Tone Between Surf Rock and SRV with EBMMs

[auxren]

I've always dug the sound of surf guitar and, of course, love SRV's sound. I was curious how y'all would achieve something in between those using EBMM guitars. I've tried a few AL single coils and they still weren't all that there.

 

[ScoobySteve]

That'd be a tough go IMO. Even Pipeline with SRV and Dick Dale, Stevie's tone was still definitely Stevie. I'd say the Surf tone is more about the tremolo picking, reverb and the cleans.

I know it sounds a bit pretentious and it's a bit overstated but, IMHO (Stevie being my absolute favorite guitarist) but SRV's tone is a combination of two things:

1.) His gear. A Strat with massive gauge strings (11's, 12's, and 13's) to a tubescreamer pushing the front end of a super-saturated Fender (SR)/Dumble (SSS)/Plexi.

2.) A massive (yet articulate) Right AND Left hand with a medium pick played on the flat end.

I did lots of SRV, general Texas blues, when I gigged with my Silo Spec SSS, but it was never REALLY a SRV tone clone. It's a tough tone to nail as is, and asking it to be versatile to also play Surf is asking for quite a bit. The AL is the most "stratty-ish" of all the EBMM's so if that tone wasn't doing it for you, I don't know what might.

 

[auxren]

Has anyone ever put Texas Special pickups in an AL and had good results? What about "vintage" style single coils?

 

[GWDavis28]

Have you tried an AL with the MM90 pickups? I really love the sound they have, that over wound single coil sound.

Just a thought, Glenn |B)

 

[auxren]

I have, but they still lack that jangle I'm searching for

 

[Stratty316]

I would go AL or Silo Spec and change out the pickups to help you find the sound you are looking for. As far as choosing between the AL and the Silo Spec it really depends on which one sounds and feels better to you... Though the Silo has a boat route so you can experiment with more pickup combos (HSS, HH,SSS).

Good luck

 

[ozzyrules]

Check out what Blues Saraceno does around 2:20 in this video; could be an option with the right amp & pedal?

Blues Saraceno & The Ernie Ball Music Man 25TH Anniversary Guitar - YouTube

 

[ozzyrules]

I just played my 25th in parallel, tone knob 3/4 back(low end side, like the above video), and pickup selector in position 4. I used my EVH phase 90. I was able to get a really unique sound. Not real close to Stevie Ray, but it was somewhat similar. It's a unique setting that I really liked. I'll definitely use it for blues playing. Could be the Egnater. The high gain channel rocks. If I play with amp settings, I bet I can get closer to that SRV sound. Try it out, guys. Pretty cool.

 

[auxren]

If a 25th can do it, then I'll give it a try on a Game Changer. Thanks!

 

[ozzyrules]

Don't take my word for it. I'm an amateur, but the 25th is very versatile. That video was really cool because it showed some other tonal options that I would not have thought of. Maybe I could talk T-Show into doing a video...... He loves these kind of things.

 

[banjoplayer]

Steve Morse tries to get an SRV sound out of a Game Changer here (at ~ 5:40)

 

[ozzyrules]

That's pretty darn close to SRV. Mine wasn't exactly like that, but I was on the right track. A little amp tweaking and messing with the phase 90, and I've just discovered something very pleasing to my ears. Thanks EBMM & Blues Saraceno.