andynpeters
Well-known member
Too busy nailing a Bigsby onto my Gibson J-200 so that I can make it sound more like a Gretsch.
- Thread starter jagged
- Start date
Too busy nailing a Bigsby onto my Gibson J-200 so that I can make it sound more like a Gretsch.
robelinda2
Well-known member
it doesnt matter if the AL was or wasnt designed to be a strat killer, it IS a strat killer anyway! Three single coils, low output, classy tone all the way, its a strat if your'e eyes are shut. Listen to the tones, its beefier and brighter than any strat. A Silo Special SSS will come close too, but the AL sounds better all around for sure.
Just go and play one people!!! Then you will believe.
Just go and play one people!!! Then you will believe.
andynpeters
Well-known member
OK I'll try this one more time.
If it's "beefier and brighter than any strat" then demonstrably it DOESN'T sound the same as a strat, which is what the OP wants.
Better? No doubt, but that isn't the point.
andynpeters
Well-known member
Of course. I'm also buying some unused '50s cigarettes so that a smoker friend of mine can put a period correct burn on the headstock........modern cigarettes have a different tar content, and you don't get the same tone!!
paranoid70
Well-known member
I'd love to play one.... but I have never seen one in a store. And I only live a few hours from SLO!
andynpeters
Well-known member
I'd love to play one.... but I have never seen one in a store. And I only live a few hours from SLO!
Me too.......but only Paul McCartney rates a lefty!
guitarball
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2007
- Messages
- 119
jagged
Well-known member
not yet brent... ive still only got the silo i picked up from you in mississauga... i'm looking at some others though... but i cant mention them here because of forum rules hehe. we'll be in contact soon about it
Norrin Radd
Well-known member
I think throughout this thread you've completely misrepresented what the OP said. he said he wanted a guitar with tones "like" those of Clapton & Johnson - but that was not a Fender. He didn't say he wanted a Strat - you did! To say you can't get tones "like" those from an AL is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard (and may not be what you said either - sucks to have your words twisted, doesn't it?). But Rob is right - the AL is very much like a strat in some respects - but sounds better or different than most (depending on your POV).
Here you go:
like [lahyk] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, (Poetic) lik·er, lik·est, preposition, adverb, conjunction, noun, verb, liked, lik·ing, interjection
–adjective
1. of the same form, appearance, kind, character, amount, etc.: I cannot remember a like instance.
2. corresponding or agreeing in general or in some noticeable respect; similar; analogous: drawing, painting, and like arts.
3. bearing resemblance.
(referencing the actual words and intent of the OP)
robelinda2
Well-known member
Has anyone here played an AL and not thought it to be a supreme single coil machine?
Sweat
Well-known member
Well no! I love the MM90s, really getting into the AL!
I think the Albert Lee is very much like a vintage strat. 1-piece maple neck, ash body, flat polepice alnico II single coils, bent steel saddles, plastic nut - all of the crucial tone elements are pretty much like the strat.
As far as differences, the tone circuit is more like a tele, the switching is a little more versatile, and maybe (possibly) the poly finish might have a small effect on the tone vs a nitro finish. And the biggest difference is probably the metal plate on the bridge pickup. The tuners are different, newer ALs have a compensated nut and the silent circuit, locking tuners, 22 frets (vs. 21 I believe), and other little details.
Obviously if you put the two side by side, you'll probably detect a difference. Hell, if you put two vintage strats side by side, it's easy to tell the difference, because they were always changing the manufacturing, and they have all aged differently.
But I think that for the player who wants a vintage strat vibe, but would still like an instrument that's distinctive in it's own right, the Albert Lee is fairly ideal.
As far as differences, the tone circuit is more like a tele, the switching is a little more versatile, and maybe (possibly) the poly finish might have a small effect on the tone vs a nitro finish. And the biggest difference is probably the metal plate on the bridge pickup. The tuners are different, newer ALs have a compensated nut and the silent circuit, locking tuners, 22 frets (vs. 21 I believe), and other little details.
Obviously if you put the two side by side, you'll probably detect a difference. Hell, if you put two vintage strats side by side, it's easy to tell the difference, because they were always changing the manufacturing, and they have all aged differently.
But I think that for the player who wants a vintage strat vibe, but would still like an instrument that's distinctive in it's own right, the Albert Lee is fairly ideal.
jagged
Well-known member
thanks, uva
Jimmyb
Well-known member
Hmmm,
These threads are great.
I would have thought that one obvious question would be:
What amp are you using?
