Why do single coils sound crappy when it comes to mesa boogies? Humbuckers purr great but sc pups sound weak. No im not confining it to one model, generally. Also any recommendations to make the sound better with single coils. I have '57/'62 fender pick ups which sound great on other amp brands.
Single coils
- Thread starter Bobbypols
- Start date
Help Support The Boogie Board:
Try turning the Gain up and re-EQ'ing the amp.
I have 4 Strats that I have never had a problem with on my Mesa's.
You do have to adjust for the loss of power in the guitar though.
I think it's easier to get a good tone with my PRS or Warmoth Soloist with humbuckers, but the good tones are there for singles too. You might just have to keep searching.
My 2000 Strat Deluxe has Lace Hot Gold singles in it and it just smokes through my DC's.
I have 4 Strats that I have never had a problem with on my Mesa's.
You do have to adjust for the loss of power in the guitar though.
I think it's easier to get a good tone with my PRS or Warmoth Soloist with humbuckers, but the good tones are there for singles too. You might just have to keep searching.
My 2000 Strat Deluxe has Lace Hot Gold singles in it and it just smokes through my DC's.
tele_jas
Well-known member
I really cant play my Tele (sigle coil) on the same settings as my Wolfgang or Strat copy (both humbuckers), it sounds terrible. Also, when I set up my amp for my tele, I cant really play my humbucker guitars though it without them sounding terrible.
I think the Lonestar sounds AMAZING with single coils, as matter of fact, I think it sounds better with single coils than it does with humbuckers. Rectifiers were made to "Rock" and were designed with the humbucker in mind and will always favor humbuckers, but can sound pertty good with a single coil guitar with a little more tweaking.
My $.02 worth.
I think the Lonestar sounds AMAZING with single coils, as matter of fact, I think it sounds better with single coils than it does with humbuckers. Rectifiers were made to "Rock" and were designed with the humbucker in mind and will always favor humbuckers, but can sound pertty good with a single coil guitar with a little more tweaking.
My $.02 worth.
I think my Strat sounds pretty amazing on my Nomad45. What I cannot do is get thick mega-overdriven sounds out of it the way I can with a humbucker equiped guitar but that applies to any amp, not just Mesa's. Sounds a little too fizzy.
But it's like the guy who went to the doctor and says: "Doctor, my arm hurts when I do this." The doctor tells him: "Just stop doing that."
Slap an overdrive pedal in front and you're good to go.
But it's like the guy who went to the doctor and says: "Doctor, my arm hurts when I do this." The doctor tells him: "Just stop doing that."
Slap an overdrive pedal in front and you're good to go.
tele_jas
Well-known member
When I first tryed out a Rectifier, I used a Strat with SC pups in it and I HATED The rectifier. I then avoided it for the next 4 years and then one day I tried it with a humbucker guitar and it was a completly different animal and I LOVED it!! It was the sound I'd been looking for for the last 5-7 years.
You're not going to get a humbucker sound out of a single coil, it's the nature of the beast. Humbuckers are thick and push the amp harder, single coils are thinner sounding and don't push the amp as hard and thus you get less drive, sustain and "umph". If you want a humbucker sound from a single coil, you might try the Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster.... it has a SC to HB switch on it to give it more of that "umph".
If you still can't find what you're looking for, maybe Boogies aren't the amp for you?? Tone is all in you head, and what you like may not be what I like or other people like. Boogies are great, but not for everyone. If you can't get the sound you're looking for, I bet if you let us know we could point you in the right direction weither it's boogie or not.
Ps. Bobby...... Do you like movies about Gladiators?
:lol: :lol: :lol: I've been dying to use that line, but I probably got the name wrong.. didn't I??
You're not going to get a humbucker sound out of a single coil, it's the nature of the beast. Humbuckers are thick and push the amp harder, single coils are thinner sounding and don't push the amp as hard and thus you get less drive, sustain and "umph". If you want a humbucker sound from a single coil, you might try the Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster.... it has a SC to HB switch on it to give it more of that "umph".
If you still can't find what you're looking for, maybe Boogies aren't the amp for you?? Tone is all in you head, and what you like may not be what I like or other people like. Boogies are great, but not for everyone. If you can't get the sound you're looking for, I bet if you let us know we could point you in the right direction weither it's boogie or not.
Ps. Bobby...... Do you like movies about Gladiators?
:lol: :lol: :lol: I've been dying to use that line, but I probably got the name wrong.. didn't I??
Can you get a good vintage-esque tone with single coils ala Trower, Hendrix, SRV etc (that nice fat strat sound) through the Road King?
I love the humbuckers and I love the strat sounds and I have a tele as well. I don't think I am but I hope I'm not making a mistake by picking up a Road King (if that's possible) ...... I run a wide range of sounds but my heart is in the vintage stuff really.... I would hate to think a Strat was a bust on that amp...... grr...... But I guess I'd manage...
