The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi I like this sound of Tim Lerch very much:


    i recorded my self on my telecaster as well and got this:

    the sound is a little bit overdriven and lacks of details.

    My equipments:
    Guitar: Telecaster American Pro Ltd. 2018 (Shawbucker)
    Mics: AKG C4000 + shure sm57
    Amp: Blues Junior II

    I know these are not top-equipments.But could you please tell me what is the main cause of the bad sound quality (except for my guitar skills....)? If I would invest just one thing try to get near to that saturated but not overdriven sound of Tim Lerch, by which side should I make a improvement and what should i buy? Many thanks!

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  3. #2

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    Your playing is fine.

    Not knowing what Tim's signal chain is makes it a little difficult to compare. however, he does occasionally participate in this forum and if he happens to spot this thread may be able to chime in and provide some information about that.

    One thing that I think of right off the bat, however, is playing with mic placement in front of the amp. How far the mic is from the speaker and the positioning of the mic between the center of the cone and the edge can make a significant difference in what it sounds like. If you are using two microphones, make sure they are not out of phase as you will get some frequency cancellation if that is the case, making the sound thinner. With two microphones, I assume one of them is near miked to the amp and the other one is further away. Playing with the far mic placement may also be helpful. I wild suspect that the SM-57 is best as the near mic. And, of course, playing around with the EQ on the amp is also helpful, you may need to bump up the bass and mids.

    Another possibility is looking at replacing the signal chain entirely. Our own forum member Dutch Bopper gets a great sound for his recordings; he runs from the guitar to an inexpensive ART microphone preamp into a FocusRite digital interface (IIRC) and from there into the computer and his DAW. Basically he wants as little signal chain as possible between the guitar's output and the recording input. He doesn't even have any EQ between the guitar and the DAW.

  4. #3

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    That sounds good to me, both the playing and the tone.

    Maybe Tim will chime in?

    Tim has some youtube videos about his gear and how he gets his tone, have you seen those?

    Mostly I'm hearing your tone is a bit brighter than Tim's. I would experiment with reducing the treble which can be done various ways, experiment with them all. One way is dialing down the treble on the amp. Another, using the front pickup of the guitar. Another, dialing down the tone pot on the guitar. Another, dialing down the volume pot on the guitar.

    Also, Tim has explained that he uses a lot of flesh on his picking hand. You could also try cutting your fingernails shorter (that is only if you are now using nails to contact the strings).

  5. #4

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    Peng, I LOVE that tone.

    Yeah, to get rid of the grit slightly, run your volume at like 9/10. Itll cut a little high end too.

    But I'd play with your current sound anytime, anywhere.

  6. #5

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    What I hear is more EQ differences. Tim Lerch's recording has more lower mids, boomy bass and rolled off highs. That gives a fatter tone. Reminds me of Ed Bickert's tone. But I like the tone you get as well.

    You can always invest in an EQ pedal if you want to experiment with wider tonal options than what the Blues Junior can provide. It is a bright amp afterall.
    Last edited by Tal_175; 07-24-2020 at 04:45 PM.

  7. #6

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    Tim also has a Charlie Christian pickup in his tele. Don't know if that makes a difference.

  8. #7

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    Your playing sounds good. Tim may chime in here about his signal chain but it's worth noting that he uses heavier strings and tunes down. IMO, the easiest thing you can do to fatten the tone on an electric guitar is file down your fingernails and play with flesh.

  9. #8

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    I think the detuning is indeed a big part of his sound (which i also love)
    You're closer on your beautiful love chord melody video i think.

  10. #9

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    Just watch the video. In that video on this thread, Tim says he tunes to Eb. He also uses 12s. He also said he "isn't a fan" of that turn the treble way down on the guitar woofy sound like some use (I interpreted that to be those with the Ed Bickert sound that has the tone turned way down, not at all like Tim's sound). And, he is using the stock fender pickups in that video.
    Last edited by fep; 07-24-2020 at 07:28 PM.

