Strats, Pickups & Rabbit Holes - Blue Is Finally There! Maybe. [Mick's Strat Vlog] That Pedal Show
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- Опубліковано 3 чер 2024
- Mick wires in the Ron Ellis 50/60 set and finally arrives at a decision.
Life too short for long UA-cam videos? Interesting bits timings below.
Welcome! Regular viewers will know that I've been on a journey trying to 'improve' the sound of my favourite 2001 Sonic Blue Strat. Why? Because I've had a few encounters with genuine 1960s Strats of late, not least the incredible ’61 on loan to me… and they've all had a certain 'something'.
Can I get Blue to sound a bit more like the old ones? Maybe. We've done bridges, saddles and pickups so far, and now we're at the end.
Obvious questions that will come up in the comments…
• Why didn’t you try X pickups?
I haven't tried every pickup. But I have tried a great many over the years, in various guitars. We all have to make a choice at some point. These are my choices.
• No grounding plate on the back of the pickguard?
a) Never had one. b) People I trust tell me it might rob a //tiny// bit of high end with the shielding plate but it’s negligible. I’ve never worried about hum/buzz… even though the hum is significant at the end of this vid. My fault - over excited with gain because I haven't played loud for so long!
• Not much on Transit Van (the Black Strat) in this video. Do you not like Fender CS Fat 60s pickups?
I do, but the focus is Blue. I'm still not really bonding with Transit Van.
• Why is it called Transit Van? Pearly Gates… Billy Gibbons' 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard… Mine was a Transit van, not a 1930s Packard with divine powers.
• Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy a) An old Strat, or b) A Custom Shop / Custom Build Strat?
Probably. And I will at some point, an old one anyway.
• Can you put the old pickups in the newer guitars?
Nope. The oldie has had minimal work and the pickguard hasn't cracked yet. I don't want to be the one responsible for that!
• What are the best pickups for my/your guitar?
I don’t know. Every guitar is different, every player is different. There are so many variables… and fortunately, the biggest one is you!
Pedals & stuff in this video (in signal order)
• Ron Ellis Pickups: Find Ron on Facebook for now… / ronellispickups
• Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix JHF1 Fuzz Face
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2AUTELD
• Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2RVldeS
Australia: bit.ly/2Ovelqa
USA: bit.ly/308PeAy
• Hudson Broadcast Dual
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2iF2DrE
Australia: bit.ly/2lEeMAU
• Mythos Argo
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2UT0EVw
• Cornerstone Gladio V1
www.cornerstonemusicgear.com/...
• JAM Pedals Ripply Fall
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2PoxKu0
USA: bit.ly/3CW5xOG
• Supro Tremolo
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2pZrAkZ
Australia: bit.ly/2K36f3B
Pickguard: www.crazyparts.de/art-of-agin...
Covers: www.crazyparts.de/art-of-agin...
VIDEO TIMINGS:
- What am I doing? 0:00
- Ron Ellis 64 and 50/60 background: 1:45
- Rabea tangent: 3:00
- 1961 Strat and Ellis 64 set comparison at home: 5:05
- Wiring in the Ellis 50/60 set: 9:35
- Control knob tangent: 11:00
- Choosing a pickguard, pickup covers: 13:20
- Wiring and assembly: 15:15
- Ellis 50/60 DC resistance readings: 16:42
- Good solder joint? 17:35
- Tone pot on the bridge: 18:00
- Checking wiring: 21:50
- Putting assembly back in the guitar. 23:00
- We have a fault: 23:55
- … fixed: 24:15
- Ron Ellis 50/60 and 1961 Strat comparison: 25:53
- Pickup height? 29:15
- Let’s hear them loud then… 36:10
- 1961 Strat for reference: 36:55
- Transit Van: 38:53
- Blue with new pickups: 40:40
- Closing thoughts: 45:40
- Why no shielding plate? 46:44
- What about all the other pickups out there? 47:10
THE TRACK at 15:15 is a jam programmed using Apple loops in Logic for drums and bass. I recorded it in UA Luna, adding Oxide Tape plugin, Neve Analog Summing, Capitol Chambers and Ocean Way Studios reverbs. It’s the Two-Rock and Mesa, mic'd at home, with the Gladio, Hudson Broadcast and Supro tremolo.
