Beginning My Quest For TONE | Modding My Fender Strat

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
  • Join me in my journey to find the best Fender Strat tones I can! Inspired by Mick Taylor of That Pedal Show!
    In this episode, I swap out the original 50’s scratch plate for an Gold anodised plate, and swapped out the pickups from the custom shop 50’s set, to the Radioshop RSV57 set!
    Scratch plate: bit.ly/3dG7eDx
    Pickups: bit.ly/2WWp0vs
    I’ll be filming another few episodes as I have acquired a bunch of pickups to test out!
    #fender #stratocaster #mods
    Video edited by John Hollingworth
    ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Feel free to read this ⬇️⬇️⬇️
    Hey guys, I’m Rabea. I'm the lead guitarist in Toska, Frog Leap & Dorje where I write music, make songs and have a great time with my mates. I also have my own line of guitars with Chapman Guitars, and I’ve designed numerous products with some really cool companies, such as the Victory Amps VX Kraken. Anyway, i hope you enjoy my videos, thank you for watching!
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    Peace & Love

ความคิดเห็น • 685

  • @RasDrewes
    @RasDrewes 4 ปีที่แล้ว +194

    Rabea can you please make a full guitar collection? I know it might be a lot of work to do, but I would love to see it :D - Great Content btw

    • @malungtvnews
      @malungtvnews 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I think he did a video of them

    • @sammydodgers121
      @sammydodgers121 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@malungtvnews yeah he did

    • @RasDrewes
      @RasDrewes 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@malungtvnews Send link - I can't find it

  • @FxckingHostile1990
    @FxckingHostile1990 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    When you first pulled the pickguard off.. That wiring job is a fucking work of art

  • @CSFiction-
    @CSFiction- 4 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    Ok, somehow I'd managed to never see the innards of a custom shop strat and oh my god, that has to be the sexiest cable management I'd ever seen. Holy shit

    • @tad5920
      @tad5920 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I agree! If I pulled the pick guard and saw that wiring I would very slowly and carefully screw the pick guard back into place as is and call it done. That is truly beautiful work.

    • @tolvajakos
      @tolvajakos 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I have two guitars that were wired by my amptech friend. They look similar. Aesthetically super-pleasing, wires lead together, everything arranged super-neatly.

  • @eddyjok
    @eddyjok 4 ปีที่แล้ว +201

    You could dip the pickup covers and knobs in coffee for a few hours to “age” them. Works like a charm.

    • @randomguitarnote8887
      @randomguitarnote8887 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Or play the shit out of it 😁

    • @jcromanh
      @jcromanh 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Te

    • @rensvenema3601
      @rensvenema3601 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      True, works amazing! Try lukewarm water for the coffee. Works better than cold, hot water will warp the plastics so be aware of that. This is a decent ageing trick although it doesn't seem to have any effect on Mexican made plastic parts.

    • @wilhelmtheconquerer6214
      @wilhelmtheconquerer6214 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Some fine sandpaper and brown and black shoe polish on the edges are also a fine trick

    • @hoboroadie
      @hoboroadie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I always heard about using tea. I actually don't have much trouble with the natural method, either. My stuff gets a real thrashing just being here.

  • @rickfeith6372
    @rickfeith6372 4 ปีที่แล้ว +156

    What a gorgeous cleanish tone at the beginning. Beautiful.

    • @bennyharderguitar
      @bennyharderguitar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      That's his song called Dulcet Thing. Look up his playthrough. It's incredible.

    • @MrOwie
      @MrOwie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@bennyharderguitar thanks man I was looking for this lmao

    • @tammycoates7816
      @tammycoates7816 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Beautiful:)

    • @bennyharderguitar
      @bennyharderguitar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@MrOwie I learned how to play it by watching his play through over and over again. Took me forever!

    • @djt6546
      @djt6546 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I have a CS ‘57 reissue inspired strat that also sounds very clean like the start of this video. I’m no expert but I guess the PuP’s were a little cleaner with a dipped mid range compared to the ‘60 styles (in terms of CS reissues anyway). I also have a CS ‘64 so that’s my personal reference point. I was starting to think the same as Bea regarding my ‘57 Tones, but then I played it through a Tone King Sky King and that had some kind of mojo effect. Perhaps some of the high end clean tone amps help make the more neutral CS 50’s strats sing more.

