual Sound Humbuckers I has installed back '82. With the coil tap switches I can get single coil tones.

What I would love to do is get that Stevie Ray/John Mayer front Strat pick up sound, but cant seem to get there with the SG plugged right into the amp.

Any suggestions on stomp boxes/effects that might help me get there with this set up?

May I offer this idea...its not going to happen...because you are trying to use a high k/output hb to get a low k single coil sound. It is hard to clean up a dirty ....and thus much easier to dirty a clean.

Its hard to decrease a hot signal...perhaps try a parametric eq.

But ya, get a strat with low wind k pu's

Steve DeRosa · #9 02-10-2017, 06:12 PM

Quite frankly, I'd be thinking in terms of using one (or more) of those "around the house" guitars as trading stock toward a Strat of some kind - I've seen primo MIM Standards routinely in the low $300's, about as much as a new Squier CV (which can be iffy IME - the good ones I've played have been really good, the bad ones were total crap) - since I strongly doubt you're going to be totally (tonally?) satisfied with anything else...

roylor4 · #10 02-10-2017, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Quite frankly, I'd be thinking in terms of using one (or more) of those "around the house" guitars as trading stock toward a Strat of some kind - I've seen primo MIM Standards routinely in the low $300's, about as much as a new Squier CV (which can be iffy IME - the good ones I've played have been really good, the bad ones were total crap) - since I strongly doubt you're going to be totally (tonally?) satisfied with anything else...

The G&L Tribute Strat (or s500, I think) is high quality and gives the tone you seek. MF has been alternately putting G&L Tributes up as SDOTD on a regular basis. Got my Ascari GTS & Bluesboy both for $299 each. Very high quality.

Steve DeRosa · #11 02-10-2017, 07:01 PM

How's that Ascari, Roy - I've got a thing for 3-PU electrics when/if I can get them for a price (presently own a Yamaha SSC-500, Carlo Robelli '53 ES-5 knockoff, and Gretsch 5622T-CB, in addition to a Strat) and I've never owned one with three full-size humbuckers...

terryj47 · #12 02-11-2017, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket launcher

Well right now the option of paying a couple hundred dollars is better than spending a couple thousand.

To some degree, I have an easy to play electric guitar with a front single coil pickup. There has to be some kind of gizmo that can get me closer to that Strat tone.

I have two MIM Strats. Black with maple finger board and candy apple red with rosewood finger board. Both are excellent guitars. Paid less than $300 for each (used). One from GC and one from a pawn shop. Both just required some clean up and minor setup. Both are like new guitars now. Sound, play, and look great. I hear you can get bad MIM Fenders. I just haven't seen one.

frankhond · #13 02-11-2017, 05:47 AM

"How can I make my D28 sound like a L00?"

Sorry but a SG has a very distinctive sound, so does a strat. Split humbuckers simply don't get you an iconic strat sound. They can give a generic single coil tone, but people like John Mayer or SRV are hard to emulate.

That said, why not just let the SG be an SG and focus on phrasing, dynamics etc?

If you search youtube for David Gilmour covers, one of the very best emulation of the outro solo in "comfortably numb" is played by a teenager on an SG. She nails his phrasing so well that nobody cares what guitar she uses.

roylor4 · #14 02-11-2017, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

How's that Ascari, Roy - I've got a thing for 3-PU electrics when/if I can get them for a price (presently own a Yamaha SSC-500, Carlo Robelli '53 ES-5 knockoff, and Gretsch 5622T-CB, in addition to a Strat) and I've never owned one with three full-size humbuckers...

Hi Steve, Mine is actually the 2 pickup model, not the HB3. The HB3 was the SDOTD literally, like 2-3 days ago for $379. My wife got the GTS for me as a Christmas gift (yup, my wife is THAT cool). I am still exploring the tonal options with it.

Of my 3 G&L's, the Bluesboy is my favorite (although the GTS is a close second). I find the build quality very high on all 3. The Ascari's ar short scale & the BB is long.

As a former Bluesharp player, I lean toward simple amps and have a strong preference for 2 pickup guitars - less to obsess and fiddle with.

The GT90 is the least versatile but is fantastic for Blues and when you roll off the volume, you can easily pull off funk and R&B. The bridge pickup has some twang, but not Tele twang - not a great fit for Jazz or Country. It's thing is bite and grind and it excels at that.

The Bluesboy can do just about everything: Jazz, Classic Rock, Blues, and has Country twang for day is the bridge PU. The middle position is very much like a Strat.

The GTS is versatile too, as it has a coil tapping. Warmth for jazz and no problem pulling off Angus Young either. The single coil tones are all quite usable too, but not as glassy as a Strat.

The GTS was $299 on sale as was the BB as SDOTD. I bought the GT90 used and mint for 250.

I have not played the HB3, but if the hardware and fit/finish are equal to the GTS I think you would be pleased with one, especially at $379. They seem to be running a lot of the G&L's on special nearly every week.

Eric_M · #15 02-11-2017, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket launcher

Well right now the option of paying a couple hundred dollars is better than spending a couple thousand.

To some degree, I have an easy to play electric guitar with a front single coil pickup. There has to be some kind of gizmo that can get me closer to that Strat tone.

You don't need a $2000 Strat to get that sound. In fact I'd say a $200 Squier will get that sound better than your SG into any $200 pedal.

If you insist, however: parametric EQ?