Blue Strat with the 50/60 pickups.
Guitars in this episode
• THE OLD ONE: 1961 Fender Stratocaster
• BLUE: Fender American Vintage 1962 Stratocaster 2001
• TRANSIT VAN: (The black one) Fender American Vintage 1959 Stratocaster 2012
Amps in this episode
• Two Rock Classic Reverb Signature / 112 (WGS12L speaker) and 212 (TR1265 B speakers)
• Mesa/Boogie California Tweed 6V6 4:40 1x12 combo
USA: imp.i114863.net/g0R60
• Marshall 1987x (reissue) with Marshall 1960AX (Celestion Greenback speakers)
Please buy TPS merch - www.thatpedalshowstore.com
We are on Patreon - / thatpedalshow
Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/2cRvIvt
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf
USA: That Pedal Shop www.thatpedalshop.com/
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‘Mick polished his knobs and now he’s much happier’...
tom king gold
and still looks dirty as he likes it ;-)
Blue gas it's own character. With either Ellis set it's a bit sweeter, but not as forward and present than the '61. All perfectly valid choices. I like the 50-60s a lot.
Classic
A clean knob always brings hapiness.
Hey Mick. I have been going down this same rabbit hole for 20 years. I am also a Strat person primarily. I love your content and really appreciate your videos. I have gone so far down the rabbit hole I built a pickup winder and have been winding my own pickups and finally getting somewhere. I have also refinished bodies in nitro cellulose and the neck, tried different bridges and cut my own bone nuts. But it's insane Everything from wire to the individual gauss rating of every magnet makes a tonal difference. Thanks for your content! I love the show and watch live when ever I can. Cheers fellow Stratocaster addict.
Perfect lock down pursuit!! What could be better?
As Mick was wiring in the pickups it occurred to me that the way the pickup wires (not windings) are twisted and arranged could make a much bigger difference than people realize... It's another one of those circuits where with so few components every little thing makes a difference
I hear ya RC Nation.
I too am primarily a "Strat Guy" and have also been down the same rabbit holes measuring individual pole Gauss.
Some of the most satisfying moments of my life have come from working on/tinkering with individual components in this quest for tone. Love watching Mick's pursuit as well as the bonus of getting to hear him play, very inspiring indeed.
@@zachrichard7558 Very interesting Zach. I will agree that lead dressing is very, very important when building an amplifier as incorrect lead routing can and will induce all kinds of negative issues when working with powered circuits.
But to have the same considerations for a passive circuit as found in a guitar's wiring is really a very interesting thought.
I must say that while I've considered that it is possible I've never really delved into it too much.
That said, yeah, I believe it certainly could influence the circuits overall characteristics. Of course we are not talking about huge changes or influences, however we are really only concerned about all the small details that make up the whole.
Thanks for mentioning this as I've found another path to explore.
you are insane.... but in a good way!
Tip. put solder on the pot first. Then solder the cables to tha solder covered spot. Makes it really easy. Same with jacks.
I have my iron a little hotter and touch the controls for less time to get the flow. Seems to flow fine on to the pot that way. I also have an old screw driver or something to hold the wires in place as the solder cools. Is a bit of a juggling act though.
I also do one wire at a time and add them to the pool of solder it works fine and means less time heating the potentiometer.
yup. this is how i do it and it makes it much easuer. i also scrape the waxy covering off the pot first with an exacto.
Use a dab of flux on the back of the pot before soldering, it helps to make a better joint. Also use a higher temp setting (or a higher wattage iron) to solder to the back of pots than for soldering to lugs.
@@alanthompson3493 But of course, make sure it's flux compatible with electronic components and not plumbers pipe soldering flux, as this too aggressively caustic. Just saying..
The declaration addressed directly to your guitar warmed my heart.