  • @edwinbarker7763
    @edwinbarker7763 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Useful tip Bea: when soldering by the switch, tilt the while thing, so nothing can drip into the switch itself, otherwise it can ruin it for good ;)

  • @partriotsfight5039
    @partriotsfight5039 19 วันที่ผ่านมา

    54 yrs old, been a Strat guy since I was 15 and just love them. I just landed a Richie Kotzen Red Strat after years of trying to get my hands on one here in the US and it is the glassiest most beautiful sounding and looking Strat I’ve ever owned

  • @ResoBridge
    @ResoBridge 4 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    My experience of aluminium pick guards is that, with single coil pickups, eddy currents induced in the aluminium have a muffling effect on tone. Some people like this, but I found it reduced too much high end. The effect is measurable as a small change in inductance. About 4% less at 1000Hz when mounted in aluminium compared to measurement in air or mounted in a plastic guard. As far as I know Fender started using the gold anodised aluminium guards for looks and for electrical screening in 1957 but soon dropped them. One possible explanation for this is that once a player wore through the gold anodising, aluminium particles worn off the exposed surface turned their fingers black. Later on from 1959 to 1967 Fender fitted a thinner aluminium screening plate under a plastic guard. This also has an effect on tone, but being thinner, not as much as the previous gold anodised pick guards.

  • @dylanrobinson6695
    @dylanrobinson6695 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    "It's a polite guitar." I feel this sentence. It's Such a fantastic great description, and It's so simple but relatable. Love it Bea!

  • @tobuslieven
    @tobuslieven 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The change in tone from 6:20 to 16:55 is insane. I'm blown away.

  • @musicnphotos1
    @musicnphotos1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    For what it’s worth, after trying a lot of Strat pickups, I’ve found that narrowing down the options into 2 categories, the 50s style and 60s style pickups, is the best way to stay sane through this process. I’ve been watching you play in all of the Andertons videos for years, and now your own videos. My guess is you will prefer the 60s style Strat pickups, because of the more assertive sound they provide. The trick is to find the right spank, without harshness, so you can feel the sweetness in the tone. I have a Fender 57 reissue Strat which I love, but eventually I found that the 50s sound was not right for me. After looking into it, I realized that my favorite Strat players were all using mid 60s Strat pickups, including Hendrix, which I know you love too. I actually ended up with, and recommend the Fender 65 vintage pickups which I found to have the right balance between being more assertive, and still allowing the important dynamic range needed to let the subtlety of your playing to come through. Congrats on your success and best of luck with your journey!

  • @davedavem
    @davedavem 4 ปีที่แล้ว +103

    "The neck is SO fat" - puts his hand round the neck like a mere mortal holding a chopstick...

    • @YakGeareyfishing
      @YakGeareyfishing 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I would change the hardware to black it would look insane

    • @monkeyrevolution1964
      @monkeyrevolution1964 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      You mean the scratch plate ? 9:47

    • @ok-lv1qy
      @ok-lv1qy 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      cries in small lady hands

    • @LastMusicChild
      @LastMusicChild 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Big, meaty, claws! 👍🏼

  • @dave1812
    @dave1812 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Love the Project, but I'd resolder the Ground (Black) Pickupwires with a Soldering Iron that has more Power.
    The Solderjoint looks pretty cold and might cause Trouble down the Line. The Joint should form a dome and be nice and shiny

  • @_RLP
    @_RLP 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Cool sounds there, mate. Seems to me that the extra bass on the Rshop ones has more to do with height than the pups themselves. So far, I prefer the originals, but let's see how it turns out, since Mick sent you a set of pups too...
    You've had the anodized plate for awhile now, which means we've been hearing the nodded strat for a few weeks- when you get to the end of this pickup journey, maybe give us a "wrap it up" video, showing all the sounds/pickups you've had (original, radioshop and Mick's) ?
    Cheers

  • @bdhere1
    @bdhere1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Rabea playing a strat is just magnificent. The what goes around cover he did is insane.

  • @moreorlesslikeso
    @moreorlesslikeso 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    My impression is that the sound is somewhat stronger beefier, more bass and mids - maybe actually sounding a bit less like a typical "vintage strat" - than before. It immediately reminded me of when I replaced my 70s Strat original pickups with Kinman "Blues" type pickups in neck and middle position years ago. Of course it's hard to remember exactly from this distance but there's that spontaneous impression like I heard that type of "shifting" of the overall sound before. And as you said: you probably can't tell on the spot if it's really "better" than before because it's just - well - "different" and you've probably got to have some time to relate to it playingwise before making up your mind on some sort of solid basis.
    Interestingly with my Kingman's going in a similar direction soundwise I've over the years developed a feeling that I might like to have a bit more crispness back (like the old pickups had) - especially for rhythm or chord playing. So I put in a treble bleed mod, which did the thing. Having played a year or so with this "clearer" less mid/bass sound I find myself thinking today that I actually may remove that treble bleed mod again to get back the original beefy Kinman Blues sound I had then been going for in the first place and which really reminds me of the sound of those Radioshop PUs...
    I guess this illustrates in a way that the perception of a guitar's sound and the personal preference of a certain sound may well change gradually over time and so it can be quite hard to decide on what's better (or worse) in the long run. On the other hand you probably have other guitars where you never felt the need to change anything at all...

