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If its too snug then you will have difficulty getting it off after playing (because your finger will expand when it warms up). Please consider making an article about the Kingfish Ingram sound. Perhaps most importantly, Trucks possesses an insightful and unique approach to lead guitar. Again, this allows your slide to run up and down the strings without rattling against the frets. In 2010 he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife (since Dec. 5, 2001), blues singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi. Duane Allmans tone came from his guitar, his amp and his playing style. Firstly, you need to learn how to play finger style. Most Successful Signature Guitar Of All Time. Derek Trucks has a beautiful guitar tone that is perfect for the blues. He also decided to keep theGibson Maestro Vibrola plate on. Even if you dont play slide guitar though, there is a lot of information you can take away here that is still relevant. From low to high, this tuning is as follows: E-B-E-G#-B-E. In addition, Trucks tightens his tailpiece down to the body on his SG, which he believes adds a feeling of stiffness to his strings that is conducive to slide playing. In my opinion, Trucks is the ultimate bluesman. He is an actor and producer, known for The Rite (2011), The Irishman (2019) and Hillbilly Elegy (2020). Metal, brass and porcelain/bone slides all sound different to glass. And they definitely get 'juicier' with the treble knob bumped up to 6 and the bass down at 2. "I'm Derek Trucks' amp tech. Feature Image of Derek Trucks Carl Lender (Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0 Generic Attribution License)Images of Guitar Gear Music Radar, Rogue Guitar Shop, Unsplash, Sweet Water, Thomann, Youtube, Gibson, Andertons, Youtube,Music Radar, Youtube,Ground Guitar, Youtube, Equipboard, Youtube. He is the son of Chris Trucks (father) and Debbie Trucks (mother). The Hendrix Voodoo Child strings are not pure nickel. That includes those featured on Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, the album that is generally considered to be Eric Claptons greatest musical achievement. The tone that you hear on albums likeAt Fillmore Eastand in Allmans playing on Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Mine has 25 watt alnico speakers and a JAN GE 5751 in V6/phase inverter slot, so that aids the OD. Out of all of the elements of his rig, Derek Trucks seems to place the most emphasis on his amplifiers. He was working on my Super Reverbs for years and he's kind of a vintage Marshall specialist. Great vintage tones also ideal for slide guitar! . However the good news is that compared with Gibson Les Pauls and ES-335s, SGs are a lot cheaper. I believe Duane picked up the slide in 1968. Duane was furious and woukd not speak to Gregg. The game looked bleak for the Jaguars as they were down . Get a Randall 4x12". Either of these pickup sets will make a brilliant addition to your rig and help you to sound like Duane Allman. As a peace offering/birthday presents he gave the album and Coricidin bottle. It is a big sound that is warm and mellow, yet very precise. So a set like the Stormy Monday Humbuckersor Seymour Duncan SH1 59 Humbuckerscould be a great choice. So if you really want to sound like Duane Allman, it is worth paying close attention to this part of your setup. Hard to believe Duane has been gone for over fifty years I have heard Duane used light, flat wound nickel 505 Fenders for slide. In terms of their voicing, Marshall and Fender amps are basically on different sides of the tonal spectrum. If you are a slide guitarist and you are looking for a killer slide tone, I would start by looking at Duane Allmans set up, which Icovered in much more detail here. As he stated when talking about his set up: You are always trying to find that connection between your hands, what you are hearing, and the amp, and for me, any time I plug into anything I hear it. He also removed the pickguard. Derek Trucks Signature SG is fitted with Gibson 57 Classic Humbuckers. Derek Trucks, the Amadeus of slide guitar, talks about connecting, Layla, love myths and letting go. In addition, early blues and rock players would regularly switch the position of their bridge and neck pickups. Derek Trucks: "There's a Lot of Music Out There" Episode 11 3rd August 2022 Wong Notes Premier Guitar 00:00:00 01:09:21 This has now become his main guitar, which he has used ever since. Contains spam, fake content or potential malware. I know a lot of his tone comes from the type of amp he uses but I was curious if anyone knew how I could get a similar tone from my gear. The second guitar with which Allman is associated, is the Gibson SG. So here I am going to focus on the quintessential Skydog sound. Secondly, dont forget that you can make profound changes to your tone using nothing more than the controls on your guitar. You need to ensure the slide fits properly and that it gives your chosen finger a bit of breathing room. I read