What Pickups Did John Frusciante ACTUALLY use?
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- Опубліковано 17 лип 2018
- Can we finally put an end to this good old question?
Probably not...
2:47 Wet sand
3:23 Tell me baby
3:40 21st Century
3:57 If you have to ask
4:18 Under the bridge
5:48 Can't stop
6:32 Give it away
7:02 Wet sand with vibrato
7:34 Don't forget me
8:18 She's only 18
8:44 Dani california
10:00 Untitled 2 (from John Frusciante's Niandra Lades&Usually Just a T-shirt)
Thank you 이군 for making the list.
The chorus pedal is a Boss CE-1 (which John used) copy made by Triungulo Lab. You can find more info here:
/ triungulolabeffects
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This comparison video is pure gold😃I appreciate so often your analyzing style🙂
Gorgeous playing brotha. Cheers for the info
Thanks! ☺️🙏
Dude busted out the old Untitled 2, that's one of my favorite things of his to play
It’s awesome! 😀
Isn't it always lovely to hear Wet Sand? Great video, Sir!
Great playing! Thank you for putting this video together. I liked the 57/62’s myself, but I will probably try out both :)
Thank you very much! I’ll be interesting to see what you like the best. :)
Great playing and info, thanks!
Thank you! :)
Awesome vid awesome playing thanks man
Thank you so much! :)
It's cliche, but his tone is in his fingers.
There's a reason people mistake his White Falcon sounds for his Strat. John makes all guitars sound like John.
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
No he doesn't, make him playing the same songs with a Les Paul, a Jackson or an Ibanez Steve Vai model and not only would the songs songs different but also the sound we used to associate with him will not be the same
@@MrCacciLLo I'm curious what you think about John Mayer playing a Jackson then because he definitely still sounds like John Mayer. Or David Gilmour playing a Les Paul on Another Brick pt 2. Or yeah, John playing his Gretsch.
Once you have as many pedals as John has, your pickup tone nuances more or less disappear, even bypassed. That's just how signal loss works. Not to mention how it all sounds mixed.
@@thebreakfastmenu You're wrong, John playing his Gretsch doesn't sound anything like Scar Tissue or any song from Blood Sugar Sex Magic. The Sound of all the Funky tunes/Riffs sounds that way because it's a Stratocaster guitar, with another guitar it would and sounds quite different. The Sound people perceive of John Frusciante is 95% made of a Stratocaster with the Neck pickup (or middle+neck) into a compressor (probably Dynacomp) and then into a slightly overdriven amp, it has nothing to do with other guitars or the rest of his pedals.
@@MrCacciLLo My guy, have you seen John's pedalboards? For Stadium he used 2 fully loaded 2 tier 36x12 inch boards AND a rack. Signal loss alone through that many pedals, buffered or not, changes your clean tone enough that the guitar you're using matters less and less.
The only difference pickups make at that point is how hard their hitting the front of your chain. And once you introduce a compressor into the mix, you're losing even more dynamics.
Not to mention, most fans would probably associate the DS2 as his most recognizable tone.
It's not the gear, it's how you use it. John uses his guitars per what he needs them for likely out of preference rather than sound.
He interchangeably uses his fiesta red, olympic white, 58 and main 62 Strat despite pickup differences. The point of this video is trying to find out what kind of pickups he uses, and I'm saying a good Strat pickup is a good Strat pickup is a good Strat pickup. And obviously others agree.
Who knows, maybe since he’s back in the Chili’s he might get a signature strat. I’m definitely getting one if he does
At this point it seems like anything could happen. 😂
I am sure John had been offered by fender to make his signature Strat many times.
But u know, John is not that kind of guy.
But i hope this time he would.
@@iammsatrio1951 I'm sure of that too! I honestly accept whether it happens or not. CS signature strat is too expensive for me anyway.
I Amm Satrio he has, but he’s said he doesn’t want too because he doesn’t want to make money from something like that
He won’t.
Great video man!
Thank you very much! :)
Thanks a lot for an informative video, might order some of those. Good playing especially in UDB and Untitled #2, but I wished you'd have played it til' the end. 😀
Thank you very much! ☺️
Great comparison video! Thx for posting it. By the way, aren't the wiring and especially the capacitors a huge factor when it comes to tone / brightness? Maybe it's something along that lines, too.
Thank you! Hmm, that is an interesting question. If I had to guess I’d say it’s not as important as the pickups. But to be honest, I really don’t know right now. :-)
Yes the rating of the capacitor makes a big difference in the amount of high end cut off as well as the potentiometers used. Some argue that the type of capacitor makes a difference as well but it's always seemed like snake oil to me as I can't tell much of a difference. As far as actual wire it doesn't change a thing.
I have a custom shop ‘54 into a Marshall DSL 50 head with a Mesa 2x12 and that comes damn close with few pedals. I run through a compression, crybaby, two overdrives, fuzz, chorus, delay, reverb. Nothing exact but it gets me there. I have another strat with SSL-1s and those pickups are damn near identical, in my opinion.
MXR Micro amp. Does so much for your clean tones. I love it
Indeed it does. I love it too! ☺️
Do you prefer the microamp than the preamp session of Boss Ce1 clone for the crunch tone?
Hey man - did you keep amp settings and mic placement the same during this recording?
Also I know it’s SO MUCH effort, but it’s semi hard to get a gauge with two different fretboards. I want to hear them swapped now etc etc.
But!!
Thanks for a sick video regardless, I still learnt a lot
I didn't pay attention enough to your intro and thought your 62' sunburst guitar had the SSL1s. I was surprised and irritated that the SSL1s sounded so good and so much like John's tone in almost every song you demoed, but then I rewatched your video and realized my mistake. I have have the 57/62s so my vote isn't biased given the situation I really was going to pick the SSL1s if I didn't realize my mistake haha. They really do sound better. Are yours reverse polarity in the mid pick up as well? Beautiful playing though!!
i think that any good set of single coils would do the trick and could then just adjust height for different tones, but that's just me! i think that dave's tech is right that he's using a new set of standard strat pickups. he also uses multiple guitars so like you said, different situations.