Ha! Mine too as it goes. Bless the old thing. ;0)
Is it me? Or does Mick look a bit like a young Eric Clapton with those glasses on?
@@jasonpitre1249 a bit!
I used to have a ton of trouble with grounding to the back of pots too. I started using flux and my life changed. Wiring is easier now. Food tastes better. The sky is bluer. My sex life improved. I may run for president.
PLEASE RUN FOR PRESIDENT!!
I agree with using flux on the back of the pot, and I find that if I tin the back of the pot before attempting to add wires gets a better connection with few failures
There is a rumour that injecting flux may cure covid.
I used some flux on a capacitor a couple of minutes ago in 1954 and now I seem to be here in 2020?
Hail, Emperor Nolan!
The ages-old problem of soldering to the backs of potentiometers causes one to wonder why manufacturers do not simply incorporate grounding lugs into their designs.
Gemma Seymour wow mind blown, yea...
Period correct knobs when you're going for period correctness is 100% correct. Way to go, Mick.
TOFO I think the knobs made all the tonal difference! 🤣🎸
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the way you articulate bonding with your instrument. I’m delighted for you envious beyond expression.
I was deliberately watching this in the background so I didn't know which guitar you started with after the 50/60 install. I guessed the 61 and it was Blue. Mission accomplished.
I’ve watched this at least 5 times now and it’s just made the rabbit hole bigger.
Thank you so much for taking us on the journey with you. You can tell Blue is a special guitar 😊 I was really impressed with that board with only 7 pedals and the sounds you were getting. Hope you are more inspired than ever. Stay safe 😊
I love you guys, Mick and Dan. You’re truly an inspiration to us all, since I’ve been subscribed to you within this year, I’ve gained so much knowledge. Thank you both. My tone has drastically improved because of Mick and Dan. Much love guys. Cheers! I’m currently going down the rabbit hole modding my Fender Strat!!
Looks the journey has come to a conclusion (at least for now!). Blue is a great sounding guitar in your hands but what's more important is the relationship you have with it - it's these things that really matter eh? Loved following the journey, glad you've found a happy place and been fun to part if it (sort of). Si
Ah man. Thanks Simon. Wouldn’t have been half this without your wonderful Strat as inspiration!
While watching this with my four year old daughter she said “he kinda looks like Andy Griffith!”.
Not sure if you ever watched that in the UK but I’d take it as a compliment.
Hahaha!!!
Jon Lohrenz TBH during some parts of the video, mainly when he’s demoing the guitars, he kinda does look like Andy Griffith.
Mick - fantastic to see you so happy with Blue again. What a journey you’ve been on. Thanks for inviting us along.
Attaching the back of the pot ground. Best option I have found and many folks use this process. Join your wires to one single wire lead, heat shrink tube the joint of the multiple wires to one lead and then you only have to solder the one single wire to the back of the pot. Much easier mate. :)
A top tip for soldering the connections in a Strat - The Two Irons method. Much the same as the single iron method you used, but you use a 100w iron for the spring claw & pot earths. Much faster heating makes those big joints a heckuvalot easier.
Never mind the shielding, imagine the havoc that pink masking tape must be reaping, over using your genuine pre CBS tape.
You speak de trooof. The orange definitely robs some 673.23k
Damn man! I woke up to your video this morning and drifted off for a bit only to be awoken by the most amazingly smooth and classic tone/playing I've ever heard you play on here so far! Just how subtly you layered the tone on and worked your playing towards the end really started my day off right!
The biggest thing I love about these vlogs (well, one of) is that you play the before and after things with different levels of gain, different effects and different kinds of playing etc. Whenever I've changed anything on a guitar, the biggest difference has always been in how it reacts to gain and fuzz, but for some reason videos on youTube tend to just do clean tones of a chord across all the pickups and call it a day. Good work mate.
i'm happy that blue is "back in the game", and i'm sad that [Mick's Strat Vlog] doesn't get another season, there was so much to learn from those episodes. maybe you could do a spin off [Mick's *insertguitarbrand* Vlog] ?
