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Naturalust
Yes Mathijs, I agree with you about the pickups and your general take on solid body electric guitars. When talking about semi acoustics and hollow-bodies the guitar body has a much LARGER contribution to the overall sound you will probably agree.
Not to be argumentative here but I have to call you on the string tension pitch thing though. A simple experiment will prove my point about mass (string mass) and it's effects on pitch.
1. Get one of those spilt BB sinkers for a fishing line.
2. Pluck any string on your guitar and note the pitch.
3. Now pluck it again and quickly clamp the BB sinker onto the guitar string. The pitch will go DOWN considerably.
String length is the same, pitch is lower because the string mass has changed. Its also why we have wound strings for guitars. The wound part over the top of the solid core is there JUST to increase mass so that the tension is relatively similar on all six strings, even though the pitch is obviously different and the string lengths are almost the same. Just like clamping the BB on the string.
The capo over the headstock seems like a good trick to me. Like I said earlier Fender (and others) have been doing this for year with the little hold downs, 2 or 3 of 'em usually. I am just anal about getting all the winds on the string, right down to the bottom of the tuner. I have argue with guitar makers over this effect but have proven that I CAN tell the difference, and I perfer a relatively high break angle over the nut. Same thing is achieved with the capo clamped above the neck, that's cool.
Guitars with slotted headstocks ALWAYS maintain the same break angle, regardless of how many winds you put on the string at the tuner. That's one of the reasons I really like that design on acoustic instruments. peace
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howled
Les Pauls that are Mahogany/Maple do sound different to a Strat that is Alder/Ash/Maple even if they both have the same PAF pickup installed.
There is the Strat/Les Paul hardware and string tension/scale differences but even so,the Mahogany/Maple Alder/Ash/Maple wood difference does contribute.
There is also an attack and decay release difference with softer woods like Basswood having a slower smoother initial attack and harder woods like Hard Ash have a more immediate and snappier initial attack.
It's because the initial string vibration encounters different vibration patterns from harder and softer wood and the body vibrations do influence how the string vibrates through it's cycles from the initial string attack and it's decay.
The string is not vibrating in free space.
The vibrating string induces vibrations in the wood and these wood vibrations then feed back and influence the vibrating string and it's vibrations.
Different vibration patterns in different wood types will affect the strings vibrations in different ways.
Of course the choice of wood has a large effect on the sound of the guitar, no doubt about that. But I meant that I am not so sure I can hear the difference between a '50's ash Telecaster and a new, modern ash Telecaster -as long as the pickups are of the same high sonic qualities. I don't hear the difference between a '64 Strat, and a Custom Shop strat with mid-60's pickups.
Mathijs
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I know I’m mainly associated with the Les Paul but that’s not my favourite. My favourite is a Fender Stratocaster. I used to have an old one which I messed around with and customised, put different pick-ups on it but I lost it sometime in 1993 in Florida and I haven’t really ever been able to replace it.
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DandelionPowderman
If You Can't Rock Me and Dance Little Sister surely must be Taylor on a Strat?
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straycatblues73Quote
DandelionPowderman
If You Can't Rock Me and Dance Little Sister surely must be Taylor on a Strat?
sure , you can hear the whammy bar on DLS. especially in the outtro
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DandelionPowdermanQuote
straycatblues73Quote
DandelionPowderman
If You Can't Rock Me and Dance Little Sister surely must be Taylor on a Strat?
sure , you can hear the whammy bar on DLS. especially in the outtro
Yeah, but it could have been a Bigsby as well, but I agree.
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Naturalust
If you've ever had your string height artificially very high (away from the pickups) yopu will see that string vibration to body wood has very little effect in the sound of the notes on a Les Paul. Although I understand the logic in and tightly bound vibration path (all of them).
Well, it takes the discussion to a different path, but for the last couple of years I actually wonder how much the body wood and the string vibration actually influences the tone. I am starting to believe that with an electric guitar the pickups and amp play a very, very large part of the total sound. I used to be quite a collector and trader of vintage electric guitars, having owned more than hundred pre-65 Gibson and Fender guitars. Now, I own just a couple, and all of them are cheap Mexican and Japanese made electrics, but with very good pickups. Through my Boogie MK1 from ’77, I can’t tell the difference between an all original ’55 Fender Tele and my Mexican $400 Tele from the 90’s, with vintage ’57 pickups installed. My ’59 RI LP (which I sold) with a ’60 PAF and ’65 Patent No sounded better than any vintage LP I have ever played. So I am not too sure the body wood is such a contributing factor over the electronics and hardware anymore.Quote
Naturalust
I do however have to question your statement about the string tension increase. Yeah it maybe happens with a tighter stop bar, BUT it is always countered with an adjustment of the tuners to bring the string into correct (or relative) pitch. If you are playing with a set neck lenght (string length) and a specific guage of strings (mass) the string tension will always be the same. Length and Mass being the only two factors which effect pitch. That's why string manufacturer's can put tension numbers right on the package.