somewhere that he was done with the Pyle speakers, he blew them up and supply is done. Even through a tuner. Thanks very much for taking the time to comment John, I really appreciate it. Beyond that, the key factor is comfort. The one guitar pedal that Trucks does have in his rig is the Dunlop Echoplex EP103 Delay pedal. Was watching a Rig Rundown with Jimmy Herring and he spoke about how he sets his Fender Super Reverb; a trick he learned from Derek Trucks who also does the same thing..crank the volume to 8, treble to 7-8, mids about 3-4 and bass around 2-3.heavy use of the guitar's tone knob (rolled off a lot) and volume knob to get gradients of dirt. What's your favorite 335 style guitar for under $1000 used? As for John Lee Hooker and his legacy, I think there are a number of slightly different and quite complex factors at play. Excellent site !!! However based on photos of Duane playing at Fillmore East he was using a Fender Bassman Amp..Pete Townshend also used a Fender Bassman Amp back in the day.check it out.. You will struggle to find one for less than $100/100. Most Successful Signature Guitar Of All Time. Always good when cranking these to turn down bass to 2-3 or lower. This allows them to apply greater force with their slide, without it hitting against the frets of their guitar as they move up and down the neck. I think this works well and is common for a cranked Fender, but I don't like it as much using pedals into a clean platform. Trucks' fingerpicking slide style naturally attenuates some of his amp's gnarly treble, but he'll constantly work his volume and tone pots in search of the sweet spots. Thank you also for putting that on my radar you are absolutely right! After Epiphone and Vintage, I would recommend one of the cheaper Gibson Tribute or Studio models. Personally I use Silica Sound Slides, and I would recommend them to anyone. The first of these was a 62 SG Reissue which he used for the majority of the 90s. This allows them to apply pressure to their strings and move their slide up and down without it rattling against the frets. This tuning was first used by early Delta bluesmen, and is still one of the most popular tunings amongst slide guitarists. If you are most interested in trying to recreate Allmans fiery slide guitar sound, I would recommend opting for an SG. Overview ; Biography If in doubt though, I would err on the side of caution and opt for heavier strings especially if you are only using your guitar for slide. For most of his career though, Trucks has favoured a Fender Super Reverb. Clean is guitar vol at 7, roll it up to 10 for OD/leads. If you want to sound like Duane Allman then, I would recommend either opting for a Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson SG, or a replica of either guitar. And here there are some brilliant options across a whole range of budgets. It does however help with playability when he isnt using his slide. Seems like a reasonable volume you're getting with the Boogie. Derek Trucks: They were great! + Eric's rubber band tone enhancer. Adjust your set up until you find the sweet spot where you can play slide, without making it too challenging to play your guitar when you take the slide off. Ahh that is a great idea! I believe that I was not yet aware of them when I originally wrote this article, but a few readers have since put me onto them. Thankfully, there are some much cheaper alternatives. If its too snug then you will have difficulty getting it off after playing (because your finger will expand when it warms up). I have applied the tips of your guide for a great blues tone. Would anyone like to chime in? This made it necessary for him to use different guitars, and to set those guitars up in totally different ways. Derek Trucks utilized his signature Gibson SG guitar in accompanying his wife, Susan Tedeschi, who provided powerhouse vocals on the Anthem. I never recommend pieces of gear that I wouldnt use myself, and I include these affiliate links to ensure that I cankeep this content free. Dickey Betts Allmans fellow guitarist in the Allman Brothers Band gave Allman his SG, because he was tired of waiting for Allman to retune his Les Paul between songs every time he played slide. The SG has long been a popular choice amongst slide players because of the way you can easily access the upper frets. They typically cite one of the Three Kings or bluesmen like Robert Johnson as being what got them hooked on the blues. Use that with your Deluxe for classic Allmans tones. Derek on PRS Amps Guitars And here there is a bit of a jump in price. The main difference between these guitarists and Trucks, is that Trucks predominantly plays with a clean sound. Derek talked to Music Radar to give five tips for . Generally speaking, playing with your fingers produces a warmer and softer tone. the tweed amps and the Marshall cloned from them do not exhibit this because their tone stacks are either totally different or placed in a different positionfarther down in the chain. Is it just my impression or am I missing