Tube question / guitar tone (the amp is part of the problem)

[Chankgeez]

I honestly don't think it's your tubes, Syl.

You can start messing around with swapping out tubes, but that's a Pandora's Box waiting to happen right there.

You can talk to a guitar tech about switching around the electronics. Changing pot values and/or tapers and/or adding a capacitor will all effect the sound of your guitar in different ways. If I were you, I'd also e-mail Lollar and ask them. I'm sure they'd have a few suggestions for you.

[univalve]

What chank said.

[sylnau]

I'll try Lollar again... but last time I tried didn't get the result I wanted.
The guitar sound great unplugged.

[Chankgeez]

If the guitar sounds great unplugged, you'll eventually be able to get it to sound the way you want when plugged in.

When I was learning how to play, someone warned me not to play unplugged because if I fell in love with the sound of the unamplified guitar, I'd never be happy with my sound when plugged in. I think that's bullshit though. You definitely should love your unamped sound. It'll just always be different than when you're plugged in. You just have to be able to reconcile the difference between the two.

[sylnau]

The more I work on it the more I hate the way Tele are build.

The guy at Lollar asked me some stuff about the pot and wiring.
So I remove all the screws for the pick guard, trying to be carefull without having to remove the strings.
And guess what, one of the wire on the pickup selector broke.

First I never solder in my life.
Second I don't have a solder iron.
Third I dont want to spend the money for a tech to fix it (I'm saving for some new pedals).



What type of soldering iron should I get?
Do I need paste?
Anything else?



Edit = Typo

[sylnau]

No guitar tonight.

[rustywire]

If the guitar sounds great unplugged, you'll eventually be able to get it to sound the way you want when plugged in.

When I was learning how to play, someone warned me not to play unplugged because if I fell in love with the sound of the unamplified guitar, I'd never be happy with my sound when plugged in. I think that's bullshit though. You definitely should love your unamped sound. It'll just always be different than when you're plugged in. You just have to be able to reconcile the difference between the two.

But yeah I can dig it. Also hollowbodies...and semihollows.

[sylnau]

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[Chankgeez]

Uh, oh, syl.

You just got those pickups installed not too long ago. Who did that installation? Is the wire that came loose one of the wires that had to be soldered to install the pickups? If it is, take it back to the guy that installed 'em. That wire shouldn't come unsoldered. He should fix it at no charge to you.

Also, there are other wiring schemes you can look into. Search around and do some research and see if there's something that sounds like you might like.

[sylnau]

I'll wait for the answer from the guy at Lollar.
But I'll get a solder iron.

[Moustache_Bash]

or go solid state rectifier and forget about it. I had it eplaind to me like this. The rectifier tube is acting like a couple of diodes, at the time the classic much loved circuited were created, using vacuum tubes as diodes was the standard. as components improved, it became possible to use 2 small durable cheap diodes to perform the same function. open up a solid state tube replacement and that is what you see. a couple of diodes. cheap, simple and durable.

And as far as efficiency goes, tube rectifiers are not good at their job. (....but I suppose that can always be said in an argument in SS vs. Tube)

http://www.soldano.com/amp-help/tube-vs ... ectifiers/

[Jeff-7]

... have you tried adjusting the height on your pickups?

[colin]

I hate to say it Syl, but it seems like you've been struggling for a while to bond with that guitar. Maybe you ought to think about putting up a local for trade ad and see what you get offered.

[sylnau]

... have you tried adjusting the height on your pickups?

I've mess with it a bit.
But for the bridge, to have more punch, it need to be closer to the strings... that means also mere treble (which I don't like).

I also noticed that Tele = brighter and less sustain.

[sylnau]

I hate to say it Syl, but it seems like you've been struggling for a while to bond with that guitar. Maybe you ought to think about putting up a local for trade ad and see what you get offered.

I'm never going to find what I want here in Quebec City.