Surprised/Confused/Pleased/BlownAway

[Cam]

Ok... I've been playing the Ultra solely since 7/07. I have 2 Tom Andersons I've used with it, I've played a Peavey Wolfgang, Yamaha RGX, Ibanez Jem and a couple other guitars with it.. but mostly the Cobra and Drop Top Classic. I am constantly tweaking cause I've been very very happy but not satisfied... never could figure out if it was the AFX (no tubes), the powered PA speakers, the guitars, or what but just never been 100% content for some reason.

So yesterday I trade my ( what I consider cheapo ) Yamaha RGX for a Made in Mexico Roland Ready Strat ( I pretty much can't stand Fender guitars )... but I got a Roland GR-20 before Christmas so I could play piano etc on a few of our songs. I was very reluctant because I liked the Yami but I needed a 13 pin equiped guitar to use with the GR-20. I'd made several offers on a Brian Moores and Godins but to no avail. I played the Strat at the store for about 10 secs and there was something about how it kinda rang out acoustically, the neck felt uniquely comfortable even though it needs a fret job imho... didn't even plug it in... just traded for it... thinking well I'm gonna have to replace the pu's, tuners blah blah. Took this thing to the gig last and played it with my AFX rig...... Holy Mother of *od!!! How can a cheapo piece of $hit made in mexico Fender Strat sound like the frickin holy grail???

Like the title says.... S/C/P/B!!! It was like I was possessed last night because the combo of this guitar, the Ultra, and the Verve was producing tones I'd never heard or felt.... nothing even close! Everybody noticed it and totally agreed. We played at a truck stop bar and a Trucker who'd never heard us and who unbeknowst was sitting by my wife turned to tell her... he's in clubs all across the US and said though this band is good,, that guy right there ( me ) makes this band and compared me to a painter painting a picture... he said the other guys were good musicians but I was an artist.... well alcohol I'm sure helped with that opinion but I just can't tell you guys how blown away I am with this guitar and the AFX. This may be a tribute to the Strat but it's also a tribute to the AFX... there's definitely some magic sauce ... some surreal mojo goin on between these 2 pieces of gear!!! I feel like I've been talking to some howlin wolf bout some voodoo healin!!!! ( ok here's a test ... what song is that line from ??? )

BTW, sorry if this is in the wrong section but it really is a review of the AFX too, after all, what good is the AFX without a guitar? ... finally after a long long time I hear in the AFX what I've been wanting to hear. (Any one want to buy a Tom Anderson Cobra??? )

 

[solo-act]

"Head's in Missippi"

And yes...strats are cool. If the wood is musical, you can get a range of dynamics from a strat that's flat out addictive. Pair that with the axe-fx and a verve and you gotta lotta mojo. Which verve do you have? I forget.

Being an acoustic player, I've always leaned towards strats because they're less meaty and sound so pretty on cleans. But put a good humbucker in one and they can sing.

 

[Jay Mitchell]

Ok... I've been playing the Ultra solely since 7/07. I have 2 Tom Andersons I've used with it, I've played a Peavey Wolfgang, Yamaha RGX, Ibanez Jem and a couple other guitars with it.. but mostly the Cobra and Drop Top Classic. I am constantly tweaking cause I've been very very happy but not satisfied... never could figure out if it was the AFX (no tubes), the powered PA speakers, the guitars, or what but just never been 100% content for some reason.

One of the tests I learned to do with guitars a few years back was to play through a perfectly clean, unequalized FRFR system (with an input impedance suitable for guitar, i.e., 1Mohm). With an Axe-Fx, all you have to do is to hit the "Bypass" button, assuming your speakers are FRFR. If you can't find a sound you like with that setup, you either need to find another guitar or start working on the one you've got, because you're not going to fix what's wrong with your amplification.

I played the Strat at the store for about 10 secs and there was something about how it kinda rang out acoustically,

I've always insisted that my guitars, even the solidbodies, sound good unamplified, so I knew I was working from a good base point. As you're discovering, that's not a given.

Like the title says.... S/C/P/B!!! It was like I was possessed last night because the combo of this guitar, the Ultra, and the Verve was producing tones I'd never heard or felt.... nothing even close!

