Possible to get blues type tone from RG?

Rotti · #1 09-09-2002, 06:58 PM

I have owned and played a lot of guitars, and I really like my RG, but.... There is something missing when trying to play any kind of Hendrix or SRV type stuff. It's hard to explain, it's not even the sound when you strike the note but almost the sound in between notes that is missing. Does that make any sense? Overtones maybe? Anyway my RG just sounds sterile and lifeless for that type of playing. I love it for heavy stuff though.
Could new pickups make a difference or is it just a floating trem thing...

caprile · #2 09-09-2002, 07:08 PM

positions 2 and 4 are the closest.
however, if you have a SRV strat, a TS808 and a vintage fender amp, you won't sound like SRV.

gkelm · #3 09-09-2002, 07:41 PM

What you say makes sense to me...most Ibanezes seem to have more of a "solid" tone versus the springy jangly strat thing. Maybe general construction has something to do with it, and like you mentioned, the strat bridge & pickups (and big ol' plastic pick guard!).
Greg

**jono** · #4 09-09-2002, 08:00 PM

Yep, a maple board and a pickguard imho, make the RG550 perhaps the "Strat-iest" of the RGs.

If you want a far more Strat-like tone I'd recommend shoving a couple of high-treble/low output humbuckers in there along with a new single coil.

In your shoes I'd probably go for the DiMarzio "Humbucker from Hell" in both neck and bridge positions, and maybe a "Blue Velvet" single coil in the middle. (Assuming your guitar has one)

Alternatively, I've heard the Lawrence L500 sound very stratlike, despite being known as a high output pickup, just listen to some of Nuno's later stuff. That might give you a more versatile setup if you stick one of those in the bridge slot.

**jono** · #5 09-09-2002, 08:03 PM

Also the wood of your guitar body will make a big difference, if it's a basswood bodied rear routed RG like the 570, it's quite a different animal to an ash or alder front routed body on a strat.

mecca777 · #6 09-09-2002, 08:18 PM

I've been wondering for some time which single-coil to whack into my RG670DX. I'm keen on the idea of a Lindy Fralin '69 Woodstock, and maybe a DiMarzio Bluesbucker in the neck position since I'm going off the full-tilt neck humbucker sound.

At the end of the day, a locking-trem, H-S-H 24-fret RGxxx is never going to be a perfect match for a classic Strat sound. I think it's mainly down to the basswood body. It has that clipped, compressed/focused sound instead of the "ragged", dynamic sound I associate with Strats.

Rotti · #7 09-10-2002, 12:51 AM

It's not even a strat sound I'm looking for really. Just more "Tone" or "Vibe" or whatever. My old Gibson SG had it, and my '57 Telecaster has it. Tonight I was playing my RG and the neck pickup does give me a little of "that" sound I'm looking for. I'm thinking maybe a Humbucker from hell in the neck position and a Tonezone or Breed in the bridge. Primarily I want a heavy sounding guitar. Just some bluesy tones now and then.

btw: This is an awsome forum!

sniperfrommars1 · #8 09-10-2002, 03:28 AM

Play around with your pickup height for awhile, and try to remember youve probably dialed in your amp for a HUMBUCKER frequency. Try just using the split coils and setting your amp up and youll probably have alot better luck. has anyone ever had a single coil only pickguard put in their rgs? Id like to try a david gilmour set of emgs in a vwh, with a new pearly pickguard. Sounds interesting

BZ Beetle · #9 09-11-2002, 04:23 AM

its no secret that the RGs arent great for much anything but shredding. they dont sound bad but they definitely lack somthing. Im considering adding a pearly gates neck n bridge to try to give it a little more of a raw shimmer. i dunno, ill let you know how it works out if i ever get around to it

Polaris20 · #10 09-11-2002, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caprile

positions 2 and 4 are the closest.
however, if you have a SRV strat, a TS808 and a vintage fender amp, you won't sound like SRV.

SRV didn't just use a TS808, he used whatever Tube Screamer he could get his hands on. He's used just about all of them, including the Soundtank version, according to an interview with his guitar tech.

Gresh · #11 09-11-2002, 10:11 AM

I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that one additional element of tone found in the strat is attributed to the fact that the pickups are located at nodal points along the strings. On a 24 fret guitar with humbuckers, this is not easily done if it can be done at all.

I say if you want a straty tone, go get a strat or something like it (G&L). Closest I can get with my UV is one of the split positions into my POD Pro with a Fender Deluxe or Twin model. Sounds very springy, but it's no strat.

rty13ibz98 · #12 09-11-2002, 10:27 AM

ok...here's my 2 cents. i do get a good blues type single coil tone out of my rg550. here's how i do it. i put a coil tap in it, which taps both hums at the same time. this only works in posistions 1 and 5(full on for each). i turned the neck hum around. its a fred if anyone cares, but there is more of a reason to that later. when tapped the neck hum has the outer hum working only, just like that of a strat neck single. you lose alittle bit of quack do to the 24 frets instead of 21-22, but it is remarkably close, even in a baswood body. this is where the fred comes in. due to the generic, "covers all bases" tone of basswood, the fred is a great tapped hum for single coil type tone. a little fatter than usual, but not that it sounds like a p90 or fake "fat" single. the "dual resonance" coils adds alot of harmonics and quack to it in the tapped mode as well. i personally love it, and it works well for strat'ing out an rg. my crowning achievement is rewiring my rgt3120 from scratch with a custom wiring job. since i NEVER used position 3 on a 5 way(cuz it sounded like mud to me) i used the vlx91/otax switch to make 3 become a neck single with an air norton. the results are astounding!!! the tone is a very fat single that has quack, balls, and warmth. i the air norton was used where the adjustable pole was close to the neck and the custom wiring job splits each coil off seperately depending on switch position:ie. inner coil on positions 2 and 4, outer coil on 3. so it is possibly to get a strat-ier type blues tone/vibe out of a strat, even with the shredder wood.

rich

Globbits · #13 10-23-2002, 11:52 AM

My 2 pennies. Position 4 of my rg320 (powersound pickups and a lo-trs II!!) cry baby wah in full treble position. marshall guvnor overdrive on about 8, with plenty of low and high freq. 15 watt solid state amp on bass 6 mid 9 treble 7. Hendrix. Red bleeding house!!!!!

Dunno if its particular 2 my rig or not. It shouldnt sound as authentic as it does, but there we have it. Give it a try on a jem. Should blow your ears off!