  • @paulbradshawguitar
    @paulbradshawguitar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    changing the tremolo/bridge can have a huge effect as well, I'd heartily recommend Wudtone (UK based), installed one of their tremolo bridges on my frankenstrat, made a really nice difference, well worth checking out

  • @Yupppi
    @Yupppi 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I liked how the new pickups were "stronger" or "sturdier", but maybe even a bit too powerful. If that tone could be translated to a bit gentler one. Maybe that could be changed by screwing the pickups lower. The originals were a bit too sharp and thin to my taste. Interested in seeing what you end up deciding and what's the tone that you're after. That song around 18 minutes btw sounded so much like Dan's song vlog song :) Just after the Pink Floydish lead.

  • @joaoaugustofreire6701
    @joaoaugustofreire6701 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    It really isa matter of taste. For me, the stock pickups are strat tone perfection. The new ones are really cool though.

  • @jttech44
    @jttech44 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Sound aside, which your opinion is much more important than ours, given that we can't really *hear* it, I really appreciate someone doing work on their guitar and explaining it as someone who isn't an expert. You've got this sweet spot of knowledge where you're not over complicating it, but you do know what you're doing. It's very approachable.

  • @tolvajakos
    @tolvajakos 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    i am just doing a 3-tone sunburst strat project with maple neck. i'll go with black scratchplate and plastics, HSS. i'll go with a schaller megaswitch e 5-way, it splits the humbucker in position 2 and 3 (without additional switches or push-pull pots). yes, in mid position you get one coil of the humbucker and the neck together! positions 1, 4 and 5 are the same as on a regular 5-way.

  • @leonardlogan9889
    @leonardlogan9889 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I like the original tone, and that custom shop solder job was a work of art.....the way they wired the 5 way selector was awesome. I would have just made a loaded pick guard and swapped the whole thing, if I could afford it. That being said Ive done the same thing many times over, chasing tone.

  • @ericvalverderosado2046
    @ericvalverderosado2046 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    I think my perfect strat would be like Misha’s custom Jackson that looks classic but have the modern sound available from the bridge pickup and the classic from the single coils

    • @MrScrofulous
      @MrScrofulous 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Funny, I'm sitting with a MM HT-6 "Bulb" in Laguna Blue on ,my lap. It's an amazing guitar. It splits to out-of-phase sounds, but would def be amazing if it split to a pure single coil sound.
      It still gets really sweet clean sounds esp through a Plexi style amp. I'm on a Jimi jag this week, and getting some sick tones out of of it.

    • @bergglobus2428
      @bergglobus2428 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@MrScrofulous he didn't mean the HT6. Micha has a new strat style guitar. I belit its custom made.

    • @jedidiahtan4171
      @jedidiahtan4171 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      yea the bridge is the ragnarok by bareknuckle, not sure if the single coils are a preexisting model tho

    • @TheOfficialCaseMade
      @TheOfficialCaseMade 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I modded my Strat up with a compound radius neck with jumbo stainless frets, graphtech nut, big block tremolo, locking tuners, Bareknuckle Nailbomb in the bridge, and DiMarzio noiseless singles in the neck and middle. It looks like a classic HSS Strat, but plays like a modern guitar and sounds like anything you want.

  • @joepalladino4323
    @joepalladino4323 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very much enjoy these sorts of mods. I picked up a 2019 Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat at the end of December; very well-made and terrific guitar. Upgraded to Gotoh locking tuners, Tusq XL nut, Seymour Duncan pickups and Graphtech saddles and it plays and sounds as great as it looks. Absolutely killer guitar at a down-to-earth price.

    • @JunkfoodZombieGuns
      @JunkfoodZombieGuns 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      For real. I picked up a Classic Vibe 60's Thinline Tele a few months ago. I have the Fender '72 Thinline reissue and like it a lot. When I saw the Squier from across the store, I thought, "ooh, what's that?" I was a little discouraged when I got close enough to see it was a Squier, but figured I would plug it in anyway. I couldn't put the damn thing down. It was great. Had to buy it. My only real gripe was I didn't like the steel saddles and that they and the bridge plate were all-shiny and chromed out. So, I bought a 50s style Fender bridge plate and some Gotoh compensated brass saddles and now it not only looks better, but sounds way better. It is one of the least expensive guitars I have ever bought, and it's still one of my favorites. Might change out the pickups for something a little different, but with the new saddles, they sound pretty damn good to be honest.