Yeah I agree! It should be possible to make it work with many different pickups. :)
PaulieBlueShiftNice video dude! There's SO much conflicting info out there about what pickups he used. You clearly know your stuff and I don't think you could get much closer to a fair comparison, bravo! Keep up the good work. :)1 second ago•
Thank you very much! I appreciate it. At the end of the day I don’t think the exact pickups are too important, which is the underlying message of this video (to develop your own opinion). :-)
Within 2 secs I felt it was the SSL-1 on gut instinct. It has that bright while thick rhcp tone.
Yeah I think so too. :)
Thanks for the super helpful demo! Do you think the flat pole SSL-2 would achieve similar tones?
Yes
maravilloso!
Amazing comparison video, man! The Duncans sounded better to me... Especially on Can’t Stop.
So glad to know I’m not the only one frustrated by the vagueness of that interview. Haha.
Also +10 for the Triangulo Labs CE-1 clone. (:
I agree. I got tired of the harsh sound of the 62 so I’ve now changed the pickups to custom shop 69 pickups. Sounds way more balanced and natural. Very much like Hendrix.
Haha! :D
That pedal is AWESOME!!! :) I should make a video about it.
@@Vigi Which pickups do you reccomend to get the Jhons tones to put in a MIM strat?
Which pickup or pre wired loaded pickguard for Frusciantie tones for a MIM strat?
@@strat_1880 I don't even know anymore at this point, haha. :D I've kept the SSL-1's in my sonic blue strat ever since so I guess those will sound alright. :D
@@Vigi Is yours a pre wired loaded pickguard with SSL-1's or the pickups got individually and put in a pickguard with new harness?
Thanks for the video, can you suggest a decent guitar software? I know it's not gonna sound the same but at least something where I can try different effects before buying the actual pedals
WIND Thank you! Hmm, I’ve just used Logic/GarageBands stock amps and effects. Also tried Amplitude. None of them really amazed me but it gave me a chance to play around. So maybe stock plugins in your current DAW is enough?
Well, this is so interesting and your playing and sound are so good, too!
Thank you very much! I always get a bit insecure when trying new types of videos like this so this makes me really happy to hear. :)
First, i'd like to thank you for making the video!
I find in most cases, my ear is drawn to the SSL-1
I've been playing humbuckers for almost 20 years. Bought my first strat recently, a Fender Pro ii with their newer v-modii pickups.
I like the v-modii pickups but I'm considering buying the SSL-1s. I'm hesitating as I have no way to compare. Any advice? Any experience with them?
If you lived nearby, I would lend you my guitar for another compare vid ;)
Thank you! Unfortunately I haven’t tried those, but after checking out a video of them, they seem good. :) My advice would be to not over analyze, but instead see how you feel when you play with those pickups. If you like them, don’t worry about them not being exactly what John used or something like that. It’s kinda vague what he used anyway, and I think many different pickups can get good JF tone as long as you focus on your playing, amps, pedals etc. :)
I had a case where I got the FSR Telecaster, and those pickups sounded really dull/dark in a bad way and made me feel uninspired in general. I made a video where I switched those pickups and that was a great success. :) So in that case it was worth to switch. If you feel like this about your pickups, it could be a good idea to switch.
Do you live in Sweden? :D
I recently bought an American professional two Stratocaster. When I bought it, I liked the V mod pickups and thought they sounded pretty good. On a whim, I decided to give the Seymour Duncan vintage single coils a try for comparison. Although the original pickups were pretty good, it was an immediate Improvement. I’ve owned many strats over the years, including custom shops, and this is probably the best one I’ve ever owned. The pickups are fantastic.
@@Vigi I appreciate the feedback. You have earned another subscriber this day.
Naw I'm in New York mate. Tell Sweden I said hello though!
@@davidbakerscuba Cool, maybe I'll give it a shot. Thanks for letting me know, I really appreciate it.
I have a Fender Tele-Bucker with SD Pearly Gates and SD 59'
I also have a Jackson Warrior with SD Full Shred and SD Invader pickups
The Seymour Duncan pickups seem to always be my favorites. I could pretty much blindly stand behind their name at this point.
@@edp5623 yes, for the most part they are very good. I’ve been playing guitar for over 30 years and I tried many of their pickups. There have been a few stinkers, but for the most part they are awesome.
I just picked up a Vintera Modified 50s Strat and I'm thinking of a pickup change. They have the Vintera 50s hot pickups now. Kind of figured his sound would of come from like a Fender Pure Vintage 65s. Also, what are you running your volume and Tone at?
Sounds interesting! It’s fun to play around with different pickups. :) I’ve changed the pickups in my AVRI ‘62, and I happy I did. :) I generally have full volume and tone on my guitars, and then I use the volume knob to adjust the crunch. :)
@@Vigi ok. I believe I'm getting tonerider pure vintage or the pure vintage fender 65s. I have a Vintera 50s modified Strat with the hot pickups. They sound great, just a little sharp. But I'm sure a lot of it has to do with my eq.
Vigi, I am looking to put SSL-1’s in my reissue strat but I see they have a few different models. Which do you suggest or personally have to achieve the Frusciante tone. I see two versions of a white pair and a black pair. Thanks so much and great playing!
Aren’t you talking about the same pickups, but with and without the pickup covers? :)
@@Vigi I thought I saw a “California 50’s” model and a “Vintage” model. Maybe I have them confused. Just want to ensure I get the right ones.