That's very cool. Even though this forum is about a signal processor, there's no way any processing can make a guitar that sounds "bad" (recognizing that "good" and "bad" are matters of personal preference) sound "good." And every guitar is unique. That includes boutique high-bucks instruments as well as offshore cheapies. In my experience with solidbodies, you're just as likely to get a good offshore instrument as a boutique one. This flies in the face of the "boutique" mentality and mystique, but much of what makes a solidbody guitar sound good acoustically is very poorly understood and therefore more a matter of chance than luthiery skill.

finally after a long long time I hear in the AFX what I've been wanting to hear. (Any one want to buy a Tom Anderson Cobra??? )

FWIW, I built a parts-o-caster last April. I found a beautiful Mighty Mite body - swamp ash with quilted maple veneer top - on Craigslist and a ca. 2000 MIM Deluxe Series neck on ebay, and I used some 1968 replica GFS pickups with a custom Warmoth guard (reverse angle bridge pup). I figured that, if it didn't work out, I could sell the whole thing for close to what I had in it. When I got it assembled, strung, and set up, the first unamplified chord I hit made it clear that this guitar was a keeper. The first time I played it at a gig, a couple other guitar players made a point of telling me how good it sounded. And yes, I always play it through my Axe-Fx/FRFR rig.

 

[Cam]

And you have won the $14 Million Dollar prize! Ironically.. that's kinda where my head feels.

Strats, much less Fender's in general heave never tripped my trigger. but I would not describe this Strat as 'not meaty'.. quite the opposite really. I was concerned about it not having a HB pu...... $hit... I don't think I'm gonna need a HB because of the AFX! So that's one thing where the AFX comes in to play. It's just like the 2 were made with a purpose... I don't know how else to describe it.

I personally like the Verve better than the other speakers I've used, and I knew I would buy the ( Fratomic, I think that was Java's dubbing ) because I've never been content with my cleans. The Verve helped but never could get that tube feel that I've really missed. The tres amigos made me feel I was playing a tube amp... a better tube amp than I've ever played.

 

[Dpoirier]

Cam, before you sell the Tom Andersons, give yourself a bit of time with your new Mex Strat. I'm not implying that there's anything wrong with it, but you have to remember that *any* new guitar (even a not-so-great one) will stimulate and inspire any player. There's something about playing an unknown instrument that just triggers some response. Play with that strat for a while, discover it, get used to it. Eventually, pull out the Cobra again, and rediscover it. You might be pleasantly surprised. And if you're not, then sell it. But first give it a chance to inspire you again.

Tom Andersons are fabulous instruments (my main guitar is a 2000 drop top). Doesn't mean there can't be bad samples out there... but do recognize the power of a new guitar in your hands.

Cheers,
Dan

P.S. How much for the Cobra? ;-)

 

[Cam]

Couldn't agree with you more Jay! The Cobra sounded awesome with the Carr amp I got at the same time. This also shows me that one instrument may not sound good with all others. The Strat may not sound good with another given amp??!! I just know it does with the AFX.

Dan, I'm not selling the Cobra or the DT Classic:lol: Not gonna play em for awhile either I just hope this honey moon lasts permanently

 

[Jay Mitchell]

The Cobra sounded awesome with the Carr amp I got at the same time. This also shows me that one instrument may not sound good with all others.

If there was an amp that could make the guitar sound good to you, then the Axe-Fx can do the same. It may not be a simple matter to get there, but it can definitely be done. Whether it's worth the required time and effort is a highly personal decision.

My preferred pickups from 1969-1980 were humbuckers and P90s. From 1980 onward, I developed a distinct preference for single coils. I've found that all the sounds I like from humbuckers can be gotten from SCs, whereas the reverse is not the case.

 

[Cam]

If there was an amp that could make the guitar sound good to you, then the Axe-Fx can do the same. It may not be a simple matter to get there, but it can definitely be done. Whether it's worth the required time and effort is a highly personal decision.

My preferred pickups from 1969-1980 were humbuckers and P90s. From 1980 onward, I developed a distinct preference for single coils. I've found that all the sounds I like from humbuckers can be gotten from SCs, whereas the reverse is not the case.

Not that I tweaked every single parameter, but I definitely spent a lot of time trying, just haven't been successfull yet I guess. Funny thing is I plug the Strat in using the settings I've been tweaking for the TAG and with just a few minor ones on some presets throughout the night, I was closer to tonal nirvana than I've ever been... really with any pieces of gear I've ever had.

I think I've found that out now myself, about SC's and HB's, as well as the AFX

 

[FractalAudio]

If a guitar sounds good unplugged it will probably sound very good plugged in. The converse is also true.

 

[mwd]

I've always insisted that my guitars, even the solidbodies, sound good unamplified, so I knew I was working from a good base point.

If a guitar sounds good unplugged it will probably sound very good plugged in.

I'm hoping some beginning guitarist stumble on and retain these words of wisdom. There is nothing like amplified mojo. Especially when it's amplified by an Axe. There is often no correlation between good sound and how much you paid.