something here? It's all about feel. As of 2019, his age is 40 years old with his birth sign Gemini. The Marshall JMP 1987T 50 Watt head and the 1986 50 watt bass head being the amps with which he is best associated. Duane showed Don Felder, Joe Walsh and others how to play slide. Sounds interesting, I'm keen to give it a try. Generally speaking I think that playing with a heavier pick is a good idea, but comfort sh0uld be the primary concern. According to his birthplace, He is American by birth. Mar 11, 2016. Was watching a Rig Rundown with Jimmy Herring and he spoke about how he sets his Fender Super Reverb; a trick he learned from Derek Trucks who also does the same thing.crank the volume to 8, treble to 7-8, mids about 3-4 and bass around 2-3heavy use of the guitar's tone knob (rolled off a lot) and volume knob to get gradients of dirt. I still don't understand where people play with a deluxe reverb on 8. That will give you the background and wider context to some of the points that I refer to here. During the early years of the Allman Brothers Band, Allman played a 1957 Goldtop. But when the Tedeschi Trucks Band conceived that recently-completed schedule for their ambitious I Am The Moon project, it was precisely with the intention of giving their audience breathing space. Derek Trucks was born on 8th June 1979, in Jacksonville, Florida, the United States. The first of those albums, "I Am The Moon - 1. It is the same weight and is closed at the top. Derek's string choice and set up is very interesting for a side player hitting it hard. You should also pay attention to the weight. $1,249.99 Brand New Free Shipping Add to Cart Fender Super RARE Yale Reverb Amp Made in USA Rivera Era 1980s Black/Silver $599 Used - Very Good Add to Cart Amps Boutique Amps Allen Amplification Guitar Shoppe. If you have a guitar for regular playing and a separate guitar for slide, then you can make quite drastic adjustments to your slide guitar. If you are playing slide guitar however, I would recommend opting for heavier gauge strings than those that Allman used. They will each be released about a month apart this summer. The first of these was the softer, more vintage tone of his early career. He used almost no pedals at all to craft his tone. Dividing his time between the Allman Brothers, his own Derek Trucks Band, and guest appearances with such like-minded artists as Gov't Mule and Widespread Panic, Trucks has become a major player not only on the jam band scene but also in early 21st century rock music. Any of these guitars will help you to sound like Derek Trucks. If you want a softer and brighter American style tone, I would recommend looking at Fender amps. Towards the end of his career however, Allman switched to using Marshall amps. DR Strings have been pretty consistent for me. he does get great amp tone. Glass has a warmer and thicker tone, and that is what you need if you want to sound like Duane Allman. In his session work and during the early days of the Allman Brothers Band, Allman played Fender amps. Derek Trucks almost exclusively plays slide guitar. The first was a copy of Taj Mahals debut album, featuring Mahals version of Statesboro Blues. Derek Trucks uses almost no guitar pedals at all. When you think of Derek Trucks, you think Fender tube amps. If you want to recreate a similar sound, then I would recommend looking at either the Hot Lanta Darkburst pickups by Wizz Pickups, or the Hot Duane by Ox4 Pickups. In the early days of pickup manufacturing, there was not a standardised process. Page 1 of 2 - Derek Trucks - posted in Guitar Q & A: Ive seen Derek Trucks both with The Allmans and The Derek Trucks band Numerous times as well as Warren Hayens solo and with Gov't Mule. Love stories of Duane. "I use DR Strings, like, an 11, 14, 17, 26, 36, 46, and always an unwound third, acoustic or electric. The pickups that you use have a profound impact on your tone. When I use pedals in clean platform, I'm going for a Phish-style jam-band tone, and I don't find the pedals respond the same way a tube amp does to these same changes in the guitar's volume and tone settings. Conversely, if you are looking for a more overdriven and heavier tone, it is worth looking at one of the smaller Marshall amps. Derek Trucks of Tedeschi Trucks Band on finding the right way to release music, being a big 'Deadwood' fan, more Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) found a way to create and deliver their 2022 epic 'I Am the Moon' in a way that best suited them. They have pure nickel strings for a decent price and many pedals to match tones of duane and dickie at fillmore. A lot of guitarists used the originalMaestro Echoplex Tape Delay in this way in the 1960s and 70s. But Im messing with the volume pot quite a bit, and thats where you are getting a lot of the swells and a lot of the dynamics. There are very few guitarists especially in the modern era that have such simplistic rigs. Original 1957 Goldtops currently sell for around $62,000/50,000. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Crescent," arrived on June 3. As a result he is rarely spoken about as a being a key influence on some of the players who really made the blues popular in the 1960s; musicians like Eric Clapton, Peter Green and the Rolling Stones. 2023: The Year Epiphone Became Unaffordable, Don't store picks in zip bags for too long. The full name of this American guitarist, songwriter, and founder of the Grammy Award-winning Derek Trucks Band is Derek Trucks. And strings made from pure nickel typically have a warmer, more vintage tone. He later exchanged this for a 1959 cherry sunburst Les Paul, but kept the pickups from his Goldtop. Firstly, you should consider how much power you need. This is an American voiced, Fender style amp that more closely resembles Trucks set up when he played with The Allman Brothers Band. Derek Trucks has a beautiful guitar tone that is perfect for the blues. Trucks treats 8 on both the volume control on his guitar and on his amp as his limit. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. His main amp is a 1965 model usually fitted with four Pyle Driver MW-1040 speakers made in 1980, although Trucks started experimenting with various speaker recently: Sometime we use two Webers up top and two Tone Tubbys on the bottom. In 2010, he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, blues singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi.His musical style encompasses several genres and he has twice appeared on Rolling Stone ' s list of 100 Greatest Guitarists . The Fender Showman head and the Fender Champ are probably the most significant of these. So it is worth checking that, before you switch your pickups out for a different set. What I've found is MOST people who play blackface amps cranked set it this way -, This is pretty close to how Jerry Garcia did it except I think he had bass all the way off. A high quality set of lower output, PAF style humbuckers will definitely help you to sound like Derek Trucks. His playing was innovative, technically brilliant and full of feeling. It is hard to do that with a big amp if you are doing most of your playing at a relatively low volume, in a home or studio environment. Super Reverb is 40watts, perfect for a club and a decent drummer. It really goes to show how much tone comes from the fingers. As I wrote about in more detail here, light gauge strings help with playability, rather than tone. It requires him to use a lighter and more delicate touch. But dont worry; regardless of whether or not you play slide, there is a lot of information you can take away here to help you recreate Allmans beautiful vintage tones. It is powerful and fiery with a beautiful crunch; yet it is also a very precise and clear guitar tone. The good news, is that there are a lot more choices out there. You must log in or register to reply here. They also have an extensive size and weight guide, that can help you figure out which slide is right for you. That is because he doesnt have to press down so hard on his strings. That will allow you to play slide, without making it too challenging to play your guitar when you take the slide off. And in fact if you pair the right amp with the right guitar, I would argue that you dont need any pedals at all. Plexi shield would help as a good attenuator one click down. Duane Skydog Allman has a killer blues guitar tone. Thank you so much Ken, I really appreciate it. If you want to sound like Derek Trucks, you need to get an SG. The massive band was cut down to a core four with the husband and wife tandem of lead guitarist Derek Trucks and divine vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi leading the charge alongside bassist. I've never tried cranking the treble and backing off the guitar's tone though. For 12 years, the Derek Trucks Band have been issuing records (live and studio) that are long on fire, improvisation, and inspiration. Finally, if you are looking to spend a bit more and make an investment, then either a Gibson Les Paul or a Custom Shop model would be your best choice. Whichever brand you go for though, just make sure you use a glass slide. ANJE. The SG has now become a popular choice amongstslide guitarists. I had luck with an Aracom or Kelley attenuator. Research, browse, save, and share from 22 F-250 models in Greenville, OH. Either that or you can very easily remove it yourself. So to get the best out of his rig, Trucks has to really focus on his playing style. It added a thickness and warmth to their sound and it was this that appealed to them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please confirm you want to block this member. If you really want to sound like Derek Trucks then, and you are happy to spend a bit more, the DT Humbuckers would be my top choice. Was watching a Rig Rundown with Jimmy Herring and he spoke about how he sets his Fender Super Reverb; a trick he learned from Derek Trucks who also does the same thing.crank the volume to 8, treble to 7-8, mids about 3-4 and bass around 2-3heavy use of the guitar's tone