rocketman Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 So I started thinking about what guitars I use for the cover songs I play while practicing. I usually spend an hour practicing before getting to work on originals. So let's see your list with a brief explanation as to why you use a certain guitar. Mine is not comprehensive (you'll note a lot of Rush), but you probably get the idea. La Villa Strangiato (Rush) - Use my Sonex because I need to do volume swells; couldn't afford a volume pedal in my youth so I learned to used the volume knob with my pinkie (the Sonex knob is closer to the pickup than all my other guitars). Natural Science (Rush) - The 339, good clean tone for the beginning part. The Spirit of Radio - 339 again, trying to emulate Alex's 335 used on the album. Red Barchetta (Rush) - Again the 339 for the clean tones and it gives a really nice response to the harmonics. Tom Sawyer (Rush) - Weight relieved Les Paul. This tune just screams Les Paul. YYZ (Rush) - Chambered Les Paul. I believe Alex used a Strat with a humbucker to record it. The chambered Les Paul has a bit thinner sound than the weight relieved one. My Strat doesn't sound right with it. Limelight (Rush) - Strat because the solo requires a dive bomb. Digital Man (Rush) - Strat again because of the solo. SVR Tunes (Tightrope, Texas Flood, Scuttle Buttin, Empty Arms, etc.) - Strat, this is too obvious. Hendrix Tunes - Strat. Lynyrd Skynyrd Tunes - Strat. Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd) - You'd think I'd use a Strat but I use the chambered Les Paul. Good overall guitar tone for the clean sounds and the thinner sounding solos. Tush (ZZ Top) - Weight relieved Les Paul. Sounds nice. Wish I had a VOS '59 for this one though. Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats) - 339 but I'd love to get one with a Bigsby. Midnight (Satriani) - Strat, this tune needs a guitar with really low action. CCR Tunes. Les Paul and 339. Rolling Stones. Mostly the Strat but the Les Pauls and the 339 see action too. Van Halen. Use the Strat with the S1 switch activated. It beefs up the tone a bit more. There are a bunch more but I think this list gives an idea on what I do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 This is never concrete, but it's generally true. Beautiful In Los Angeles - Melody Maker for electric, Martin for acoustic Brian Wilson - used to be the Strat, but then it went to the Martin. Since I no longer own the Strat, it won't be going back to that. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Spirit, switching between pickups for introduction/chorus and verses. The rest of them are acoustic, since I usually play them once while hosting open-mic night, and then never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Hm...Hey Rocketman, do you remember if Alex was using the Hentor Sportscaster when Moving Pictures came out? That's what I thought of when you mentioned the Strat he used on "YYZ," but now that I think about it I don't think he started using those until Grace Under Pressure. I love talking about Rush. Great list of covers and, as far as I can tell, the guitar choices fit the songs pretty well. I don't gig, and I only have three guitars, so when I do a cover you can guarantee that it's on one of those three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 Here's a pretty complete and fairly accurate list of equipment Alex used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Here's a pretty complete and fairly accurate list of equipment Alex used. Thanks for that Rocketman! I think I've seen it before, but it's always interesting. Oh, and sorry for hijacking your thread...I've been doing that a lot lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I usually only carry one guitar to practice so I use one guitar for everything. Tonight I took the Elitist Dot. Previously I've only taken my home-brew strat. The other guitarist plays a LP Custom. I've only been with this band about 4 weeks or so and we've not played any gigs yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 GREAT THREAD!!!!:D Epi Casino Beatles - Don't Let Me Down Beatles - Dear Prudence Elvin Bishop - Fooled Around And Fell In Love Rush - Lime Light Rush - Red Barchetta Gibby LPC Grand Funk Railroad - Some Kinda Wonderful Queen - It's Late Beatles - I've Got a Feeling Paul McCartney - I've Had Enough Gibby LPJ Faces - Maggy May Lennon - Give Me Some Truth Blind Faith - Cant Find My Way Home Beatles - Come Together Gibby SG200 Hendrix - Little Wing Jeff Beck - Ice Cream Cakes Hendrix - Hey Joe Stones - Beast of Burden Stones - Can You Hear Me Knocking Harrison - What is Life Jeff Beck - Highways Van Halen - Outta Love Scorpions - The Zoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikko18 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I just have two guitars now. I use my strat for basically every thing. My twelve string I use for wonder wall and I am