Appreciate it (:
Thanks for the video, both are similar and could work. The Guitar with rosewood fretboard seems to sounds closer than the maple fretboard one. Maybe that makes a bigger diference than the pickups themselves
Thanks for your comment. It’s funny because I don’t understand comments liking the “sunburst pickups” better. But then I watch this video and realize why. The difference when actually playing the pickups for hours, hearing them through the amp and not through UA-cam is huge. But it’s impossible to share that through UA-cam. The “sunburst pickups” have been replaced by the cs69 since this video and I love these pickups. The cs69 isn’t great for Frusciante, but they got a sweet Hendrix tone. :D I’d definitely say the pickups have way more effect that the neck. I think they visual difference make you assume another sound unconsciously. Not saying there’s no difference. Just stating how big of a difference it is.
This question has been bugging me for ages about his favoured 62, its not necessarily so I can purchase the exact pickups John had....but more because I like to know the stories and history around his gear. Personally I have SSL-1's in my strat and my amp is a 2525C Jubilee running through the Two Notes with the 1960A cab sim. I only really care about the live sound, albums are mixed, mastered and all sorts and it would be impossible to plug into an amp (I think) and sound exactly like the recorded record, certainly wouldn't be able to figure out specifically what pickup model was used.
I love my SSL-1s and I feel cover close enough Johns work from 2007 or earlier, I mostly EQ towards Slane Castle tone, but even that sounds different through two different sets of headphones or speakers, this will all have an effect, I have plenty of John's pedals (CE-1) but not all of them and only use one amp, I often wonder if I had his actual guitar with him playing it would still sound different through my rig.
The main thing I think about the issue us that we can't know.....Dave Lee said they screwed around with a few different pickups and eventually landed on Standard American Pickups of that time...in what 1999, who's to say how they were voiced and where they 62 pickups or just 1999 pickups. The reason this came up for me recently is I was wondering if I should have some 62 specific pickups made to get closer, but I talked myself out of it because it can't be said that he even has 62 voiced pickups.
I echo a lot of the other comments, I prefer the SSL-1's but I think either or would be fine...I'm telling you as well, my Mexican Tele and its stock pickups sounded closer to Johns 1960 Tele than the Antiquity II's I have in there now. I love buying gear but I need to know when to stop :)
Nice work . Bro. lml
Thank you! \m/
The sunburst sounds closer but i dont think its a fair comparison since this one has a rosewood thats closer to what john uses vs the other guitar with maple fretboard.
My vote goes for SSL1s. They have more "pop" (maybe thats the maple fretboard?). Sounded spot on when you played Dani California. The Fender pickups were a bit muddy and undefined.
Thanks for your input! :)
If you want John's sound is not hard. All you need is the Fender pick ups and a Marshall tube amp. The absolute MUST is the BOSS CE-1, period. Reason why is he uses it as sort of a overdrive by turning up the gain. It gives a very warm break up sound that can't be truly replicated by any other "boost" pedal.
The Fender pickups sound a bit more 'glassy'. A bit more into the direction of hendrix and that’s why i personally think they sound more like frusciante
How is your pedal chain setup? For example when you did ‘give it away’ did you have it as guitar>boost>reverb>comp or is your reverb on at the end of the chain always?
I have reverb at the end. :)
Damn i love his tone, perfection
I love John’s tone too. ☺️
Aside from the demoing I really stayed to listen to you playing, your really good keep it going
Thank you so much! ☺️
Same here! I want to say the original strat pickups sounded more like John to me though. At least on the clean tones.
@@throughthemuckandthemire677 Thanks for your input! :)
To my ears the SSL1s sound closer when playing pre-Stadium Arcadium tones. The highs are spot on, but overall a little thin. The 57/62s sound more accurate to me when playing the Stadium Arcadium songs, but the highs aren't as present.
Either way, thanks for the video!
Wow to me it’s the opposite. The SSL-1’s are thicker to me and the 57/62 thinner. Very interesting input. Thank you! ☺️
@@Vigi I see what you mean when you compare them directly to each other, but I was thinking about in comparison to the recordings. :)
Aha ok ☺️
I would like to say that on untitled 2 all lot of the sound aka is probably from the Tascam 4track tape recorder because he plugged the guitar into it and that’s how he got that compressed sound
Omg this is such an adorable video, Vigi! Very geeky and sexi hehehehehehe! Great idea. For Frusciante fans it must be a dream :) I enjoyed it :)
Haha thank you! Cool that even you enjoyed it. I plan to make a few Frusciante geek types videos. :D
What do you think about the Texas special pickups?
To my surprise, the 57/62 sounds closer to what I think I’ve been hearing on RHCP’s songs. The SSLs feel alil too nasally and strident. 57/62s, sits just right
My guitar is a Fender Strat Squire sunburst Affinity Series 2003. Squire pickups.
Awesome! 🔥👍☺️
Very good brother
Thanks bro!
I AM HERE FROM BRAZIL ALWAYS STRONGLY ACCOMPANYING HUG
Awesome! :D
You could do a video comparing the microamp and the preamp of CE1 for the crunch tones of Can't Stop, Give it away, Charlie ,etc.
Well actually, this is the exact thing I’ll upload on Monday! 🤯 Someone else asked me this question too so that’s what inspired me. :) However, there won’t be any copyrighted riffs. 🤷♂️
@@Vigi Cool, man. I will love your video. Thank you.
