Hank in Guitarist

[Gary Allen]

I wonder if Chris Kinman sent him a set of impersonators to try on the new album ?

[Hank2k]

I thought it was a good article, particularly on the use of strats and how he preferred 34346 to the rosewood strats and also that the original trem arm was shorter than other strats

[Established1958]

I thought it was a good article, particularly on the use of strats and how he preferred 34346 to the rosewood strats and also that the original trem arm was shorter than other strats

Steve, Hank sent the original Trem bar to Bruce some time after The Shadows final tour. We copied its length for the 50th Anniversary project in 2009. It is short and apart from the bend where it comes out of the block has no other bend or kink in it.

It was Bruce's recollection that it had been cut down possibly by Hank. Fender did not consider it could have come out of the factory that way. They had to have the required number specially made up for those guitars.

The benefit of the short arm is two fold. It allows the player to crook it in the little finger whilst picking. It stops the player from over bending the string when using it for expression.

[MeBHank]

Just to add to what Paul says. In discussing the 50th anniversary guitar and pickups I asked Hank to try the guitar with the AY pickups before just swapping out for Kinmans. We then discussed CS54s and the fact that noise was less of an issue due to the change in stage lighting to LED and thus less transformers and hum. He said that Paul and a couple of other people were advising CS54s for an authentic tone.

It's a shame that Slider's Vintage Pickups - the "Shadows '59" set specificially - didn't come to light until just after the tour. If they'd been around for a few years prior I'm certain they'd have become the standard for Shadows players, and I'm willing to bet that Rod would have had endorsement from Hank.

J

[KurtFroberg]

Interesting statement by Hank regarding wiring neck and bridge pickups together: "That's quite an interesting sound, and I am pretty sure I used that on a couple of my early album tracks, ...."

Could this be the "secret" behind the sound on "36-24-36" and "Stars Fell On Stockton".... ???

Kurt

[dave robinson]

Just to add to what Paul says. In discussing the 50th anniversary guitar and pickups I asked Hank to try the guitar with the AY pickups before just swapping out for Kinmans. We then discussed CS54s and the fact that noise was less of an issue due to the change in stage lighting to LED and thus less transformers and hum. He said that Paul and a couple of other people were advising CS54s for an authentic tone.

It's a shame that Slider's Vintage Pickups - the "Shadows '59" set specificially - didn't come to light until just after the tour. If they'd been around for a few years prior I'm certain they'd have become the standard for Shadows players, and I'm willing to bet that Rod would have had endorsement from Hank.

J

This is worrying Justin, I find myself agreeing with a lot of stuff you're saying lately . . .
Seriously, those Sliders are the business, I love mine to bits.

[Rjanuarsa]

Interesting statement by Hank regarding wiring neck and bridge pickups together: "That's quite an interesting sound, and I am pretty sure I used that on a couple of my early album tracks, ...."

Could this be the "secret" behind the sound on "36-24-36" and "Stars Fell On Stockton".... ???

Kurt

Interesting indeed Kurt!

"36-24-36", "Stars Fell on Stockton", Cliff track "A Girl like you"..all have similar sounds. I think he used Gretsch for those tracks!

Robby

[fenderplucker]

Gretch's aside (ha, ha Robby!!), I very much doubt that the neck-bridge arrangement was used as early as 1961. You can get the sound of 36-24-36, Stars Fell on Stockton etc. using the middle pickup provided that the guitar is set up accordingly to give just the right amount of "quack" (and of course having Hank's technique also helps!). The neck-bridge combination gives a quite different sound (think Dance to the Guitar Man sound).

Paul.

[KurtFroberg]

Gretch's aside (ha, ha Robby!!), I very much doubt that the neck-bridge arrangement was used as early as 1961. You can get the sound of 36-24-36, Stars Fell on Stockton etc. using the middle pickup provided that the guitar is set up accordingly to give just the right amount of "quack" (and of course having Hank's technique also helps!). The neck-bridge combination gives a quite different sound (think Dance to the Guitar Man sound).

Paul.

Hi Paul,

I have listened to your versions of "36-24-36" and "Stars Fell On Stockton" at the TVS3 jukebox and, compared to the originals, there is a definite middle pickup sound on yours, where there is a sort of "blend" sound on the originals which, I belive, could only be achived by blending two pickups, and as I belive, bridge and neck.

I have also discussed this quite many times with Ronnie Gustafsson and he also hears this. It could even be a Telecaster with flatwounds and middle position!

This is very interesting

Kurt

[cockroach]

On a Strat type guitar, neck & bridge pickups together sound fairly similar to the middle pickup on its own.

If the amp is adjusted to increase bass and treble but with middle turned down, the middle pickup will sound pretty close to neck & bridge.

For years I've had my Strat type guitar set up so that I can get the neck & bridge setting and when I change between that and the middle pickup alone, when playing live, there is very little difference- although the middle pickup alone sounds fuller, although not as hard edged as the two pickup setting.

Back in the early days when Hank (and Buddy Holly) had Strats, they only had the 3 position switch, which only gives one pickup at a time, so it's unlikely that neck & bridge (or any other combination of pickups) was easily possible on a Strat- (unless you balanced the 3 position switch between positions, which sounds different again) although a Tele or Jazzmaster etc would give that sound with both pickups on together of course.