Angry Tele sound with PRS

Boogie

Boogie

Zombie Two, DFZ
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Messages
7,606
Location
Indy, IN
Lately (ok, more like 5 years), being in a 3-4 piece group has taught me that more frequency range with a bit of sizzle is a great way to sit in a mix as a single guitarist. The big guys/gals have been doing it for decades with a Tele, so that’s what I pursued. The complication is that my Tele has a thick maple body, so atypical for a Tele, and my Catalpa Cabronita has extra mean TVJones in it. So, enter the DGT and the careful amp configuration the Kemper offers.

DGh did a fantastic job in 2012 making the final version of the pickup be VERY vintage. And most 59 LP pickups sound like angry Teles. So can the DGT do it?

Here’s a video where I went a little overboard moving toward the Tele side. Less full body, a little twangy, tons of harmonics, and rises way above the bassist’ mix. Is this Tele-esque or just PRS mid range assault?

This is how it sounded in practice…more grind, a bit crazy, but totally PRS, not Tele…


And this is how it came out live…


You can’t hear FOH, which is the real sound, but you get an idea from the stage wash.

Has anyone here pursued the same? What worked? What didn’t?
 
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Just a thought... Vela with a Railhammer in the bridge is hard to beat. Still a PRS, super light & comfortable. I have an old 1st version Railhammer "Tel-90" in this one, but the V2 RH pups are even better...

OD1KtJr.jpg
 
Boogie said:
Lately (ok, more like 5 years), being in a 3-4 piece group has taught me that more frequency range with a bit of sizzle is a great way to sit in a mix as a single guitarist. The big guys/gals have been doing it for decades with a Tele, so that’s what I pursued. The complication is that my Tele has a thick maple body, so atypical for a Tele, and my Catalpa Cabronita has extra mean TVJones in it. So, enter the DGT and the careful amp configuration the Kemper offers.

DGh did a fantastic job in 2012 making the final version of the pickup be VERY vintage. And most 59 LP pickups sound like angry Teles. So can the DGT do it?

Here’s a video where I went a little overboard moving toward the Tele side. Less full body, a little twangy, tons of harmonics, and rises way above the bassist’ mix. Is this Tele-esque or just PRS mid range assault?

This is how it sounded in practice…more grind, a bit crazy, but totally PRS, not Tele…


And this is how it came out live…


You can’t hear FOH, which is the real sound, but you get an idea from the stage wash.

Has anyone here pursued the same? What worked? What didn’t?
Click to expand...
Wish I was there.
 
garrett said:
I wouldn't say it sounds like a Tele, but it does sound badass...
Click to expand...

Which brings up the eternal question, how is a Tele (or any guitar) played through an amp with lots of gain distinguished from other guitars? Clean, sure, they all sound different, and you can get a ton of twang with a Tele. That's easy!

But add lots of gain, and you're turning the sine waves to square waves, chopping off the high frequencies (and substituting harmonic distortion overtones generated by the amp), and loading the bottom end more, because that's what square waves do in amp distortion land.

Thus, folks thought Page did the first Zep album with a Les Paul, when in fact he recorded it with a Tele.

I think what Boogie recorded is Tele-like, in the sense that a Tele has midrange cut because the lower midrange of a Tele is very tight. That's because a Tele's design and materials create a high-pass filtering effect that sharply cuts low frequencies at the turnover point. That's what causes the 'twang'. The sharper/steeper the low-cut is, the clearer the mids and highs will seem, and the twangier the bass becomes.

[For those unfamiliar with the term, a high-pass filter cuts low frequencies, and lets high frequencies pass untouched. Due to the masking effect low frequencies create, the frequency balance is altered, and the guitar seems brighter without having to boost the high frequencies. Just about every recording you've heard forever on records has the guitars high-pass filtered in the mix so you can hear the bass and kick drum better.]

If you high-pass filter a guitar - any guitar - and run it into a gainy amp, it will have a lot of cut in a mix. That's often a good thing!

In comparison, a guitar like a Gibson or PRS has a lower midrange with a more gradual low end roll-off. So it can sound thicker. Of course, there are pros and cons to each, and uses for each in various contexts.

Still, I think Boogie captured what he was after; the guitar does cut through nicely.
 
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LSchefman said:
Which brings up the eternal question, how is a Tele (or any guitar) played through an amp with lots of gain distinguished from other guitars? Clean, sure, they all sound different, and you can get a ton of twang with a Tele. That's easy!

But add lots of gain, and you're turning the sine waves to square waves, chopping off the high frequencies (and substituting harmonic distortion overtones generated by the amp), and loading the bottom end more, because that's what square waves do in amp distortion land.

Thus, folks thought Page did the first Zep album with a Les Paul, when in fact he recorded it with a Tele.

I think what Boogie recorded is Tele-like, in the sense that a Tele has midrange cut because the lower midrange of a Tele is very tight. That's because a Tele's design and materials create a high-pass filtering effect that sharply cuts low frequencies at the turnover point. That's what causes the 'twang'. The sharper/steeper the low-cut is, the clearer the mids and highs will seem, and the twangier the bass becomes.