Thank you! 🙏
Sorry for asking this but.. Can you write the name of the amp? I couldn't understand what you said lol
dave simpson talked about it in one of his videos, he's one of the best frusciante players on yt and his point was that he looked very closely at the pole pieces and could even say at what point john changed his pickups ... but definitely check him out if you're a john fan :)
I’m actually a fan of him: I’ve been following him for years and I’ve seen that exact QnA your referring to. :)
What I didn’t understand was the he assumed that Dave Lee referred to standard pickups from 1998 (or close to that year). The pole pieces of standard pickups in 1998 where flush and you can indeed clearly see that John’s pickups had staggered pole pieces. But after 98-99 the standard pickups pole pieces where staggered, I believe. I don’t know how Dave Simpson is so sure that that Dave Lee referred to pickups from 1998.
I wanted my video to be more straight forward so I didn’t brought this discussion up, but I’m glad you brought it up in the comments. :-)
This was my conclusion as well. I couldn't find Dave's specific video where he looks at pole piece heights, so I'm not sure of the pole piece heights, but when Stadium Arcadium was being recorded in early 2000s, American Standard Strats would've had staggered pole pieces, which is likely what he was talking about. It's possible that his tech got confused but that would surprise me since he was being paid to know and John doesn't seem to obsess over his gear details too much.
If I had to bet I'd say he had 2001-2003 stock American standard strat pickups in his guitar. I just picked up a pair so I'll be able to hear how they sound when I plug them in. It actually took me awhile to find a pair from that specific time period which is surprising given how many early 2000s standard strats are out there, so maybe they are good pickups!
I'm pretty sure they are American Standard pickups from 00/01 because I checked a bunch of live videos and found that his pickguard changed around that time period which also fits in line with when fender started putting a vintage stagger on the pole-pieces.
@@jordansmith9243 dude did you try em yet? Keep us posted.
Taylor Lex wow, how did you spot the change of pickguard? I’ve never picked up on that!
In the BSSM era I thinl he used the fender ones because on the under the bridge comparission, the fender pickups sound a lot clearer, but on the seymour duncan, it is too much gain so I guess he used the duncans
Do you know if the SSL1 set fit into Fender pickup covers without modifications? Thanks!
They should fit.☺️ I thought there one was one size for standard single coils. 😁
I just put a SD twangbanger in a fender cover this morning. Should be fine.
@@rsaathoff I agree! Thank your the input. How do you like them for Frusciante tone and in general btw? :)
I have the 57/62 PUs. You can tell them by the large bevel. If you are really into getting his tone you should look at puremix and check out some of the RHCP mixes. The other half of his tone is in mixing. BTW, to me listening to UTB the SD sounds right.
How do you like the 57/62s? Interesting!
@@Vigi The AVRI is a great guitar - I have the 57. The PUs are very musical and versatile with the right pedals. I think you can take some of that hardness you describe out by dialing back the tone and volume pots and brightening the amp if necessary. Keep in mind the pot/cap values - it might we worth experimenting with different values and types.Also, you can fix the muddiness (SSL1) sometimes by changing those values. - Ciao
@@Vigi So I was messing around last night for a few hours thinking about these 57/62 PUs and I realized that they sound more mellow and sweeter when you increase the capacitance using long cable runs and effects chain (without buffers). I did several experiments and I started with plugging straight in, moderate cable run - no effects - and the sound is bright and strident - good for country and some blues, but also sounds hard or brash for more mellow sounds. Then I rolled the volume/tone down on all pots to five and then adjusted the amp to brighten up the sound and it sounds more mellow but not muffled. Then I plugged into a series of effects and made sure the buffers were all off or not plugged in and it was even better. You can also boost the signal with a good fuzz such as sunface and/or clean boost such as xotic rc that I don't think buffer the signal. This setup gives you great flexibility and variety of tones from brash to mellow but one down side is by reducing the level on the volume pot you loose overdrive on the amp, and boosting adds some noise. I'm thinking if I could reduce the capacitance further without reducing volume level as much, I could retain more drive into the amp, although I could loose some of the brightest tones. One way I was thinking of is changing the value of the potentiometers to a lower value (keep in mind vintage pots had a large variance and could end up being much higher/lower). Also, keep in mind that pickup height effects tone and output. Lastly, the higher value caps on the tone pots will give you more tonal roll off than lower value, but the resonant peak will be different for different values so it might be worth experimenting with different values. One more thing, try different picks with different materials/thickness and test with each pickup set as they have a lot more effect on tone than people realize. For a darker PU such as the SSL1, do the exact opposite.
if we are talking about the californication era which pickups do you think come the closest to jf...btw I love your channel man
Tricky question. I mostly focus on the BtW/SA era and then I think the SSL-1’s work quite well. Californication era makes me think more of the Jaguar tone, but I guess he played mostly strats live then too. I for some reason think of the Californication era tone as brighter than the followings eras, and to me the original 62 era pickups sound brighter than the SSL-1’s. However, I didn’t like the tone of the original 62 pickups so I don’t want to answer that. 😅 Now I have the cs69 in the 62 Strat and I love them. However, they have more of a Hendrix vibe.
Sorry for the rambling answer. 😬 I think I need to study the Californication tone more in detail before really giving a recommendation. Maybe I’ll end up thinking the SSL-1’s are good for that era too after all. 😁
@@Vigi I think its the california 50s set or smmth.... but I am looking for scar tissue exact tone,if you can help me out I will be very grateful
Very similar pick ups! But I feel the ss1s are edging out the 57/62s in sound.
Yeah I think so too. I’ve actually replaced the 62 with cs 69 pickups now. ☺️
Vigi what do you think to the 69s?
57/62 pickups sound more like stadium arcadium to me but also under the bridge.
The Dani California solo worked much better with the ds2 and wah using 57/62s.
SSL1 sounds just like can’t stop on the bridge pickup. Seems like the by the way era used these pickups. But he used a tele for album as well as far as I know.
Seems like a win win either way 😂
We've talked a bit about this before and this video has only made me more sure of my thoughts on this. Both were close enough that the differences could easily be eq'd. I really don't think it matters that much as long as you have a decent set of single coils you'll be able to get close.
