Stevie Ray Vaughan Discussion

[kirk95]

The closest I can get is .......

1963 Strat - RC Booster - 1965 Deluxe Reverb....

I will post some clips when I get some time......

How about you guys?

[chris olden]

hey,
I saw the banner over at Tonequest.
Anyhow,
I accidentally got Stevie's tone through the
following set-up;
early 80's(?) Japanese Strat with stock pickups
Ibanez TS-9(1995 re-issue I think) gain backed off,
master up almost all the way
Boogie Triple Rectifier(red channel with pre-amp
backed way off, tube rectifier section on, and the
lowered voltage activated)
Boogie Recto Cab 4 x12
It was actually so close, that my buddies stopped
playing!
It was sort of bizarre, as I'm not a trmendous fan of SRV
or the blues for that matter. It got even more like SRV's tone
when I really started hammering the strings with the pick.
I almost went out and bought a Strat the next day!
chris olden

[TTrahan]

I think I have his tone down pretty good.

Amps: '64 Vibroverb Clone, Super Reverb Reissue

Guitars: Warmoth Strat w/ Suhr V60 LP pickups, SRV Strat w/ Van Zandt Rock Pickups.

Effects: Teese Picture Wah-->Bad Bob Clean Boost-->Tycobrahe Octavian Clone0-->MJM Custom 2 channel Blues Devil (Ts808)-->Analogman Clone Chorus-->Peterson Strobostromp tuner.

www.familygenesbluesband.com

[TTrahan]

The RC Booster is next on my list, along w/ a BJFE LGW

[kirk95]

You will love the RC Booster! Killer pedal!
_________________
www.online-discussion.com

[JimmyJames]

Hey Kirk:

I don't know how close I'm actually getting to the SRV tone, but I think I'm in the ballpark with the following rig:

Custom Shop early-60's Strat with Fralin Blues Special pups > Snarling Dog Super-Bawl Whino-Wha > Ibanez TS-9 re-issue (actually made by Maxon) > Ibanez TS-808 re-issue > Xotic RC Booster > Fender Deluxe Tweed that was re-biased for 6V6's and a Jensen Alnico speaker.

Why does this come close?? First, the Fralin pups are fatter than Fender Texas Specials. The two TS-9's are voiced a bit differently and complement one another very well. The RC Booster is very cool for a bit more gain & feedback on the solos and endings. The Deluxe Tweed was re-biased so I could drive the power tubes harder than the pre-amp tubes. Finally, I think Alnico speakers are much closer to SRV's high-wattage EV speakers than any ceramic speakers I've tried. It's all pretty darn loud (but so was Stevie), and sounds best in a very large room.

It's nice to know there are others who really appreciate the RC Booster !!
_________________
JimmyJames

[TTrahan]

Jimmy - Sounds like a pretty cool setup!

I ran the dual TS9(or 808) setup for a little while, what are the advantages of having two ODs and a boost for you?

I run an MJM Blues Devil that has a boost built in (for more gain, for songs that require more sustain, i.e., Voodoo Chile, Say What, etc). I also use a clean boost for that big but clean sound (Texas Flood-ish).

The MJM IMO is a great all around OD. Our setlist is probably 70% SRV tunes, or tunes along the SRV vein, so my rig needs to be voiced accordingly. But, when we do venture out into other territory (a few stones tunes), my setup does an okay job. I am adding an RC Booster in the mix to give me more depth. Do you think that the RC would be overkill in my rig? Or could I benefit from it?

Thanks - Troy

[JimmyJames]

Hey Troy:

For me, the two TS-9's run in-series basically acts like a two-stage OD pedal with the second stage being a boost (like your Blues Devil pedal).
But even if I set the output of both pedals at unity with the amp, there is simply a fuller harmonically richer tone. Like most other players, I like the TS-9 for its mid-range hump -- but the two TS-9's are voiced slightly differently, so the mid-range hump is thicker, with more harmonic overtones.

