Robben Ford Discussion

frank0936 · Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 5:14 am Post subject: Tele tone knob

I've asked this before and nobody seemed to know, but maybe it just got buried in the rest of that thread. Does anyone know if Robben rolls the tone off on the Tele? I was watching the New Morning concert again this morning and the tone on the bridge p'up is nowhere near as bright as on other Teles that I've heard and played. My old Squier Tele will take your head off on the bridge with full treble. Robben's tone on the bridge is bright, but really full. I know a lot of that is in the hands, but I still wonder about that tone knob. Anyone?
Frank

frank0936 · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: self - answer!

So nobody knows this??? Aeolian, you know a lot about Robben's technique. Have you ever noticed him rolling off the tone on the bridge p'up (or both)?
Thanks,
Frank

Millibobs · Senior Member Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 291

Het Frank

Dunno what Robben does but I can adjust my Bassman and Zendrive/OCD controls to the extent that I can pretty much leave the Tele tone on full or almost full and still get a nice fat sound. On the amp, I roll the bass up, the treble back to 3 and the middle at 2. On the drives, I keep the tone dialed back to 10 o'clock. On the other hand, the Tele tone is pretty sensitive and I can lose a bit of the 'eeek' factor by twisting it just a little.

Another little trick is to play solos and stuff with only 90% on the volume pot - this control itself is part of the tonaility.

All these settings are played more or less exclusively on the bridge pup.

Hope this helps.

David

frank0936 · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:46 am Post subject: bridge tone

Hi David,
That does help some, thanks. I noticed a picture of Robben's Super Reverb and the tone controls were all set at "5". I've been playing for a long time, but I'm new to Tele's. A lot of other Tele players tell me they roll the tone control back to where it just starts to break on the bridge p'up to control the bite and I was just wondering if that's what Robben does, too. He's got the thickest tone on that p'up of anyone that I've ever heard. I'm sure that part of it is the way he picks the note, and part of it is that rosewood 'board. I've got the rosewood ' board, too, and mine still sounds pretty nasty if I leave the tone full on - no matter what I do with the volume, unless I turn the amp tone down so much that the neck p'up sounds like I've got a blanket over the amp! I'll try some more with your suggestions.
Thanks again,
Frank

Aeolian · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:36 pm Post subject:

I don't know how much I know about Robben's technique. I can say that this recording of my cheapo American Standard Tele http://stevekirbymusic.com/Musicdownloads/Dejamastered.mp3
was done with the tone and volume controls wide open. There is no difference between the clean and OD parts other than pushing the channel switch on my Fuchs (which uses the same tone controls for both sounds). All of it is either the bridge or middle pickup switch positions.

I offer this up to show that it is possible to have a bright clean sound and thicker OD sound by changing the approach to playing the guitar.

Put this in terms of Robben's mastery of the instrument and you can see where he doesn't have to touch the controls at all.

Although, while he says he doesn't touch the controls, and I've seen him produce the full specturm of familar sounds from the Tele without touching anything. I have on occasion seen him turn knobs. I think that for him, it is more a matter of altering the response and feel of the instrument, than a necessity to get the basic timbre.
_________________
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Millibobs · Senior Member Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 291

Good stuff Aeolian - enjoyed my visit to your site just now - that 335 sounds very sweet and so does the Tele! You;re always welcome at www.soundclick.com/davidmillion - more blues tunes in the sausage machine, so worth checking back.

frank0936 · Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:37 am Post subject: Tele tone

Thanks Steve. That does answer my question. I think you may have given me more of a hint on the Robben page when you talked about emulating Jeff Beck's use of his thumb to keep the brittleness out of his tone and how Robben does something similar. I'm going to have to watch RF's righthand technique a lot closer on the New Morning dvd and see if I can learn that!
Frank

frank0936 · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:37 am Post subject: The answer

I finally got a definite answer - straight from Robben. I was at a master class with him last week and asked him if he rolled off the tone any. He said he didn't, that everything is full on. I asked him how he gets that sweet tone on the bridge without it getting "ice picky". His answer? "It's just a great guitar, Man." Robben, if you're lurking - thanks.

Daved I asked if you had been able to come with him. I was hoping to finally meet you in person. Sorry it didn't happen.
Frank

ltkojak · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:46 am Post subject: Re: The answer

roadwarriorfortheblues · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:32 am Post subject:

frank0936 · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:19 am Post subject: workshop

It was great!

Robben's pickups on the the tele are stock - according to Robben. The neck pickup is original and the bridge was rewound by Lindy Fralin to original specs - again according to Robben.

Frank

FatTeleTom · Senior Member Joined: 12 May 2004 Posts: 191

Very cool to get the direct answer from Robben. I'm sure the fact that it's a great guitar is a big factor.

I suspect amp settings, speaker, and certainly touch have a lot to do with it as well, but my guess is the pickups are a big key.

For what it's worth, my Glendale Tele with Fender Nocaster pickups is generally very usable with the tone knob wide open. This is particularly true when playing through either of my Barber OD pedals, which give a nice warm tone, not unlike Robben's OD tones.

That's been true of several Custom Shop Nocasters I've tried, equipped with those same pickups, They're really killer p'ups in my experience, both bridge and neck. Might be worth looking into.

Still, there are times when it does help to back off that tone knob a bit to round things off a touch especially playing clean, or really digging in on a solo. Maybe an 1/8th or 1/4 turn at most -- little enough that the neck pickup does not get muddy. But it's usually not an ice pick even with the tone full up.

I have heard moments where Robben's Tele can verge on being too bright on that bridge pickup. Not quite *at* the point of being too bright in my experience, but close.

But overall I love his Tele tones, whether overdriven bridge pickup leads, or soulful neck-pickup riffing--it's just a great sound.

frank0936 · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 6:27 am Post subject: Tone settings

It's pretty typical of Robben to give the credit to the guitar! Another thing I noticed is that when he usedthe Zendrive there was no really noticeable difference in drive or volume. The guitar sound just got more intense - if that makes sense to you. It was suddenly more defined - but without really jumping out at you. It was a very subtle difference.

I've heard good things about Glendale. They are supposed to make a bridge for Tele's that surpasses the Callagham.

Frank

Bluelobster · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:07 pm Post subject: Zendrive settings

FatTeleTom · Senior Member Joined: 12 May 2004 Posts: 191

I really like the Glendale hardware.

I was fortunate enough to win the guitar as part of the annual fundraising giveaway over on the TDPRI a few years ago, so I may not be as impartial a judge as if I had laid down my own hard-earned cash. I also don't have much experience with other vintage-style Tele hardware.

But, those caveats aside, I'm really impressed--bridge plate, saddles, knobs--all seem great to me.