Stevie Ray Vaughan Discussion

[hawk5211]

Ok well starving student here will hopefully be able to get summer job here to get some much needed cash for some new gear so ive decided to ask for some help in advance (and to give us all something to do here...)

Right now I am running a Squire Strat(crappy) >Boss ME-50 (decent) > Fender FM212R (SS but pretty good)

I would like to keep the Boss and the amp if i can (amp is new - christmas this year)

For a guitar I think i will be able to get an American strat (probably American Deluxe) and im considering getting HSS with the S-1 switch....

I would like to from there get the rest of my equiptment set up so i can get a decent blues sound with putting down a whole crapload more money (strat will clean me out 1500 or so, but i think its worth it)

My questions are:

1) Can i put a TS-9/TS-808 in front of my SS amp to get a good sound or should i buy a BD-2 or similar (OD vs. DS pedals in front of SS amp)

2) selling the FM and buying a Hot Rod deluxe - can i run the hot rod low enough to play at home and still get a decent sound + good OD with a Tubescreamer

3) Is a tube amp going to give me troubles i.e breaking tubes in cold weather, transporting in cold weather, needing new tubes every year etc...

4) Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Pickups - Are they worth it, keeping in mind that I don't want to do a pile of mods to a new strat - i would like one that is good stock.



Any help/ input would be really appreciated, as I am a little new to the guitar (well not really but you fellows have been playing still alot longer than me)

Alot to read but anyways,


Thankyou in Advance


Hawk5211
_________________
Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel. - Jimi Hendrix

[Ted68]

I recently bought a Fender Champ 12 on Ebay for $285.00. Only 12 watts from a single 5881 and a pair of 12AX7's, but they are 12 very loud watts. I am going to slide a 5751 into the first preamp tube position, ala Stevie to clean up the boosted side of the amp. It's an early '80's Rivera designed amp with a normal and gain channel and a single 12 inch speaker and reverb. It hs all the SRV sound you want right out of the gate. There is a mid-boost on the treble pull knob and separate gain and volume controls for the boosted side which really breaks up which is why I am switching tubes to smooth it out. Never had a problem with fenders eating tubes like a Marshall.

As for a guitar, save $500.00 and buy a used '62 reissue American Strat. I have had excellent luck on http://www.gbase.com/ for used gear. Go to advanced search, type in fender, stratocaster 62, and select electric solid body. Sort by price/going down for best results and don't forget to read all the little ads with no pictures. You're looking at $950.00-1100.00 here.

And all your pedals will work well with this setup.

You can also look up an amp there within the price range of the Hot Rod and find a better amp for the money.

Anyway, thats my $0.02 on a rig for less than the price of the guitar you mentioned.

[voodoo364]

The American Strat with stock PU's should be fine. How about a Deluxe Reverb RI? The TS is the way to go...the BD has a totally different frequency covered. You want the mid-hump of the TS. Spend your money!

[hawk5211]

[hawk5211]

any thoughts on the blues junior, not just for a SRV tone, but just for a solid all around blues sound w/Strat??

Hawk
_________________
Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel. - Jimi Hendrix

[Gamedojo]

[voodoo364]

I agree with Tyler. The BJ is a great little amp once you upgrade the speaker. It runs on el-84 tubes..class A. Great recording amp and practice amp. In my opinion it's a little to small sounding in a band context. Kind'a odd cuz the Deluxe Reverb is a 1x12 combo that has plenty of oomph for live situations. Maybe the 6V6 vs the EL-84 ? don't know.

[Breakneckblues]

While we're on the topic of amps, does any one have any experience with a Fuchs Overdrive Supreme. I played one recently and I really enjoyed it, but god damn expensive for a 1X12 combo. Let me know what you think.
_________________
"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."

-SRV

[Gamedojo]

[Breakneckblues]

I totally hear what you're saying about the Fuchs distortion tone. I just had to sell my Chicago Blues Box Roadhouse so this amp is a totally different ballpark. I think I am coming to the exact opposite realization of what you described. After playing various big clean amps for years, I think I’m craving something different.
The ODS can get way too thick sounding for my ears when the gain is dimmed, but if you use it correctly... hot damn. It has this killer tone I cant stop thinking about. Good to hear that these amps have a solid rep. I’ve been thinking about getting a 50-watt with an EV12L or an AlNiCo Tone Tubby...
_________________
"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."