That being said I can tell the difference when my extra string lengths are wound ALL the way to the base of the tuners. And of course the Fenders accomplish this less elegantly with the string guide things on the headstock between the nut and the tuners.
Actually, the only factor defining pitch (or frequency of a standing wave) is length. The mass alters the amplitude of a vibrating string, altering the volume.
But what I meant was: a proper vibrating string (meaning: a proper standing wave) can only occur when the ends of the string are tightly fixed. Any movement at any end will alter the vibration, making the ‘swing’ of the string wider, and the amplitude of the standing wave smaller. With a stop bar raised too high, the string will vibrate in the slot holes of the bridge.
The peg head of a guitar is quite a contributor to the overall string vibration, and winding the string all the way down will have its effect, although I am not sure if I actually would be able to hear that…but for the last couple of years you see more and more people having a capo clamped to the head stock. I don’t know who started this, but the story is that it increases sustain, especially playing acoustic guitar, or electric slide guitar.
Mathijs
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zQuote
MathijsQuote
Naturalust
If you've ever had your string height artificially very high (away from the pickups) yopu will see that string vibration to body wood has very little effect in the sound of the notes on a Les Paul. Although I understand the logic in and tightly bound vibration path (all of them).
Well, it takes the discussion to a different path, but for the last couple of years I actually wonder how much the body wood and the string vibration actually influences the tone. I am starting to believe that with an electric guitar the pickups and amp play a very, very large part of the total sound. I used to be quite a collector and trader of vintage electric guitars, having owned more than hundred pre-65 Gibson and Fender guitars. Now, I own just a couple, and all of them are cheap Mexican and Japanese made electrics, but with very good pickups. Through my Boogie MK1 from ’77, I can’t tell the difference between an all original ’55 Fender Tele and my Mexican $400 Tele from the 90’s, with vintage ’57 pickups installed. My ’59 RI LP (which I sold) with a ’60 PAF and ’65 Patent No sounded better than any vintage LP I have ever played. So I am not too sure the body wood is such a contributing factor over the electronics and hardware anymore.Quote
Naturalust
I do however have to question your statement about the string tension increase. Yeah it maybe happens with a tighter stop bar, BUT it is always countered with an adjustment of the tuners to bring the string into correct (or relative) pitch. If you are playing with a set neck lenght (string length) and a specific guage of strings (mass) the string tension will always be the same. Length and Mass being the only two factors which effect pitch. That's why string manufacturer's can put tension numbers right on the package.
That being said I can tell the difference when my extra string lengths are wound ALL the way to the base of the tuners. And of course the Fenders accomplish this less elegantly with the string guide things on the headstock between the nut and the tuners.
Actually, the only factor defining pitch (or frequency of a standing wave) is length. The mass alters the amplitude of a vibrating string, altering the volume.
But what I meant was: a proper vibrating string (meaning: a proper standing wave) can only occur when the ends of the string are tightly fixed. Any movement at any end will alter the vibration, making the ‘swing’ of the string wider, and the amplitude of the standing wave smaller. With a stop bar raised too high, the string will vibrate in the slot holes of the bridge.
The peg head of a guitar is quite a contributor to the overall string vibration, and winding the string all the way down will have its effect, although I am not sure if I actually would be able to hear that…but for the last couple of years you see more and more people having a capo clamped to the head stock. I don’t know who started this, but the story is that it increases sustain, especially playing acoustic guitar, or electric slide guitar.
Mathijs
In theory, break angle does not affect string tension. Two strings with the same mass (gauge) at the same pitch must have the same tension.
However, it does affect the way the string feels. A stronger break angle will make the string feel stiffer and harder to bend.
Break angle has some effect on tone and volume too. More angle means tighter contact between the string and the bridge saddle/nut, i.e better transmission of vibration to the body.
Adding mass to the headstock increases sustain because it makes the headstock more resistant to vibration. A less vibrant anchor point means more energy being reflected back to the string.
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straycatblues73
sure , you can hear the whammy bar on DLS. especially in the outtro
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Rory Gallagher
Mathijs, do you know the history of the Mick Taylor's Strats?
