Single Coils/Dumble's

[boldaslove6789]

Alright one thing I forgot to specify is that I'm talking about the OD and not the cleans. Cleans sound great on most if not all d-style amps whether BM/Skyliner w/e I've played/Owned with Single coils. And I'm a lapsteel Player on top of a guitar player. Single coil Lapsteel pups can be extremely problematic with most amps, d-style amps they seem to meld with well though....

Its the OD and Strat pups just aren't friendly.

[Structo]

I think with the configuration it is the nature of the beast.
Because while we like the clean channel and don't really want to mess with that, it cascades into the OD stages so it affects that.

Maybe make a list of what you don't like about the Strat tone in OD.

Like:
Too thin
Not enough sustain
Where's the beef?
More gain?

Then take steps to correct those with bypass caps or tone caps.
Put these all on a "Strat Switch" or relay.
Possibly bigger bypass caps on V2a or possibly V2b as well.
I remember we used to say to use a .05uf mid cap with singles.

I put that on a switch in my D'lite.

I have to agree with the most of you, I have always been a Fender guy but especially now with the 100w ODS clone, I play mainly the humbucker guitars.
My set neck, dual humbucker Schecter C1 Classic kills through that amp.
I imagine LP's do as well.

I have five strats and three of them have a humbucker in the bridge and are wired in the Lonestar config which I like because it splits the humbucker for #2 switch position.

I found out yesterday that my preamp volume pot on my 100w has been defective since I built this amp.
The 1 Meg pot would make a huge jump in resistance just off of the zero mark.
With the pre-volume on zero and the master up a bit the amp was quite loud.
So it was really driving the master and PI hard.

But I didn't really notice it because I always control the overall volume with my Dumbleator...
So I replaced the pot and it's a different amp.

Hehehehe, I sort of liked the way the OD sounded before...

[exocet]

Have you not heard of Matt Schoffield?!!!! I find all of my guitars sound great through my Bluesmaster. Strats probably sound at their best through lower plate setups IMHO.

I like Matt's tone and playing a lot but my view is that even when he plays through a D type amp, he never uses the amp OD, what you are hearing is strat into Klon sometimes stacked into a providence SOV. I think that the pedals shape his strat tone quite a lot such that the skyliner type EQ does not have as much of an impact.

I'm struggling with getting a good strat OD sound with my setup but I'm learning that the guitar tone pot can help quite a lot to fatten up the sound and that it is important to keep standard SC pickups well away from the strings.

[talbany]

If your a Strat player and want Mo Fendery this is the ODS you want..(surprised not more people go here)

http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14346

My 2nd favorite for Strat tones is this one ( in a 100w)


http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14336


Tony

[exocet]

Have you not heard of Matt Schoffield?!!!! I find all of my guitars sound great through my Bluesmaster. Strats probably sound at their best through lower plate setups IMHO.

***Duplicate post, please remove************

[stelligan]

If your a Strat player and want Mo Fendery this is the ODS you want..(surprised not more people go here)

http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14346

My 2nd favorite for Strat tones is this one ( in a 100w)


http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14336


Tony

Got a 100W Bluesmaster near done. Should I yank that board out and start over?

[talbany]

If your a Strat player and want Mo Fendery this is the ODS you want..(surprised not more people go here)

http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14346

My 2nd favorite for Strat tones is this one ( in a 100w)


http://ampgarage.com/forum/download/file.php?id=14336


Tony

Got a 100W Bluesmaster near done. Should I yank that board out and start over?

Dang.. I can't advise you to do that..Since the HRM's have their own OD stack you can dial them in for more desirable Strat tones IMO which has the advantage over the Non HRM's so perhaps you can find some sweet tones there you really dig..This is the main reason I like the HRM stack on the front..Good Luck with the build..

Tony

[Structo]

Hmmmm, Bluesmaster.....

[ER]

Anybody run HRM off the cathode like a real plexi?

What about bypass values? Does SRV's "more like a bass amp" mean going back to 25uF, or what about .68 on the OD section like a marshall. I know the bluesmaster shows a 1uf on the final stage, what does that do for a strats OD tone?

