I was wondering whether anyone here could possibly advise as to what the best guitar and amp settings are to recreate the guitar tone of Jumpin' Jack Flash. Obvsiously, the kind of guitar may dictate, so I'll also add that I'm currently using a Squire 'Classic Vibe' Telecaster.

Thank you for any assistance!

There have been different versions from the studio-track, through the numerous live-performances through the years with different guitars and amps. Which version are you refering to?

Nontheless: The best advise is to use your ears.

[www.reverbnation.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-26 13:06 by audun-eg.

It's an acoustic guitar on the studio version.

What's the amp?

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71Tele
It's an acoustic guitar on the studio version.

Keith likes to say that, but it's more likely that only the muffled compressed guitar which you hear right at the start(there's a couple of electrics at the same time though) and keeping a driving constant rhythm underneath everything is the acoustic through the tape machine, the rest all sound like electric guitars through Vox Supreme and/or Triumph Silicon 100 amps.

The guitars on JJF being all acoustic is another Keith created myth.

As for the original post. Set your amp so that it has as much treble as possible, lots of bass, and just a touch of grit. Lots of People tend to use too much distortion when trying to emulate stones recordings, start clean, then work you're way up till it starts to bite.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-26 15:20 by His Majesty.

I have to agree, I hear electric guitars. Street Fighting Man, yes the guitar SOUNDS hot, but you can tell it's still an acoustic. Not so w/JJFlash. And to address the topic, I only really ever play it in open G so I don't know what settings to recommend.

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His Majesty

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71Tele
It's an acoustic guitar on the studio version.

Keith likes to say that, but it's more likely that only the muffled compressed guitar which you hear right at the start(there's a couple of electrics at the same time though) and keeping a driving constant rhythm underneath everything is the acoustic through the tape machine, the rest all sound like electric guitars through Vox Supreme and/or Triumph Silicon 100 amps.

The guitars on JJF being all acoustic is another Keith created myth.

yeah I always thought that as well, sounds like there is at least one electric on the track, I think SFM is all acoustic though, perhaps Keith is confused about the sessions.

Make sure to play it in an open tuning. Either open-G, capoed at 4 as they now play it live. Or open E as played on the original recording. Don't play it with standard tuning.

Oh, and psst, a big part of the sound is in your fingers. So even if you have exactly te same rig, amp, settings, strings, pick, boots, scarf, skull ring, etc, you'll sound more like Big Al than like Keith .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-26 15:32 by Koen.

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Ket
yeah I always thought that as well, sounds like there is at least one electric on the track, I think SFM is all acoustic though, perhaps Keith is confused about the sessions.

Atleast 3 or 4 more like.

The compressed low mixed guitar that keeps the constant 1234 rhythm from 12 - 16 seconds is the acoustic through tape machine.





It plays throughout the track, but that's one of the parts where you can hear it clearer.

The OOPS JJF lets you hear it really clear, it's like a bed of power chords underneath everything, the various electrics providing more power with treble, definition and fills etc.

Thank you for the advice so far, everyone. However, I was really hoping to get some clues as to whether I should have the gain on 4, bass 5, etc. I'm only really messing around, you see. I just want to achieve the rough sound of the studio recording.

That depends on the amp. But it'll be treble at full if you're going after the studio version, just a touch of gain.

I have a Squier Classic Vibe tele, it can get close to the sound, depending on amp settings of course.

Thanks, His Majesty

You still didn't say what amp you have.

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His Majesty
That depends on the amp. But it'll be treble at full if you're going after the studio version, just a touch of gain.

I have a Squier Classic Vibe tele, it can get close to the sound, depending on amp settings of course.

That too depends a lot on the amp.

[www.reverbnation.com]

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audun-eg

That too depends a lot on the amp.

Indeed, but a touch of grit, as much treble as possible and make it fat at same time is the essentials of the sound.

Listen to Keith's tone in One Plus One when he's tuned to open E, that's the sound right there.

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Big Al
I was wondering whether anyone here could possibly advise as to what the best guitar and amp settings are to recreate the guitar tone of Jumpin' Jack Flash. Obvsiously, the kind of guitar may dictate, so I'll also add that I'm currently using a Squire 'Classic Vibe' Telecaster.

Thank you for any assistance!