There’ll be more. ;0)
@@ThatPedalShow alwayas room for a casino vlog too? ;)
Mick's PRS vlog = only episode - My DGT is great! Hahahaha
@@ThatPedalShow I sense that Mastery bridge/trem in Mick's future :) Might want to try various Jazmasters to see if the one you have is a good "base" to work from.
@@ThatPedalShow Hopefully including the SVL visit ... someday! Sigh...
I still love that target burst on the 61!
Also, I went through this in the mid 2000’s with a Daphne blue 62 reissue; Lollar Blondes solved this for me, and I played that guitar so much I have to have the frets replaced (they’re basically serated!). It sounds remarkable similar to the 61.
Thanks again Mick... please don't get me wrong but when I see you checking the size of the vintage numbers on the knobs and after that even cleaning them .. It makes me feel less crazy. So thank you for that, really! LOL,.. also another GREAT VLOG! KEEP THEM COMING! Cheers! :P
Hahahah!!! I don’t get you wrong at all. It’s got to be right!
@@ThatPedalShow It is true .. you're right mate! STRAT POWER!
Super informative Vlog Mick. I feel one of the things that separate TPS from the rest is the dedication and attention to details you guys put into everything you do. Thanks for taking us on your journey.
@That Pedal Show
Fascinating pickup journey, I'm still only half-way through.
Lovin it.
Tech Nerd Bit -
Mick, that's not the ideal Tip for the heavier soldering work.
That fine point has less Mass at the business end and so the latent heat available is diminished. i.e. doesn't transfer the heat to the Work so well, even with the Tip being tinned.
By making a Pool of solder on the Pot body you would be preheating and making the job of joining the wires to it much easier and quicker.
There are special fluxes that help soldering to Steel and Aluminium should your pot surface not be pre-tinned or coated/plated.
I stumbled upon an Aluminum flux from La-Co that doubles very nicely onto Steel also (despite La-Co making a separated Steel flux) ; as a bonus it's very good for soldering earthing wires onto aluminised cavity foil.
Loathe as I am to make an appeal to authority, but I IS a pro-soldering Ninja of many decades.
i.e. I've been getting this all wrong for a lot longer than you have ... 😜
Thank you, I appreciate!
Love these videos. Do the black 59 now Mick! Selfishly not wanting the Strat vlogs to end.
And following on from tone glue.....tone knobs! Magnificent! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Brilliant view of the journey. Thanks Mick. Stay safe and well. 🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸👍
Knowing what transpired in 2022, it is amusing to watch all that effort to make the "blue" sound closer to "61" :)
All part of the journey!
Wow, that Boogie sounds absolutely wonderful.
Neat trick to test your pickups/electronics: Play some music on your phone and hold the phone speaker in close proximity to the pickup. Makes the sweep of the tone pot and volume a lot more obvious. PS I love this vlog series!
Mick - thank you so much for sharing this journey with us! I'm halfway thru and honestly won't really mind where you end up. The "journey not the destination" seems very apt here. Love your enthusiasm and passion for sharing this knowledge. Cheers. D
Absolutely loved the Strat vlog vids, found them quite therapeutic and calming. Blue sounded great at the end, hoping you’ll find a new project now to share with us. Thanks.
She’s there bud. Sounds spectacular. You have arrived!🤩
I heard strat sounds, and then strat sounds. No difference to my ears. But, why am I even watching this? Because it's interesting to see what you can tweak and change. For me it would not matter a bit, but seeing you find a tone and the Happy Place is a joy, Mick! :)
Please leave the 50/60's in Blue. What a combination with your playing! Very much heart felt inspirations. You've proofed the end justified the journey! Congratulations!
What a great journey, love all you do Mike (and Dan) but your Strat Vlog is close to where I am with my Strat journey too... So I guess, thanks for doing it for me!! Awesome.
Well, to my ears, apart from those wonderful low-mids of that '61, Blue came blimming close with 50/60 set, and sounded really good. :)
Very interesting. 64s to vintage, the vintage sounded to have more bass when clean, but less when gained up. Probably due to lower output letting the bass more evenly bloom through. Of course it could also be in the guitar, not the pickups.