I love the humbuckers and I love the strat sounds and I have a tele as well. I don't think I am but I hope I'm not making a mistake by picking up a Road King (if that's possible) ...... I run a wide range of sounds but my heart is in the vintage stuff really.... I would hate to think a Strat was a bust on that amp...... grr...... But I guess I'd manage...
Couple of things:
1. You can get just about any tone out of a RK, including a great strat (Hendrix, SRV) tone.
2. I get GREAT single coil tones out of both my LSS and my Road King- HOWEVER, the difference in where the amps need to be dialed is a bit frustrating- but not any more so in a Boogie than in a Fender Vibro King.
In other words, if I 'm playing my Strat through either of the Boogies and I switch to a humbucker (PRS CU 24), there's a lot of tweaking necessary. I still wind up with great tone, there's just quite a bit of tweaking (especially in the gain controls) needed.
1. You can get just about any tone out of a RK, including a great strat (Hendrix, SRV) tone.
2. I get GREAT single coil tones out of both my LSS and my Road King- HOWEVER, the difference in where the amps need to be dialed is a bit frustrating- but not any more so in a Boogie than in a Fender Vibro King.
In other words, if I 'm playing my Strat through either of the Boogies and I switch to a humbucker (PRS CU 24), there's a lot of tweaking necessary. I still wind up with great tone, there's just quite a bit of tweaking (especially in the gain controls) needed.
tele_jas
Well-known member
Peace said:
I'm not really in to those guys, but I can get some great bluse tones out of it, but the new Series II is going to be more "vintage" sounding with the Lonestar channels replacing the current channels 1 & 2 (the clean and low gain channels). Channels 2's brit setting is a great Marshall sounding channel and can get some gritty SRV tones with the gain at about 12:00 and the treble cranked up almost all the way. With my Tele (actually a G&L ASAT), I can get some great low gain sound in the vein of Brad Paisley & Keith Urban and also use a Tubescreamer with a few other low gain sound to give me more options.
pjrhd28 said:
Thanks for the quick reply........ I'm on a countdown to FINALLY receiving my RK.. I ordered it in July and February 13th is my ETA. Hopefully, as I've heard, I'll be getting a Series II..... I'm glad to know the tones are there..... I won't mind the tweaking... I think I'll probably actually kind of like it...... Since I've been on a long wait for my RK my main amp has been a Flex III (gasp! :shock:.... why, the gall in a Boogie forum! :roll: ) .... Talk about tweaking... and you're never really satisfied.. I like the amp ok and all but it's just not there.. So, the tweaking in an RK setting will be much more rewarding I'm sure.....
tele_jas
Well-known member
Tube amps you have to tweak, Line 6 amps you have to have several degrees in computers to get the sound you like, especially with the Vetta and PODxt's. If you can dial in a tone on those, the tweaking involved on a Boogie is more rewarding and more fun and you can actually hear the difference :lol:
Line 6 and other modeling amps have their place and some sound amazing, but nothing beats the real thing :wink:
I found that the type of single coil pickup definately plays a huge factor in the tone. I took the SCN pickups that came with my Stratocaster Deluxe out and put in some Custom Shop '69 pickups. Wow! what a huge difference. My Strat sounds so much better through my Lone Star now. It sounds so fat, sparkly, and chimey now. I also found that I had to lower the Mid knob on the amp, otherwise the single coils can sound kind of muddy.
axwielding1
Well-known member
I ripped the Delta tones out of my USA strat, and installed Fat 50's. I'm into SRV/Jimi etc. and found the Texas Specials to be mid heavey. The Fat 50's have more power, but still retain the "Strat" sound. I find rolling off the tone on the bridge pup to help with higher gain settings. Seems to thicken the sauce....
Also, just my opinion, but single coils are not made to be driven with pre-amp distortion. So, for me , power amp distortion is the way to go..
On my Mark III, in the lead channel, I may set the lead drive to 5-7, but keep the volume1 at 3-6, and then hit the master.....
Just my opinion.....
ax. 8)
Also, just my opinion, but single coils are not made to be driven with pre-amp distortion. So, for me , power amp distortion is the way to go..
On my Mark III, in the lead channel, I may set the lead drive to 5-7, but keep the volume1 at 3-6, and then hit the master.....
Just my opinion.....
ax. 8)
axwielding1
Well-known member
Oh, I almost forgot...
I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get a bad tone out of a LSS with a strat...
They're made for each other....
:wink: ax. 8)
I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get a bad tone out of a LSS with a strat...
They're made for each other....
:wink: ax. 8)
brianf
Well-known member
My Strats, tele and tapped PRS sound Great through my LSS.
brianf
brianf