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Naturalust
If you've ever had your string height artificially very high (away from the pickups) yopu will see that string vibration to body wood has very little effect in the sound of the notes on a Les Paul. Although I understand the logic in and tightly bound vibration path (all of them).
Well, it takes the discussion to a different path, but for the last couple of years I actually wonder how much the body wood and the string vibration actually influences the tone. I am starting to believe that with an electric guitar the pickups and amp play a very, very large part of the total sound. I used to be quite a collector and trader of vintage electric guitars, having owned more than hundred pre-65 Gibson and Fender guitars. Now, I own just a couple, and all of them are cheap Mexican and Japanese made electrics, but with very good pickups. Through my Boogie MK1 from ’77, I can’t tell the difference between an all original ’55 Fender Tele and my Mexican $400 Tele from the 90’s, with vintage ’57 pickups installed. My ’59 RI LP (which I sold) with a ’60 PAF and ’65 Patent No sounded better than any vintage LP I have ever played. So I am not too sure the body wood is such a contributing factor over the electronics and hardware anymore.Quote
Naturalust
I do however have to question your statement about the string tension increase. Yeah it maybe happens with a tighter stop bar, BUT it is always countered with an adjustment of the tuners to bring the string into correct (or relative) pitch. If you are playing with a set neck lenght (string length) and a specific guage of strings (mass) the string tension will always be the same. Length and Mass being the only two factors which effect pitch. That's why string manufacturer's can put tension numbers right on the package.
That being said I can tell the difference when my extra string lengths are wound ALL the way to the base of the tuners. And of course the Fenders accomplish this less elegantly with the string guide things on the headstock between the nut and the tuners.
Actually, the only factor defining pitch (or frequency of a standing wave) is length. The mass alters the amplitude of a vibrating string, altering the volume.
But what I meant was: a proper vibrating string (meaning: a proper standing wave) can only occur when the ends of the string are tightly fixed. Any movement at any end will alter the vibration, making the ‘swing’ of the string wider, and the amplitude of the standing wave smaller. With a stop bar raised too high, the string will vibrate in the slot holes of the bridge.
The peg head of a guitar is quite a contributor to the overall string vibration, and winding the string all the way down will have its effect, although I am not sure if I actually would be able to hear that…but for the last couple of years you see more and more people having a capo clamped to the head stock. I don’t know who started this, but the story is that it increases sustain, especially playing acoustic guitar, or electric slide guitar.
Mathijs
In theory, break angle does not affect string tension. Two strings with the same mass (gauge) at the same pitch must have the same tension.
However, it does affect the way the string feels. A stronger break angle will make the string feel stiffer and harder to bend.
Break angle has some effect on tone and volume too. More angle means tighter contact between the string and the bridge saddle/nut, i.e better transmission of vibration to the body.
Adding mass to the headstock increases sustain because it makes the headstock more resistant to vibration. A less vibrant anchor point means more energy being reflected back to the string.
Those aren't really strats.... Merry Christmas!!!Quote
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Rory Gallagher
Mathijs, do you know the history of the Mick Taylor's Strats?
No. His Strat with the Stones was a standard 63, I believe his 80's and 90's Strats weren't Fender but Blade and Vigier, a French brand. But I have no details.
Mathijs
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TheGreek
I have to add my 2 cents about vintage Fender's and Custom Shop Fender's . There is no comparison , yes you can get sort of close but no cigar in the end . In September I was in Nashville and got schooled at Gruhns Guitars via a 1969 Fender Custom Telecaster , double bound 3 color sunburst ,maple neck with some nice flame and get this the neck has real heft to it and was not a puny pencil thin 7.25 radius .This guitar has an Alder body (not ash which is what I prefer ) with nice checking on the body ,and the neck has ambered up into a nice color as well . Enough about cosmetics ,the tone of this Alder body maple neck Tele really surprised me because I always found that Alder was too bright to my ears and did not sing enough , well I was dead wrong as this Tele had nice tone , spank, twang , and sustains nicely . I could actually hear Keef riffs coming out which sounded pretty nice and really the closest I got to the Keith Richards territory minus the fact that I don't have his chops or skill and can rudimentary play the correct notes but I am not the human riffmaster .Turned my head and ears around a full 360 degrees around . There is something to old growth wood and vintage pickups as well . Oh by the way if you ever are in Music City and play guitar Gruhns is a must stop .
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TravelinMan
What kind of slide was Taylor using in ‘73? Brass? It sounds warmer than brass, but didn’t look like glass.
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S.T.P
Anyone know if the Les Paul which can be seen on the cover of Get Yer Ya Yas Out!, is the same he used on the 1972 American tour?