50/60s to vintage, sounds closer to me, though the vintage ones have a little more squaky top end in the 2nd position and a little bit of an upper mid thing. Out puts seem much closer.
I'd love to shootout the 50/60s vs Markey Foley V2s. Also David Allen gave me some advice for setting his pickups when I had them. Start lower than you think you need, move them up a half turn at a time and at some point you'll hear some sparkle and crispness go away and the notes get louder but slightly dead. Adjust up or down a quarter turn at a time from there to find your personal sweet spot.
I definitely heard this as well. Vintage had more low end through and through, resulting in a fuller/deeper sound when clean. Though the 50/60s in my opinion had sounded better overdriven, maybe they just were a tad too ice picky but still great.
Agreed on all points. 50/60's sounded closest to the 61. Little more high end and less "full" but pretty close. Pickup height and magnetic loss over time probably accounts for any differences.
@@gookiecrunch The lack of a plate could also be the difference. Putting one on mine made a subtle but noticeable difference in reducing "ice-pickyness".
Strat vlog was my favorite TPS offshoot. Absolutely fascinating. Thanks for bringing us along.
Thanks Mick for keeping me sane during this lockdown , I really enjoy playing guitar , I'm not the best technical player but I appreciate you guys and my guitar even more now. So thank you.
The best technical players are the one as I like least. Ha! You’re in good company James. ;0)
I've tried all sorts of boutiquey stuff but what got me out of the rabbit hole was the Evil Sheep Experience set. Cheap as well for hand made.
Honestly - those Ron Ellis 64's Sound every-bit as Glassy, Chimey & Quacky as the 61 reference guitar. I did the Strat pickup comparison, & decided-on Jason Lollar Dirty Blonde-set = Incredible. Both sets of Ellis pickups sound vintage & Stratty. 50/60's Sounded closer to the Fender Fat-set. I like my pickup-height on the Lower side. Too high is a Sustain killer.
Dirty Blonde Set is also MY choice, just the perrrrrfect set ever!
I've just found a Lollar Blonde set. Can't wait to test it! Is it different from the Dirty Blonde set?...
@@yannickguitar1539 Neck & Middle are Exact same pickup. What differentiates the Dirty-blonde, is the Bridge Pickup is slightly-hotter and EQ'd to be: less ice-picky
I have a set of Lollar Dirty Blondes in mine as well. I used to run stock pickups and kept the tone pots at 10. The Dirty Blondes are much more responsive to the tone controls and allows me to dial it in.
Rig sounds great! The journey seems to have been successful! Lot's of fun watching this, thanks!
Thanks Mick. Loved the journey. It was very honest. Blue sounds great and very much like the tone you’re chasing, it seems. I almost teared up when you talked about Blue as your mate.
I went down this rabbit hole last year. After scouring the internet forums, I found there to be a handful of pickup winders (Ron Ellis being one of them) who have that "magic." I went with Don Mare cause many people spoke incredibly highly of his pickups and described them as having a special fair dust, giving it that final 5% lol. Anyway, I love my set. I got his Super Sports ('64 strat based) I think you would really like his Josie Vaughans or his Formvar 50s (the formvars are described by many as the most authentic strat sounding pickups out there). Happy hunting!
"And everywhere that Mick went the Tube Tape Echo was sure to go"
Hahaha!!!!
Oh man, it’s so good to see this “tone search” mission accomplished! Blue is sounding AWESOMELY close to the original 61! Congrats!! 🤘🏻
Looking forward to the next vlog!!!
Love the follow through on this strat venture! Glad Blue is back!
43:00 Every since the harmonic trem episode with Joey, whenever I hear one on the show I ask myself, 'do I need a harmonic tremolo?'
The answer, of course, is yes. Yes, I do need a harmonic tremolo.
I ended up getting a used Magnatone Panoramic Stereo as a result.