  • @robotandgirl1170
    @robotandgirl1170 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I’m a bit OCD, but the cleanup after the new pickups went in was hilarious. Bea was dying to just go play the thing! It sounded awesome, btw. Good job, Radio Shop!

  • @tad5920
    @tad5920 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I came back to this video again just for the view under this custom shop pickguard at 9:18. I have never seen such care taken on wiring including the routing of the wires, which is just beautiful. It makes me want to get one of these someday.

  • @cmick09ish
    @cmick09ish 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Dude I love this...This is almost exactly what I do with mine. I've got 2 Mexican Strats that I have put so much of my own soul into I've had to re-fret both of them. EVO gold fretwire, High mass bridge blocks one brass one steel, and different flavors of Fender's Custom Shop pickups. Scratchplate knobs and covers of course need to be tweaked from the sterile white they come with and a bone nut because why not, once you do a full re-fret you've gotta carve a new nut anyhow. I do all my own work, my first guitar was actual trash my old man rescued from a dumpster. Smashed into pieces and left for dead, a few parts from Radio Shack gave this thing it's heartbeat back...ten years later I restored the thing proper and she is an absolute Powerhouse. It inspires me so much that this piece of garbage has had possibly the most profound affect on my life; decades later this guitar would end rehabilitating me in much the same way. My Mexicans will go toe to toe with your Custom Shop and I could not be more proud of that. Awesome video brother.

  • @guidopopping5836
    @guidopopping5836 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Rabea you´re Strat tone is truely inspiring me
    It sounds awesome. To me it is the holy grail !!!

  • @stevekirby7333
    @stevekirby7333 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Did you notice that the wires from the pickups came twisted together? There's a reason for that. I noticed Mick also left the wires untwisted on one of his pickup change videos. Since the vintage style pickups don't use shielded cable, twisting the "hot" wire with the ground provides some degree of shielding. The aluminum scratch plate will provide some shielding as well as the ground plane providing some magnetic field change making the guitar less bright. Early '60s Strats had a metal plate under the plastic to recreate the effect of the late '50s metal plates.

  • @timothymallon
    @timothymallon 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    2:37 Hahahaha! You got Mick's horn in your video! Hilarious! I hope TPS saw this video

  • @MrWilson-WithaPbass
    @MrWilson-WithaPbass 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks Bea ! I am a Strat player as well (60's era) . I am intently watching yours and Mick's journeys with pick ups .

  • @benbradley1475
    @benbradley1475 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you for your humility and your love of Tone/Guitars/Gear. Cheers

  • @sdy30
    @sdy30 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That intro music was great! Amazing sound. More of that please!

  • @johnmarkelewicz5495
    @johnmarkelewicz5495 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    In all honesty, I preferred the sound of the original pups.

    • @9unslin9er
      @9unslin9er 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I do too. The new ones sound borderline like DiMarzio Cruisers. Not very Stratty at all.

    • @USofguitar
      @USofguitar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@9unslin9er I personally don't think the original sounded that great. They have good presence in the mids. But if you listen about their bass response (6:10), it's very muddy, undefined, and not very present when it plays the low A and E. For a rhythm guitarist, I understand his statement when he says the original pups don't hit the spot.

    • @GazziAmplification
      @GazziAmplification 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Same here, prefer the original. I’ve tried a radioshop set and was really underwhelmed. I actually returned mine..

    • @swangonzalez4797
      @swangonzalez4797 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Me too. Had the old fender 50s sound. The new ones sounded more modern and clean.

  • @sunriseshell
    @sunriseshell 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Pro tip, eep the original electronics in place on the original pickguard and get everything new to put on the new pickguard.
    Then all you need to change is two wires. Easy to switch back if you either don't like the new sound of it you love the new sound and want to bring it to a new axe.
    You can also purchase "loaded" pickguards which come completely pre-wired.

  • @disco4535
    @disco4535 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I wonder what pickups were in it before he changed them? They sounded really good. Would like to try some in my player strat

  • @niclastname
    @niclastname 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    HA! I _KNEW_ this would have something to do with hanging out with/talking to Mick as soon as I read the title! When you brought him up by name and I almost said "called it!" out loud lol.