The RC Booster pedal alone (without the TS-9) would be great for those Stones numbers you guys do. I leave the treble and bass settings at 12 o'clock (neutral), so there is no tonal colouration of your sound,... just a boost of the existing signal. You can also boost or cut both the treble and the bass, but that would really depend on the style -- a large bass boost would probably be good for Metal. For myself, I usually set the Gain knob at about 10o'clock and the Volume knob at about 11o'clock, so it acts as a virtually transparent boost of my existing tone. The RC Booster also has some buffer circuitry built in, so it compensates just a little bit for the natural signal degradation you would get from a long line of pedals running in-series.

You mention the MJM Blues Devil -- what does the "MJM" stand for?? Does it have a similar mid-range hump to the TS-808?? Also, I'm not familiar with the Bad Bob Clean Boost -- can you tell me what it sounds like??
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JimmyJames

[TTrahan]

Hey Jim -

My MJM (Michael ::middle name:: Milcetic) Blues Devil is a custom job from Mike. He is an effects builder from Canada, great stuff.

The MJM BD is an 808 clone with a little more gain and true bypass switching. Very righteous sounding!

www.mjmguitarfx.com

The Bad Bob is a clean boost. I like because it adds a little dirt and definitely beefs up my clean tone, similar to a Klon, but beefier and dirtier

Made my Robbie Wallace at RGW Electronics.

http://www.analogman.com/badbob.htm

[wolftrane]

The closest I get is with my #1 home made replica.
http://www.wolftrane.com/MP3_audio/Little-Wing-Intro.mp3
http://www.wolftrane.com/MP3_audio/Cold-Shot-Jam.mp3

I think the fat neck is a real key along with the pickups. I have other strats that I struggle to get the SRV tone with.
see more about the guitar at

http://www.srvguitar.com

GUITAR: Squire/jumbo neck DIY project guitar
STRINGS: Carvin .10 gauge strings
PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
EFFECTS: Duncan Pickup Booster, Guyatone Mini Chorus, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (modded to TS808 specs). All True Bypass
AMP: Carvin 212 Bel Air Vintage Series Amp, 50w, with 12" Carvin Vintage Series Speakers
MIC: Sure SM57
MIC PREAMP: Digi001
RECORDING SOFTWARE: Pro Tools LE
MASTERING: T-Racks Mastering Suite

[voodoo364]

Great Thread... I am using a Nash Strat w/Fralins into a 65 Fender Bandmaster. The cab is equipped with 2x12 EV SRO's. Budda Wah-TS 808 RI-SD Booster-Arion SCH-1-Boss DD-2 or 3. The EV's are huge sounding...very efficient/loud. The SRO's sound great when the BM is at 4-5. Sounds a little sterile at low volumes. You guys have me gassin' for a BadBob or RC mmm......

[JimmyJames]

Hey Troy, Voodoo, Kirk, et al.

I just got myself a Blues Devil OD from Michael Milcetic -- so far so good.
I am getting a nice SRV tone with the following settings: Level @ 50%; Tone @ 10%; Drive @ 100%. Simple yet elegant in its design: chicken knobs, true bypass, totally hand-made, JRC 4558D chip -- a very transparent sounding pedal. But when I put it on my pedalboard, it gets buried by my other pedals -- an impedance mismatch of some kind. Really what I need is something like a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power II, or a Dunlop Brick. Any suggestions??
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JimmyJames

[TTrahan]

I am not really sure what's going on with your MJM BD, have you emailed Mike yet?

The MJM BD is my fav. TS clone by a long shot.

Oh yeah, I wanted to add that you shouldn't really refer to the MJM BD as being transparent, IMO. It has a midhump, just like every TS, so it can't really be transparent if it changes your tone, right?

Just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

I hope everything gets working for ya, because the MJM BD will get you into that SRV territory as long as your amp is cookin' a bit. Good luck!

[TTrahan]

[JimmyJames]