lets see pics of your gear

[Ghost of Electricity]

As you stated, there are lots of variables. It's often good to start with an idea of what tone you have in mind, and try to set the variables to achieve that tone. For example, if you want some country sounding guitar, you'd typically want the bridge pickup of the tele. Set the tone knob to something bright but not ice-picky. Run it through the Carbon Copy set for slapback. The Feedback and Delat knobs should be just a touch above zero (about 7 o'clock) and the the level around 10 or 11 o'clock. The amp is also impportant here: what kind is it? I suggest you set it for the edge of breakup when your guitar's volume is maxed. That way you can roll off the guitar's volume a bit and you'll get a cleaner tone good for rhythm. When it's time for lead, crank the volume back up full and it gets a bit of OD.

 

I don't have any experience with the OCD, I'd leave it off in the above scenario.

 

The amp is definetley a very important part of the equation. What kind do you have?

[anthony]

Thanks for the response, GoE, I appreciate it. After some extensive weekend noodling, I think I am honing in on a tone that I like with the help of the OCD. The naked Tele tone came across as a little too thin and jangly to my ears. The OD pedal thickened it, warmed it, and lopped off some of the excessive highs I was hearing.

 

I am having difficulty dialing in the delay pedal to something I like, though. I will try you setting suggestions and let you know. Need to keep noodling. Quick clarification: You mention Feedback and Delay knobs at 7 o'clock. I assume Feedback = Regen? (that is what it says on pedal). Then what knob is Level on the Carbon Copy? I am not sure...

 

I understand what you are getting at with the clean / OD combo. With the OCD, it is surprisingly good with finger dynamics: The more aggressively you play; the more distortion (and vise versa). This is pretty neat! Works especially well when volume on guitar is turned down. I will try your method of amp distortion, as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

As for tone.... Hmmmm. That is a tough question because I have a few in mind. But for starters, let's say I want to go for that "alt.country" tone (I hate the term, but it speaks volumes). Think UT, Son Volt, even Drive By Truckers. Light distortion and bridge pickup seems to get me in the ballpark. I don't want too much distortion and fall into metal tones. Let me know what you think about that kind of tone and settings.

 

My amp is a tweed Fender Blues Jr. These knobs give me the most headache. I got a good handle on the Master vs Volume and the Reverb, but the bass, treble and mids are tough for me to dial in. Any suggestions? I would appreciate it!

 

Thanks!

[ginandcigarettes]

The Blues Jr. is a fine amp, in my opinion. I have a Pro Jr (not the same but similar) that I think is great and the Blues Jrs that I've tried sound pretty great. A pedal like the OCD would go great in front of one. I'd set everything on the amp to 12 o'clock (halfway) and tweak from there. if your tele is too jangly, turn down down the treble a little bit -- it might help it. Also, be sure to experiment with the tone knob on your tele. Most players (I assume) set it all the way up but I think you can take away a little of the brittle-ness by roll down the tone juuuuust a touch. The Blues Jrs have a Middle tone knob right? You're on your own with that, but more mids = fatter, bluesier sound (generally) and less mids = thinner, more clucky sound (generally). I like clucky so I scoop out mids when I can (I can't as my amp doesn't have a middle knob).

 

Just guessing here, but the level on the delay is probably the level of the repeats or the balance between the dry (un-delayed) sound and the delayed sound. If 12:00 isn't unity (the repeats are the same level as the dry), then all the way up is probably unity.

 

You didn't mention what type of tele you have. It's hard to go wrong with any of the tele models out today. Even Squier teles can be pretty good. I find with Japanese fenders the electrics are always lacking -- thin, not a lot of character -- so I have to swap out the pickups and replace the switch and pots while I'm at it.

 

There's a lot of voodoo about guitars (teles especially) and you should believe about 30% of it, but I can't tell you which 30%. I will say that in my completely uneducated opinion, pickups and strings (and amp) matter more than virtually anything else to how the tele sounds. If you haven't changed the strings yet (and if you're not playing one of the reissue models) then you're probably playing 9s, with which you can get a really nice James Burton sound (he actually use(d) an assortment of banjo strings to get a functionally MUCH lighter set*). If that's not to your liking you can go up a gauge or two. It would probably be pretty easy for you to try that out seeing as how you normally play acoustic. You might get a sound more to your liking if you tried putting on a set of 10s (you may not, but the point is it's a cheap and, for you, painless way of experimenting).