  • @RambleTone
    @RambleTone ปีที่แล้ว

    I loved the sound of both sets of pickups ❤ both very different, and I believe you’re first impressions of the sound change are spot on 👍

  • @Dwight_K_Schrute
    @Dwight_K_Schrute 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It’s good to see even pros like Rabea have to set sail on an occasional Tone Quest. Killer vid man!

  • @dainhamilton4962
    @dainhamilton4962 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hey Rabea, I know I don't speak for just myself when I say you look incredibly healthy now, I've seen even your skating videos and such on your TH-cam story and you've come a long way man. You seem more confident and comfortable in videos and look great. I watched the old sounds like dimebag without busting the bank video right before this one and your change is incredibly clear. Good work man, cheers. We all love you

  • @tonybrooks476
    @tonybrooks476 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Fancy finding some Radioshop pups just lying around your room. Amazing.

  • @fabiendidelot2119
    @fabiendidelot2119 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Radioshop PUs are great ! I have 3 of my strats loaded with their PUs and they sound awesome if you're looking for vintage kind of tone. You should try to low down the heigth of the PUs to get less bass and reduce the output a bit. BTW the pickguard is gorgeous !

  • @rowlandstraylight
    @rowlandstraylight 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    The great thing about a strat is you can unsolder the jack socket and the scratchplate then removes entirely so you can work on it without damaging your guitar.
    Otherwise get a big soft clean towel and use it to protect your guitar whilst you work on it so you don't add unwanted relic marks.

  • @janiscuba9345
    @janiscuba9345 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    In the first few seconds I was thinking: wow this is some really nice sounding guitar, and looks to be a well made, interesting video. then I realised: this video is by Rabea Massaad, the metal guitarist that does stuff for Andertons. Was pleasantly surprised by this, amazing.

  • @258lemons
    @258lemons 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I hate to say it but I preferred the original pups!! Just my opinion though! You are insanely talented man, thank you so much for sharing! It is always a pleasure to hear you play!

  • @arlinwright1819
    @arlinwright1819 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I have always been a believer that your tone should be dynamic and should reflect what feels right at the time.

    • @hoboroadie
      @hoboroadie 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly, that's why I spend so much money and time trying to get the equipment that will respect my feelings and not fuck my tone up quite so horribly. I am done with oppression.
      FREEDOM!

  • @bukimari
    @bukimari 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Don't know if you'll see this or not, but I would like to say that a very easy mod to make for extra tonal possibilities is the Gilmour mod with the DPDT switch to enable the neck pickup. I did this with a push/push pot on my bridge tone control instead of the actual switch through the pickguard, and I have to say that position 2 with the neck pup engaged (so it's all three pickups) is simply amazing. I cannot recommend it enough.

  • @kbkman7742
    @kbkman7742 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    treble bleed was one of the best mods I made to my strat... just a low value cap like 220 cross the input and middle lugs of the volume control. No need for a capacitor or anything fancy, it just makes the volume so much more natural sounding as you turn down because the highs don't disappear.

  • @ranman58635
    @ranman58635 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Ive been looking to buy a Fender Stratocaster for a few year's now. I got into Squier to learn. Then, my friend brought me one to fix. A Mexican Stratocaster. I have not been aboe to afford one so i started to see what Squier model's closely resembled a real stratocaster. The Starcaster, and then the classic vibe qnd finally i landed on the holy grale, a Stratocaster made by Axl for Squier. They didn't cut corners and did it right. Baseball bat neck, 50's headstock, full thickness body qnd good wood's. I added my own pickups qnd some cool trebel bleeds. Duel potentiometer and 22g wiring. Its a beast! My free guitar beats all my other one's. Soom it'll have some texas vintage tone but i love it as is. Heavy relic too, had a veneer!

  • @maldridge
    @maldridge 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Superb post Rabea. for my money the new pickups are extraordinary and are at home in the Blues/R&B area - perhaps more than full on distortion. Clarity is just great and you play with great fluency. Thanks so much for this. you've really got me thinking about my older strats...

  • @tjchad1
    @tjchad1 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Looks and sounds bad ass! I have a Road Worn 50s body in black with a classic series 50s lacquer neck and the gold pickguard. Favorite guitar I have ever owned.

  • @edgeofeternity101
    @edgeofeternity101 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    You can take a few pics with your phone to refer if you get confused. A schematic also helps, there are so many variations you wire up.

  • @ConnyYngve
    @ConnyYngve 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love the sound from that Strat in your cover of Wicked Game. When it ramps up and you kick the pedal, Love that solo and the sound. Must have listened to it well over a 100 times with the volume Cranked! Could you when done and happy with the tone play that solo part for us? Thanks and I hope to see you at Sweden Rock Festival some time in the future.