knob (rolled off a lot) and volume knob to get gradients of dirt. I heard Roy Buchanan about 40 years ago and I still remember he had a BF amp It was small like a Vibroluxe amp He had it turned around and there where two speakers,his tone was really bad very bright and not pleasing to the ear,he also seemed to be High or drunk the way he was playing didnt seem to care about what he was doing,too bad, on the same show Dickey Betts band with him playing a Marshall and Les Paul was killer tone,Also Lonnie Mack same show was great,with his Magnatone amp. As such, if you buy one of the pieces of gear I recommend, or an item from the same store after clicking one of these links, I will earn a small commission. If you really want to sound like Duane Allman and are happy to spend a bit more, you can buy one of these Dickey Betts, From One Brother To Another SGs second hand on sites like Reverb for around $4450/3600. If you dont want to go down the second hand route, but you still want a brilliant SG, then a Gibson Custom 61 SG Standardwould be my top choice. Volume as high as I could get away with and the bass low. The brilliant slide guitarist Sonny Landreth uses .013-.056s! When I had my DRRI and I wanted to crank it I thought it sounded pretty good with treble and bass at zero. As such , if you buy one of the pieces of gear I recommend, or an item from the same store after clicking one of these links, I will earn a small commission. Derek Trucks started playing slide at the rip old age of 10 years old purely because he hands were too small to reach round the guitar neck. He claimed that these gave the pedal a warmer tone. I have a LP with a really nice MSSC sprague vitamin q harness in it. From low to high, this tuning is as follows: E-B-E-G#-B-E. The Dickey Betts SG that he plays was originally fitted with a set of Gibson Custombuckers. Derek Trucks' main guitars are two Gibson Custom Shop Dickey Betts "From One Brother to Another" model SGs, which are based on the 1961-62 SG Betts gave to Duane Allman and both played in the original ABB.. Trucks also played a sunburst Les Paul, which is a '53 converted to a '59 electronically and borrowed from a New York collector. And it is really this which dictates his choice of amp. I actually discovered Duane Allman only a few days ago (told you Im a beginner), so great timing for me! It's loud but usable. I know it will be harder to achieve what I'm looking for since I'm not using the same gear, but any t. Thank you so much for the kind comment David, I really appreciate it. If you are a massive Derek Trucks fan and are happy to pay more, then you could also look at adding an Alessandro AZZ amp to your rig. This was popular with a lot of guitarists in the 1960s and 70s, including Jimmy Page and Gary Moore, amongst others. Over his career, there have been 3 main SGs that Trucks has used. If you want to play fast licks and solos then you dont want anything too heavy, as the slide will just slow you down. Having really good tone and volume controls helped. How high you set your action is up to you. Their slides arent the cheapest around, but they are brilliant quality. Thats how it feels. It knocks it down. Not only will this help you to sound like Derek Trucks, it will also make you an infinitely better guitar player. You can pick both of these up for less than $10. You dont want to chase more volume or overdrive at the expense of clarity. The next best option the replicas of Allmans Goldtop that the Gibson Custom Shop released in 2013, also make a very expensive choice. Just ahead of opening up on his top 5 guitar tips, Trucks happily runs us through the gear he used at The Fox. If there are any other players youd like me to cover or other topics youd find helpful, please do let me know you can reach me whenever on aidan@happybluesman! He didnt change the way players approached the instrument, nor did he introduce new techniques in the way that B.B., Albert and Freddie King did. So if you are already happy with your strings, I dont think you should feel obliged to use the same gauge. I send you a greeting from Mexico. So if you are looking for authenticity, I would recommend trying to buy a Les Paul without one. Derek Trucks has a beautiful guitar tone that is perfect for the blues. Given the simplicity of his rig, Trucks makes to a lot of changes to his tone using the controls on his guitar. They are amps that you need to crank if you want to get the best tones out of them. I am so glad to hear youve found the website and the guide helpful. They will also help with playability, especially if you are going to use them for slide. Take the elements of Allmans rig that resonate with you, and adapt them for your own use. Thank you very much for your dedication. But if you really want to replicate Allmans set up with authenticity, you can actually buy old vintage Coricidin bottles on sites like Reverb. A Super Reverb on 8 is loud in a bar, if that's the natural OD tone you're going for. Some of my top recommendations are: If you are looking for