That certainly will have a big impact on the overall tone and don't forget that a lot of the early Marshall amps and the like were not massively high gain.
As far as getting clean sounds, what about David Gilmour? He does a pretty good job of getting some nice cleans. Then again, his solo in "Another Brick in the Wall part 2" was done on the neck pickup of a LP goldtop. If you've heard some of his latest solo stuff, or seen the tour vids on youtube, for a lot of that he's using a Gretch and still getting the killer clean tones that he's famed for.
Clapton didn't move to a Strat until the 70's (as far as I know) so his really early stuff is most likely Gibson driven.
You can get very good clean sounds from quite a few EBMMs. I've got a Sport with SSS and HH and an ASS with HH and they can all give me good clean sounds. I do have a very clean (HIWATT) amp though and get my overdriven sounds from pedals.
Try a few different things with your rig and try your guitars with different amps. You may have what you're looking for already.
These threads are great.
I would have thought that one obvious question would be:
What amp are you using?
That certainly will have a big impact on the overall tone and don't forget that a lot of the early Marshall amps and the like were not massively high gain.
As far as getting clean sounds, what about David Gilmour? He does a pretty good job of getting some nice cleans. Then again, his solo in "Another Brick in the Wall part 2" was done on the neck pickup of a LP goldtop. If you've heard some of his latest solo stuff, or seen the tour vids on youtube, for a lot of that he's using a Gretch and still getting the killer clean tones that he's famed for.
Clapton didn't move to a Strat until the 70's (as far as I know) so his really early stuff is most likely Gibson driven.
You can get very good clean sounds from quite a few EBMMs. I've got a Sport with SSS and HH and an ASS with HH and they can all give me good clean sounds. I do have a very clean (HIWATT) amp though and get my overdriven sounds from pedals.
Try a few different things with your rig and try your guitars with different amps. You may have what you're looking for already.
John C
Well-known member
Actually I liked the s/s/s Silo Special better than the s/s/s AL, but my favorite Strat flavor is the late 60s version - think Hendrix, Gilmour, Blackmore, etc. Plus, I tend to prefer rosewood fingerboards/alder bodies for Strats, that is my idea of "pure Strat tone", and my favorite F*nd*r model is the AV '62 Strat.
I thought the s/s/s AL was more of an early 50s Strat flavor - probably due to the ash/maple combo and slightly lower output pickups. Also I'm sure Albert himself wanted it to have a bit of Tele in the DNA as well. I went with the MM-90s on my AL because I was seeking "something completely different".
You can't go wrong either way.
robelinda2
Well-known member
now that i own a SSS Silo Special- as of yesterday- i can say it has has more low end than the AL's, not as muh high end, really nice tones. Would love to hear an AL with rosewood fretboard......
roburado
Well-known member
The only AL I have ever played was the 2006LE, which, of course, had rosewood. It was fantastic.
Hmmm,
These threads are great.
I would have thought that one obvious question would be:
What amp are you using?
That certainly will have a big impact on the overall tone ....
You can get very good clean sounds from quite a few EBMMs. I've got a Sport with SSS and HH and an ASS with HH and they can all give me good clean sounds. I do have a very clean (HIWATT) amp though and get my overdriven sounds from pedals.
Try a few different things with your rig and try your guitars with different amps. You may have what you're looking for already.
+1 for the good points Jimmyb
the guitar alone isn't going to determine if you sound modern, vintage or just outright different
remember, the recipe for tone is like any other - there are ingredients that all mix together ..... the fun part is finding how the ingredients work together for your ideal flavor (kind of like discovering for the first time the perfect combination required to make a magnificent martini)
cheers - time for me to go fix a drink
Joel
p.s. have you run your Silo Special thru any vintage gear yet?
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robelinda2
Well-known member
Ok, 1st round testing is complete. The silo special SSS sounds vintage/clean enough alright, it gives the AL a run for its money. Am going to need a rosewood AL to complete testing!
You can get all the clean tones you want with the Silo Special SSS, the rosewood fretboard makes a diference, nice and warm, and dirties up great, full of grunt. It sounds just how i wanted my Rory Gallagher strat to sound, boy i struggled with that axe, shouldve gotten a rosewood Silo special ages ago. It may be a tiny bit more comfortable than my AL's too......
You can get all the clean tones you want with the Silo Special SSS, the rosewood fretboard makes a diference, nice and warm, and dirties up great, full of grunt. It sounds just how i wanted my Rory Gallagher strat to sound, boy i struggled with that axe, shouldve gotten a rosewood Silo special ages ago. It may be a tiny bit more comfortable than my AL's too......
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