  • @BelleNOiRtv
    @BelleNOiRtv 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    @Rabea Massaad That honk :D Almost spit the melon I was eating on the screen :D Nice one, man :D

  • @benbirdsinging3275
    @benbirdsinging3275 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    A late but perhaps interesting post? My guitar is a 2005 Fender Highway One. A Sunburst with a maple neck and a sixties, so a small headstock. At the time I heard a friend play an otherwise different type of Fender strat that had replaced the pickups with Custom Shop '54 pickups. He realized a sound that went towards my desires.
    In my Stratocaster were Alinico 3 pickups with the following values: Bridge 6.05 K, Mid and neck both 5.90 K. According to Fender's statement, the Custom '54 pickups have values ​​of: Bridge and middle both 5.90 K and the neck has a value of 6.05 K. Something that almost (?) matched my Alnico 3. Does replacement make sense, I asked myself?. I did it anyway and the sound turned out to be beautiful and well suited for me. By the way, after measuring I got many other values ​​for the Cusom '54 pickups, namely: 4.40 K for all three pickups!

  • @jirdesteva
    @jirdesteva 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Welcome Rabea, You have just entered into the Strat Zone of tone search. Mind your head it tends to get tight in that rabbit hole. Best of luck.

  • @davedavem
    @davedavem 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That wiring job by Fender Custom Shop is so neat.

  • @AZFunk
    @AZFunk 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Also...as Mick mentioned recently in his vlog, you might try floating the trem to have it react as Leo intended. Setup properly, that won't effect tuning but may give you a bit of a different feel and tone you like.

    • @ces69
      @ces69 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I’m not a big “Trem user” but I set mine up floating, I prefer the springy sort of sound it gives!
      Have no tuning stability problems whatsoever!

  • @mountainofsound
    @mountainofsound 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I like the choice of the gold pickguard but imo it needs a Trim/Binding. (Custom Framing Professional with 8 Years experience.)
    Matching the black fade of the guitar to a Gold with Black Binding pickguard will really help it "pop" without it looking out of place. Gold blending into the body color seems off to my eye.
    Changing the White pickups and Tone knob to any cream color would make a world of difference. The White clashes with how much Warm Color is present on the guitar (excluding the Silver Bridge and Input Jack.)
    Cool Colors & Warm Colors together are very tricky to pull off. (Just a thought, sounds lovely!)

  • @rudyescobar7071
    @rudyescobar7071 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    My buddy introduced me to "White Dove" a few years ago, and I totally dug your playing. Then the more I heard your stuff, it was cool that we share some guitar DNA. . .Nuno Bettencourt. You are just as rabid a fan as I am of the guy. I'm 37 years old and I laughed the other day when I heard we both got Nuno vids off Limewire. My thoughts are that you are the link between "old-school" players like Nuno, but with modern sensibilities. I can hear you are part of the new breed of technical and polished players, but with soul. . .not that whacked out computer sounding stuff, non-stop. Great to see you evolving in your search for tone!

  • @leslawrenson9305
    @leslawrenson9305 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I once tried to sell my 2007 USA Strat, and thankfully no one was prepared to give me the price I wanted. Thing is, I love the neck with its maple board. Just didn't like how I interacted with it. So, I decided I would mod it. Today, it has a DiMazio "injector" in the bridge, an Irongear "jailhouse rails 2" in the middle, a Seymour Duncan "quarter pounder" in the neck, and a Vega Trem. The guitar is now my favourite axe.

  • @snellby67
    @snellby67 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Josephina Compos made a few hundred sets of hand wound pickups called Ancho Poblano and I have them in my strat.If you want attitude in the pickups they definitely have attitude, see if you can locate someone that has them or a guitar that has them in it to try, well worth it!

  • @heymrguitarman7637
    @heymrguitarman7637 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Putting an anodised pickguard on my 57 made a big difference to the tone, changed the top end entirely. Neither better or worse but in the end I opted to go back to plastic to get that high end I love back

  • @RobertNolan
    @RobertNolan 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great video, and I dig both the before and after tone of the Strat, dare we say it's all you Rabea. No doubt about it, you're a phenomenal musician.
    I always find it a bit sad when people fall out of love with the sound of a custom shop piece and start changing. *I don't blame anyone at all for doing it,* it's yours and your right to do it, but I do find it to be the most ultimate form of chasing the dragon and never fully being satisfied. It's only that it's a custom shop, probably limited in quantity all things considered, that makes for it being the cherry on top.