I think what matters more is getting his picking and other mechanics down better. John sounds like John from those and less from his gear.
Totally unrelated note, but instead of using the attenuator you should look into reactive load boxes. Things like the suhr reactive load or the universal audio ox. Both allow you to load your amp down to line level and then you can use IRs to simulate the speaker cab for totally silent recording. It's something that I've benefited a lot from.
The funny thing about this is that I was really surprised that the pickups sounded so similar when listening to the recording compared to when I just play the two different pickups in listen through my amp. I've been using the '62 since 2013 and then got the SSL-1's in 2018. I must say that the SSL-1's really made a huge difference for me in terms of what type of sound I'm about the get. I feel like each set of pickups has their own set of characteristic and when you modify the EQ, it will be different flavours of the characteristics of the pickups. But I think it will be hard to use EQ to make them sound exactly the same.
The largest difference is definitely the bridge pickup. Just listen to the Can't Stop comparison. To me the '62 sounds way too thin there. It has always bothered me, that the bridge pickup sometimes sounds like knifes to the ear on the '62 in certain situations. That has really changed with the SSL-1's.
That being said, I agree a decent set of single coils will get you close. There are so many factors that affects the sound and John's sound changes throughout the years. So, in terms of getting his tone, I think the best thing is to focus on getting that sound in general and not being too focused on the details. I like to try different pickups just to find what I personally resonate with and to get a better toolbox to work with when creating original music. :-)
Hope that makes sense. I'm pretty much saying that type of pickups both matter and does not matter, haha. It's a very nuanced discussion. :-)
Hmm, have you read about the Koch dummy box Studio/PA that I use? It can be used for silent recording as well. I've tried it but I didn't like it. However, I didn't try IR's then. I found a comparison video between the Suhr and the Kosh:
watch?v=kGwdicWWhW8&ab_channel=canaryreicyan
and the Suhr definitely seem to do a better job. However, all these comparison videos play metal but I'm more interested in that Marshall tube crunch tone, which I think should be harder to simulate.
So thanks for recommending the IR thing. I should try that with the Koch.
In general, my current assumption is that silent recording solutions improves workflow but make it sound less natural while micing an amp is vice versa. Therefore, I'm biased toward wanting a mic'd tube amp. But maybe my opinion would change if I got the opportunity to try out some high quality gear for silent recording. Those are really expensive though, like the Suhr. I remember there are another solution that are in the back of Andertons videos but I don't remember what it's called. I looked that up too and it seems awesome but ridiculously expensive, like three times the Suhr. In the meantime, I'll stick to my SM57, haha. :)
Btw maybe you got this idea when you heard the She's Only 18 part? I thought the background noise would be alright for this demo but for actual recording of a song I would've taken care about it. :)
Haha you always bring up so good points that I end up writing way to long answers. :)
Vigi Hahaha I like the long posts, it means more discussion. I'd recommend watching Pete Thorns video on reactive load boxes as I feel like that will explain things the best. Michael Nielsen does a decent demo of a bunch of different options as well. I agree though most of the options aren't very cheap. I used an attenuator with a line out for a few years until I got a good deal on a used Suhr box. I think if you're unable to crank your amps due to sound level complaints (like me) than they're a great tool.
I agree with you on the pickups a lot of that stuff comes down to the feeling you have when you play too. And I think that applies to a lot of things with guitar. Sure you could get the same sounds with different strings or picks but to the player it won't feel the same. Either way there's a clear difference between the sets of pickups here.
Thanks for the recommendation! But do you really think you get a natural tone with it, compared to mic’d amp? I mean, I can crank it with the attenuators without complaints and it sounds good. It would be interesting to hear a comparison with your Suhr + IR and mic’d tube amp, clean and crunch. :-)
I’d like to say I prefer everything I record is mic’d but at the end of the day all my bass sounds are amp simulators and all my drums are MIDI-controlled, haha. :D So maybe I should check out your recording technique, or I should start working with a real bassist and drummer. :D
Exactly! The feel difference between the two pickups is huge for me as a player and it ends up affecting my creative process a lot. But with that being said, it should be hard to not come close to the Frusciante tone with a normal set of vintage single coils if you focus on your playing technique, amp, EQ, pedals etc. What’s most important is knowing what you’re aiming for and trial and error. That’s my core message with this video. I don’t really answer the question directly, I compare two Frusciante related pickups and invite the viewer to use his/her own ears and make a decision based on that. :-)
Vigi I don't have any particularly good mics left as I sold the two I had because I thought this method was so good, however I have a portable mic I could use but it probably wouldn't be the same. Maybe I'll give it a shot though.
The SSL1 set is supposed to be brighter and lower output... Strangely I find the SSL5 neck brighter than the 1, may be it´s because the 5 is driving the amp harder yielding more harmonics, but then i find the bridge SSL1 brighter than the 5 ...
Interesting! I haven’t tried the 5. Generally, the SSL1’s feel quite thick and basy. :)
personally i think john frusciantes pickups might be tex mex fender pickups they have a deep bassy chime to them and you can get pretty close to his tone for cheap
Hello! Can you say, does tone pot on 50s strat connect to bridge pickup
Hi! No, I cannot control the tone of the bridge with the tone knob.
I bought ssl1 set and cant decide how wire bridge pup. Because i'm afraid that bridge pickup will be to ice picky without tone pot.
To me the SSL-1’s are quite dark, so I haven’t had that problem. But on the other hand, I don’t use the middle too much (just the in between positions sometimes), so I guess it would have made more sense to do as you suggest. But I went with the traditional way just because. ☺️
you‘re a nerd we all can learn from.
Thanks for the upload.
