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Post by JamesP on Nov 12, 2015 9:25:12 GMT -5
How do you weigh in on the number of pickkups? More is better? or Less is Best? I was messing around with a vintage ES125 vs the Fender Tele, just seeing how the two compared. Single vs Double PUP. The ES125 (which I know is hollow body) was great for chords and rhythm, but not as gritty as the Tele for leads. I don't know how much the pups had to do with the tone vs the solid body vs hollow body.
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Post by banjo on Nov 17, 2015 14:55:01 GMT -5
Difficult call Jim because I find the comination of two pick ups really beguiling. It's taken me a long time to figure out that what I miss in a standard wired Strat is that Tele combo, and the reason why I find it difficult to come down on one side or the other is because a single pick up guitar most often has the pick up further from the bridge than you find on a multi pick up instrument, and this really does influence the tone. Anyways, you know you need both types!
e&oe...
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Post by Pistol Pete on Nov 18, 2015 6:41:57 GMT -5
I'm an uncomplicated fellow, & I tend to like 'one trick pony' guitars. There are two pickups on my main electric, but the pickup selector tends to stay firmly in the middle. I also use an acoustic modified to play electric with a single coil soundhole pickup (no tone controls) & my oil can guitar which has one old strat pickup & again no tone controls.
Although I would probably benefit from moving to the bridge for my two solos a night, swapping between pickups always seems like one more thing to worry about when I'm on stage & already have too many things to remember.
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Post by JamesP on Nov 18, 2015 8:21:22 GMT -5
I also use an acoustic modified to play electric with a single coil soundhole pickup (no tone controls) Great point Pete! I almost forgot those days when we had to use the old Dearmond Pickup in the soundhole of our acoustic guitar. Those were simple days but they did work. (although I do recall Chet Atkins saying that those soundhole pickups sucked the tone right out of the guitar! I do remember that changing the picking attack on the old acoustic with the pickup did affect the tone. A sharper attack would give you a little more grit for soloing. SO MANY VARIABLES!
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Post by Pistol Pete on Nov 18, 2015 8:32:32 GMT -5
I do recall Chet Atkins saying that those soundhole pickups sucked the tone right out of the guitar! I'd usually be happy to defer to such an almighty guitarist on these matters but I hear Lightnin' Hopkins play with one & think he has rather wonderful tone... As for ES125s lacking grit, well it really does depend what you do with it!
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Post by JamesP on Nov 18, 2015 8:38:38 GMT -5
I do recall Chet Atkins saying that those soundhole pickups sucked the tone right out of the guitar! I'd usually be happy to defer to such an almighty guitarist on these matters but I hear Lightnin' Hopkins play with one & think he has rather wonderful tone... As for ES125s lacking grit, well it really does depend what you do with it! I don't disagree Pete, both examples are very true! There are so many more variables that affect tone and overall sound. I know Chet was referring to the sound of the acoustic (Fender D28) was different when played through an amp. Personally, I sure don't have the "ear" to differentiate to the degree that Chester could! [laughing]
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Post by Pistol Pete on Nov 18, 2015 9:02:34 GMT -5
I know Chet was referring to the sound of the acoustic (Fender D28) was different when played through an amp. Personally, I sure don't have the "ear" to differentiate to the degree that Chester could! [laughing] I think those Dearmonds are best when you just treat them as an electric guitar - they have a rather wonderful sound, but it isn't remotely like an acoustic. Modern acoustic pickups do a better job of sounding closer to an an acoustic guitar, but fundamentally the best way to get an acoustic sound is still to stick a microphone in front of an acoustic guitar.
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Post by earleg on Nov 23, 2015 2:06:44 GMT -5
I'm good with 2 for the versatility but 1 pickup models have some great sounds be it arch top types or solid body types like the Fender Esquire.
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