did Ed Bickert use flat wound strings on his tele?

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 06:51 PM

I got a new tele coming, I never liked the idea of flats on a tele, but I'm hoping to get a bickert sound. My other tele is very open sounding and 'springy', so I'm hoping to get a contrasting, darker sound. I'm thinking flats if it can get me closer to his sound.

**neatomic** · 01-25-2016, 07:18 PM

in an old guitar player magazine interview, ed said he uses ernie ball 11-46...he was known to use light-ish roundwounds

his tone was very dependent on his right hand style...his pick was a fender medium

having said that, flats on a tele do sound great!

cheers

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 07:23 PM

now I'm thrown... How did he get such a warm sound? just fiddling with the tone knob and amp settings? what amp did he use? poly tone, yeah? I also know he used to have a humbucker in the neck.

**ESCC** · 01-25-2016, 07:25 PM

What gauge do you have on your "springy" Tele? If you are not inclined to put flats on your Tele, a change in gauge might be the answer.

**mr. beaumont** · 01-25-2016, 07:26 PM

Hands. Watch his attack...very light...pick and fingers.

I can get sounds like Ed with my tele and a solid state amp set pretty flat, mid boosted a bit, highs cut a bit...but you gotta use a light touch.

Now, if I could only play like him.

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 07:27 PM

I have 11s on it now. I went down from 12s, wasn't a fan of the sound.

**neatomic** · 01-25-2016, 07:30 PM

at time of interview he was using standel with 15" like wes...

he used hybrid picking..a combo of pick and fingers

try a set of lighter flats..like thomastik 11-47's..

there's ways of geting to a similar end with alternate routes

cheers

ps- neck pickup change is also factor...in the late 60's-early 70's many players put gibson humbuckers or even mini humbuckers in their tele neck position..it was a fairly common mod..especially amongst the pros

today you can get all sorts of standard tele neck sized pickups that are wound completely differently..so you can have a p90 syle pup in a standard tele looking neck pup..or a humbucking neck pup

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Hands. Watch his attack...very light...pick and fingers.

I can get sounds like Ed with my tele and a solid state amp set pretty flat, mid boosted a bit, highs cut a bit...but you gotta use a light touch.

Now, if I could only play like him.

light touch and light pick? I've been working on light touch, but still have a long way to go.

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

at time of interview he was using standel with 15" like wes...

he used hybrid picking..a combo of pick and fingers

try a set of lighter flats..like thomastik 11-47's..

there's ways of geting to a similar end with alternate routes

cheers

ps- neck pickup change is also factor...in the late 60's-ealy 70's many players put gibson humbuckers or even mini humbuckers in their tele neck position..it was a fairly common mod..especially amongst the pros

I might try 11-47 flats. I used to use light flats on my sei-hollow and I remember digging them. The neck pickup in my new tele is supposed to be pretty good, it's a mini humbucker. It should work well

**neatomic** · 01-25-2016, 07:36 PM

pss-

here's the interview-

https://www.facebook.com/EdBickertFa...32235763516826

cheers

**mr. beaumont** · 01-25-2016, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by nick1994

I might try 11-47 flats. I used to use light flats on my sei-hollow and I remember digging them. The neck pickup in my new tele is supposed to be pretty good, it's a mini humbucker. It should work well

Telling ya brother, it's the HOW not the WHAT.

If you go to my site, stella and darn that dream are a single coil tele thru a polytone. I do use flats though, at the time of these recordings it was .011's.

Just want you to know I'm not talking out my ass.

**sgcim** · 01-25-2016, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by nick1994

now I'm thrown... How did he get such a warm sound? just fiddling with the tone knob and amp settings? what amp did he use? poly tone, yeah? I also know he used to have a humbucker in the neck.

He used an orange Roland Cube a lot in the 80s.

When I found that out, I went down and bought one at Gracin's, and then bought a new Hondo Strat copy (it had a better jazz sound than their Tele copy) for $100, and spent the rest of the 80s copying Ed Bickert.

