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Texas special

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(@stevedabear)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 117
Topic starter  

A favourite band of mine is Dire Straits, and i've found out that Mark Knopfler uses Texas Special pick ups to get the excellent tone he gets, now, i have a cheap strat copy and i'd like just to, give it a slight bit of personality by changing my bridge pick up to a Texas one, and just wondering whether thats... a good idea.. i know i should just except that my old guitar is crap but... i'm going to buy a Les Paul soon, and, i'd still like a strat style guitar lying around, and.. this improvement in pick up may just make it that bit nicer to play.. at £60 quid for the pick up though, it seems like a bit of an expensive accessory considering the guitar cost about £100 new lol.

Please leave your recommendations.


   
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(@gnease)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5038
 

I don't want to put you off the Texas Specials -- many players love them, but Knopfler gets that excellent tone from nearly any electric he plays -- not only Strat but ES335, as well. A lot of that signature tone comes directly from his fingers and style of playing. True, the Strat helps with it's scooped, quacky tone, but the pups are not as big a contributor as one might think.

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@forrok_star)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 2337
 

I'll say save your money. I could be using anyone of a number of guitars and imitate that tone and by not using a strat. Like gnease explained its from the person themselves and practicing. With just an Equalizer and an all tube amp I could get close enough most couldn't tell the difference. Point being save your money, practice, and try different setting on your equipment.

Joe


   
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 xg5a
(@xg5a)
Honorable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 482
 

Well, pickups are there to "pick-up" the string vibrations, and that's almost all. However, higher quality pickups may be more efficent at this. The point is that better pickups may help you sound better, but you shouldn't rely on the pickups to get a certain sound. Changing the tone of your guitar is what the amp is for.


   
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(@stevedabear)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 117
Topic starter  

thanks for your replies, much appreciated, i suppose i have to agree really lol.. gar i wish i could play as well as him.


   
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(@waltaja)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 170
 

i recently listend to "Neck and Neck: Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler" and by gosh could those two tear it up. mr. knopfler has some serious talent that not too many people can really appreciate

"I got a woman, stay drunk all the time!"

-Led Zeppelin-


   
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(@stevedabear)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 117
Topic starter  

I totally agree, i've just received 'Eric clapton and friends' DVD and its just great, theres another brilliant guitarist, the brits are the best eh :P , except this one of course lol. they're the greats, the blues rules !!


   
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(@forrok_star)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 2337
 

You want to see some great musicians, watch the movie "The last Waltz" by "The Band"

There's a 4 CD set and a 2 Cd set, don't recall which one was what.

Anyway it's great material.

Joe


   
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(@artlutherie)
Noble Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1157
 

You've probably heard this story. It seems when Van Halen finally got famous enough to tour with big name bands they ended up opening for The Motor City Mad Man Ted Nugent. Ted had never seen Eddy play and was just blown away by what he could do with a guitar. So one day during a sound check Ted asked Eddy if he could plug into his gear (thinking it had to be his set up that gave him that "unique" sound) Eddy said h*ll ya go for it. Ted played a couple of songs with Eddy's gear and guess what It sounded like Ted playing not Eddy. Lesson to be learned Gear does not make the guitar player.

Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
ChuckNorrisFactsdotCom


   
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 sirN
(@sirn)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 358
 

I have Texas Specials in my strat and to be honest, I really can't tell any difference in them from others that I've had. Less hum maybe.

check out my website for good recording/playing info


   
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(@metaellihead)
Honorable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 653
 

The way I heard that story is that they did a gear swap. Eddie played on Nugents guitar and amps and Ted played on Eddie's guitar and amps. Eddied sounded like Eddie and Ted sounded like Ted.

-Metaellihead


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

You hear that sort of thing all the time.... I was reading a guitar mag once, and it talked about the tone on the various tunes of Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill". I remember being kind of surprised, because on one of the tunes - I think it was Reelin in the Years - the gear was identical to mine.... right down to the production years and the tubes in the amp. I didn't sound like Skunk, though.

And last Sunday a girl came over to audition for me. I had her plug up my gear, and she played for a bit. She asked me what the big deal was... she'd heard those old tube amps had such a great sound, but it didn't seem any different from what she usually played through. I took the guitar, and she said "wow... it sounds a lot different now".

So, I think we get used to the sound we get, and we end up compensating with our technique to get that sound. I also think too many guitarists who are unhappy with their sound look to electronics for the solution... the real answer is often right at the end of your sleeves :)

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@yoyo286)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1681
 

xg5a, pickups can be wound "hotter", giving them more flare. It's not just the high price. For example, if a SD jazz was the same price as a Dimarzio ultra mega distortion, they'd give you different tones.

Stairway to Freebird!


   
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(@psychonik)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 268
 

pickups can also be wired to have a more clean or dirty prone tone. I have a d'marzio PAF pro in my guitar, but it sounds too bright on the clean channel of my amp.. so i get a darker pup.. say.. an EMG HZ.. which on the plus side is higher output than the PAF. Whereas an evolution would have more mid than the EMG. the PAF has more treble.
its very very subtle though and many people cant tell the difference.


   
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