Mr Black has one in a mini format. Sounds great and is under $100.
it's the only modulation i use now
I like the sound of the Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 pros. Very old style sound....that Buddy Holly vibe. I think its the combination of the low impedance ....something like 6.4 ohm AND them being Alnico 2. I'm getting similar results from my Parallel Universe Strat bodied Tele with the Nocaster Alnico 3 poles and low impedance again. I can hear what I mean in the sound of the tri-burst 61 you're playing. I know the reason i chose the SD AP2s was i could afford them.....and they were great.....I'm sure there are more nuanced pups out there .....but you have to budget when its how you earn a crust.
Actually I really like the same Pick ups as you.... I spent a small fortune on a set of handwound Strat pick ups from a similar one man company (NOT Ron or Lindy - I love his pick ups) and I was surprised how I much preferred the Duncan Alnico 2 Pros..... Live and learn, right? Best, Pete.
Here is a tip to try when wiring it up NEXT time. Don't connect all the wires to ground on the case of the volume control. Solder tremolo ground and jack socket ground together. Solder solid core wire to pot back with it passing through the hole in the outer lug. Solder tone pot ground and solid core wire to outer volume pot lug. bend soldered ends of jack socket and tremolo grounds around the middle of the solid core wire and then solder in place. This way you only solder to the case once and it's much easier.
Thanks Peter!
Good work Mick! Really interesting journey. Thanks for bringing us along on it with you.
Wow Blue is sounding legendary. I had permanent stank face through the whole jam at the end.
I love these vlogs, I recently bought the strat I've wanted for the last 10 years (finally!) And am very tempted to do some plastic adjustments - but not until we're out of lock down and I've had it properly setup and looked at as I just didn't have time before we all got stuck inside. Amazing strat Mick!
Great playing Mick; doesn't matter which guitar or pick-ups you're using, it's sounding sweet. Glad to see you've reconnected with Blue.
Right on. Nice to see you enjoying the journey.
Be well and thanks as always.
Mick, I think those 50/60's sounded amazing. How different were they from the Fender Custom Shop pickups? Feel, balance, tonal difference eat..?? Keep up the great work guys! I love your videos and they have gotten me through this isolation, so thank you!
Sounds good. I bet "new blue" would sound amazing with a treble booster and gunned Ac30. Rory Gallagher for days.
To solder the three ground wires to the volume pot, the following has worked well (after first throwing away the crappy 25 W iron and obtaining a proper "soldering station" with temperature control):
1. cut off an unused lug from another (maybe discarded) pot
2. bend its arm 90 degrees,
3. apply solder to both the pot and the lug arm (pre-tinning)
4. solder arm to pot
5. stick the three wires into the lug's hole and solder in place
Done
Thanks Alexander!
Hats off for the meticolous and patient couple therapy!
💪⏳🎸❤👦👍
I may be missing something in translation, but Mick said he’s obsessed with knobs!
I think Mike have done what he said can't be done. When talking with JayLeonardJ about teles and strats Mike said that on strat if you play "someone" you sound just like them. I think the Blue would sound like SRV playing the Blue not just SRV. Also 30:53 Harry Potter and the curse of the rabbit Holes.
Glad to see you feel bonded to Blue again. Also, thanks for the discussion on pickup height. I’ve never really stressed that much about that particular topic but it was really helpful to hear your perspective on it.
This is my favorite part of TPS. I eagerly wait for the next of these videos. Absolutely brilliant.
So many good sounds. I confess that I cannot discern all the (to my ears) tiny differences in tone that you obviously can, Mick. I wonder if it's a bit like wine tasting. Over the years I've come to be able to pick out more flavors and nuances as my palate gets educated. Maybe the same will happen with my ears concerning guitar pickups/overdrives/fuzzes. Glad you've re-bonded with Blue!
It’s exactly that. Familiarity and experience. Most of it largely useless when enjoying actual music! Or getting drunk. :0)
I've been a longtime proponent of lowering Strat pickups. All four of mine are lowered on the bass side as shown in this video, not much past the mounting screw tops. Each Strat has different pickups. To each their own. I just prefer the sound of the pickups lowered.