trying to incorperate some other covers into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 List so far from the new power trio... I actually keep this list updated by guitar so my band mates will know what we can play based on what's hanging around my neck. Strat (Eb tuning) Fire Manic Depression 2:19 Pride and Joy Feelin' Alright Wind Cries Mary Dead Flowers Foxey Lady Killing Floor Freedom Goldtop Les Paul (Eb tuning) Are You Gonna Be My Girl? Balinese Crossroads Funk 49 Blue Jean Blues Mr. Big Baby, Please Don’t Go Sunburst Les Paul (open Eb tuning) Just Got Paid Done Somebody Wrong From A Buick Six One Way Out Holy Roller Novocaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I don't really play along with CDs anymore unless I have to learn a song, but we do a few covers with my band. Since we play mostly original songs, we're not looking to play the covers exactly as they were recorded so I pretty much use whichever guitar(s) I brought that night and what I feel like playing. Lately, I've been playing my Strat almost exclusively simply because a few of our songs really sound best with a Strat. But, to cover the bases where a guitar with humbuckers would be better suited, I use an Analogman Beano Boost set for a low boost to thicken it up. "Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots - Strat with low boost; better with humbuckers "Taxman" by The Beatles - Strat; either wide open on the bridge or with a treble boost (Beano Boost again) "My Sharona" by The Knack - Yup, we play that one! Any guitar; I vary the sound I use depending on what I feel like "All Day & All Of The Night" by The Kinks - Strat with low boost or whatever guitar with humbuckers as long as it rips "Vasoline" by Stone Temple Pilots - Strat with low boost; better with humbuckers It's funny, I've been such a tone psycho in the past and still demand to have a good tone but it doesn't have to be this one particular tone anymore. As long as it's a tone that sounds and feels good in some way, I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 It's funny' date=' I've been such a tone psycho in the past and still demand to have [i']a[/i] good tone but it doesn't have to be this one particular tone anymore. As long as it's a tone that sounds and feels good in some way, I'm happy. That's a real good place to be. A number of our songs I can do on different guitars depending on what feels right. I can't bring myself to do the Hendrix tunes on a Lester though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 lol! Yeah, some artists and songs are sacred and you have to get at least close; fortunately, "My Sharona" is not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 I can't bring myself to do the Hendrix tunes on a Lester though! why not[confused] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 LOL....yeah, we do covers..."Our Way!" So, we just use whatever guitars, we bring. A lot of what the band I now play in, does, is so "distorted" (both in sound, and content) that it really doesn't matter which guitar I use... ;>b But...For the Cream covers (Crossroads, White Room, Sunshine) I usually use my SG or my red LP Junior Lite. Byrds stuff, is the Ric-12-string, of course, and the rest could be a Telecaster, Strat, or Riviera...for the most part. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 For Van Halen and Rush I use my Silvertone 1448. Really does the trick on Spirit of Radio. For the ZZ Top and Steve Miller stuff I use my Squier Hello Kitty Strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 For Van Halen and Rush I use my Silvertone 1448. Really does the trick on Spirit of Radio. For the ZZ Top and Steve Miller stuff I use my Squier Hello Kitty Strat. Nice. Can we get a demo of that Squier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitargreg1993 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 hahahaha wow.... anyway, i only have one guitar at the moment.... so i guess i do all covers on my strat lol.... but that will change when i get a gibson. as a matter of fact, i think ill probably sell my strat when i get my gibson.... i wont need it anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Nice. Can we get a demo of that Squier? Through my Crate solid state 1x10 or my buddy's Pevey Special? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Since I redo pretty much everything for a solo fingerstyle thing... about any light-stringed guitar in the court handles it except the 12 string. Usually at home it's the jazz box, but for goin' out, the carved-top Guild version of the SG works nicely, and I'm more likely to take it into the weather... although in this weather and odds of gettin' bashed around, a Washburn 335 copy is now in its second year of being my snow-mobile guitar... Yeah, it's just Muzak at this point, but... Hey, I'm old and slow. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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