The Edge Strats in 360"tour

[Rockhound252]

I don't if we have talked abou that but i have a question. we know that for the last legs of 360, the edge used strat for MOS and was a sevond black white strat. the question is why he used a second guitar with the same tuning instead of using the main black white strat? did you aprecciate a difference in the sound. i know he uses the neck PU


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[Mack_Again]

I'm no expert but Im sure one is half-step down and one is in standard, aren't they?

 

[Rockhound252]

no. two guitars were in half step. the only standard was the blackie.


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[Mack_Again]

Hm, how often does the Edge change guitar due to tone difference? I mean, I don't think he does that a lot in terms of changing kinds of strats.

 

[Rockhound252]

The question i have is that he uses the neck PU but it sound so broght, to me, compared to the strat 2 on the neck pos in Bullet for example or love rescue me in the 360

 

[Muad'zin]

I'm suddenly reminded of that interview, was it on the BBC, or in that movie with Page and White, where he was being asked if he really needs 20+ guitars and says they really do sound all different.

I had two almost identical Strats once. Same model, no discernible difference between the two of them, got them around the same time. I ended up preferring one over the other, so to me there was a difference after all. Not enough to bring them both out on the road as I don't think they were sonically that different. But Edge seems to think such differences matter. Is he too anal about that? For most people, probably. But then again such attention to detail is probably why he's so good at crafting all his varying sounds.

 

[Mack_Again]

I'm suddenly reminded of that interview, was it on the BBC, or in that movie with Page and White, where he was being asked if he really needs 20+ guitars and says they really do sound all different.

I had two almost identical Strats once. Same model, no discernible difference between the two of them, got them around the same time. I ended up preferring one over the other, so to me there was a difference after all. Not enough to bring them both out on the road as I don't think they were sonically that different. But Edge seems to think such differences matter. Is he too anal about that? For most people, probably. But then again such attention to detail is probably why he's so good at crafting all his varying sounds.

I understand that 70s guitars didnt have consistent quality, so sounds might be different between guitars. So...one of them might sound bright/darker than the others?

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

Very true.

1970's were a difficult time for a lot of guitar manufacturers, Fender included.

Fender were in mid-CBS era and consistency was an issue. Gibson was having issues. Baldwin-era Gretsch were inconsistent.

One might argue: Edge used 1970's Fender and Gibson's. That doesn't make 1970's era guitars great. It merely means he found the diamonds in the rough, and as they were not the most desirable vintage, he got some pretty great deals.

 

[Mack_Again]

I mean, if 70s Fender/Gibson has inconsistent choice of timber (certain wood is overly heavier than the others) sounds like those guitars should sound so different from each other. So, it might make sense that the Edge might like one of the 70s strats than the others. We don't see it because they're in same colors and specs are very similar superficially.

 

[Rockhound252]

yep. and also i remember that in the first legs of 360 he used the grestch in the bridge pickup and later strat in neck pickup, and the sound is similar in both


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[Mack_Again]

I personally loved Gretsch tone better than strat. tone as strat sounded too harsh in my taste. Or it just could be that I just love when the Edge uses Gretsch guitar in non-country way.

 

[Muad'zin]

Very true.

1970's were a difficult time for a lot of guitar manufacturers, Fender included.

Fender were in mid-CBS era and consistency was an issue. Gibson was having issues. Baldwin-era Gretsch were inconsistent.

One might argue: Edge used 1970's Fender and Gibson's. That doesn't make 1970's era guitars great. It merely means he found the diamonds in the rough, and as they were not the most desirable vintage, he got some pretty great deals.

Could it also not be that those guitars were the ones available to him in his early days, so he made them work and grew accustomed to them? I'm pretty sure that 50's and 60's guitars also cost a small fortune in the late 70's, when he first started shopping for guitars but his guitar budget was a lot tighter then. So he got what he could afford back then. And I've read that the Edge has stated that the reason he played so much on the high strings back then was because the low strings sounded awful to him on the Explorer.

 

[Muad'zin]

I understand that 70s guitars didnt have consistent quality, so sounds might be different between guitars. So...one of them might sound bright/darker than the others?

True, but the same still applies today. Even with good quality controls you get two guitars from the same production line and series and they will still not sound exactly the same. Maybe not as profound but chances are you will still prefer one over the other.

As for my two Strats, they were made in Japan and I think not made in the 70's. Kinda hard to check as I lost one of them.

 

[Mack_Again]

yeah, I kind of want to go away from the thoughts that he likes 70s strat sound because he uses bunch of strats that don't even sounds like his original "blackie." I mean, he's using sunburst strat from 60s, and he's used EC strats with lace gold (which was meant to be throwback for 50s fatter Fender PUPs), and some superstrat-like Fernandes guitars. I think I'm just listing what I know, aren't I?

 

[Rockhound252]

Yep. i'm pretty sure that the difference will be in the electronics. The question is what dfferences

 

[Muad'zin]

yeah, I kind of want to go away from the thoughts that he likes 70s strat sound because he uses bunch of strats that don't even sounds like his original "blackie." I mean, he's using sunburst strat from 60s, and he's used EC strats with lace gold (which was meant to be throwback for 50s fatter Fender PUPs), and some superstrat-like Fernandes guitars. I think I'm just listing what I know, aren't I?

But he doesn't use those other Strats that much though. The sunburst Strat he uses almost exclusively for songs that require tuning down a full step, and the EC Strats seem to have been retired altogether. I think he also used a Blade Strat during the Joshua Tree tour. The Fernandes guitars he got because of their sustainers after his Infinite Guitar broke down. But despite all that choice he always seems to come back to his 70's Strats. And his Explorers of course. Even his new guitars look like them. Which now have sustainers as well so I assume we won't be seeing the Fernandes guitars come the next tour. Which to me gives credence to my theory that he digs those guitars because those where the ones available to him in his formative years. Never underestimate the influence of your tastes as a kid upon later years. The only reason I lust after Strats with big 70's head stocks and Explorers is because of seeing Under a Bloodred Sky as a teen.

Yep. i'm pretty sure that the difference will be in the electronics. The question is what dfferences

The electronics of different Strat vintages are fairly well known throughout the years though. X type of pickups going into Y types of pots with Z types of caps. Not sure how big a dip quality control with Fender took in the 70's but unless they adopted Electro Harmonix kinds of practices of grabbing whatever was in stock at the moment 70's Strat electronics should be the easiest to figure out.

I'm not sure how much he has changed his guitar's electronics but I suspect not much for most of them. Why should he? Us mere mortals if we want our guitars to sound like a 60's Strat have to upgrade them. He just gets a real 60's Strat. Lucky guy!

 

[Edgedisciple]

I own a replica of Edge's Black Strat, which I had it assembled with various parts, 70's body and exact replica of the pickups of the period (73' to be more precise) and I prefer it to the many strats that I've tried over the years. It blows them all away. Tremendous attack (ash bodies are famous for this), great definition and cuts through the mix like no other guitar. For me, you can't beat the tonal characteristics of an ash body, but it's a matter of taste in the end. The strat sound I've learned to love is Edge's one. Maybe mine is one of the blessed ones of the period, who knows.

 

[Mack_Again]

I totally forgot about the fact that even his newer custom strats are awfully like 70s style. And Fernandes isn't used for sound but uses for sustainer (and body already routed for electronics)