Hi Mick, You'll have less trouble soldering the ground to to back of the pot, if you get a blob of solder onto a roughened bit of the pot first, and then solder the wires on to that. Cheers.
Your "regular" show's great, but the vlogs you two doing are incredible. I'm a real techie nerd by default, so I'm fascinated by anything that goes in depth, just for inspiration. But the recording vlogs you've been doing have got me getting a couple of things down on "tape" (sounds better than "hard drive").
I've played guitar for ages, but always felt frustrated with my playing, always sounding to me like I hadn't practiced enough for my "imaginary punk band", but with you guys, and this lockdown, I've put stuff together that I'm able to listen to for a second time without cringing.
Thanks guys for all the inspiration
Make a J shape with the end of the wire so that it fastens around the lug, squeeze it with some long nose pliers, then solder. That way you have a mechanically sound joint and you're not relying on the solder to hold it. It helps to put some flux on the back of the pots too.
Watching this and other TPS videos. I've come to the conclusion that my old ears are not good enough to hear a lot of the subtle differences that you hear, but as long as you're happy with it and enjoying your guitar again, cool. 👍 I'll keep plugging away and practising and maybe my ability to discern the differences will get better.
It’s not good or bad. It’s just experience and idiocy. Hahaha!!! And for absolute sure we are splitting hairs to a point of near pointlessness. :0)
@@ThatPedalShow Oh well, it keeps us off the streets, and worrying about other silliness. 😉
You're not alone
Sadly, it's comforting to see someone else have the same problems I have, with changing out pickups. It sounds beautiful!
Forgot to leave a comment earlier, so here goes... I don't always watch your videos as they're released because it's good to save them up until I have time to enjoy and also when I'm in the right frame of mind. The past two weeks haven't been great fun here, so your recent videos have been the perfect treat for me. Have to say, this one didn't give me any info - other than another pickup brand and their designs - but the enjoyment came from seeing your Strat journey moving along the way and some tasty playing throughout. Of all the music channels I watch, this is the one I look forward to seeing the most. Long may you and Dan continue doing this wonderful stuff.
Hi Mick, did you see Paul Davids's video about his control knobs? He chucked his in a freshly pulled shot of espresso.
The sound of your Blue Strat was close to the Sunburst but no cigar. There is a noticeable difference in the sound of the Sunburst.
No biggie though, I think you're an Incredible guitar player and you know your stuff.
God bless you !
No arguments here on the sound part! The oldie is really special!
@@ThatPedalShow You should check out Chris King Robinson's Texan Twang pedal with that rig. It would sound really awesome.
Mick, Mick, Mick,
The best part of this great vlog was seeing you so happy at the end of this journey! Your smile, body language and excitement were infectious and exhilarating. Just great to see you in a happy place!....and Blue sounds awesome!
Thank you Zoot!
Mick, I am absolutely stunned by what you have managed with this incredible series of Vlogs. When compared to another Strat in every previous video, the '61 has been like a bolt of lightning directly into my ears, immediately grabbing my attention whether I was actively watching or doing the dishes with headphones on and mind wandering. But with Blue's new pickups, the difference has truly become marginal. I can no longer identify the two from extended playing samples, and even jumping back and forth between specific snippets, the two are very, very close indeed - both in the tone and in how you play them. I'm happy that you have reconnected with your old friend, and excited to see what I can do about the guitars with which I've fallen out of love too!
Sometimes when you turn off all the pedals you realise how sweet a strat and an amp can sound
No arguments here!
Talking about rabbit holes... Eric Johnson recommends using springs 1,3,4 and 5 in the block.. Not 2... because that's how to get the best sound apparently. 😄
Hahahhaa!!! I totally believe him. :0)
You sure he isnt pulling yer plo....er?
@@ChristopherDowning There's a picture online of him holding his guitar up to a marshall stack at the crossroads festival, and you can see he's popped the 2nd spring. It's absolutely true :-)
To flow solder on a pot, you need a good soldering iron. I would suggest a flat tip, well tinned, not a rounded one. Put the solder on the pot first, then tin the wires and solder them to the solder on the pot. Should work fine, I don't have any problems using this technique. Also helps if you have a heat adjustable soldering iron, turn it up higher than you would normally have it.
