A vs B (again) - this time it's Single Coil vs Humbucker

[Jim Soloway]

The last time it was the Gretsch Power Jet vs my Soloway Gosling. Ultimately I decided that the Gretsch was not for me and I replaced it with a Warmoth hardtail Strat. I'm using the neck pickup only on both guitars. The Warmoth has a DiMarzio Area 54. My Gosling has a DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAF. Otherwise they are very similar guitars: 25.5" scale length, very big maple neck, fixed bridge, string through body. They are both tuned down a full step to D-standard and they are both strung with DiAddario Chrome XL extra light flat wounds (10 to 48) with a wound G.


The music is from an original song of mine called Faded Memories Of A Dream. (If I ever get the next album completed it will have been recorded about 8 times in the endless process)

[vintagelove]

Both sound good, importantly noise is not an issue as it often is with single coils.


Good playing too!!!

[gitman]

The single coil pickup has a def. charm and a uniqueness that the humbucker lacks. The sound of the Strat does remind me of Ted Greene's tone - or Tim Lerch's for that matter even though with both their picking "noises" are less audible. This might have something to do with the thin strings tuned down that you are using. A humbucker is more forgiving in that respect.

[Jim Soloway]

The single coil pickup has a def. charm and a uniqueness that the humbucker lacks. The sound of the Strat does remind me of Ted Greene's tone - or Tim Lerch's for that matter even though with both their picking "noises" are less audible. This might have something to do with the thin strings tuned down that you are using. A humbucker is more forgiving in that respect.

I'm not so sure that it's the humbucker that smooths that out. The Strat sits in a slightly different position that moved my picking hand back a bit. I tried changing the position today to get my hand about where it is on the Gosling and it seems to help.

[John A.]

Dimarzio Area 54s, eh? I actually listened before I read that detail and thought it did seem maybe slightly less than entirely strat-y. Probably your technique and tuning (which I think tend to mask gear differences) is most of it, but maybe the pups (which are stacked humbuckers) are part of it.

Very nice sound, though, so not in any way a criticism. The Gosling has noticeably more mid-range and a more compressed sound. But I kind of have to shrug my shoulders, since I think the predominant factor in the way your recordings sound is tuning/technique and the overall mood of your arrangements.

[Jim Soloway]

Dimarzio Area 54s, eh? I actually listened before I read that detail and thought it did seem maybe slightly less than entirely strat-y. Probably your technique and tuning (which I think tend to mask gear differences) is most of it, but maybe the pups (which are stacked humbuckers) are part of it.

Very nice sound, though, so not in any way a criticism. The Gosling has noticeably more mid-range and a more compressed sound. But I kind of have to shrug my shoulders, since I think the predominant factor in the way your recordings sound is tuning/technique and the overall mood of your arrangements.

Thanks John. My primary purpose for the Strat is to play out. That Gosling is really all I have to show for the years we were building guitars and I'd hate to have something happen to it. It's already survived an awful lot with all the moves. But for recording I'd also like to have something that gives me at least a little bit of contrast. I'm really determined to get the next album actually done this time. I've ben trying for so long and something keeps stopping me. I feel like I have the recording techniques pretty much beyond disaster and I have enough new original material that the only thing holding me up now is my own neurosis.