 

Anyhoo, I wouldn't do this anytime soon, but swapping out pickups is fun if you have disposable cash and can be trusted with molten lead (or are okay with burning yourself every now and again or have good health insurance). There's a wealth of information out there about pickups and you can have just as much fun with that as with getting pedals.

 

Speaking of which, you have some good gear for getting the sound you want. If I'm making this up correctly, the OCD really works with the amp to make its magic, so you might play with setting your amp to greater-than-bedroom volume levels (as GoE suggests) to fully hear what the OCD is capable of. Your neighbors will not like you. You will like the OCD. It's a fair trade.

 

Anyhoo, congrats on your new toys and welcome to a whole new (and probably paycheck-eating) world!

 

 

* 9 10 12 24 32 36

[anthony]

The Blues Jr. is a fine amp, in my opinion. I have a Pro Jr (not the same but similar) that I think is great and the Blues Jrs that I've tried sound pretty great. A pedal like the OCD would go great in front of one. I'd set everything on the amp to 12 o'clock (halfway) and tweak from there. if your tele is too jangly, turn down down the treble a little bit -- it might help it. Also, be sure to experiment with the tone knob on your tele. Most players (I assume) set it all the way up but I think you can take away a little of the brittle-ness by roll down the tone juuuuust a touch. The Blues Jrs have a Middle tone knob right? You're on your own with that, but more mids = fatter, bluesier sound (generally) and less mids = thinner, more clucky sound (generally). I like clucky so I scoop out mids when I can (I can't as my amp doesn't have a middle knob).

 

Thanks for the tips on the settings, G&C. This is exactly what I have done: rolled off the tone knob on guitar and scooped the mids down to about 5 o'clock and the Bass and Treble are at 10 o'clock. This seems to give a tone that is not too bright and jangly.

 

 

Just guessing here, but the level on the delay is probably the level of the repeats or the balance between the dry (un-delayed) sound and the delayed sound. If 12:00 isn't unity (the repeats are the same level as the dry), then all the way up is probably unity.

The Mix is the 'wetness' or 'dryness' of signal. I brought this down a little 11 o'clock. Seems right, but I am still have not found my favorite mix on this one yet.

 

 

 

You didn't mention what type of tele you have. It's hard to go wrong with any of the tele models out today. Even Squier teles can be pretty good. I find with Japanese fenders the electrics are always lacking -- thin, not a lot of character -- so I have to swap out the pickups and replace the switch and pots while I'm at it.

 

It is a Muddy Waters Telecaster. There is a picture in this thread above. It is really comfortable to play (compared to heavy Les Pauls, etc.). I have no complaints here. The tuners are a bit tough to string, but minor grievance.

 

 

There's a lot of voodoo about guitars (teles especially) and you should believe about 30% of it, but I can't tell you which 30%. I will say that in my completely uneducated opinion, pickups and strings (and amp) matter more than virtually anything else to how the tele sounds. If you haven't changed the strings yet (and if you're not playing one of the reissue models) then you're probably playing 9s, with which you can get a really nice James Burton sound (he actually use(d) an assortment of banjo strings to get a functionally MUCH lighter set*). If that's not to your liking you can go up a gauge or two. It would probably be pretty easy for you to try that out seeing as how you normally play acoustic. You might get a sound more to your liking if you tried putting on a set of 10s (you may not, but the point is it's a cheap and, for you, painless way of experimenting).

 

The first thing I did was swap strings. I am used to playing Mediums (13s) on my acoustic. LOVE heavy strings and I HATE small gauge. I put on the heaviest electrics I could get (11s) and they still feel a little light for me, but I will get used to it, I am sure.

 

 

Anyhoo, I wouldn't do this anytime soon, but swapping out pickups is fun if you have disposable cash and can be trusted with molten lead (or are okay with burning yourself every now and again or have good health insurance). There's a wealth of information out there about pickups and you can have just as much fun with that as with getting pedals.