  • @modergav
    @modergav 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Honestly, i'd be happy either way, but since your are happy and this is your guitar i'm glad for you. Awesome video Bea

  • @user-mc3gr4ps5b
    @user-mc3gr4ps5b 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I've had really fat pickups like that on a strat, and the bass thing seemed to be ironed out by lowering the pickups a bit, you'll lose that crackly highend clipping too in the process

  • @sparknado
    @sparknado 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    That sounds great with the new pups!

  • @mrclarksix
    @mrclarksix 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    That is probably the best strat sound I've ever heard. I always think I like something about a strat until I play one, then remember why I still don't own one. This almost makes me feel like I'm missing out

  • @Simeon_Harris
    @Simeon_Harris 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    first thing i noticed when jumping back and forth between the two bits of playing, is you have the new pickups much, much higher than the originals, which would account for the increase in bass and output level.

  • @robertcoupe3956
    @robertcoupe3956 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's about time one of you British tone mammoths we all love and adore demo a set of handmade EdMire pickups from the north of Norway.

  • @michaelmitchell5909
    @michaelmitchell5909 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That opening guitar music was amazing

  • @arnolddealiii4259
    @arnolddealiii4259 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    For additional badassary swap the white knobs, switch knob, and pickup covers out for black. Then it would look like the paint scheme for the 77' Pontiac Firebird Trans AM from the classic American Burt Reynolds film "Smokey And The Bandit" . Black, Gold, and Amber from the paint scheme.

  • @RapttorX
    @RapttorX 4 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    "My Quest For TONE" ... first thing: pickguard :)

    • @hoboroadie
      @hoboroadie 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Aluminium doesn't change the magnetic field but it puts some RF shield up. That might make a difference, or if the cavity is shielded it would really alter conditions. Actually might be discernable as THEY say, or not, to the ear. I have not tried yet, but I like the look of the anodized pickguard and it is on the list for my next Tele.

    • @themorrigan1312
      @themorrigan1312 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Mate, if he wanted to do it and he was opening it up anyways, who are we to give him shit? Besides, its his content, he does as he pleases

    • @sporketernal5479
      @sporketernal5479 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The tone pickguard is the most important part :)

    • @DoglessEndeavor
      @DoglessEndeavor 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@themorrigan1312 What part of the comment is 'giving him shit'? The smile?

    • @jjcale2288
      @jjcale2288 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      As the matter of fact the pickguard has a lot to do with the strat tone. The pickups are mounted on the pickguard and not directly on the wooden body. Plastic is not equal to metal or wood, tone wise.

  • @gerbenloohuis8784
    @gerbenloohuis8784 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    @Rabea, small video tip: use a (digital) compressor on your voice recording (track). It'll get rid of volume issues - close to / far from the mic: your voice will sound equally loud.

  • @r.weaver3769
    @r.weaver3769 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    If you have a meter, see actual value of pots, they vary from 210k to 270k, if on the low side, try some 300k pots to lose the basseyness and open harmonics a bit. Every guitar is different with different pickup pot combination. It's why guitars vary in sound, the least bit of change make a dramatic change in feel. You can also put resistors across the pots to change values. I have a very bright guitar, I changed pot value from 521k to 480k fattened guitar right up. I found an instruction from Lindy Fralin from a clinic years ago about it.

  • @AndrewAviles
    @AndrewAviles 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    the new pu's look a bit higher and are giving more output, if you match them to the old ones I feel like they might retain some of that delicate strat tone from before but still a bit more punch. Great vid! also the coffee trick for aging the pup covers should work well!

  • @cemsarioglu5947
    @cemsarioglu5947 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    For him, the aggressive character of the new set works just fine. For me, original set. Very good video by the way.

    • @RabeaMassaad
      @RabeaMassaad  4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah I prefer the CS pups, but today I’m filming the next episodes - writing in some bare knuckle coils. Got the mother’s milk and the 63 veneer board set to try.
      After that, it’s Mick’s Ron Ellis set ;)

    • @cemsarioglu5947
      @cemsarioglu5947 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@RabeaMassaad Oow, ok looking forward to watching it. I have a set of Lace Sensors on my 1985 MIJ Strat. I like them. They have that modernish 80s pop rock kind of tone that works so good on recording sessions. Thank you :)

  • @andrewpappas9311
    @andrewpappas9311 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Your Strat sounds incredible with the new pickups and looks awesome with the gold pickguard, it definitely gives me early Jazzmaster vibes and I like it. Great demo, Bea

  • @Emma-kz3zr
    @Emma-kz3zr 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    What have you done!!! Always keep the whole scratch plate assembly intact, thereby only having to unsolder two wires.
    Then replace with a complete new assembly.
    As for anodised scratch plate, it looks good.
    But the original pickups sounded significantly more authentic.

    • @cmck1777
      @cmck1777 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Great comment.

  • @doublebguitarplayer9434
    @doublebguitarplayer9434 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dude!!!!!! That sounds sooooo sick. Keep those pickups. Looks amazing.

  • @RevvAmps
    @RevvAmps 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I'm pretty sure I've seen more of that polish cloth out in the wild than any other piece of merch we've ever made lol.

  • @CaptainKirk007
    @CaptainKirk007 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    You’ve inspired me to upgrade my pickups and scratch plate now.😆 Awesome job as always brother. Cheers from the states!

  • @A.J.K87
    @A.J.K87 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    You could consider shielding the cavities below the pickguard and the pickguard itself. As it is that little shielding plate that fell of your pickguard does nothing. And don't forget the jack socket.

  • @upsideofafaceplant9470
    @upsideofafaceplant9470 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I've been looking forward to this. Also, you should absolutely collab with Chris Buck! My two favourite Strat-players united.

    • @ces69
      @ces69 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Chris’s signature set has a “base plate” fitted to the bridge pickup!
      I fitted one to the Fender “Tex-Mex” pickups I’m currently using and love the difference it makes!

  • @j_laf9575
    @j_laf9575 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That intro was beautiful!!

  • @samhindsuk720
    @samhindsuk720 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Amazing video - really informative and great playing as usual mate! And youre looking great too! Keep it up 👊🏻

  • @willfenn4187
    @willfenn4187 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Inspiring tone + playing, and also inspiring weight loss mate having watched your vids for years now you've never looked better! Keep at it 🤘

  • @Burnt_Gerbil
    @Burnt_Gerbil 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    You customized an already custom shop guitar? That’s crazy, man. Now it’s a one-off. 😆👍

  • @AZFunk
    @AZFunk 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'd be tempted to try black pickup covers, knobs, switch tip, a tremolo end to match the outer ring of the sunburst.

    • @Toolleeow
      @Toolleeow 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Absolutely what's needed, agreed. Also white and gold...meh, but look at how good the gold hardware looks with the black plastic on LP Customs. The gold scratchplate with black plastic bits would look just as classy on that Strat

  • @ArtAlienTV
    @ArtAlienTV 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Adjust the pup height for less bass end on the neck. There is a sweet spot 👍😊

  • @jackcone1124
    @jackcone1124 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Is this the guitar player version of cutting your bangs?

  • @ADDYNFCHD
    @ADDYNFCHD 4 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    “Welcome back to the Mick’s....I mean Bea’s Strat vlog”

  • @r3ngokuking
    @r3ngokuking 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    This is like a "when you first meet her parents vs when you've been together for a few years" transformation

  • @jasonguest5820
    @jasonguest5820 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    My main guitar is a mystery make Strat i picked up at a punk show for $20. It was just "born right" probably by accident by the maker. I've replaced the strings and the bridge pickup with a ridiculous 15k blade magnet pickup, and it's had a proper set up done. I can't imagine paying for a thousand dollar guitar anymore.

  • @madsandersen7599
    @madsandersen7599 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great choice with the anodized pick guard 👌 I started modding my strat about 20 years ago. All white strat, got a black pick guard, a stacked dimarzio humbucker in The bridge, and chrome metal knobs 🤘

  • @FabrizioPeretti
    @FabrizioPeretti 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    good lord the tones from that amp are incredible... i looked for other videos and it sounds great even on channels where the tones are usually not top notch - studio quality - in your face

  • @nimitz1739
    @nimitz1739 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Companies need to catch up with EMGs solderless pickup idea they’ve been using for years. It’s so easy to do like plugging in a toaster.

  • @Aniki82
    @Aniki82 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really liked that video :) :)
    It's nice to see you!!
    Also before screwing everthing back on you can do a ruff test of the soldering by puting the jack back in a use your screwdriver tip on the pickup to see if they are working !

  • @deanallen9660
    @deanallen9660 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    My favorite mod besides pickups is the Oak Grigsby super switch. It can make a Strat do anything.

  • @justinwilliams8832
    @justinwilliams8832 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video! Thnx. I have been using Dimarzio and Duncan aftermarket pick ups for years. Lately, have been jonesing for something different. So many great boutique p/u’s out there. May have to check out the radio shop ones