Guitars with Humbuckers.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1450098426' post='2929503']
What is it with bass players and telecasters?

I've got a MiM 1972 thinline reissue which I bought c.2000.

It's the best skinny string I've ever owned and up there with the best I've ever played.

I don't know if it's the simplicity of the controls or the relatively chunky necks, but I've known a fair few tele owning bass players down the years.
[/quote]

I prefer an Epiphone Casino with P90 dog ear single coils.

Edited December 14, 2015 by EssentialTension

[stuckinthepod]

Pickups have got hotter an hotter to achieve more gain. Look at the tones that people like Peter Green or Paul Kossoff used to get with relatively low ohm PAF pickups.

[DaytonaRik]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1450092186' post='2929440']

Nonetheless there were guitarists using single coils and plenty of 'drive and break-up' - Hendrix for example.
[/quote]

The gain available then through the amp alone was limited compared to some the current hi-gain heads available today. And was Jimi not associated with early overdrive/distortion/fuzz units such as the Fuzz Face?

Even Gary Moore would front load a Marshall 50w head flat out with a tube screamer and a Boss DS-1, especially with his Strats.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1450098426' post='2929503']
What is it with bass players and telecasters?

I've got a MiM 1972 thinline reissue which I bought c.2000.

It's the best skinny string I've ever owned and up there with the best I've ever played.

I don't know if it's the simplicity of the controls or the relatively chunky necks, but I've known a fair few tele owning bass players down the years.
[/quote]

And unsurprisingly AFAIAC the Telecaster is the most boring guitar in the world ;-)

Having played nothing but relatively high-end guitars for the last 20 years I recently tried some Fenders belonging to a friend. I couldn't believe how chunky and horrible the necks felt. I suppose it all depends on what you are used to!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1450104837' post='2929602']
The gain available then through the amp alone was limited compared to some the current hi-gain heads available today. And was Jimi not associated with early overdrive/distortion/fuzz units such as the Fuzz Face?

Even Gary Moore would front load a Marshall 50w head flat out with a tube screamer and a Boss DS-1, especially with his Strats.
[/quote]
I take your point (and I also may not know what I am talking about) but aren't the overdrive/distortion/fuzz/tubescreamers doing what the modern hi-gain heads are doing?

Edited December 14, 2015 by EssentialTension

[Nicko]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1450106943' post='2929626']
And unsurprisingly AFAIAC the Telecaster is the most boring guitar in the world ;-)

Having played nothing but relatively high-end guitars for the last 20 years I recently tried some Fenders belonging to a friend. I couldn't believe how chunky and horrible the necks felt. I suppose it all depends on what you are used to!
[/quote]

I prefer to think of them as everything you need and nothing you don't. But, my Tele is my second guitar and my main is a similarly basic Patrick Eggle NY with 'buckers fore and aft. The neck profiles vary according to vintage btw.

[hairychris]

As a metalhead humbuckers are pretty much a given... For the last band I played guitar in my personal loadout was 7 string guitars loaded with Bareknuckle Warpigs (high output AlNiCo passives) into a Diezel. Quite a lot of grind on tap there, I can recommend it if you're that way inclined.

I do like the Telecaster, though. I'm a recent convert to them, and I'd also like to try something out with P90s as I've heard some filthy tones from guitars equipped with those.

Edited December 14, 2015 by hairychris

[M@23]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1450107414' post='2929633']

I take your point (and I also may not know what I am talking about) but aren't the overdrive/distortion/fuzz/tubescreamers doing what the modern hi-gain heads are doing?
[/quote]

Nah, modern hi-gain like Mesa, Diezel, Engl et all have a ton of gain baked in and available. Tubescreamers and Boss SD-1 pedals were used with the gain very low, or at zero and the volume up to push the front end on Marshalls and crunchy 'British' amps to get the valves cooking. It's just a clean boost to saturate the valves and kind of acts as a preset EQ.

Edit to say, with a Marshall or Laney type amp it still won't provide that Peavey 5150 chainsaw type distortion. It is a 'cleaner' drive. Even with heavy metal, this is still very popular for recording, maybe not so for live use.

Edited December 14, 2015 by M@23

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='M@23' timestamp='1450118109' post='2929796']
Nah, modern hi-gain like Mesa, Diezel, Engl et all have a ton of gain baked in and available. Tubescreamers and Boss SD-1 pedals were used with the gain very low, or at zero and the volume up to push the front end on Marshalls and crunchy 'British' amps to get the valves cooking. It's just a clean boost to saturate the valves and kind of acts as a preset EQ.

Edit to say, with a Marshall or Laney type amp it still won't provide that Peavey 5150 chainsaw type distortion. It is a 'cleaner' drive. Even with heavy metal, this is still very popular for recording, maybe not so for live use.
[/quote]

OK, not my field nor my music.

[Naetharu]

I'm quite the fan of single coils myself (or at least a classic Strat) for that sharp high articulation they get. It's really hard to describe it yet I know the second I hear that its a strat sound. I'd not say that HBs are mushy - they just smoother and a bit more mellow. The nicest HBs I have ever heard were the stacked ones that Fender used in the Billy Corgan signature guitar. I'm still sulking that I missed out on buying one of those...

[Rich]

Most of my favourite guitar sounds come from humbuckers. But then I like jazz and fusion, so I'm probably a hopeless case For me, guitars don't get much better sounding (or looking) than something like this:

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1450122999' post='2929862']
Most of my favourite guitar sounds come from humbuckers. But then I like jazz and fusion, so I'm probably a hopeless case For me, guitars don't get much better sounding (or looking) than something like this:

[/quote]

Lovely.

[Rich]

Aye. If D'Angelicos weren't so expensive, I'd buy one just to hang on the wall as a piece of art. My guitarist bestie has one, it's stunning in every way.

[Maude]

That is a stunning looking guitar

[Rich]

The headstock alone is an art deco masterpiece.
Sorry for hijacking the thread, but god i love these things

[ezbass]

Back in the days when we did the lottery I always said that, if we won, I'd have a jazz box custom made by Mike Vanden.

[BigRedX]

My ultimate guitar is this one from Ritter: