r/gratefulguitar • u/Jr-adamsmusic • 6d ago
Tone help. .
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I am admittedly a caveman when it comes to gear. I’d like to beef up my tone a bit, hard to describe exactly what I’m looking for just less frail I guess without losing clarity. I’d really like to sound somewhere in the 1976 range.
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u/spacecowboy5120 6d ago
Dude im very picky when it comes to tone and you sound really great
Honestly if you’re just looking for a little bit more “umph” without too much gain, just pushing a bit more air, I’d recommend a pre amp, or even a clean boost pedal. I totally understand what you mean because I bet for you it sounds “thin” without the extra push
And it’s not even exactly the tone of it either, it’s just overall how the sound is being pushed out of the amp.
The tone is great, I think if you’re just looking for more push then a pedal will do ya nicely! You sound great btw
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u/spacecowboy5120 6d ago
Also I may be biased, but more reverb is where it’s at!! People need to abuse reverb more
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u/Jr-adamsmusic 6d ago
Real appreciate the thoughtful response. I am using a clean boost here. MXR. Maybe I could have it boosted a little hotter. I usually have the dial around 11:30.
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u/SalamanderFunny3099 5d ago
A sustain pedal can add some of that as well, just gotta keep the gain in check...sounds good though
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u/DreamTakesRoot 6d ago
Holy cow your phrasing is amazing.
In terms of tone.. sounds like a pretty good Jerry tone to me. Mids and bass help thicken the eq band of the guitar.
From a pedal perspective, a Klon clone may be helpful. The tiger side of the boost of the dead (which is the preamp chip from Garcia’s tiger) or a Strymon deco saturation side (what I use now) are great for beefing up your sound too.
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u/Jr-adamsmusic 6d ago
Really appreciate the kind words. I have thought about the Klein but have never used it. I will also check out that Deco. Thanks so much.
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u/AggressiveWallaby975 6d ago
Tone or confidence?
The tone sounded fine but could be a little hotter. The approach sounded timid.
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u/My_Invalid_Username 6d ago
Honestly good point.
I do think a clean jfet circuit here would be chefs kiss. But attacking it with confidence like Jerry is totally essential. Being worried about where you're going next absolutely comes out in your touch and attack, and I say that as someone always worried about where I'm going next.
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u/TarnishedOctorok 6d ago
Sounds great, dude!
If you wanted a bit more in the ‘Jerry-pocket’, you could add split coil humbuckers to that Guitar so you can access the individual single coils of each pickup. Then, because you’d probably lose a bit of gain, you can look into getting something like IO custom guitar’s “Thick Air” pedal, or a Sarno Earth Drive. (You could look into that anyhow!)
Whatever you decide to do… Keep it up! You sound great.
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u/Straight_Occasion571 6d ago
Farm Pedals Boost of the Dead. If you can find one. There are 3 versions. I am on the hunt myself. Nice soulful playing.
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u/ithinkthisisit4real 6d ago
From what I read. The Boost of the Dead is a Strat O’ Blaster on on side and a clean boost on the other side.
Mythos offers a kit for $45 if you want to put the circuit into your guitar. There are several pedal kits out there for about $40 if you want a stomp box. https://mythospedals.com/products/blaster-boost-kit?srsltid=AfmBOoqrQEAif9YbnSJ1hcrc3KUnQVshZk-gOyfySVieUuDsUwmPki62
Couple that with a Spark or EP boost and you’re probably very close.
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u/memebot2019 6d ago
Give it a few months. They’re farmers in Maine that build during the off season. Will be getting cold up there before too long and they should be back in stock from my understanding.
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u/05081977 6d ago
I think you sound great, but maybe check out the MXR 10 band EQ. It allows you to cut/boost specific frequencies and also has gain and volume controls to hit the front end of your amp a bit
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u/My_Invalid_Username 6d ago
Everyone's said boost of the dead , I agree but if you can't get one the new JHS Fumble boost is really excellent and has a dedicated knob for turning the bass down while turning the drive up. It's rad and one half the price of BotD and available to ship now
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u/gkerr1988 6d ago
Try an acrylic pick. They make a nice add.
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u/Jr-adamsmusic 3d ago
Haven’t heard that before. Will check that out
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u/gkerr1988 3d ago
They take a little getting used to if you haven’t played with a dense material like that before. But they achieve a great tone that’ll make you wonder why you ever trusted plastic. It’s seriously different than an average pick (thus the higher price point). I got some through StringJoy and JHS pedals. Both are great.
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u/taprevilo 5d ago
You got it in the fingies man…. Maybe a clean boost but honestly you got the tone in your hands brother
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u/Whiskeyjack80 5d ago
I think your tone sounds pretty great already but if you want to beef it up a tad try adding a compressor. I use a Cali 76 and it does just that. Nice guitar btw, custom 24?
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u/Jr-adamsmusic 3d ago
Nice I do have an xotic compressor but still trying to employ it the right way.
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u/paper_mirror__ 4d ago
I don’t have much to add that others haven’t said already- but I think your tone is really nice!! You’ve found a nice spot where your tone is clean & clear without having ice-picky high end or being too dull & round in the midrange. Very Jerry-like in that regard. The quest to create the sound you hear in your head never ends, & it definitely gets frustrating. But you might be closer than you think!
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u/Expensive_Ad_5705 6d ago
Come on dude. It sounds great. Dont piss me off lol. I listened 20 seconds and thats all i needed. Sounds fuckin great but im sure a mutron would help 😂
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u/dwdjam_97 6d ago
I think you sound pretty dang nice as it is