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MY SRV Tribute Strat - Number One Recreation
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Vaughanabe13



Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:59 pm    Post subject: MY SRV Tribute Strat - Number One Recreation Reply with quote

You guys were asking how to get the SRV tone? Well I've got it, easily, through any tube amp! With the right guitar you can dial in SRV tones on any amp. I built this guitar over the course of a year (since I'm just a teenager without money) and it's absolutely amazing in the tone department. Here's the specs:

-Cheap Mexican Sunburst Poplar body (the only original part on the guitar)
-Fender licensed Rosewood strat neck with jumbo frets and the nut set up for .13 to .60 gauge strings
-Pickup harness made by Griblin Engineering, featuring Van Zandt Rock pickups (the closest model to what Stevie used) and an awesome treble bleed circuit
-All aged gold hardware except for the bridge which has graphtech saddles to prevent string breakage
-Kluson tuners (aged)

Pics available here:

http://www.geocities.com/vaughanabe13/projectSRVindex.html

Let me know what you guys think! The total project cost me about $1200. The tone on this thing is unbelievable.
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Blind Melon Chitlin



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Austin Texas, Earth!

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why don't you post some sound clips so we can hear that thing?
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Vaughanabe13



Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gosh, I wish I could but my recording setup is terrible and it distorts the sounda and adds ambient noise and what not. I don't know how to accurately capture the sound onto my PC, atleast without spending hundreds of dollars.

I'll try recording again but I'm not going to upload anything that doesn't give the true sound of the guitar.
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Blind Melon Chitlin



Joined: 01 Feb 2005
Posts: 56
Location: Austin Texas, Earth!

PostPosted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd get a 4 track cassette recorder, record on that, then have it transfered to cd or some other digital format that can be converted to mp3 or what ever. For some reason, analog works great for tracking guitars. A 4 track and a Sure SM-57 or SM-58 microphone and you'll be in business. The good news is that both of those things can be had very cheap. If you want digital there are some DAT and mini-disk units available for very resonable prices.

Another thing you could try is plugging a LINE6 POD directly into your computer if it's got a sound card.
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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:53 am    Post subject: Re: MY SRV Tribute Strat - Number One Recreation Reply with quote

Vaughanabe13 wrote:
You guys were asking how to get the SRV tone? Well I've got it, easily, through any tube amp! With the right guitar you can dial in SRV tones on any amp. I built this guitar over the course of a year (since I'm just a teenager without money) and it's absolutely amazing in the tone department. Here's the specs:

-Cheap Mexican Sunburst Poplar body (the only original part on the guitar)
-Fender licensed Rosewood strat neck with jumbo frets and the nut set up for .13 to .60 gauge strings
-Pickup harness made by Griblin Engineering, featuring Van Zandt Rock pickups (the closest model to what Stevie used) and an awesome treble bleed circuit
-All aged gold hardware except for the bridge which has graphtech saddles to prevent string breakage
-Kluson tuners (aged)

Pics available here:

http://www.geocities.com/vaughanabe13/projectSRVindex.html

Let me know what you guys think! The total project cost me about $1200. The tone on this thing is unbelievable.


If you're getting any kind of SRV tone, I'd imagine it's coming from your technique. I know that's how I get it.

I get the SRV thing going with how I play, not from the equipment I use. The equipment just helps you in the journey, but the tone comes from your hands.

I'm glad you're getting the tone bro, but I bet if I threw my guitar in your hands, assuming you were comfortable playing it, I bet that you would still get that tone, because of your fingers.
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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 3:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I forgot to add that the guitar looks great! You did an awesome job.
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Vaughanabe13



Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

While it's true I can get the sound of various guitars, it really comes into its own on this guitar. In general though, I can sound like SRV on any guitar with 13 gauge strings. The only other thing I think that really matters in the tone is the fact that so much of the finish is stripped off. It allows the tone wood to breathe and sustain like no other. It's crazy how much difference in tone there is when you strip the paint. I measured the distance from the bare wood to the mexican finish (poly) and it was slightly under 1/4" which is INSANELY thick. One of the reasons vintage guitars sound so good is because of the THIN nitro finish.
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Vaughanabe13



Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://d1jlserver.dnsalias.net/CCDev2/pub_gallery.cfm?mid=53

There is a quick link for some pictures, in case that retarded Geocities site goes down. Enjoy
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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 3:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vaughanabe13 wrote:
While it's true I can get the sound of various guitars, it really comes into its own on this guitar. In general though, I can sound like SRV on any guitar with 13 gauge strings. The only other thing I think that really matters in the tone is the fact that so much of the finish is stripped off. It allows the tone wood to breathe and sustain like no other. It's crazy how much difference in tone there is when you strip the paint. I measured the distance from the bare wood to the mexican finish (poly) and it was slightly under 1/4" which is INSANELY thick. One of the reasons vintage guitars sound so good is because of the THIN nitro finish.


Yeah yeah Rolling Eyes

Nitro, poly, whatever, LOL. I have a poly SRV strat and an unfinished Warmoth and both of them sound killer, not much of a difference. Crank 'em up through whatever amp you're using and it will be hard to tell the difference (in a band setting). Splitting hairs IMO. One of the reasons vintage guitars sound so good is because people THINK they sound that good. Well, they sound good, but don't most of the new strats too? Say Jimmie Vaughan for instance, he normally plays new strats and gets a KILLER tone, same with Robert Cray. Vintage = hype. They have the "mojo" factor, which is awesome, but start someone out on the NEW guitars, and they won't see why everyone is drooling over the vintage ones.

