Hot Rod Deluxe, or Hot Rod Deville for Tele?

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

I have a Hot Rod Deville 2x12 that I use for my Tele, but I'm still not getting the Tele tone that I like. I want that snap, on the strings that I hear many Tele players get. I use a flat pick and my middle finger, and I really don't think my playing technique is that far off. Would a Hot Rod Deluxe be better than a Deville to get that type of sound?
Can I unplug one of my speakers on my Deville, will that hurt my amp?

Terry

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Not a bad amp. I just worked on one this week. I replaced the Groove tubes (5881 Russian airplane tubes) with TAD power tubes and biased at around 35ma. I also replace the preamp tubes with JJ/Telsa ECC83. A small mod to the tone circuit also helped a lot. Now my customer loves the amp! He hated the sound before.

Also a good compressor might help out a bit for the tone you are after.

A link to the tone mod:

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum11/HTML/009817.html

Roman Sonnleitner · From: Vienna, Austria

I don't think the amp is the problem - the HR Deluxe and HR Deville don't sound that different.
A little compression might help!
Did you ever get that "snap" sound on any other amp? Most of it is playing technique, I've seen players using amps as diverse as AC30s, Twins, DRRIs, and even Marshall JTM45 amps get that tone...

You also might want to look into www.tdpri.com - THE Telecaster forum, lots of country players there, I'm sure they could help you better!

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

Well thanks guys for your advice. Yes I have a compressor, but it's a Dod, I'm sure a Keely or another brand would do a better job. The Keely is just a little over my head as far as price.
Might try a different compressor when I can afford one.

Terry
_________________
1997 emmons legrande lll 8&5/ Nashville 112 with Fox chip mod LTD 400 / American Tele / John Jorgerson Takamine/ W/S Rob Ickes model dobro/
"May God Bless America Again"

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Terry buddy, it aint the amp..it's more probable your right hand execution. A Flat Pick has a very dedicated tone and attack on the strings, I know this because I haven't used one in over 30 years now !

An effect like a compressor should be used to add color to an already acceptable tone. It will not create acceptable tone. Sad

Tele's can be strange beasts when it comes to individual tones and styles, we listen to players and want to get THAT sound..but the problem is we are not certain how they are doing it so we are pretty much chasing a moving target.

years back as you know , I put all the picks away for the Telecaster and worked on right hand picking technique basically using my thumb and two fingers. It took a while ( maybe a decade ?) to get the feel and attack right and a bit more to find the TELE that actually did FEEL right. They all do not play or sound the same.

For me, the strings must be fresh,( less than 2 weeks old) my nails must be cut shortI (I play off my fingertips) and the Tele has to be the right one. Bright but not too bright, 7.5 radius Maple cap and original vintage single coils. Whatever all that means. By the way my strings are 9's...

I believe most Tele pickers are playing with the thumb and two fingers, in that manner you can get very staccato with the fingers, you can play chord arpeggio's and pull of the double/triple stops with your first and second fingers. I suspect this is much of what you like to hear from tele pickers, I know I do. All of this string execution contributes to the overall final snappy tone.

Now, I didn't mention the left hand, so right after you kinda get the right hand doing it's thing the left hand has to do it's part, the little bends, the slides, the hammer off's, the hammer on's..all that stuff.

I had a brand new HR Deluxe, I loved it, then I sold it..got a very pristine HR Deville which I still have.(2x12)

No Compressor.

I am thinking of going to a 4x10 HR Deville..not sure why, probaby because I can...

I think the answer is more time, I think you have the right mind,Guitar and amp...

put that flat pick down...if anything go to a thumb pick...

Come to NC, I'll teach you all I know, it shouldn't take more than 5 or 10 minutes !

tp

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Like Tony I use a thumb-pick and 3 fingers for picking my Tele. Can't grow nails so I play off the flesh as well. I can get the sound you describe easily with all my Teles and most any good amp. Teh compressor is a fun effect, but not need all the time! I use a bit of digital delay (Ibanez DDL-10) and digital reverb (Boss RV-5). When I play two amps I use my Boss Stereo chorus on occasion as well.

Scott Appleton · From: Ashland, Oregon

It helps to have a tele with a all Maple neck the
rosewood fingerboard ones are a bit mellow'er .. other than that any good guitar amp will do the trick. I especially like the vox Ad30vt 30 watt valve reactor power section with a 10" speaker .. I use two of them with sterio effects .. great twang .. I also have a 100 watt all tube twin type amp made by acoustic in the 70's to compete with the boogie Mark 4 It has one Ev 12" speaker.. It twangs good too .. but not as good as the Vox .. Also you may decide to keep the strings low .. that gives you a string rattle when you grab and release the strings
with a bit of aggression .. snarly twang .. I call it. Palm dampening is also a good way to get that shortened note or plucked sound similar to what fiddle players often do. Its mostly in the hands but other factors do play an important part.

Stephen Gambrell · From: Over there

Like Ken and Tony (both good players), I paly with my fingers and thumb. I keep the nails long on my right hand, though. All my Teles have maple fretboards, which sound a little brighter, but ya gotta snap them strings to make it twang!

Bob Crafton · From: Donora, Pennsylvania, USA

I've heard some people get a great tele sound with the Deville. I didn't like the sound of the overdrive channel in either the HR deluxe or the Deville. For my own preferences, I really like the sound of Celestion speakers for modern country guitar. To my ears, they just seem to bring out that brassy "rip-snortin' twang" from the lower strings. If you have a chance to try the deville through some celestions, it just might be the sound you're looking for. YMMV. Also,careful selection of tubes and proper biasing by a good guitar amp tech can go a long way in fine tuning an amp to your particular sound.

Bob Crafton

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

Well Tony, You have the tone I like, no doubt about that, but as far as learnin to play with my bare thumb and two fingers, I think I'm to far in the game to ever accomplish that. I do think I could learn to play with a thumb pick and middle finger though, and have a few times at church. The hangup with the thumbpick is learning how to strum all my strings when it comes time to play rhythm. I can't seem to keep the thing from flying across the room. Smile

Oh, my Tele does have a maple neck and fretboard, and it's american made to. Smile

Terry
_________________
1997 emmons legrande lll 8&5/ Nashville 112 with Fox chip mod LTD 400 / American Tele / John Jorgerson Takamine/ W/S Rob Ickes model dobro/
"May God Bless America Again"

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Terry I hear ya, learning to strum with the side of my thumb was also part of the decade of learning Sad

Put on that thumb pick, play 5 or 10 minutes a day strumming, by the end of the month you may be quite suprised. Practice the technique over and over and over and over..It will happen.

And also, even though you are commited to the middle finger,( not in a bad way ) that first finger will automatically find it's way into the mix, just give it some time, 5 or 10 minutes a day on technique only. everyday for 30 days...

Another reason I put the picks down was because I was dropping them anyway ! Now if I play bad or hit bad notes I can't blame it on dropping my pick ! Sad

I don't have a bowling towel so I may have to invent a Telecaster towel.. Smile

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Heres a fine thumb-picker showing some rhythm technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpuYnbJRpJw

Check out some of the other videos there by Scotty. He is one of the greatest guitarist I have ever heard!

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