  11. #10

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    Tim sounds more like Ted Greene to me.

    Only Ed sounded like Ed.

  12. #11

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    I think Tim sounds like where Ted might have sounded like if he was still with us)

    Will

  13. #12

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    to compare ted greene to anyone, is a bold step my friends!

    he taught, he knew guitar tech, he collected gear (early on) & he played anything..from bach to bo diddley..he was a master!

    cheers

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    Tim sounds more like Ted Greene to me.

    Only Ed sounded like Ed.
    I agree on both counts. Tim does not saturate his sound with reverb and/or tremolo like Ted did, but the lineage is clear there which makes sense since Tim studied with Ted.

    And the tone-control-at-zero sound is not really what a lot of our heroes sounded like. Ed's tone is quite a bit brighter than that; his tone knob to me sounds like it's rolled off no more than about halfway and often brighter. But the high frequencies of the guitar tend to get buried in the cymbal wash and by bright instruments such as trumpet, saxophone, etc.

  15. #14

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    Bump your amp up and ride the volume on your guitar for desired output. Cheap and easy way to get smoky fingerstyle tones.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    Peng, I LOVE that tone.

    Yeah, to get rid of the grit slightly, run your volume at like 9/10. Itll cut a little high end too.

    But I'd play with your current sound anytime, anywhere.
    This. Don’t sweat it too much—your sound is really good as it is. Sometimes you just gotta find the sweet spot between amp gain and treble and your guitars volume and treble. You ever notice how some players are *always* adjusting their knobs a little bit? The sweet spot can change for me from day to day, or even within the same 10 second time span.

  17. #16

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    Instead of trying to get Tim Lerches tone, work with what you have to get the best tone you can. Gear is really less than half of the equation. How you approach the instrument is most of it.

    In other words, using fingers or pick affects it immensely. Using your right hand placement either further back, or more forward over the neck pickup.
    Also remember to use your tone control and volumes to adjust the brightness.

    Most importantly, work on your playing and the tone and maturity will follow. The more you play the more control you will gain. And remember to nave FUN!
    That's the part that is hardest for me,lol!

  18. #17

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    Well played Peng!
    Yes, there are some differences, this is the beauty of life.
    I think we always put the focus most on gear, amp, mic, sometimes on picking technique and do not consider the overall physical approach to the instrument. This affect the sound more than we are willing to believe, IMHO. Mr Lerch videos speak for themselves. He looks like a tall, big guy, see how he holds a telecaster, their relative dimensions, maybe the same ratio between me and my ukulele. Look how he sways guitar when plays notes, his left wrist motion, how left hand fingers move like a spider on the fretboard, how he produces vibrato by oscillating fingertips, or his right hand plucking technique. This physical interaction between player and guitar is best represented thru clear and trasparent single coil pu. They can amplify all the nuances in expression better than darker humbuckers, I guess.
    The rest is: D'Addario 12 - Tele Road Worn 50 - De Luxe Reverb Fender Amp, no secret recipe and something most of us can afford or meet during our guitar player carreer.
    Keep on bluesin' in your own style, Peng! It'great.

  19. #18

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    I recall Tim using a Quilter amp in some of his videos. That amp can be set very clean.

    A Blues Jr has a more saturated sound by default. Like others have commented, try bringing down the gain, up the master and being down the volume on the guitar.

    For recording I would also suggest downloading a trial of the new NeuralDsp Cory Wong plug-in. It focuses on clean tones and has three amp models that are just great. Simply plug in your guitar. You should be able to get a Tim-like sound and many other great clean sounds.

