Strats with Mark V

[mr_dj07]

Hey guys !

I need some input/experiences here. I have a partscaster strat, with Dimarzio Area (61/58/67) pickups, and I can't seem to find a really good tone with my strat and the mark V.

I recently upgraded all of my tubes with Tung-Sol 12AX7 and Tung-Sol EL34B, and it absolutely kills with my humbucker guitars. I tried them with my strat yesterday, and still wasn't impressed.

Any setting recommendations ?

Thanks !

 

[kingb]

I'm loving the sounds I'm getting w/ a partscaster (Callaham/Fralin p/u).

I just replied to another related thread. For me it was 6L6s that did it. EL34s and mix mode just thinned / tinned out to my ear. But the 6L6s seemed to hold onto the bottom nicely. Especially ch1 Fat/Bold, 90w, no-eq = is pure SRV goodness. Ch2 works great for me as "classic rock" tones ala early Zep in Mk1 / Thick mode. And ch3 in Extreme / normal gives up the goods. To my ear "Extreme" doesn't have a lot of compression/saturation like Mk4 mode - but it seems to balance nicely w/ the other two channels. Also keep in mind that the treble knob on these amps is the key to happiness - for saturated sounds, in the higher ranges they don't add much treble but add more compression. I tend to run these right around 3:00 and then sweeten to taste with the eq. In fact, something that's worked well for me is get as close to the sounds in my head with the eq OFF - and then bring it in to add that lil extra something. Whatever works....

 

[boogieman60]

I use a Nashville power Tele The one with the strat pickup in the middle pos. and the Fishman on the saddle...Sounds great but much thinner than the Gibson Les Paul I also use. I try not to go crazy on a gig adjusting the V for the diff. of the 2 axes..So I just roll off a little treble on the tele and that works. Did you loose the nutty sound of the strat because of the modded pickups???

 

[Fcal124]

I feel your pain. I have a beater strat set up with the same pickups. I don't even bother using it with my Mark V, too tinny except for the clean channel. I also have a SSH and a HSH Strat which sound better, but nothing like my Les Pauls sound. I think my Royal Atlantic is better suited to the Strats.

 

[MBJunkie]

Personally, I love the sounds achievable with HSS and HSH "strat type guitars" through my V. I typically select "in-between" settings on my HSS and HSH guitars for awesome cleans and slightly broken up clean sounds through my V. I typically switch to a HB pickup for the high gain crunch rhythm and high gain lead solo sounds with great results.

Personally, I feel the HSS and HSH "strat type guitars" offer the greatest tonal variety of any while playing through my V. Just my opinion.....YMMV.

 

[jmontgomery]

I'm getting very good tones with both my Strat and my humbuckers. I don't have my amp set up for metal so that may be the difference.

 

[MusicManJP6]

Personally, I feel the HSS and HSH "strat type guitars" offer the greatest tonal variety of any while playing through my V. Just my opinion.....YMMV.

I agree. My Peavey has HSH pickup config with the Herman Li switching system installed. It is standard Ibanez style switching with the tone pot pushed and all single coil tones with the tone pot pulled. I felt like it was only fair to have the single coil switching available since it is a strat copy and the closest thing I have to a SSS setup in my collection! I think tapped tones are generally warmer and less harsh compared to true single coil tones though. I've been very content with all my tones on that guitar through the V.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

The best sounds I get with my Strat are with a fuzz face in the mix. I run my Strat into a germanium Fuzz Face-style box, with the fuzz at moderate levels. I then put a Tubescreamer after the fuzz, gain down, tone flat, level up slightly. This then feeds into the Fat mode on channel 1 with normal settings. I put the Strat's volume at about half for crispy, funky, beautiful clean tones, but turn the volume up for increasing overdrive and then fuzz bliss.

Or, at least, I used to, until I stupidly sold my fuzz pedal. I wish I still had it.

 

[thunder100]

I use Strats with vintage voixced(read low output) pickups-->so yes mark V is a bit of challenge.The SSS work really well on channel one and Channel 2's Mark 1 from then with a compromise on Mark II C +( push master and precence shift EQ once you go to higher gain).

Just SC's are not all same.The G&L Comanche can push harder( z-MFD coils) can push harder then any HB I have but needs time for the tone setting

But I am as well not a "metal" player if Metallica is not regarded as todays metal.
And I would never give up that sparkling cleans(which also Richie used) and still some of Deep Purple is to me metal too(although tone comes from John Lord's boosted organ(2 Marshall's)

I think my Royal Atlantic is better suited to the Strats.

What channel(guess 2 british)/setting do you use on Royal Atlantic?

Thanks

Roland

 

[jmontgomery]

Another thing I do is use a Timmy to boost my single coils on the crunch and MIV modes.