60's-70's rock ala CCR guitar tone via a plugin

[bigbluebarry]

I'm trying to replicate the CCR guitar tone, or 60's-70's rock in general, but I really would like to get that CCR tone. While I think I can pull off the performance aspect, I could use a little bit of guidance in re-creating the sound using a plug-in. Here is what I have at my disposal.

Fender Telecaster
Schecter C-1 (dual humbuckers)
Guitar Rig 4
Eleven LE

I've done a bit of research and found that Fogerty was using a Les Paul (and sometimes a Strat or Tele) and a Kustom amp. Here's a list of the amps included with Eleven LE:

’59 Fender® Bassman®
’59 Fender® Tweed Deluxe
’64 Fender® Black Face Deluxe Reverb® Normal Channel
’64 Fender® Black Face Deluxe Reverb® Vibrato Channel
’66 VOX® AC30 Top Boost
’67 Fender® Black Face Twin Reverb®
’69 Marshall® 1959 100 Watt Super Lead Plexiglas Head
’82 Marshall® JCM800 2203 100 Watt Head
’85 Mesa/Boogie® Mark IIc+ Drive Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Clean Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Crunch Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Overdrive Channel
’92 Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head Vintage Channel
’92 Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head Modern Channel
Avid Custom Vintage Crunch
Avid Custom Modern Overdrive

I realize it's not gonna be the same as the real thing but would anyone know which of them would be comparable to the one he used?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

-Big Blue

[ernstinen]

I'm trying to replicate the CCR guitar tone, or 60's-70's rock in general, but I really would like to get that CCR tone. While I think I can pull off the performance aspect, I could use a little bit of guidance in re-creating the sound using a plug-in. Here is what I have at my disposal.

Fender Telecaster
Schecter C-1 (dual humbuckers)
Guitar Rig 4
Eleven LE

I've done a bit of research and found that Fogerty was using a Les Paul (and sometimes a Strat or Tele) and a Kustom amp. Here's a list of the amps included with Eleven LE:

’59 Fender® Bassman®
’59 Fender® Tweed Deluxe
’64 Fender® Black Face Deluxe Reverb® Normal Channel
’64 Fender® Black Face Deluxe Reverb® Vibrato Channel
’66 VOX® AC30 Top Boost
’67 Fender® Black Face Twin Reverb®
’69 Marshall® 1959 100 Watt Super Lead Plexiglas Head
’82 Marshall® JCM800 2203 100 Watt Head
’85 Mesa/Boogie® Mark IIc+ Drive Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Clean Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Crunch Channel
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Overdrive Channel
’92 Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head Vintage Channel
’92 Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head Modern Channel
Avid Custom Vintage Crunch
Avid Custom Modern Overdrive

I realize it's not gonna be the same as the real thing but would anyone know which of them would be comparable to the one he used?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

-Big Blue

Hey Big Blue! I've seen a great current "Austin City Limits" concert with Fogerty and his band, and he changes guitars on almost every song. He's playing through two Marshall half stacks now, and his Les Paul is his "go-to" guitar on a lot of numbers, using a Tele quite a bit.

Personally, I think your Tele and Schecter would work well for many of his guitar tones. I'll bet the amps pre-'67 would be a bit too dirty for his amp sound. I've got a Soldano and an old Ampeg, and the clean Soldano sound cranked a bit would sound nice. My Ampeg VT-40 sounds a lot like the Kustom amp.

For what you have, I'd go with:

’67 Fender® Black Face Twin Reverb®
’69 Marshall® 1959 100 Watt Super Lead Plexiglas Head
’82 Marshall® JCM800 2203 100 Watt Head
’89 Soldano SLO100 Super Lead Overdrive Head Clean Channel

Twin Reverbs are pretty clean, and the Marshalls and the Soldano can get pretty gritty when turned up. Not sure about the Mesa Boogie. That's got more of that "Santana" sustain, but a Marshall and Soldano can get that sound too on the dirty channels.

Good luck!

Ern

[bigbluebarry]

Thanks Ern! I'm playing around with those tones right now. I'll let you know how things turn out.

thanks!
-Big Blue

[elser]

My inclination would be to stay with the Tele, maybe in the center position. I was just going through Guitar Rig and found these you might try.

In the Cool Plex amp try Vintage Plex
In the AC Box try Little AC-MC
In the Plex amp try Clean Plex
In the Twang Reverb amp try Rockin Cats

Don't have Eleven so can't help there.

HTH

[bigbluebarry]

Thanks elser!

-Big Blue

[bigbluebarry]

OK, I've played around with Eleven and GR4. I've uploaded two versions of the same track. Which one of the tracks, if either of them do , do you think sounds the closest to 60's rock?

Working For The Man A

Working For The Man B

If those links don't work, the tracks are on my TAXI profile.

-Big Blue

[cardell]

OK, I've played around with Eleven and GR4. I've uploaded two versions of the same track. Which one of the tracks, if either of them do , do you think sounds the closest to 60's rock?

Working For The Man A

Working For The Man B

If those links don't work, the tracks are on my TAXI profile.

-Big Blue

I like B, but I also feel that the bass needs to be groovier, in a 60's way.

Part of the trick (which no-one tells you) is to lower your volume and strum/pick harder.

The reason is: many players from this period (and earlier) learned and started with low wattage amps (or no amp). They had to strike the guitar harder to be heard, but this also become part of their sound. I first realized this when I noticed how hard George Harrison used to pick his guitar.

I love that sound!!

Stuart

[ernstinen]

I think A is better, because it's cleaner but still gritty. That's the CCR sound more than B to my ears. B sounds like 70's Stones, whereas A sounds like 60's Stones.

Not a big difference, but A is brighter and B is darker and a bit more distorted.

I agree with Cardell, though, that the bass has to be picked harder. More slop and string sound rather than bottom end, 'cause 60's rock was really rolled off in the bass so the stylus (remember them? ) wouldn't jump out of the groove of the LP. Paul McCartney had a fit over his engineers not getting the "Motown" sound, because James Jamerson got a HUGE bottom end on his recordings.

My 2 cents,

Ern

[anthonytop40]

Hey Barry - to my ears....I say B has more of the vibe you're looking for.The Verb/Delay you've got on the Gtr's in B

makes them sit nicely in the mix compared to A (which is a more "in your face" - more like Zepplin).


The tracks have a cool Stones vibe about them.



AT40

[mojobone]

Can you hear Susie Q in your head? I preferred A, but you've still got a bit too much preamp distortion going on. I liked the delay setting, but you want the repeats a little darker. None of your modeled amps will sound much like the old tuck'n'roll Kustoms, they hardly distort at all, and all you get is "cone cry' from speaker deflection, and then, only at really loud stage volume. (closest thing modeled is the Lab Series that BB King used to play) In the sixties, Fogerty was also known for using a Rickenbacker, they're even more trebly than a Tele, and can get very harsh without some soft compression, like an LA2A or equivalent. (both pickups is a good idea, cuz Fogerty was basically an acoustic guitar player, didn't become a real electric lead guy, 'til the early oughts, and the middle position has the fullest frequency range. I'd probably go with a Deluxe Reverb or Twin, (bassman should work, too) unless using a Rickenbacker; in that case, go with a Vox variant, they compress in the top end in a way that's magical with a Ricky. (check out Tom Petty's rhythm sound, it's not far from Fogerty) Amp settings are very important; the Vox will have more usable range without becoming too obviously distorted, you want ninja distortion, the kind you feel more than hear, so crank the master, leave the preamp as low as you can manage, you want just a little breathy compression to tame the harshness in the highs, instead of rolling too much off with the treble knob on the guitar.