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I just did a quick test running a recorded vocal through an RNLA and a Distressor in opto mode and I'm not sure which one sounded better. By which I mean that they both sounded great. Given that the RNLA costs about $1300 less than the Distressor, I feel that this worth noting. (Yes, I realize that the Distressor is likely much more versatile. And, yes, I realize that my example is but one case.)

GFS Surf 90s

Got these a while back but just got them wired up in an HH strat arrangement.

I like them. Sound nice and big. Pretty much as described by someone on the forum here, "big strat pickups." Kinda bummed it all sounds a little dull. Lacks a little top end "bite" that I'm used to on my les paul. That could be the guitar. Haven't played it in 7 years as it was in pieces. I recall it being brighter. Sounds good, but not like awesome. Though, I'm not too familiar with single coils through my setup. This is my only single coil guitar and first in many years.

I'm perfectly happy with it for the purposes of this guitar (my old Squier Standard Strat), but I'm still curious about experimenting with single coil sounds.

VaticanShotglass wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:16 pmKinda bummed it all sounds a little dull.

In my experience, regardless of pickups, most guitars or basses are gonna sound kinda dull going into an amp without some sort of pre-amp/EQ (or pre-amp/EQ + boost) pedal somewhere near the front end of a pedal chain.

Others could have a different take; amps with more tone shaping options than just "high" and "low" knobs, and maybe some imprecise mid boost/"fattening" option, might be able to get the sound there. But for me, a recipe for better clean (and clipped) tone is having that always-on pre-amp/EQ pedal in the mix.

krispoulin wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:48 pm I just did a quick test running a recorded vocal through an RNLA and a Distressor in opto mode and I'm not sure which one sounded better. By which I mean that they both sounded great. Given that the RNLA costs about $1300 less than the Distressor, I feel that this worth noting. (Yes, I realize that the Distressor is likely much more versatile. And, yes, I realize that my example is but one case.)

That price point is right up my alley! I hardly use compression...setting the controls to get it right can me feel like I'm out of my depth. When I do, it's almost always for a vocal and I use a Joe Meek C2 (which I bought after seeing you running vocals through a VC1 in your studio forever ago and liking the results). The C2 is a mono/stereo photo optical compressor with simplified controls from the era when the Meek stuff was still being make in the UK. It does the trick, but tends to introduce an unwanted noise floor in quiet passages. For my purposes, a leveling amp might be more useful...

DaveA wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:13 pm

VaticanShotglass wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:16 pmKinda bummed it all sounds a little dull.

In my experience, regardless of pickups, most guitars or basses are gonna sound kinda dull going into an amp without some sort of pre-amp/EQ (or pre-amp/EQ + boost) pedal somewhere near the front end of a pedal chain.

Others could have a different take; amps with more tone shaping options than just "high" and "low" knobs, and maybe some imprecise mid boost/"fattening" option, might be able to get the sound there. But for me, a recipe for better clean (and clipped) tone is having that always-on pre-amp/EQ pedal in the mix.

I don't disagree, though I am mostly talking relative to my other guitar, a PAFish Les Paul (a bright one, I admit), through the same set up. Also, the last pickups to be in that strat were a Duncan JB and Cool Rails combo from my teenage years.

So the Surf 90 is still a decent budget pickup, and I've seen clips where it sounded great in more traditional HH guitars. My opinion might change with time and tweaking.

I'm fairly satisfied for this guitar; I keep it at my family's home where my brother and his friends used to play it.

My current interest is testing affordable replacements for my new little Bullet Mustang HH and experimenting with single coils. Still not decided to go with single coils or just go with some affordable humbucker options which are more in my wheel house.

Rotosound RS66LDN: You are great strings.

After years of thinking I was getting along with flats on bass I bought a use G&L bass that came with some old roundwounds on it which I never bothered to change, and lo and behold I loved em. Recently switched back to my Jazz bass for a while and realized the old flats sucked. Switched to these rounds and i'm a happy boy. They're a bit bright brand new, but a little tone knob action will chill that out till they get worn in.

I really like those strings. Before I switched to flats on an Ovation Magnum, every bass I ever had either had the biggest GHS round wounds or those Rotosound strings, just depending on whatever sounded best on that bass. Can’t go wrong with either

I have to revise my review of those Surf 90s I’ve grown to like them. Took time to adjust them and get used to them. I like how they sound bigger than strat pickups. Definitely in the right direction there. The magnets are pretty big, and lowering them a lot really fixed the dullness and livened things up. I really like them now.

VaticanShotglass wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:57 am

DaveA wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:13 pm

VaticanShotglass wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:16 pmKinda bummed it all sounds a little dull.

In my experience, regardless of pickups, most guitars or basses are gonna sound kinda dull going into an amp without some sort of pre-amp/EQ (or pre-amp/EQ + boost) pedal somewhere near the front end of a pedal chain.

Others could have a different take; amps with more tone shaping options than just "high" and "low" knobs, and maybe some imprecise mid boost/"fattening" option, might be able to get the sound there. But for me, a recipe for better clean (and clipped) tone is having that always-on pre-amp/EQ pedal in the mix.

I don't disagree, though I am mostly talking relative to my other guitar, a PAFish Les Paul (a bright one, I admit), through the same set up. Also, the last pickups to be in that strat were a Duncan JB and Cool Rails combo from my teenage years.

So the Surf 90 is still a decent budget pickup, and I've seen clips where it sounded great in more traditional HH guitars. My opinion might change with time and tweaking.

I'm fairly satisfied for this guitar; I keep it at my family's home where my brother and his friends used to play it.

My current interest is testing affordable replacements for my new little Bullet Mustang HH and experimenting with single coils. Still not decided to go with single coils or just go with some affordable humbucker options which are more in my wheel house.

Blackstone Overdrive - two channel overdrive. Fancy boutique thing but the prices aren’t too crazy right now

Just getting going right of the bat - there are a million sounds in this thing for such a simple pedal. Plus eq and a buffer switch inside I didn’t even touch. The knobs on your guitar become more important. Red channel kind of sounds too 80s initially but I could get Fripp and Thin Lizzy sounds out of that side with a Firebird. Brown side is one of the best light ODs I’ve ever played. Mid contour is interesting

Its super cool but if you get one I would just expect to take some time to get It setup in your rig. Its definitely more of an instrument in its own way than a plug and play sort of thing. At least until you get it dialed in!

The Staytrem bridge I ordered for my Squier Bass VI on November 9 arrived today . . .



Honestly, seeing it in person, it makes the stock bridge seem pretty assy in comparison. Much better engineering here. A lot more latitude for intonating, which is the biggest selling point. But also . . . Each saddle moves in a straight line with none of them laterally pressured against each other. And the screws are adjusted via hex key instead of screwdriver, which means they're probably less likely to get stripped. The string grooves of each saddle are also sized according to the gauge of each string, allowing for more fine-tuned snugness instead of being one size fits all--something that wasn't apparent just looking at pictures of them on the internet.

If one has a Jaguar/Jazzmaster/Bass VI type thing, a Staytrem's a no brainer, wait notwithstanding:

https://www.staytrem.com/store/store