That Quack?

[dyker124]

Hi All,

A short time ago I purchased a Line 6 Pod HD bean. I have found the unit excellent. For my sort of music I have it set to AC15 amplifier emulation. For the slow melodious numbers the sound is spot-on, but for the lively punchy numbers I feel it lacks the Strat 'quack' (bright and sparkly) especially on the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings.

This is using my 1979 US Strat and my 2011 Squier CV Strat. The guitars are fitted with new D'Addario 10-46's.

On the AC15 emulation, I have set the bass set to about 15%, middle 73%, treble 80%. I have tried connecting the output of the Pod to the input of an amplifier, and also directly to the recorder. The result is about the same.

Would I be right in thinking that 'quacky' sound that I hear on YouTube from other Strat players results from tone modifications from a post EQ or other device?

Kind regards
Roger

[Tab]

You need heavier strings.

12- 52s minimum, in my opinion, with a wound 24 and hit the strings as if you mean it!

Good luck

[dyker124]

Hi Tab,

Thanks for the reply. Hmmmm, maybe guitar technique then. I use 10's (they're stiff enough for me). Perhaps a lower action and hit em hard eh so they bounce off the fretboard!

I still have a feeling though, that it's also to do with tone and/or EQ settings.

Regards

[dave robinson]

I once believed that heavy strings were essential, but these days I manage to get the 'quack' using 10/46 no problem - I use hardly any bass, plenty of middle and set the treble so that it doesn't sound too sharp.

[ecca]

I get no quack this side of Christmas.
We ate the duck.

[dyker124]

Hi Dave,
I think the treble is the key. I assume from your reply that you can obtain a lot of treble from your set-up and you reduce it so that it doesn't sound 'ice picky'. I do not have that luxury. My middle setting is already 73% and my treble at 80% and is no where near being trebley. The whole set-up sounds 'mellow'.

Hi ecca,

[dave robinson]

Hi John, I use three different rigs these days and achieve similar satisfactory results with each. On stage I have the option of my Vox AC30TBX fitted with Roger Alcock's Vintage Unit or a replica Vox AC30/4 which nail the sound that we hear on the recordings made by The Shadows back then.

When I do my solo gigs with the aid of backing tracks, my guitar is fed through my self programmed Vox Tonelab SE and into the Bose L1 PA system. Again the guitar sound is perfect and blends with the tracks with great satisfaction.

At home in the living room I now use my computer, a Macbook Pro loaded with Logic/Mainstage software and have found how to set up the exact sound of the Vox amps and Meazzi echo machines that we hear on the records.

The point of telling you all of this is that in my collection I have eight Strats' ranging from my old 1963 model, a £600.00 Japanese Premium model, three top of the range USA models including a 'Deluxe' with Vintage Noiseless pickups, an Eric Johnson model and a 62 Reissue, along with two of the humble Mexican built Fender Classic Player Strats (50's & 60's) - as well as a 'bits & pieces' guitar which consists of a body made from MDF, an Alan Brason neck, some vintage Ironestone pickups (£26.75 off Ebay) and the cheapest trem unit I ever saw, but it stands up against the most expensive guitars I own.
The only thing I can put it down to is that all the guitars are correctly set up, which is where I believe the solution to be. There was a point a few months ago that a couple of these Strats' didn't sound right and I was ready to sell, but I did some tweaking with the action and pickup heights and the transformation was amazing, something that I hadn't considered before, but made the difference between hearing 'the sound' or not.
There will be guys out there that already understood this, but there are many that don't and I dare say have sold guitars because they didn't hear the desired sound or tone, when a few minor adjustments would have made THE difference.

[dave robinson]

Just been having a play on my EJ Strat and thought I should mention that when the guitar is set up correctly, one can hear a bit of the 'quack' as you call it, when the instrument is unplugged.

[51 Relic]

Hi have read with interest and i have to agree with Dave that a correctly set up guitar is paramount in getting the sound .I have used a Pod XT for a long time and these a the settings that i use

Set the Bass and Middle controls to 12 oclock (AC15 setting) ( neutral ) on the unit and use only the Treble control ( full) to dial in the sound on the Pod ,when in this model it uses only one control as on the AC15 (Treble cut ) it models

Also I tend to use the 2x12" Blue speaker setting not the single 12" I have used this setting for a few years with good results . Also if you are plugging into a amp make sure that you have the correct input selected on the pod ie 1x12 2x2 or 4x12 amp . You could also plug the Pod directly into the return socket on the amp .

The one thing that a lot people forget is plectrum attack one subject and technique that David Martin has demonstrated before and it works . You use the flesh on the side of your thumb and finger that is holding the pick to obtain a sort of harmonic and the quack that you mention ,straight picking will not get the result

Hope this has been a help

[dyker124]

Hi David,

Thank you for your very detailed reply. I am in awe of all your collection of equipment and guitars, and also your experience.

On the guitar set-up question, my 1979 US Strat was set-up by a very well appointed Luthier. The guitar had hardly every been played (I purchased it new in 1979) and was virtually as new. I had a feeling that the 'D' slot in the nut was a little too low, so I took it along to the Luthier for him to give the guitar a full check-out. The work carried out was extensive. A new 'bone' nut was fitted, frets levelled, a correction to the placement of the bridge, truss rod adjustment, etc, etc. When I had the guitar back it was a different animal. It played superbly. Since then, in 2011 I purchased a Fender Squier (Simon Neil) CV Stratocaster. After it arrived I changed the light 'alloy' tremolo block for a rolled steel one, fitted 10-46 strings (from 9-42's), and fitted an 'EasyMute' tremolo arm. Following this, I set-up the truss rod, the action, and the intonation. Apart from checking the individual fret height, I believe the guitar is as good a set-up as it can be. As far as I can tell the two guitars are set-up as near the same as makes no difference. The action on the 1979 Strat is set a little higher due to the neck radius being 7.25". The Squier neck radius being 9.5". I still think that the answer to my problem still lies in my equipment somewhere.

Thanks again
Roger