Thank you! 😊
Frankly, I thought both sounded great and if I had my eyes closed I wouldn't have been able to hear when you switched guitars. Maybe I'm just cloth-eared. I think I have put SSL-1s in my Deluxe Stratocaster (it had noiseless ones as standard) and the 57/62 set in my 60s style NOS Partscaster - so something similar to what you have. But then I'm not using a Marshall and I'm not John Frusciante either...Love your playing and the tones were superb, whatever the guitar.
Interesting input! Thank you! :)
Yo that pedal board is nuts
Haha yeah. Won't dispute that. :D
Hey could somebody list all the songs in order with time stamps, I knew most of them but there was a few i didn’t know
That's very kind, thank you. I've added it to the description.
Under the bridge sounds like it used the 57-62 pickups
Although the SSL-1s still have the better bridge pickup, but the 57s have a better neck due to the being milder.
Very close, sometimes the SSL1 sounds better like in Can’t Stop, sometimes the original vintage sounds closer to JF sound like in Tell Me Baby. Can’t really say
I know ssl-1 is one single pick up how about the rest can you help me wit that bro ,thanks
I like the sound of the one with the rosewood fretboard better.
when does john use the neck and mid position together. I really want to know. Thanks!
Hmm I can’t think of any case actually. 😮
@@Vigi i did some reading and some are saying John 50s and 60s strat which back then only had 3 pickup selections.
@@azimshabaruddin4305 Maybe! :) It feels like John would keep it to the original spec. I’m unsure how those vintage are set up exactly. I have read about it but I don’t remember. :)
The 57/62s sound more open and alive, but maybe its the guitar? I have the same avri 62 and it is an incredibly resonant guitar. Anyway, nice video and playing
My experience is that those pickups has that difference you describe. I’ve changed the pickups in the 62 now to cs 69’s and they also have that open/alive sound but in a much more pleasant way.
Now I use the cs 69 when I play Hendrix’s music and SSL-1 when I play Frusciante’s music. 👍
i dont really think any of the pickups really came close, i think your EQ is off
i have the ssl-1's in my 2 strats, also picking up an original '64 strat this saturday, gonna see how that sounds through my frusicante rig :)
Thanks for the input! How do you set the EQ of your amp and what amp are you using? :) Awesome that you're picking up an original '64 strat. I must check that out. :D
Vigi I'm using a reissue of the Marshall 2555
And I'm setting it as following
Presence 3 bass 8 mids 10 treble 2-3 output master 7 input gain 6-8
This is my Cali era EQ
Thanks for sharing! You're right, the typical Frusciante setting uses higher bass + middle and lower presence + treble. In this video I just used what I personally like the best, but since it's a Frusciante tone video I should've used a Frusciante setting for this particular video. My biggest focus was to keep everything the same in order to be able to make a comparison between the two set of pickups. :-)
hey bro where did you put the ssl-1 to ？emm the neck place ？how about the rest of the pick ups .I really want yo know it .could you help me thanks.
did you notice that his '55 strat sound is not so loud?
57/62 on the neck and SSL-1 on bridge 😂 maybe its perfect hahaha
Can the 57/62 aged white pickups be compatible with my Fender Squire Strat Affinity Series
I haven’t tried both pickups unfortunately.
That's the ones John used
No that's what there called it's just called 57/62 aged white pickups
yes all strat pick ups is compatible but see pole spacing is 52mm
For me the original Strat PUs are closer to Johns sound. They have a littel bit more "Bite" and more of this clear glassy "Bell" sound. But both combos are realy damn close to each other :)
He's using a standard Fender set from late 90s/early 00s. His tech Dave Lee confirmed it:
"The actual pickups we settled on (and John never knew this) were stock, brand new, Fender Strat pickups."
The swap likely happened prior to the recording of By The Way, as he was still using the original pickups on Californication.
Here's the full interview with Dave: www.jfeffects.com.br/2016/12/jf-effects-interviews-dave-lee-guitar.html
Was a long time since I did the vid but I do think this is included in the vid. 🤔
@@Vigi True. You did mention in the beginning. Tone was so good I forgot.
Love the maple neck strat with SSL-1s btw. Great work!
Nemanja Savic Phew. 😅 Thank you!!
I love that guitar. I use it all the time. 🥳
If it’s the American Standard pickups from 2000/2001, then it’s the Alnico 5 “Delta Tone” pickups with the no load tone pot in the bridge. That is what Fender used in their American Strats at that time. That was also during the time when they changed the name briefly to “American Series,” instead of American Standard. My main guitar is an 00/01 American, and it definitely has that John sound.
Cool info! What model was your 00/01 American. Do you think they put the same pickups in all the American strats at the time or do you think there were some difference between the different series? ☺️
@@Vigi mine was their version of the American Standard, which they called the “American Series” at that time. All American Series strats for those years came with the Delta Tone pickups. I’m unsure about other models of that time period.
@@rennaway8728 I have the same model and agree! How do you set your pickup heights?
@@smurphy28 after watching Dan Patlansky and SRV/Hendrix, I started putting them very low. It offers a bit of a darker, woodier sound on Strats.
Are they the ones with flat pole pieces? I have a set from an early American Standard with flat pole pieces and they sound glorious. They can be found from time to time on ebay or reverb quite cheap.
The pickups that's the ones John used
Very, very close call. The SSL-1s were a bit brighter but that could be attributed to the maple fretboard of the Partscaster.
Do you mean brighter than John’s tone? Not brighter than the cs69?
@@Vigi Brighter than the stock Fender pups of the reissue, to my ears. But as I said, that could be attributed to any number of variables like the different fretboard material, difference in pickup height etc. As for John's tone, they both pretty much got it and with a bit of clever EQing both could be spot on.