 

I think the pups are fine (for now). Like I mentioned above, I feel like I am honing in on the tone, I just need to get more comfortable with the instrument. You really have to have a different mind-set with an electric than with acoustic. I cannot let strings just drone away; really have to pay attention to muting, etc. This is my short-coming; not the hardware.

 

 

 

Speaking of which, you have some good gear for getting the sound you want. If I'm making this up correctly, the OCD really works with the amp to make its magic, so you might play with setting your amp to greater-than-bedroom volume levels (as GoE suggests) to fully hear what the OCD is capable of. Your neighbors will not like you. You will like the OCD. It's a fair trade.

 

I am loving the OCD. Like I said above, it really responds well and is pointing me towards the direction I want to go. I kinda feel it was the one link in the chain that I was missing (other than talent, of course. Can't get that at the music store). Right now, I love the OCD volume down and guitar volume up. Great sweet spot.

 

 

Anyhoo, congrats on your new toys and welcome to a whole new (and probably paycheck-eating) world!

 

Thanks, buddy. Just what I need: more GAS (and electrics have TONS of stuff to play around with, no?).

[Ghost of Electricity]

sorry, Regen: 7 Mix 11 Delay 7 is what I meant. I actually have a CC and was too lazy to go look at it while typing the last post, and my memory is nothing if not fallible.

 

The master volume on the amp is a valuable tool for not making enemies with your neighbours. That said, most amps do sound better loud, and it's not about the volume.

 

As fa as the OCD is concerned, it sounds like you're going for some low gain settings, which should work well with the amp just before breakup. Part or the OD sound you're hearing comes from the boosted signal pushing your amp into OD. Your amps OD will have a different character than your pedals OD, and using the knobbies you can mix match and stack for different combinations.

 

G&Cs amp setting suggestion is a good one and the one I generally use when playing on a new amp at the rehearsal rooom or wherever and don't want to spend a lot of time dialing it in.

 

An alternative approach would be to start with all tone knobs at zero and increase one by small increments until you hear the sweet spot, then move on to the next one and do the same.

 

If you like the Gary Louris alt-country tones, you should get a good fuzz face.

 

Also, don't get caught up in the world of twisting knobs- don't forget to play your guitar!

[ginandcigarettes]

It is a Muddy Waters Telecaster. There is a picture in this thread above. It is really comfortable to play (compared to heavy Les Pauls, etc.). I have no complaints here. The tuners are a bit tough to string, but minor grievance.

 

That's good guitar. A fat neck and big frets if I remember correctly? It's funny you're not taking to the safe-t-post tuners as they are by far my favorites. When you're stringing up, after you feed the string through the bridge, pull it tight(ish) and cut it two to two-and-a-half posts further than the post you're going to feed it into. For example, if you're putting in the low E string, cut the string between the D and G posts. For the A string, cut between the G and B posts. Just estimate for the B and high E. Jam the string down the hole, and you are good to go. No muss, no fuss. Re-stringing heaven!

 

 

The first thing I did was swap strings. I am used to playing Mediums (13s) on my acoustic. LOVE heavy strings and I HATE small gauge. I put on the heaviest electrics I could get (11s) and they still feel a little light for me, but I will get used to it, I am sure.

 

Good job. I cannot play heavy strings because I have weak little girl hands (I set up my guitar with relatively low action and a flat neck so that people who play my guitar think I'm playing 8s (I play 10s on Teles and 11s on my Casino)). I think that the Wilco-ites play 12s or so? Though Jeff plays an SG which has a shorter scale than a Tele so it would feel closer to a Tele with 11s. Nels plays a Jazzmaster (which has a longer scale like a Tele) with 12s I believe. Though I think he uses Tele with 10s for the more country-ish bendy stuff. Jay Bennett said that he used 11s, but I'm not sure if he was referring to his long scale or his short scale guitars or both.

 

 

This is my short-coming; not the hardware.

 

Hmmm... you sound a little too humble to be an ELECTRIC guitarist. There is a time-honored tradition of blaming the gear among electric guitarists. Remember, with great gear comes great responsibility... to blame the gear so you can buy more gear.

[anthony]

Thanks, guys for your feedback; much appreciated. Informative and entertaining. If you are ever in SoCal, hit me up and I'll buy you a beer.