Some people put me down for that rig, but i used it to play on a jazz album that got a good review in Downbeat, and some very heavy musicians (no guitarists, of course) loved the sound I got out of that rig.

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

He used an orange Roland Cube a lot in the 80s.

When I found that out, I went down and bought one at Gracin's, and then bought a new Hondo Strat copy (it had a better jazz sound than their Tele copy) for $100, and spent the rest of the 80s copying Ed Bickert.

Some people put me down for that rig, but i used it to play on a jazz album that got a good review in Downbeat, and some very heavy musicians (no guitarists, of course) loved the sound I got out of that rig.

now I'm just curious, if you don't want to say fair enough, but what was the album?

**christianm77** · 01-25-2016, 08:47 PM

I use 11s on a tele with a single coil and the tone wide open and get a sound I am pretty happy with for jazz.

It's a bit brighter than some may use, but I don't like my sound too muffly. An important aspect of getting the sound I want is use the edge of a lightish pick quite softly... I use Benson picking, and I am pretty happy with the tone.... Bickert uses trad grip though...

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

I use 11s on a tele with a single coil and the tone wide open and get a sound I am pretty happy with for jazz.

It's a bit brighter than some may use, but I don't like my sound too muffly. An important aspect of getting the sound I want is use the edge of a lightish pick quite softly... I use Benson picking, and I am pretty happy with the tone.... Bickert uses trad grip though...

yeah I use the round part of the pick as well but I use 2mm, so it's very thick. I used to use .70mm but I hated the floppiness. My first tele is already pretty bright for jazz (I also keep tone open and volume no higher than 7or8), so I'm going for darker sound for this second tele.

**docbop** · 01-25-2016, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by nick1994

yeah I use the round part of the pick as well but I use 2mm, so it's very thick. I used to use .70mm but I hated the floppiness. My first tele is already pretty bright for jazz (I also keep tone open and volume no higher than 7or8), so I'm going for darker sound for this second tele.

I read Benson said once the heavier the strings the lighter the pick and the lighter the strings the heavier the pick. Seems a little odd but interseting to play with. I've noted some players I like using medium picks so I've been playing with them and like the snap they give the sound.

FWIW I use 12's roundwounds on my teles for the tension and sound.

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 09:03 PM

I also have this habit of thrashing the guitar. When I get excited when I'm playing I start digging in and it just kills my sound, so yeah, I need to work on controlling my touch.

**nick1994** · 01-25-2016, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

I read Benson said once the heavier the strings the lighter the pick and the lighter the strings the heavier the pick. Seems a little odd but interseting to play with. I've noted some players I like using medium picks so I've been playing with them and like the snap they give the sound.

FWIW I use 12's roundwounds on my teles for the tension and sound.

Funny, I've actually been told the opposite. the heavier the strings, the heavier pick. but I'll say when I was using a lighter pick, I still hit the strings hard it was just less noticeable. I practice majority on a couple of acoustics, so I tend to hit harder when I play acoustic and then have to readjust. playing at really high volumes really helps me be aware of how hard I'm hitting, even when I practice at home an amp.

**pubylakeg** · 01-25-2016, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

When I found that out, I went down and bought one at Gracin's, and then bought a new Hondo Strat copy (it had a better jazz sound than their Tele copy) for $100, and spent the rest of the 80s copying Ed Bickert.

I bet you're the only guy on earth who has owned a J D'Angelico and a Hondo.

**neatomic** · 01-25-2016, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

He used an orange Roland Cube a lot in the 80s.