Hmm, I had to check out my own video again. In the room, the SSL’s sounds waaay darker but I now notice it doesn’t actually sound like that in the video. Interesting feedback! :)
@@Vigi Maple fretboards always sound a bit brighter. To properly A/B you'd probably have to have 2 loaded pickguards, and just swap them over on the same guitar. That would be the quickest way. You're only soldering 2 wires to the jack. That way, same guitar, same strings, same action, etc. Even the action height off the fretboard can alter tone. Nice playing by the way...
@@tomb8430 Yeah that would be ideal. But I have a thought that says that the more I solder and mess with the guitars, the more they wear down, so I'ld like to minimise that. :) But maybe that's just me trying to rationalise being lazy. :D I also think the fretboard wood does not change tone too much. I've heard comparisons where it is impossible to hear a difference. I've also heard comparisons where there is a slight difference, but that could be attributed to other variables like pickups height etc. Either way I think the pickups change the sound so much more than fretboard material that it's not worth the effort. However, it could be good to deal with the other variables you mentioned. Thanks! :)
Oh that Holy Grial....!
😁
By far the ssl1.. it has that woody well rounded tone
Yeah I think it is good for JF tone.
I definitely prefer the fender pickups here. They sound more vintage and "stratty" to my ear. Pretty close though
Oh, that’s very interesting. I’ve swapped the fender pickups to cs69 ones now and I love these much better. :)
I like the partscaster.
Me too! :)
True frusciante fan!
Haha yeah! ☺️
SSL1 sounds closer to John’s tone for me
Definately!
I agree
I just picked up a Holy Grail at a pawn shop for like $40 bucks last week. Super happy with it.
Fender pickups all the way for me to get that classic slightly hollow tone,,i'm sure the Duncan's are better for more solid rock tones ! Great video mate,cheers.
Very interesting feedback! Thank you! :)
Pre 1999 jf would have probably just played whatever came in whatever lovely vintage strat he happened to own... ive seen him with big headstock 70s strats in the late 80s and early 90s, so 70s pickups? Who knows... the SSL1s do sound a little dark and a teeny bit too hot to be vintage 50s-60s to me, but i bet Seymour knows more about pickups than I do!
I totally agree with you! 👍👍
as I know emmm ssl-1 is just a single one pick up ，how about the rest of those pick ups .can any bro tell me ？😭😭😭😱😱😱or ssl-1 is a set of pick ups -include the neck、middle、bridge pick ups.I don't think we can use 3 same pick ups for a strat😭😭😭Please help me thanks a lottt!I don't know too much about pick ups
SSL-1 is a set of three. But you can buy individual as well. Here’s a video of me assembling SSL-1 pickups in a guitar: ua-cam.com/video/8ovTM0CWbO0/v-deo.html
Which has a clearer more glassy tone?
What do you think? ☺️
@@Vigi I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you 😂
I asked you because that’s a subjective question. 😃 What sounds clear to one may not sound clear to someone else. 👍 I experience the SSL-1’s as thicker than the 62. But the 62 sounded too harsh for me so I switched to the cs69. But I think the amp settings affects a lot when it comes to how clear to pickups sound. To be honest, the most glossy and clear pickups I’ve experienced, I believe are in my telecaster. I show them in my video called “Changing Tele Pickups”. But yeah at the end of the day, go with what you think, not with what I say. 😉 I tend to change my mind a lot when it comes to these things. 😝
What riff is that at 10:00
Untitled #2 from John's Niandra album
Allen Park you just sent my man in a journey through John’s music
bridge
blue one for sure
I definitely agree. I started to hate the sunburst one after getting more guitars and trying new pickups. But now I’ve changed the pickups in the sunburst one to custom shop 69 pickups. I’ve also sanded away the lacquer on the neck. And now I’m loving the sunburst one again. :D
This is a tough ass question to answer as it seems like John never really gave much of a crap as he went from 50's style pick ups to 60's style pick ups to vintage style duncan pick ups to even modern day fender made stock pick ups so... Whatever right? Who knows what his actually guitar and rig truly is? Seems like he jumped around from thing to thing and even his tech dudes are not 100% sure what's up lol. Maybe they smoked too much bud to care? Who knows... He also used a SG gibson and a old school white falcon some times so... Wow lol. If you look at his equip board online he used a ton of shit... Dude even had a toranado in the can't stop music video of all things. I heard toranados suck ass lol.
I do know that he rarely used a maple neck though during live performances. Seems like mostly a rosewood guy. Which is odd because he's clearly a huge Hendrix fan and hendrix was a maple neck guy for the most part.
Wouldn't it be funny if this is all horse shit rumors and John and gang just put this info out there to trick us up so we don't know his guitar stats and secrets? Fucker! LOL! John is mysterious that's for sure...
I dunno... Jokes aside... It is odd that he doesn't have a signature model considering he's a amazing guitarist that's arguably the best one alive right now and was in a super popular band that put out tons of world wide loved songs... But based on his personality... He's pretty shy and doesn't seem to be interested in gear like us nerds. He's just some dude who can touch a guitar and make magic happen some how. Makes sense coming from a guy who's been playing guitar for about 18 hours a day since he was 6 years old. How old is he now? Like 40-50?
That being said. Looking at what tons of folks have to say. The general consensus is SLL-1s and 60 style pick ups is his sound with a old school vintage type strat... But I don't think it matters that much so long as you have good tone pick ups on a quality strat. I think a american standard right out of the fender store can get close enough to sounding like John. No need to spend a fortune if you don't need/want to. Then amp and pedals have to be pretty decent too. As well as a close attention to the gear he uses and most of all... His playing style. Tone comes mostly from your fingers. You can have the most amazing gear ever but without spending the time to practice, the right training, and fierce determination, you will sound maybe good enough... But not super hardcore impressive.
Speaking of practice. Holy shit you're amazing. HUGE chili pepper fan over here. Been one since like cone heads the movie when I was just a little boy lol. I'm 33 now so it's been a while.