something with a bit more power and headroom, then either a Fender Twin Reverbor aFender Super Reverbwould be my top choice. There are however, two main guitars with which Allman is associated. The first, is that Trucks has to play with absolute clarity and precision. Saw a hole in the back. Over his short career, he played a huge variety of different guitars and amps. I think for DT it has to do with those speakers he uses (Pyle Drivers?). Watch the Derek Trucks Style: Open E online guitar lesson by Andy Aledort from Slide Guitar Power. "I just used this Alessandro amp," he says. And here there are two different routes to go down, depending on whether you want a hotter, or a softer and more vintage sounding pickup. And here there are some great options. In the lower price range, I would recommend going for either an Epiphone or a Vintage replica. It also gives you the option to snap and pull at the strings in a way that is impossible with a pick. If you want a heavy blues tone, get yourself a Les Paul and a Marshall and get going. Even the Alessandro AZZ amp that Trucks currently plays is very similar to a Fender Super Reverb; it is just larger and more powerful. Although Allman played his SG less frequently than his Les Paul, this was the guitar he set up for slide. Many of the of the guitarists I have covered so far in my Sound Like Series, have extensive rigs. If you are looking for something in the middle range, then one of the cheaper Gibson Tribute models would work well. You are using an out of date browser. Except for the truss cover, I don't see any differences between the various year models. In fact far from believing that pedals will improve his tone, Trucks feels that they are actually detrimental to his sound. They set up and they used all vintage equipment, all old tube compressors, two inch tape, and old Neve Consoles. IT is easy to understand this with an amp and a guitar. If you buy a modern Gibson guitar that replicates an early model, it is likely to come stock with vintage style pickups. I know that Warren uses his Lp through a Soldano amp with his various effects pedals and Derek plays his Sg but uses a Hotplate I know this allows you to crank your tube amp all the way up and controll the . "George Alessandro in New Jersey builds these great amplifiers. Glass has a warmer and thicker tone, and that is what you need if you want to sound like Derek Trucks. I tried this on my deluxe and the difference was negligible. He adapted and built upon the bottleneck style of bluesmen like Elmore James, blending the blues with country rock and roots music. Sign up here for the latest blues knowledge and information into your inbox. The drive knob dosent usually go past 4, set at about 3 that night. Additionally, it is worth setting your action higher on the guitar that you are using for slide. Beyond that, the key factor is comfort. After the entry level SG range, you get to the Gibson Tribute and Standard range. Some of my top recommendations are: Beyond one of these Fender amps, it could also be worth like at the PRS Sonzera 20W. much different that just plugging in a stock sg. And I must tell you that they have helped me a lot. There are all sorts of cool things a modded Deluxe Reverb will support. He uses this occasionally for specific delay sounds, but more frequently he uses it as a boost pedal. After the entry level SG range, there is a bit of a jump up in price, as you get to the standard Gibson range and the Gibson Custom Shop range. Typically, slide guitarists use very heavy gauge strings. Interestingly, until the last couple of years, the Fender Super Reverb was also Derek Trucks amp of choice. In his early years and during session work, Allman had a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, which he reportedly powered using old 9v batteries. The larger and more powerful the amp, the louder you can play without your tone overdriving. These pickups are only available in Custom Shop instruments and you cant buy them separately. And when you push the volume too much, you can sacrifice clarity, and risk ending up with a muddy sounding tone. Yeah I know Derek pulled the second AX7 which adds a minute amount of gain. Duane was playing in a standard E tuning when his friend John Hammond, Jr. showed open E, D and other tunings. Trucks was heavily influenced by Allman, and his slide is built to model Allman's Coricidin bottle. Otherwise you get a lot of unwanted noise and buzz from the slide. I hope that helps to shed some light on the situation! The stocks ones didn't come close to the variety of tones you get from high quality pots & caps. I do use a plexi shield in places where volume is an issueat least for the first set. Early Life His notes always ring out with perfect clarity and his tone is never muddy. Having said that, if you are looking to add some extra pedals to your board, the two to focus on are a fuzz and a preamp boost pedal. He plays his guitar straight into his amp, and uses almost no effects. This is definitely a great page though.