-SRV

[Gamedojo]

[Breakneckblues]

Oh man I spent 2 hours at Make n' Music in Chicago today. Check out their site... crazy shit in that place. (They have FOUR of the Clapton 'Blacky' Strats at $26000 each) I played the entire Fuchs line and can confidently say the ODS is a sick little piece of amp. I've definitely been converted. Amen.
_________________
"Like my brother Jimmie says, I play like I'm breaking out of jail."

-SRV

[hawk5211]

[lespaul101]

[quote="hawk5211"]Ok well starving student here will hopefully be able to get summer job here to get some much needed cash for some new gear so ive decided to ask for some help in advance (and to give us all something to do here...)

Right now I am running a Squire Strat(crappy) >Boss ME-50 (decent) > Fender FM212R (SS but pretty good)

I would like to keep the Boss and the amp if i can (amp is new - christmas this year)

For a guitar I think i will be able to get an American strat (probably American Deluxe) and im considering getting HSS with the S-1 switch....

I would like to from there get the rest of my equiptment set up so i can get a decent blues sound with putting down a whole crapload more money (strat will clean me out 1500 or so, but i think its worth it)

My questions are:

1) Can i put a TS-9/TS-808 in front of my SS amp to get a good sound or should i buy a BD-2 or similar (OD vs. DS pedals in front of SS amp)

2) selling the FM and buying a Hot Rod deluxe - can i run the hot rod low enough to play at home and still get a decent sound + good OD with a Tubescreamer

3) Is a tube amp going to give me troubles i.e breaking tubes in cold weather, transporting in cold weather, needing new tubes every year etc...

4) Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Pickups - Are they worth it, keeping in mind that I don't want to do a pile of mods to a new strat - i would like one that is good stock.



Any help/ input would be really appreciated, as I am a little new to the guitar (well not really but you fellows have been playing still alot longer than me)

Alot to read but anyways,


Thankyou in Advance


Hawk5211[/quote]

I own both the Fender FM 212R and the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I also own both the Boss BD-2 and a TS-808 tubescreamer. The pedals do not sound good with the Fender FM 212R in my opinion. They sound very thin and they have crappy tone. However, with the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, both of the pedals sound excellent.

If you are worried about not having a good tone with the Deluxe at practice volumes, dont. It sounds great at all volumes. It will work for a practice amp, and it will also work for you to jam with a band. It is LOUD, and it doesnt lose its sound quality at high volumes like the FM 212R does.
Also, i like the overdrive channel on the Deluxe more than the 212R. The 212R has a decent bluesy sound with the mid countour switch out, but its still nowhere near as good as the Deluxe.

I also own the Boss ME-50 Effects proccesor. You wrote that it is a "decent" pedal. Thats because you are running it through the 212R. it is a "decent" pedal through that amp, but run it through the deluxe and its a GREAT pedal.

keep in mind though, that there is no reason for you to buy a Boss BD-2 or a TS-808 because they are both built into the ME-50, and the ones built into the ME-50 sound exactly like the individual stomp boxes that I have.

as far as the American Strat, good choice. I dont have an American yet, but i absolutely love them, and I will be getting one very soon.

if i were you, i would by the american strat, sell the FM 212R, and buy a good used hot rod deluxe for 350 or 400 bucks, you wont be disapointed. you will then be able to get stevies great sound with some tweaking to the boss ME-50

[hawk5211]

^^ Thanks for the info

Ok the only problem is that I made this thread a while ago, and the situation has changed a bit in the past 6 months.

So I ordered an American Strat two days ago, the standard with SSS, so not the deluxe, and no humbucker.

Second I have realized that the FM is......challenged. I plan to keep it however, and use it to take to school when I play gigs there, simply because it is cheap, loud, and noone I go to high school with knows anything about TONE so i dont fell bad about it !!

The amp that I want to get for use at home or other gigs is a Blues Junior, simply because I want to be able to get it loud and overdrive it naturally at a reasonable volume, and because its half of the price of a HRD and I don't need an amp that big.

I had intended once i get the BJ to get a TS 808 tho, just to bea ble to overdrive the amp, as the me-50 doesnt have an overdrive of sorts, just distortion. And i do like the BD-2 on it, but dont like the TS. Of course that might just be the squire which is very dead.

Anways thanks again, and and recomendations on my plan here?

Another thing, I notice alot of people ragging on the ME-50, saying that it sounds digital, but i really don't think so. I like the sound. I can, combining a squire, me-50 and ss amp get a very nice blues tone. Of course I believe tha tthe tone is in your head and fingers, not your gear....


Hawk
_________________
Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel. - Jimi Hendrix