[bilbrekm]

_{I'm thinking about buying an Epiphone EJ160E (John Lennon acoustic/electric). Reviews look good on the net, but I'd like to get opinions from the folks on here. Anyone care to share stories/reviews/tips, etc? Guitar Center has it fro $600, but I've seen them for $500. I play an Ovation Celebrity and a Washburn Festival series now.}

 

_{http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Acoustic-Elec/John-Lennon-EJ-160E.aspx}

 

Thanks in advance!

[PopTodd]

Anything is better than an Ovation.

Go for it!

[anthony]

I'm thinking about buying an Epiphone EJ160E (John Lennon acoustic/electric). Reviews look good on the net, but I'd like to get opinions from the folks on here. Anyone care to share stories/reviews/tips, etc? Guitar Center has it fro $600, but I've seen them for $500. I play an Ovation Celebrity and a Washburn Festival series now.

 

_{http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Acoustic-Elec/John-Lennon-EJ-160E.aspx}

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Personally, I would avoid Epi unless it was the Masterbuilt series. Especially the signature models. I think you are paying for name only. My advice is to save up for something with solid wood back/sides.

 

It is true, though. Anything sounds better than an Ovation.

[linclink]

_{I'm thinking about buying an Epiphone EJ160E (John Lennon acoustic/electric). Reviews look good on the net, but I'd like to get opinions from the folks on here. Anyone care to share stories/reviews/tips, etc? Guitar Center has it fro $600, but I've seen them for $500. I play an Ovation Celebrity and a Washburn Festival series now.}

 

_{http://www.epiphone.com/Products/Acoustic-Elec/John-Lennon-EJ-160E.aspx}

 

Thanks in advance!

I recently played a real Gibson J160E & it sounded pretty good plugged in, but pretty bad when it wasn't...I'm much more of a Martin guy rather than a Gibson guy acoustic wise...like I'm more of a Fender guy than a Gibson guy electric wise...but it's a closer match electric wise...

[PopTodd]

Local guitar shop just got some of these in. I may have to reconsider that '69 Tele Thinline reissue that I've been saving up for. These are just too pretty.

[Atticus]

I like the position of that selector switch.

[anthony]

YMMV of course, but that is not my favorite looking Tele.

[jff]

I don't like goold hardware. I'd like to see that in some different colors with normal hardware.

[opsopcopolis]

[chisoxjtrain]

[lost highway]

 

[PopTodd]

My current collection. Just because a group photo like this looks cool.

[julien_etc]

Hey. Just want to share This with you.
 

[Atticus]

 

so I'm finally building a pedal board.

 

probably going with pedaltrain grande, but I'm looking for other suggestions.  

[Ghost of Electricity]

i use piece of plywood with a couple of drawer handles attached all fit into a little second-hand suitcase i picked up at a flea market. it was less expensive and does the ob fine.  it's just a little messy as i can't hide all the power cables anywhere.

[Moss]

 

so I'm finally building a pedal board.

 

probably going with pedaltrain grande, but I'm looking for other suggestions.  

 

I got my eye on one of these.  Pretty nice:

 

http://trailertrashpedalboards.com/

[DewieCox]

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Top: Dr. Z Maz 18 NR into AlNiCo Blue loaded Avatar cubes - 08 Standard Strat, 07 Les Paul Custom, 95 Les Paul Standard, all stock besides the top hat knobs instead of speed knobs on the LP's

 

Bottom: Pedaltrain Pro with TU2>Clyde Deluxe>MJM 60s Vibe>MJM Britbender>self built Gilmour-based fuzz face clone>Catalinbread Ottava Magus>OCD>Klon clones>Catalinbread RAH(Page Hiwatt in a box)>Ibanez FL9>Analogman ARDX20>Boss DD20>Earthquaker Devices Ghost Echo(reverb) - power by 2 Voodoo Labs PP2

[Moss]

I suddenly find myself playing acoustic guitar quite a bit live which is a new experience for me.  I have never really studied up on how to get a good tone.  I have a Taylor 414CE that I am plugging into a Fender acoustisonic amp.  I am thinking about maybe adding some sort of EQ or preamp type pedal.  Anybody have experience with any of these?:

 

L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic DI

Radial tonebone PZ-Deluxe

Fishman Aura Spectrum DI

 

Or am I going down the wrong road?