Super Distortion rocks! (MkII)

julkke · Post by **julkke** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:13 pm

I too think pickups don't make that much difference. Also always when changing pickups the height changes etc. The height does make a MAJOR difference. But then, listen to thornys pickup shootout. The differences are subtle. Audible yes, but subtle. It's the amp.

Bore Em at the Forum · Post by **Bore Em at the Forum** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:22 pm

[quote="EJSLPlexi". I will never believe he used a rosewood neck on that record no way![/quote]

EJ - the best thing about this forum is you don't have to believe ANYTHING. Many of these theories will never be proven unless someone fesses up. Ed - doesn't care, Ted/Donn - not talking. Michael Anthony might be the only person willing to offer info if you could get the questions asked.....

As I've said before, many of these "theories" have been tracked down and beaten to death within this forum by people far more knowledgeable and smarter than I! You compare pictures, guitars, clothing, backlines, etc and date each step of the process.

In terms of pickups, VH 1 sounds WAY different than post-recording bootlegs. VH1 sounds WAY different from VH 2. Pete Thorne's SL 68 demo has settled it (in my mind) in terms of the fact that he nails both tones with two different pickups. Pickups that (what a coincidence) ARE documented to have been in Ed's guitars during the 1977-1979 period. For me, case closed.

I fully agree with Roger, I think Donn Landee and the asst engineer probably did some tone comparison and "evened up" the sound between guitars. Ed could've even thrown an SD or MM in the Destroyer during recording so that the process was even easier for them. We'll never know.

garbeaj · Post by **garbeaj** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:42 pm

Bore 'Em is right...

garbeaj · Post by **garbeaj** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:45 pm

julkke wrote:I too think pickups don't make that much difference. Also always when changing pickups the height changes etc. The height does make a MAJOR difference. But then, listen to thornys pickup shootout. The differences are subtle. Audible yes, but subtle. It's the amp.

I think that the sound of my Destroyer made a night and day improvement when I went from the stock Super 70s to the old Dimarzio Super 2. Night and day.

The difference was even more dramatic when I switched out the standard SD '59 to my new F-spaced DSD...completely different and much closer tone to the record than what I got before. In all these cases my pickup is adjusted as close to the strings as possible.

But I agree about the amp...My Marshall Mod5 is unbelievably great and it is easily 85% to 95% of the tone.

Bore Em at the Forum · Post by **Bore Em at the Forum** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:50 pm

Yeah, Ed had great TONE no matter what (from his fingers, and from his amp). His pickups were just a "tweak" in the chain of his tone.

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:05 pm

Agreed, the amp, with a REASONABLE guitar, gets much more mileage (tonewise) than the converse, which is a GREAT sounding guitar through a mediocre amp. The amp/speaker combination rules the roost.

However, a player reacts to certain nuances. A hot ceramic pick up is kinda like TESTOSTERONE working in a fella. You feel a certain gain and articulation that makes you want to flail. Alnico magnets are more like fine wine and the REALIZATION of higher ground (tonewise that is).

It is pretty obvious that Ed had a ceramic mag pu in his strat on that first album. The Destroyer has a shorter scale and a tunomatic style bridge. It can handle a low output pu without 'thinning' out, as his Ash strat would have under the same pu's.

Every guitar is as individual as every person, regardless of it's make/model. But hey, a mongoloid has 'generalities' as does a caucasoid, as does a Africanus, etc. Individuality is of greater concern than GENERALITIES.

I am talking about guitars here though, just using analogies.

Ed had one hell of a good Destroyer and Strat !!! Combine that with his playing abilities and you have an ANOMALLY !

hammered · Post by **hammered** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:07 pm

EJSLPlexi wrote:I will never believe he used a rosewood neck on that record no way!

The Destroyer had a rosewood neck

julkke · Post by **julkke** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 3:22 am

We all hear things different. That is the fun part of this forum, discussing and giving away opinions. Everybody has one, mine on this subject is that it is 45% the amp and speakers, 50% the player and 5% the guitar/pickup. Of course putting it to percents is silly but it gives an idea of how I think tone is made. Engineering of course too is a huge part, but for the core tone in my opinion the amp matters most.

uiovbged332 · Post by **uiovbged332** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 10:44 pm

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