-ER

[dave g]

I've got a 2x6V6 amp that sounds absolutely incredible with strats. The clean side has got 100k/1.5k on both triodes with 22uF bypass caps, and a BM stack. The OD is high plate non-HRM with 5uF bypass caps. The coupling cap coming off of V1b is a .02uF, and both coupling caps in the OD section are .01uF. I also may have used a 250k drive pot, I can't remember. Snubbers are both 330pF. Preamp voltages are low. Like 180. But the 6V6s have about 460 on the plates. Not sure I'd use anything but the JJs in there, but they sure do sound great!!!

I like to run the preamp volume control up a bit higher with single coils.

[Tonegeek]

I can understand why Alnico equipped Strats might not sound as "fat" through a Dumble as an HB equipped instrument. However, if you are talking single coil Strats then IMO you have to break them into 2 camps by pickup magnet type - ALnico or Ceramic. THere is a big difference between the two. My experience after building/using the HRM, BM and low plate non-HRM (~#124) is that getting a fat singing (think EJ) lead tone out of a ceramic equipped Strat is easier than for Alnico. Its all in the tweaking. I tweak my personal amps for ceramic single coil pups first and HB pups second but I like my Strats to rival an HB equipped instrument when doing leads. Each amp sounds the best with my ceramic equipped Strat. When I play any Alnico equipped Strats through it, It sounds completely different and mostly not as full and fat although there is more "quack" if that makes sense. I believe I could tweak the amp for Alnico if I needed to but it might be a challenge. So far, I am really happy with the ceramic Strat/Dumble combination and my amps sound great with HB guitars also. Somebody mentioned Lace pups. I had a Strat with the Gold sensors and was very pleased but the ceramics still had a fatter lead sound.

[talbany]

I can understand why Alnico equipped Strats might not sound as "fat" through a Dumble as an HB equipped instrument. However, if you are talking single coil Strats then IMO you have to break them into 2 camps by pickup magnet type - ALnico or Ceramic. THere is a big difference between the two. My experience after building/using the HRM, BM and low plate non-HRM (~#124) is that getting a fat singing (think EJ) lead tone out of a ceramic equipped Strat is easier than for Alnico. Its all in the tweaking. I tweak my personal amps for ceramic single coil pups first and HB pups second but I like my Strats to rival an HB equipped instrument when doing leads. Each amp sounds the best with my ceramic equipped Strat. When I play any Alnico equipped Strats through it, It sounds completely different and mostly not as full and fat although there is more "quack" if that makes sense. I believe I could tweak the amp for Alnico if I needed to but it might be a challenge. So far, I am really happy with the ceramic Strat/Dumble combination and my amps sound great with HB guitars also. Somebody mentioned Lace pups. I had a Strat with the Gold sensors and was very pleased but the ceramics still had a fatter lead sound.

My 2 main Strats are EJ model stock and Jeff Beck w/Lace sensors golds..(accept for the sensor that is activated in humbucker mode which is a Blue).. The Johnson's Bridge pickup is an Alnico 5 measured in circuit 6.75K I believe, it's a bit hotter and with the Dumbles and most amps is noticeably thicker and beefier than the average Strat and much thicker than the golds but still very Strat like in the OD ..I like it for certain things and still very useable
The Beck with the sensors in the bridge in single mode is much thinner than the Johnson plenty of chime but lacks any real meat.. I don't particularly care for the Golds by themselves in the high or low plate skyliners in OD mode so I generally switch them both on when I go to OD.. With the humbucker engaged on the Beck all the meaty tone you need is there the combination between the blue and gold sensors is at times a bit dark but I kind of like that.. FWIW I switched the blue and gold sensors on the bridge of the beck and thought the blue was fatter but a bit too dark for me by itself in my amps.. Clearly a matter of personal taste though..If you like the single coil stratty thing on the clean and want a fat OD tone you could look into a coil tapped bucker as well..