When I found that out, I went down and bought one at Gracin's, and then bought a new Hondo Strat copy ...

sorry to hijack..but gracins mention got me!..hah..here's elliot easton of the cars loving tribute...good read

(hey sgcim did you know joe beck..i met him a few times via an older guitar player friend..one heck of a player)

Elliot Easton
‎ to Gracin's Music Tribute
July 18, 2015 ·
You want a story? I have a doozy. I grew up in Massapequa, Long Island and Gracin's was my go-to store. I used to take the Sunrise Hwy. bus and I remember that the store was right next to Wetson's Hamburgers. I got a crappy import electric from White's of Massapequa for my Bar Mitzvah and around '67-'68 I wanted a good acoustic guitar to play folk and country blues. With my budget (very little), Bernie steered me to an all-mahogany Favilla acoustic guitar. I worked at the bagel store on Hicksville Rd. in Seaford/Plainview/ N.Massapequa in the Calvert Shopping Center. Bernie ordered the lefty acoustic for me from Tommy Favilla and I drove Bernie crazy calling him practically every day to see if it was in! He couldn't have been more patient and kind to me and when the guitar finally arrived I was thrilled and loved that thing so much. I was never without it. A year or two later in the 11th grade I decided that since my heroes Robbie Robertson, Jesse Ed Davis, Mike Bloomfield, Roy Buchanan, Roy Nichols, Clarence White, Cornell Dupree, Steve Cropper and James Burton (to name a few), all played Telecasters, then I had to have one too. Sooooo, I went to Gracin's and Bernie ordered me a custom-made left handed Telecaster in blonde with a maple neck. The price, with case and tax was around $220, a fortune to me then. I got a job at La Crepe restaurant in the Bar Harbor Shopping Center in Massapequa to earn the money to pay for the guitar. I was one of those kids who was completely obsessed with guitars, sending away for catalogs, hiding them in my textbooks at school, etc. I knew every spec of every model from every company you could name. Obsessed. By now, I was in a fever to get my guitar and again, I called almost every day and drove Bernie nuts but he was again totally kind and patient with me. I loved guitars so much that even Bernie and Pops couldn't believe it. I would take the bus to Gracin's just to be around guitars. I used to help Danny, sweeping the floor, moving boxes, anything I could do to make myself useful. Bernie could not believe how much this kid loved guitars. He understood how badly I wanted that guitar and even loaned my a used lefty Fender Jaguar that someone brought in on trade. It had a psychedelic paint job and Bernie said I could hang onto it until my Telecaster came in. Maybe he thought I wouldn't call so much if I had a Fender to play! He was such a kind man, sometimes it would be late and closing time and he would actually drive me home rather than my having to take the bus at night at 16 years old. That's a mensch. This was 1971. Soooooo, now, roll up to 1979, I've already made two multi platinum albums with The Cars, and Gibson brought me out the the summer NAMM show at McCormick Place in Chicago. So, I'm standing in one of the booths and across the floor I see BERNIE GRACIN!!! I raced over to him, not really expecting him to remember me. I introduced myself to him him and told him about my success with The Cars. I told him my name and reminded him and thanked him for his kindness to me all those years ago. When I finished the story, he had tears in his eyes and said "you've gotta meet my wife!" He dragged me over to his wife and said to her, "THIS IS THE KID I ALWAYS USED TO TELL YOU ABOUT WHO WAS SO CRAZY ABOUT GUITARS!!!" He remembered. How's that for a Bernie Gracin story?

cheers

**Cunamara** · 01-25-2016, 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by sgcim

He used an orange Roland Cube a lot in the 80s.

When I found that out, I went down and bought one at Gracin's, and then bought a new Hondo Strat copy (it had a better jazz sound than their Tele copy) for $100, and spent the rest of the 80s copying Ed Bickert.

Some people put me down for that rig, but i used it to play on a jazz album that got a good review in Downbeat, and some very heavy musicians (no guitarists, of course) loved the sound I got out of that rig.

Well, us guitarists are going to have preconceptions about equipment that non-guitarists may not. The sax player in my band doesn't know my Tele from my GB10 from my carvetop. And he couldn't care less, so long as I play as well as I can.