2011 Gibson ES-335 1963 Block Reissue Historic Collection Custom Shop (Nashville Custom Shop)

Boss RC-2 Looper, clean first, Okko Diablo Gain+ Overdrive later, Amp: Fender Vibroverb (original 1963), Vahlbruch SpaceTime Delay, www.gregorhilden.de

Category:

Music

[SongWriterGaRRyC]

@rjworks13 ~ Remember, what you perceive as "too pronounced" a metre or so from your Amp, is not how it's heard 5, 15, 30 metres away in a live venue, with bodies of noisy people absorbing it. So you need that little bit of top end to getting it out-there & ‘cut thru’ your audience. I know what you mean though, there is a tone we all comfortable playing in confidence with, because we are the hard-listening hearer. Getting it at home is very different to projecting it to the masses...

[SongWriterGaRRyC]

@rjworks13 - Start with your amp & have your tone controls set on about 5. I'm pretty sure that's where ToneKing Gregor has his amp set to get his huge fat tone. On my Amp (DFRR) that is plenty warm. You could try heavier guage strings too. I use D'Addario Jazz lights .011 - .050 with a wound .022w G-string. Hope this helps. Have fun!

[teza75]

@bluesderek Hi, how do you found the Joyo ultimate drive? Waiting for my come in the mail. Saw viedos on utube I think sound quite good. The Joyo vintage is also good but for other style. These pedals are deadly cheap on Ebay and sound very good, so why spend hundreds on effects.

[bluesderek]

@SongWriterGaRRyC I use the same strings on my acoustic, too :-D Check your YT inbox, I sent you a longer message about equipment and stuff

[SongWriterGaRRyC]

@bluesderek ~ Agreed. Much of Gregor's tone is in his pick attack from his fingers & soul; his vintage amp & off course note-choice. There's a lot to like about him & that's why we're here!! :).

As far as bronze strings go, I don't even like them on my accoustic because they always sound too dull for mine. I prefer Elixer Nanoweb 80/20 bronze which look gold & stay bright-sounding for ages.

[bluesderek]

@rjworks13 The OKKO sounds somewhat similar to a Fulltone OCD, bright with a slightly slim midrange. Greg's sound IS surprisingly bright, when I play through a similar setup. Part of the warmth comes from Greg's vintage Fender amps, which unlike new amps and reissues do the trick to sound bright YET warm. I recently found a ridicously cheap pedal which comes close to the OKKO and OCD when the gain is set low: The JoYo Ultimate Drive

[bluesderek]

@rjworks13 Bronze Strings are meant for acoustics, rather than electrics (although some folks use them on an electric) and it is no wonder the E and B stick out opposed to wound E, A, D, and G strings. Greg uses nickel plated 11-49s, and I do, too. Order them online, if you cannot find them in your local store. Greg also uses an unusually heavy pick, a 2mm (!) Dunlop Delrin 500, and a lot of his sound is in his fingers and his attack.

[rjworks13]

@SongWriterGaRRyC - I took your advice, but the closest I could come to strings locally was D'Addario Bronze 11-52. The overall tone IS noticeably warmer, but the bottom E & B are still too pronounced. This is the first I've played 11s since I switched down to 9 gauge due to medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow - I do a lot of heavy bending). Your right about the heavier gauge tightening up the tone. Think I'll try stepping down to 10-47s and see how they do. Thanks!