Fantastic journey, very inspiring and informative. We all have a sound/tone in our head, very happy you landed to your promised land. Blue sounds immense.
Tip: The best and easiest way to solder pots - get a real solder gun, and tin everything first. The higher wattage gets everything hotter, faster, so you reduce the risk of burning out the pot. Given how much you were "sweating" that job, it will reduce your "solderer's stress". ;-) They also can be used for heavier electrical work around the house. I also agree with you about "Revised Blue" - she and you are in a good place now, congrats.
Man that ‘61 is crazy good. You’ve gotten Blue to a great place. I think you’ll always be in search of “that sound” until you sell a kidney and buy a vintage strat. Then the rabbit hole just changes.
Yep.
Im happy for you Mick but please dont be done! I love these Strat vlogs so much and its such an inspiration to me that I will start my own quest as soon as this corona thing settles. Oh and thank you!
That's a great shout, if you love a guitar and some mods would make it better, then it's a great plan. Modding a guitar you don't love into one that do you rarely ever happens. Love the strat journey, and love hearing Blue and you make that connection again!
I think the Strat sounds best when you play it Sir Mick ;)
Hahaha! Bless you.
Finally someone describes measurements in millimetres.
can someone explain why the US is still in Imperial?
stewart keyes O'Doyle Rules mentality?
Arite 85 well done
Nothing to add other than I love that the journey had a happy ending. Please don't let this be the end of the journey vlogs as they are greatly inspiring.
Thanks Jason. We have more guitars to torture. Either the Casino or the PRS McCarty next.
Mick you can make any guitar sound good. This was a very compelling video and learned a lot about sweating the small details in chasing tone. Thanks for all the hard work in creating this content.
Thanks John! I really can’t make any guitar sound good. Hahaha!! You should see me on anything remotely modern. It’s truly laughable!
Not 14, but I'm a ginger teenager with a full grown dark beard since lockdown. I can only apologize Mick
No worries. Happy for you Eoghan. :0)
Ever try an old Fernandes Strat? Ya never know.
I just bought a '92 le-2 with Texas Specials in it, the original pick ups come with it too. Comes with a nice big bad and a couple straps. I haven't got it yet but looking forward to it's arrival!
That was some beautiful playing. I could feel it. Cheers.
Solo from the new song sounds fucking superb. Mick, you’re an inspiration for a lot of us out here in many ways. Thank you.
Ah man. Thank you so much! Looking forward to trying to nail that solo in one take. Wee’ll see. Hahahah!!!!
I think I’ve gone one step further into the madness... I’ve ordered a new, lighter body for my strat 😅
Your Blue Strat sounds better than the 61 strat.
Great series of videos. Thanks Mick!
Well chuffed for you Mick, you could really see the happiness when you were playing blue at the end. To my untrained ear both sets of the pick ups in blue sounded like there was a tiny bit more sizzle and grit in them, the 61 sounded ever so slightly more rounded. But all in just great to see you happy and enjoying playing blue like you want to!
Stay safe to all the TPS Fam
This was an interesting journey. It encouraged me to play my Strat more. I have an Epiphone SG that played amazingly when I first bought it but, when I started trying to change it to be more like my Gibson SG, I could never get it to sound quite right. It has never been the same even when trying to change it back... I only recently (after 5yrs being unhappy with it) fell in love with it again. So I changed the bridge and now, well I'm down the rabbit hole again... I think this is how it goes when you truly love a guitar and want the best for it. Thanks for the Vlogs and the inspiration.
Hey Mick! This video looks soo good! I really appreciate the quality of audio and video that you are maintaining in these vlogs.
Thanks Hunter! That means a lot to me!
Absolutely loved seeing your journey with Blue. Big thanks.
That ‘61 Strat is an amazing guitar! Clean it’s very Strat, and sparkly, with any kind of gain/fuzz it totally shines. Total righteousness!
Love the time lapse Fuzz sound...so sweet!