  20. #19

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    Dear Peng,
    I think you sound really very good on the video you posted. You have been given lots of good encouragement in the comments above. I think if you keep playing and listening you'll find a sound that you are happy with (at least most of the time) My recipe on the Giant Steps video is a telecaster with CC pickups with 12 - 54 roundwound strings (plain 3rd) and a Princeton reverb amp with the treble set around 2-3 and the bass set at 4-5 and a bit of reverb. The tone control on my guitar is full up and the volume is set at around 8-9. I record at very low volumes and have Senheiser 906 hanging in front of the speaker. I tune down 1/2 step most of the time and play with the flesh of my right hand fingers. I have worked long and hard over the many years to develop a pearly/creamy sound that is a result of my right hand technique and my left hands tendency to hold notes while other move against them. the most important thing to consider i is trying to find the sound that you imagine in your mind. Once you hear that sound clearly you can get it with various different types of gear. I wish you all the best in your tone quest.
    all the best
    Tim

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by TLerch
    Dear Peng,
    I think you sound really very good on the video you posted. You have been given lots of good encouragement in the comments above. I think if you keep playing and listening you'll find a sound that you are happy with (at least most of the time) My recipe on the Giant Steps video is a telecaster with CC pickups with 12 - 54 roundwound strings (plain 3rd) and a Princeton reverb amp with the treble set around 2-3 and the bass set at 4-5 and a bit of reverb. The tone control on my guitar is full up and the volume is set at around 8-9. I record at very low volumes and have Senheiser 906 hanging in front of the speaker. I tune down 1/2 step most of the time and play with the flesh of my right hand fingers. I have worked long and hard over the many years to develop a pearly/creamy sound that is a result of my right hand technique and my left hands tendency to hold notes while other move against them. the most important thing to consider i is trying to find the sound that you imagine in your mind. Once you hear that sound clearly you can get it with various different types of gear. I wish you all the best in your tone quest.
    all the best
    Tim
    Excellent, thoughtful reply

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by TLerch
    Dear Peng,
    I think you sound really very good on the video you posted. You have been given lots of good encouragement in the comments above. I think if you keep playing and listening you'll find a sound that you are happy with (at least most of the time) My recipe on the Giant Steps video is a telecaster with CC pickups with 12 - 54 roundwound strings (plain 3rd) and a Princeton reverb amp with the treble set around 2-3 and the bass set at 4-5 and a bit of reverb. The tone control on my guitar is full up and the volume is set at around 8-9. I record at very low volumes and have Senheiser 906 hanging in front of the speaker. I tune down 1/2 step most of the time and play with the flesh of my right hand fingers. I have worked long and hard over the many years to develop a pearly/creamy sound that is a result of my right hand technique and my left hands tendency to hold notes while other move against them. the most important thing to consider i is trying to find the sound that you imagine in your mind. Once you hear that sound clearly you can get it with various different types of gear. I wish you all the best in your tone quest.
    all the best
    Tim
    Dear Tim,
    thank you very much for your comment, it is such a honor for me, i haven't thought that you would really come to this post.
    I really like your playing, your tone, and i've learned a lot from your lessons. I wish you also all the best in your everyday life and in your beautiful music. Thanks again!

    best wishes
    Peng

  23. #22

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    I like your sound and playing,
    If you are looking for some difference, one I thing would be the reverb, your setting has more reverb than Tim's.

    Reverb is somehow contradicts the stauration feel, because it make the sound "wet", and "distant". I would try the very same setup only with a hint of reverb, almost not hearble amount, this will bring the tone "closer", and you can enjoy the saturation feel more.

  24. #23

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    Ride your tone back just a tiny bit.

    Neck shimmer. It's what I call what Tim does, Ted Greene did it constantly. It's where he applies vibrato using a back and forth neck pressure whenever he sustains a chord. Tim Miller does it quite a bit too, bit gets more of that sound using hand pressure (you can see Tim doing a "full chord vibrato" where he gets a side to side motion going)

    Watch some Ted Greene clinics to get an idea. I just use pressure from my forearm on the body against my fretting hand to lightly apply pressure back and forth.

    Here's a good example