I use 12s, only because they're comfortable. A big sound is had with smaller strings as well.

I repeat, I bet you can sound like SRV on any strat. Honestly. You might not think so, but throw a mexi strat with 10s and a tiny neck in your hands and I will bet that any kid walking by will be impressed with your SRV sound. You just won't be comfortable playing that guitar. See where I'm coming from. I guess what I'm saying is don't blame your guitar!! You're getting great tone because YOU know how! Give yourself some credit Very Happy

About the poly finish: That stuff is thick isn't it?! I was trying to relic my dakota red strat (poly finish), let's just say it didn't go to well Sad
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Vaughanabe13



Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahh, then you know what I had to go through to relic this SRV strat! The finish was all poly. I think I did pretty well considering what I had to work with. The problem is you can't blend the wood and the paint, so there is a solid line where the finish drops off to the wood. You can see that on my recreation, which is the only real problem with the finish. But hey, I don't mind.

Also, I'm not so sure about your theory. I go to guitar shops and play random guitars and it's harder to get the SRV tone. That's not to say I don't get GOOD tone, just not SRV. It's hard to explain but my ears are so picky and precise that they're just not happy unless it's perfect. Sounds stupid, I know, but it's like an addiction. Once you hear those tones you can never go back. Cool
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voodoo364



Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 66

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree guys..it's in the fingers and attack. SRV went at it real hard with the right hand(rounded side of the pick). Compare SRV to Eric Johnson, two completely different ways of approaching the instrument..brute force vs. finesse. To cop the SRV tone you have to attack it with your R/H and be able to mute all the stuff that is inherent with that approach. Great discussion... BTW nice job on the fiddle
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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vaughanabe13 wrote:
Ahh, then you know what I had to go through to relic this SRV strat! The finish was all poly. I think I did pretty well considering what I had to work with. The problem is you can't blend the wood and the paint, so there is a solid line where the finish drops off to the wood. You can see that on my recreation, which is the only real problem with the finish. But hey, I don't mind.

Also, I'm not so sure about your theory. I go to guitar shops and play random guitars and it's harder to get the SRV tone. That's not to say I don't get GOOD tone, just not SRV. It's hard to explain but my ears are so picky and precise that they're just not happy unless it's perfect. Sounds stupid, I know, but it's like an addiction. Once you hear those tones you can never go back. Cool


You definitely did really well on the guitar. That poly is a PITA to work with.

I guess I should have added that my theory is exactly that, MY THEORY. I too go into random guitar shops and play the guitar in there. I have a style that is strongly SRV influenced, kind of a second nature thing, and I sound like that no matter what I play through. I just bought an Epi Dot and I still get that "hard attack, quack" type sound even with the semi hollow body and humbuckers. Mind you, it's not the same as with a strat, but I can still hear that tone wanting to come out.

I guess I could say my ears are picky, or else I wouldn't buy the equipment that I do. I would have just stuck with the Super Reverb Reissue years back and never looked for anything else. I've been doing the tone search for 4-5 years now, been through a lot of stuff, and I STILL think you're splitting hairs over the vintage/new thing Wink

The guitar you stripped is still NEW, regardless of whether it looks it or not. I know it can breathe, but still, c'mon...

I think you just added some cool mojo to it, and now it's so much fun to play that you squeeze every last bit of tone out of the guitar, subconciously Wink

Also, lets deepen the discussion, which SRV tone do you personally go for? I have pretty much got it down to the Pre-1984 tone, and the tone from a video I have from 1987 in Daytona. Both are killer tones. Pre-84 is awesome, because it's normally the Vibroverbs/Super Reverb tone, the best IMO.

Here's some pics of my nasty relic job. Nothing compared to yours. I had ZERO luck making this guitar look good. Laugh it up Smile

Oh yeah, this is a really cool discussion BTW. Glad we're keeping it civil by expressing honest opinions in an adult manner.





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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Easier to view it this way, let me know if it's not okay and I'll delete this post

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UncleSalty



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 79
Location: Ibaraki, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TTrahan wrote:
One of the reasons vintage guitars sound so good is because people THINK they sound that good. Well, they sound good, but don't most of the new strats too?

Jimi Hendrix used stock, off the rack CBS strats, which have a poor reputation for tone. To be fair, sometimes his tone sucked, but that was probably more to do with contemporary amplification problems than his guitars. And when his tone soared, no-one, SRV & Eric Johnson et al included, has come close.
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TTrahan



Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 287

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

UncleSalty wrote:
TTrahan wrote:
One of the reasons vintage guitars sound so good is because people THINK they sound that good. Well, they sound good, but don't most of the new strats too?

Jimi Hendrix used stock, off the rack CBS strats, which have a poor reputation for tone. To be fair, sometimes his tone sucked, but that was probably more to do with contemporary amplification problems than his guitars. And when his tone soared, no-one, SRV & Eric Johnson et al included, has come close.


I agree that Jimi's tone was great, most of the time. But it's kind of apples and oranges comparing SRV's tone to Jimi's. Even more so when comparing EJ to Jimi, that's just my opinion.

I know SRV played very similar to Jimi, and even in the later years of SRVs career his gear was very similar, so I could see where a comparison in TONE could be made, but in the earlier years it was nothing alike, besides the strat similarity.

My .02
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