Hey Al, and His Majesty, how do you like the Classic Vibe Tele? I've heard nothing but good things about them. What do you guys say, is it all true?

I've been dying to get one since I first heard about them.

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His Majesty

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audun-eg

That too depends a lot on the amp.

Indeed, but a touch of grit, as much treble as possible and make it fat at same time is the essentials of the sound.

Listen to Keith's tone in One Plus One when he's tuned to open E, that's the sound right there.

As much as treble as possible, yes. But do remember that Keith used the neck pickup of the LP Custom almost exclusively.

Keith's sound in the '67 - '69 days is mostly a clean amp turned to to full whack. It's the loudness that makes the the speaker and cab vibrate and distort a bit.

Concerning overdrive -I was playing around with a Maestro Echoplex from the early 70's. It sounded like shit due to the tape being 40 years old, but it had a very nice feature. There where two volume knobs on it, input volume and tape return volume. When you maxed either one of those, you got a fantastic spiky overdrive, which really, really reminded me of the overdrive of the intro of Can't You Hear Me Knocking. With the input volume to full it was CYHMK, with the tape return volume it was much like Jager's harp on Gimme Shelter. A fantastic sound I might say!

Mathijs

HM, which guitar are you referring to during that 0:12-0:16 segment? The one that is just driving along underneath, or the one that does the triplet-type roll on the B chord? Because I have to say they both sound close to electric to me.

There's a compressed, kinda muffled slightly distorted guitar underneath keeping something like a 1&2&3&4& rhythm, that's the acoustic guitar through tape machine. It almost acts like a bass part.

Mathijs, in 1967 Keith used the inbuilt fuzz/distortion from the Vox Supreme a lot, you can hear them engage this in the Surrey Rehearsals bootleg as well. It's an essential part of the lead guitars on Sympathy and Stray Cat Blues.

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His Majesty
Mathijs, in 1967 Keith used the inbuilt fuzz/distortion from the Vox Supreme a lot, you can hear them engage this in the Surrey Rehearsals bootleg as well. It's an essential part of the lead guitars on Sympathy and Stray Cat Blues.

Absolutely, they also used the distortion on the bass. But, I meant the rythm guitar sound of Keith.

Mathijs

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bustedtrousers

Hey Al, and His Majesty, how do you like the Classic Vibe Tele? I've heard nothing but good things about them. What do you guys say, is it all true?

I've been dying to get one since I first heard about them.

I don't like the neck that much, I prefer fat necks, but they are the best value for money guitar out there IMO.

Had I the opportunity, I'd have no qualms about playing any major gig with one even with players with far more expensive guitars.

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Ket

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His Majesty

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71Tele
It's an acoustic guitar on the studio version.

Keith likes to say that, but it's more likely that only the muffled compressed guitar which you hear right at the start(there's a couple of electrics at the same time though) and keeping a driving constant rhythm underneath everything is the acoustic through the tape machine, the rest all sound like electric guitars through Vox Supreme and/or Triumph Silicon 100 amps.

The guitars on JJF being all acoustic is another Keith created myth.

yeah I always thought that as well, sounds like there is at least one electric on the track, I think SFM is all acoustic though, perhaps Keith is confused about the sessions.

i think it's more like people get confused about what Keith said about JJF.
he has described the recording technique for the acoustics on SFM,
and said the same technique was used while recording JJF -
but he didn't say all the guitars on JJF are acoustic.

I'm not positive, but think I can recall him saying all the guitars were acoustic on a few occasions. If not there's been heavy emphasis about the track featuring acoustic(s), when there only seems to be one audible.

However he's said it has obviously left many with the impression the majority if not all of the guitars are acoustic.

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His Majesty
However he's said it has obviously left many with the impression the majority if not all of the guitars are acoustic.

yep, it has. but it's not Keith's fault if people - including journalists - misunderstand what he said.
all it takes is one or two media pieces misrepresenting things and it ends up on wikipedia, "songfacts" and lordy-knows where-else,
and people think it must be based on something real-ish. but you know what? let's make sense anyway!
of course not all the guitars on JJF are acoustic, and of course Keith knows that.

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with sssoul
but you know what? let's make sense anyway!
of course not all the guitars on JJF are acoustic, and of course Keith knows that.

Maybe!

"There are no electric instruments on Street Fighting Man at all... All acoustic guitars. Jumpin' Jack Flash the same"