[Andy S]

This is directed more at Kirk but open to anyone.

Just listening to Kirks "Red Strat Blues" and I keep thinking about that TONE!!!

I've heard some discussions about how to achieve the sweet tones one dreams about.
My conclusion is that it is a combination of the guitar, the pickups, the amps, the speakers in the amp/cabinet, the way the guitar is played (pick vs fingers,etc), the volume at which it is played.

I still work to get a few specific tones and with playing through a simulator most of the time, have resigned myself to only coming close. But on occasion, I can play with just an effects pedal and my amp, going a bit louder than I usually do(I play in a church setting, so volume can be an issue).

So, Kirk, The tones you got on the Red strat were similar to the tones you got from your own strat. What amp ? Did you use your digitech box? How loud ? Direct to recorder? What kind of pickups in that red strat and your own strat?

If I can't play as good , I would like to at least have tones that are close!!

I'll confess right now, When I try to play some blues when we mess around on breaks at practice, I am always disappointed with the tones I get. I WANNA SOUND LIKE KIRK!!

(ok, so it doesn't have the same ring like the Nike "I wanna be like Mike" Jordan commercial...)

Kirk!? how do you get those sweet tones?

[Kirk Lorange]

Hi, Andy ...

I played that 'Red Strat Blues' through my Digitech ... it's on factory setting #3, I chose the "St" amp setting, overdrive on the lower end of the scale. It's basically the same sound I get no matter what guitar I play no matter what amp/pod I go through (unless I've decided on a really clean sound, which is rare). Through my amp, I either use the overdrive channel or go through my Boss Overdrive (the yellow box). I never choose 'distortion' ... the buzz saw sound ... I don't like it, but that overdrive is just enough to fatten it up a bit and get away from the usual thin sound of a Fender, which I don't like much either.

A lot has to do with the attack, I think. I really do tend to dig in with my picking fingers, sort of get underneath the string and twang it back up if I want to emphasize a note ... I'm not gentle about. You'll also see quite clearly in that movie how my picking hand is constantly muting out strings that I'm not actually using. This is something I developed when learning slide, but I find I do it all the time now. By doing that, you're only ever hearing the notes I choose to play without any coloring from other strings' overtones ringing out. I prefer not to hear those overtones myself, as I find they often cloud the melody line. And, playing with the fingers rather than a pick makes a huge difference to the tone.

My Strat has Seymour Duncan humbuckers, but they gone microphonic over the years; the red Strat's pickups say "noiseless" on them. I don't know what kind they are.

I don't set the volume too loud on the amp, but I'm always full volume on the guitar. When I record, I plug the Digitech into a little Behringer mixer, then it goes into my PC.

Other than that ... glad you like it, though!