[For those unfamiliar with the term, a high-pass filter cuts low frequencies, and lets high frequencies pass untouched. Due to the masking effect low frequencies create, the frequency balance is altered, and the guitar seems brighter without having to boost the high frequencies. Just about every recording you've heard forever on records has the guitars high-pass filtered in the mix so you can hear the bass and kick drum better.]

If you high-pass filter a guitar - any guitar - and run it into a gainy amp, it will have a lot of cut in a mix. That's often a good thing!

In comparison, a guitar like a Gibson or PRS has a lower midrange with a more gradual low end roll-off. So it can sound thicker. Of course, there are pros and cons to each, and uses for each in various contexts.

Still, I think Boogie captured what he was after; the guitar does cut through nicely.
Click to expand...


This....^^^
 
I’ll be honest. Fairly quickly, I stopped trying to diagnose the guitar tone and listen to the whole. Sounds like a fun and interesting band to play in. I’ll have to give another listen through some headphones. Didn’t strike me as tele-ish but definitely cut through.
 
Great sound !!!
I like my 408 for a bit of extra cut or I just pick closer to the bridge
 
vchizzle said:
I’ll be honest. Fairly quickly, I stopped trying to diagnose the guitar tone and listen to the whole. Sounds like a fun and interesting band to play in. I’ll have to give another listen through some headphones. Didn’t strike me as tele-ish but definitely cut through.
Click to expand...
These guys are heads and shoulders above my skill set which means I’m constantly stretching out to make the cut. And tbh, it’s the “all about Murray hour” anyway. I’ve never played with a bassist of such talent and insane creativity. And he’s played with the drummer for something like 30 years, so they’re dialed. It’s a shame these videos aren’t in front of FOH so you can hear the proper mix. Murray is doing some amazing sh@t! (Mike is no slouch…even with the Viking biker helmet!)
 
LSchefman said:
Which brings up the eternal question, how is a Tele (or any guitar) played through an amp with lots of gain distinguished from other guitars? Clean, sure, they all sound different, and you can get a ton of twang with a Tele. That's easy!

But add lots of gain, and you're turning the sine waves to square waves, chopping off the high frequencies (and substituting harmonic distortion overtones generated by the amp), and loading the bottom end more, because that's what square waves do in amp distortion land.

Thus, folks thought Page did the first Zep album with a Les Paul, when in fact he recorded it with a Tele.

I think what Boogie recorded is Tele-like, in the sense that a Tele has midrange cut because the lower midrange of a Tele is very tight. That's because a Tele's design and materials create a high-pass filtering effect that sharply cuts low frequencies at the turnover point. That's what causes the 'twang'. The sharper/steeper the low-cut is, the clearer the mids and highs will seem, and the twangier the bass becomes.

[For those unfamiliar with the term, a high-pass filter cuts low frequencies, and lets high frequencies pass untouched. Due to the masking effect low frequencies create, the frequency balance is altered, and the guitar seems brighter without having to boost the high frequencies. Just about every recording you've heard forever on records has the guitars high-pass filtered in the mix so you can hear the bass and kick drum better.]

If you high-pass filter a guitar - any guitar - and run it into a gainy amp, it will have a lot of cut in a mix. That's often a good thing!

In comparison, a guitar like a Gibson or PRS has a lower midrange with a more gradual low end roll-off. So it can sound thicker. Of course, there are pros and cons to each, and uses for each in various contexts.

Still, I think Boogie captured what he was after; the guitar does cut through nicely.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! Goals included uniqueness (good, bad, or indifferent…thanks Lar LaLond), hearing the string acoustics, use as little gain as possible but get feedback-on-demand, and make every string audible without plinkiness. Ritchie Kotzen does it so well!

Here’s a 3 songs-in-one video where each song is a different feel and series of dynamics. A slight turn down of the bridge pickup volume and variances in pick dynamics and I think I accomplished unique vibes for each song. To me, a Tele and an old Marshall can do that in spades. Crank thre Tele volume and it no longer sounds like a typical Tele. Back down and that Tele character pushes to the forefront with clarity and articulation. Not sure if I accomplished this but it was my intent.


And Les, hopefully you don’t think I’m fishing for compliments, but yours resonates deeply. In Fact, thank you all for the positive responses.
 
Boogie said:
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! Goals included uniqueness (good, bad, or indifferent…thanks Lar LaLond), hearing the string acoustics, use as little gain as possible but get feedback-on-demand, and make every string audible without plinkiness. Ritchie Kotzen does it so well!

Here’s a 3 songs-in-one video where each song is a different feel and series of dynamics. A slight turn down of the bridge pickup volume and variances in pick dynamics and I think I accomplished unique vibes for each song. To me, a Tele and an old Marshall can do that in spades. Crank thre Tele volume and it no longer sounds like a typical Tele. Back down and that Tele character pushes to the forefront with clarity and articulation. Not sure if I accomplished this but it was my intent.


And Les, hopefully you don’t think I’m fishing for compliments, but yours resonates deeply. In Fact, thank you all for the positive responses.
Click to expand...

Dug the video, Boogie!

And hey, I fish for compliments all the time, so if you were, I'd be cool with that, even though you're not!
 
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