I had gone and bought my first Electric Guitar today, just a little Fender Squire Bullet Strat for about $100.
It seems to play well and sounded nice in the store.
My question is, what the heck are all the tone knobs and the switch for? I really don't understand exactly what I'm doing with it :lol: Also, does playing around on the different pickups (I think that's what they are called) make it sound differently? This one has three of them. I think this has a rosewood neck and fretboard (the lighter wood color all around).
I use it to play around with the country sounds, I'll have to experiment more when I get the chance.
I also bought a headphone amp that has just tone controls since I don't really play metal at all, and I don't really need an amp since I am not playing out or anything.
Thanks for any help!
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
Joe,
Congrats on the purchase.
Your switch is probably a 5 way. we'll call all the way down position 1.
1- bridge pickup only
2- middle and bridge
3- middle only
4- middle and neck
5- neck only.
Volume knob is universal for all pickups.
Next tone knob is for neck pickup.
Last tone knob is middle pickup.
Bridge pickup has no tone control.
Hope this helps.
Also check out the Fender website, there should be a downloadable user manual
Hey, yeah it helped a bit, I'm going to have to play around with the tone knobs and such and find out what that really does, and also play with the switch and see how the different positions effects the sound.
I went to the website www.squireguitars.com and the manual they had there was pretty terrible, just told you what the things were, and not what to do with them.
Over the next week or so I will hopefully learn a bit more about Electric Guitars
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
That is the 'standard' configuration. The last tone knob in some Strats is for the bridge pickup as well. It depends on the internal wiring. Lately Fender and Squier are adding a this tone control.
Contrats! :D
And don't forget the pictures and the sound clips! :lol:
Thanks, I will post a pic soon and a clip in the coming days or weeks, after I learn how to do some things.
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
Joe. the pickup closet to the bridge is the 'treble' pickup. very bright sounding. it is cutting like a knife. this pickup is killer for an overdrive pedal. just my opinion. I like rolling off the treble just a bit by using the tone knob.
the next switch position away from the bridge gives a nice pucka pucka tone. I have heard some of Clapton's licks using that position. also, Ry Cooder uses it, to my ears, anyway. on my strat I call that position the 'Cooder'.
for mellow round bell tones use the neck pickup. dial the tone knob back and it sounds jazz like.
Thanks dogbite.
Does it matter when you play on if you play right above the pickup or not depending on the switch settings?
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
it does matter where you pick on a strat regardlaess of the pickup position.
a very sweet spot to pick is where the 28th fret would be. on my strat it is slightly before the middle pup. (pickup).
when I pick close to the bridge I have a more metallic sound. when I pick at the neck joint it sounds woodier.
yeah, it all matters.
play around and listen. and enjoy a cool guitar.
Welcome to the world of electric guitar! 8)
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