Hope This Helps

Tony

[rogb]

I can understand why Alnico equipped Strats might not sound as "fat" through a Dumble as an HB equipped instrument. However, if you are talking single coil Strats then IMO you have to break them into 2 camps by pickup magnet type - ALnico or Ceramic. THere is a big difference between the two. My experience after building/using the HRM, BM and low plate non-HRM (~#124) is that getting a fat singing (think EJ) lead tone out of a ceramic equipped Strat is easier than for Alnico. Its all in the tweaking. I tweak my personal amps for ceramic single coil pups first and HB pups second but I like my Strats to rival an HB equipped instrument when doing leads. Each amp sounds the best with my ceramic equipped Strat. When I play any Alnico equipped Strats through it, It sounds completely different and mostly not as full and fat although there is more "quack" if that makes sense. I believe I could tweak the amp for Alnico if I needed to but it might be a challenge. So far, I am really happy with the ceramic Strat/Dumble combination and my amps sound great with HB guitars also. Somebody mentioned Lace pups. I had a Strat with the Gold sensors and was very pleased but the ceramics still had a fatter lead sound.

My 2 main Strats are EJ model stock and Jeff Beck w/Lace sensors golds..(accept for the sensor that is activated in humbucker mode which is a Blue).. The Johnson's Bridge pickup is an Alnico 5 measured in circuit 6.75K I believe, it's a bit hotter and with the Dumbles and most amps is noticeably thicker and beefier than the average Strat and much thicker than the golds but still very Strat like in the OD ..I like it for certain things and still very useable
The Beck with the sensors in the bridge in single mode is much thinner than the Johnson plenty of chime but lacks any real meat.. I don't particularly care for the Golds by themselves in the high or low plate skyliners in OD mode so I generally switch them both on when I go to OD.. With the humbucker engaged on the Beck all the meaty tone you need is there the combination between the blue and gold sensors is at times a bit dark but I kind of like that.. FWIW I switched the blue and gold sensors on the bridge of the beck and thought the blue was fatter but a bit too dark for me by itself in my amps.. Clearly a matter of personal taste though..If you like the single coil stratty thing on the clean and want a fat OD tone you could look into a coil tapped bucker as well..

Hope This Helps

Tony

The more recent Burgundy Lace, Tony, is a lot fatter than the Gold, but not as dark as the Blue, clearer and transmits plenty of touch. Think Santana "Soul Sacrifice", sort of powerful but clear. Works great if you take the tone down a touch and maybe add a touch of Blue neck if it's not thick enough

[vibratoking]

Our various interpretations of good sound is interesting. I dislike Lace sensor pickups. To my ear, they are thin, lacking in chime, and sterile sounding. I have removed them from several guitars because I just couldn't get on with them. Anyone want to buy a set? I use alnico pickups exclusively because they have a sweet top, lot's of chime, and fat stringy bass. I also back them far off the strings. Guitars with magnets too close to the strings don't have the sound qualities that I prefer. The sound gets stuffy and cluttered. This applies to all amp circuits, including Dstyle.

[stelligan]

Our various interpretations of good sound is interesting.

This is all subjective, personal taste stuff for sure.

I've got a 2x6V6 amp that sounds absolutely incredible with strats.

I recall my first incarnation 2 x 6V6 D'Lite to be Strat friendly. After moving it to 6L6 - not so much. My 4 x 6V6 Cosmic Dust roolz with a Strat: http://www.jonesin.org/Dave/WannaCosmicYou.mp3
(has an HRM section)

I am not saying that there isn't a way to get a modified Stratocaster to sound good with these amps. Or that a low plate amp wouldn't do the trick. I can just empathize with the OP. None of the 7 that I have built yet have completely satisfied me with a plain Jane Stratocaster.
This 50 watt HRM build got very close - and I was excited for a while:
http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5680
http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4618

That amp is what prompted me to attempt my current Bluesmaster build. I have plenty of amps that sound great with a Strat - just none that I have built. I probably just suck as a builder

This bastardcaster I built 20 years ago gets a lot of time with my d-styles. Tele neck, Strat vibrato, semi hollow quarter sawn mahogany body with maple top, Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion pickups.

I will ultimately put a humbucker in the bridge of a nice Strat.
dragged kicking and screaming...........