I gotta say... I tried to learn John's riffs and I suck compared to you. I can play those songs maybe 1/4 as good as you can if that. Bravo! Also great job at getting a close gear set to what he uses. You know the gear quite well as it does sound very spot on. And finally... LOVE those 2 guitars you have. Beautiful old school surf green look. The light yellow neck and light green body work so well together. And of course your strat looks as classic as a strat can get. I got a red maple neck american standard with texas special pick ups and locking tuners. Going to get a black american strat and put the SLL-1 duncans in it soon. Never soldered pick ups before but hey... First time for everything right?
I would get a 60's model like you but they have a harder to reach truss rod. Pick ups are 90% of a guitars sound quality compared to the body and neck so I didn't want to go there even though the 60's strat is like THE STRAT. I'll just get a american strat instead. Fret buzz bugs the hell out of me and I'm always messing with truss rods because I'm nuts like that so a 60s strat would bug me.
American standards have always been my fav. Not too expensive and guaranteed to be good enough and easily up-gradable. Sadly the new pro models and elites models have been getting shit on by the fender guitar fans out there. I heard they are good, especially if you upgrade them with better pick ups and tuners. Sadly the elites don't have rose wood because you know... : (
I think people are just pissed mostly because fenders pro and elite models are not much "better" than the american standard but cost like 1000-2000 while you can still find good old american standards for around 600-1000 that are basically in mint condition... Can't blame people for feeling that way. Money does matter lol. Especially when it's a huge price difference like that.
I did get a starrynight music man cutlass recently. Ebony fret board and roasted maple neck with 60's style custom wound noiseless pick ups from music man. came with locking tuners already on it. It's pretty sick but still different enough from a strat to warrant having both. This one cost me almost 2000 but it's pretty bad ass.
Anyways. Great video. Sorry for the rant. Stuck at work being bored and I really need to get back to work so yeah. Thanks for the accurate demo!
Wow that was ridiculous. Get off of John’s D and get your own identity.
@@AntwhaleNearfar Yes it was. Welcome to the world of knowing stuff... You'll get there one day when you take interest in something for the first time lololol.
But I don't want to. Johns "D" is amazing lol. If you ever get a role model one day you will understand... I didn't realize we weren't allowed to figure out how he does what he does lol. Sorry for breaking the "law" I guess?
Good point. Hey John! Stop covering Ramones songs and get your own identity already shyeesh!
But seriously you're a idiot with nothing positive to contribute and you should shut the fuck up lololol. Hence why my comment has 14 likes and yours has fucking 0 lol.
Sigh... The nobodies of the internet world. How boring some of them are...
Soyborne. Born, made, and undone by the soy. Oh wow...you’re a far bigger moron than I initially believed. Calls me boring when he’s the cringe inducing loser who wrote a goddamn novel about what pickup an overrated guitarist in an overrated band (they’ve sucked for decades now) uses. I’ve got role models. People worthy of idolizing.. People like Muhammad Ali, Aung San Suu Kyi, Frida Kahlo, Miles Davis etc. Not some sloppy, derivative, unfunky and uninteresting guitar player in a band that stopped being truly exciting when their guitarist named Hillel died. And oh wow! You’ve got 14 likes?! I got 1.9 thousand likes on a video about tinnitus for talking about farts, so likes mean nothing. Go hop back on John’s D you 🤡.
What efect pedal line six dont forget me please
Line 6 dl4?
@@Vigi yes efect
@@Vigi pin Pong?
Digital delay.
@@Vigi which position has the effects in digital delay please
When you listen to that funk sounds from John in that magazine interview is that from the strings or because of the pickups.
Both?
It’s because he doesn’t suck
So true he is a legend I always practice a lot and do a lot of John funk
It's the wraps of the strings
Frusciante fan
What? No. Lmao
Ssl more treble and the 57/62 aged white pickups sound close
I always here a pinch of phaser or flanger in some of these songs on the original recordings.
Hmm, interesting. That has never crossed my mind.
@@Vigi UA-camr Dave Simpson knows everything Frusciante he prolly knows if that's accurate and his channel is great. Im surprised it's not bigger.. his videos are long and lo-fi but content is unbeatable
Indeed! I’ve been watching his content for years.
Wet sand mistress flanger "vibrato rotary" section for sure. But you can take most modulation pedals and turn them into that rotary sound. Fast flanger, chorus, vibrato, phaser (sort of) univibe more than phaser, even a tremolo. The idea is to just make it move quick ;)
His accent reminds me of Johan Segeborn's, lovely 😁
Haha spot on! We’re both Swedish. xD
what cap value did he use?
Hmm, not sure. I would assume stock.
Seymour duncans for me, I think I'm going to get a set for one of my strats
I think it’s a nice set to have if you like Frusciante’s work. 👍
At least for me in Blood sugar are more accurated the 57/62. In stadium arcadium the ssl1 were a lot more closely to me. Like even in by the way the 57/62 were more closely. So maybe he had the ssl1 on the stadium arcadium era. But also have to say that sometimes the 57/62 almost broke my ear. Is a treble sound yes. But it wasn't that warm treble. More like an assassin treble.
I relistened the songs and Blood sugar definitely 57/62 but under the bridge sounds too treble. Can't stop I'd have to say it. Ssl1 just because the 57 were killing me with that penetrating sound. And wet sand ssl1 definitely
Nice analysis! I also think the 57/62 were too sharp a lot of the times. Now they are substituted with the CS69’s. :)
The problem is even a shit single coil will light up an amp... if its tuned properly. But a hot single coil will really do it.
How do you like the ce1 clone?
It’s amazing! When I can only bring three pedals to practice with my band, I bring the ce1, wah and ds2.
So it's worth the wait
Definately!