Guitar lead showdown (Bluesberry version)

[Bluesberry]

OK here goes.  Had a go myself tonight for laughs.  It is pretty rough compared to the other versions, but what the hell.  Lots of flubbed notes.  I just hit record and let er rip.  What the heck key is that in Ab?  Anyway, comments appreciated...

[tafka]

i like this a lot.i'm hearin' some latin american feel here.do you have a nylon strung guitar? i think it would sound great.
1 little anoying backer...with 4 very different takes on it.
nice one.

Tony J.

[Greeny]

Superb work my friend. Now I understand why you like to hear juicy lead solos in songs!!! 

This is really instinctive, fluid playing. Sounds to me like you could improvise / jam along to anything. I love the tone on this - it's real late sixties / early seventies. What are you playing it on?

There's definitely a latin vibe to the backing track - kind of leads everyone down a Santana route. But I can see what Wichita means... there could be a real flamenco nylon guitar spin put on this.

[Bluesberry]

Thanks a lot guys, that really means a lot.  I played this on an 2008 American Strat with the Blues Drv effect on the BR. 

it's real late sixties / early seventies.

I am a lover of this era blues rock so thank you for saying that.  That is some of the music I take inspiration from.  It took me a little while to figure out the key  to this goofy track and then I just closed my eyes and let er fly.  Sometimes my enthusiasm gets ahead of my technical skill level, but it is all fun.  I still consider myself a beginner guitarist (playing for 2 years at this point).  I have actually improved quite a bit since I started using the MicroBR a few months ago, great tool for learning guitar.

[hardlock]

Bluesberry - very cool playing!   

Tell me, I'm using a clone LP and to the life of me can't get anything near the tones you do on the Blues Drv on the BR. 

Love those great harmonics going at the end there.  Is this a function of you playing a Strat mostly?  Maybe I went the wrong direction in my choice of instruments or maybe I just don't know how to play yet? 

[Bluesberry]

Thanks Hardlock, I am kinda glad you started this whole thing with this backing track, it was really fun playing along to something different than the basic blues or Neil young folk rock stuff which is what I normally jam along to.  It made me think a little bit about what I could make work.  Crazy key also (Ab I think?).  As far as the tone/harmonics thing I think that this type of sound if much easier to get with a Strat than  LP.  I had the bridge pickup selected and held the pick very close to my fingers (very little pick showing) to get that type of sound.  I also have a LP (Gibson LP Classic) but I cannot get tone like that from that guitar and Blues drv effect.  The LP is far to thick and sustainy for that.  I love my LP but I love my Strat better.  Some people are LP guys and some prefer the Strat sound better.  They both are great in the right situation (think of Witchita and his creamy, dreamy sound - I am not sure you would get sound like that from a Strat?).  I have come to the conclusion a few months ago after getting my 2008 American Strat that I love that sound the most and currently I hardly ever play the LP. 

[tafka]

some interesting comparisons here.
for my version i used a Paul Reed Smith-Swamp Ash Special.
it has Tod Mcarty humbuckers.This guitar works well with the smoothld patch.if i pull up on the tone knob the humbuckers get turned off and i end up with a strat like sound and i can kill the sustain.its a very versitile instrument.
i have found i can get some nice bluesy tones using
78 Bass cln'
79 Bass crnc
it would be interesting to read what you make of this.

Tony J.

[Bluesberry]

i have found i can get some nice bluesy tones using 78 Bass cln' 79 Bass crnc

Very interesting, I would never thought to use those two for guitar, I'll have to try it.
  As far as tone goes, I don't know very much.  I have a personal favorite tone in my head that I am trying to get.  I thought the LP was the way to go, but there was something lacking and adding effects did not get it for me.  It was when I walked into my music store last summer and tried out the 2008 Am Strats.  I had never played a strat before, but it was love at first listen.  I came very close to the sound I was after with this strat.  The ideal tone for me is the tone that Rory Gallagher used to get with a strat and a Fender or Vox small tube amp and very little in the way of effects.  That is for me the tone I like the best.  I can't seem to get close to this tone with my LP, even though the LP is real fun to play.  Like I said I don't know much about it, but I do like the tone I get from my Strat.

[hardlock]

Some people are LP guys and some prefer the Strat sound better.  They both are great in the right situation

So how do the other styles fit into the tone equation assuming we're just discussing solid body electrics like a tele and Santana's type?

I only wanted one guitar that could do it all but see that's not going to happen.  If I get another maybe I should look for a good compromise?  I got my LP from Rondo music and am happy with the quality and price.  What about something like this?

http://www.rondomusic.com/ps924amb.html

[Bluesberry]

That looks like a really nice guitar.  With the option to switch one of the humbuckers to single coil will give you a lot of sound options.  I would also look at Godin guitars if ther are any available in your area, very nice guitars and very versatile.  I believe there a few guys on here that have Godin guitars.  Happy hunting.
http://www.godinguitars.com/
The difference in tone is from the two type of pickups, humbuckers and single coil.  Humbuckers do what they do, they buck the hum, they cancel out noise and hum, but they also cancel out a bit of the complexity of the note.  The humbucker produces a very thick, sustainy, creamy sound.  A little of the complexity and high end sparkle is lost though.  The single coil has more complex tone, with less sustain and less girth (thickness).  It is best seen in the music of ZZ Top.  Billy Gibbons used both LPs and Strats depending on the song and his mood.  If he wanted that thick sustain that lasts forever he played LPs, but the  next song he would go with a Strat and get that complex, harmonically rich tone with all his pintch harmonics and high end sparkle.  He needed both type of guitars to get all his guitar sounds.  The mystery of guitar tone.