TaipanTone ferrule blocks: for real

woodman · June 9th, 2008, 09:15 PM

today i finished a round of sound clips featuring three of Vince's ferrule blocks (you can see them at TaipanTone.

before i routed the Rainbow Tele for this installation, i was expecting a little extra snap. after trying the brass, aluminum and stainless blocks, i'm slightly stunned at the tonal leap. if you like the traditional Tele sound, they may not be for you. but if you're looking for a little more mojo or your axe has a weakness to counter (wimpy treble, weak mids etc.) this mod is worth a look. yeah, it's major surgery, but for me, the results have been well worth it.

* the brass gave me outrageous harmonics on the Rainbow -- it was like taking a blanket off the guitar's voice. almost like a mild clean boost all the way across the frequency spectrum. i think this is the keeper for my purposes.

* the aluminum scoops the mids a tad and adds a sweet, compressed high end, ideal for chiminess without jagged transients.

* the stainless is beefy, plenty of guts in the mids/lo mids but without losing high end. i could see rockers loving this one.

but enough blabbing! you can listen for yourself. (bear in mind that these clips aren't works of art, just functional licks to demonstrate the difference.)

here are two comparisons of the stock sound, brass, aluminum and stainless blocks:
clean
nasty

here are comparative clips of blocks only (no stock sound) on the bridge and neck pickups:
bridge
neck

these are downloads (i'm pretty sure), and i apologize for the inconvenience. if someone can tell me how to submit a link that magically plays the clip when you punch it, i'd be eternally obliged. but if you listen, you might be surprised.

casterway · June 9th, 2008, 09:38 PM

This sounds strangely familiar....

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...ule-holes.html

Southern ILL · June 9th, 2008, 09:40 PM

I am really surprised by the differance....I like the brass.I think it just warmed up the tone a whole lot on your cleans and exactly like you said boost the dirty stuff.....I think I may go the brass with the brass half bridge and a P90

.......thanks for taking the time to do this!!

woodman · June 9th, 2008, 10:30 PM

it really depends on the guitar. but yeah, i like the brass too.

robt57 · June 9th, 2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Southern ILL

I am really surprised by the differance....I like the brass.I think it just warmed up the tone a whole lot on your cleans and exactly like you said boost the dirty stuff.....I think I may go the brass with the brass half bridge and a P90

.......thanks for taking the time to do this!!

Brass seems most open to me. What Seymour is that bridge PUP?

woodman · June 9th, 2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robt57

Brass seems most open to me. What Seymour is that bridge PUP?

it's actually a Don Mare 2324 hybrid (about 7.7k, if i recall). neck's an S-Telly.

robt57 · June 9th, 2008, 11:42 PM

I thought I remembered that was a SD, oh well! ;)

James · June 10th, 2008, 01:20 AM

why did you put reverb on the brass and steel tracks only?

robt57 · June 10th, 2008, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

why did you put reverb on the brass and steel tracks only?

I thought that at first myself, then decided that is what the block accentuated. Wonder if I was right abut that??

RotelliCaster · June 10th, 2008, 01:59 AM

Wow! What a difference each of them make!

I like them all, it depends on whats being played. The brass does seem to have the all around tone with the steel a close second, IMO.

Thanks for the sound clips Wood Man. I burned them to a disk and I'm gonna play them in my truck until I don't have to drive the car pool anymore!

JK

Good job at clearly demonstrating the range of sound these help produce.

Westerly Sunn · June 10th, 2008, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robt57

I thought that at first myself, then decided that is what the block accentuated. Wonder if I was right abut that??

Seems to me like there ain't no doubt...

Brass & steel got reverb on 'em; Others are dry... maybe a smidgen on the "stock" recording?

woodman · June 10th, 2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

why did you put reverb on the brass and steel tracks only?

the answer would be idiocy. i screwed up, but by the time i realized it, i had the aluminum block out and the stainless in. it was a real *DOH!* moment. it wasn't practical to unstring, swap blocks and restring to redo that sample, then unstring, swap blocks again and restring again. chalk it up to a rookie recordist mistake.

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 09:38 AM

Woodman, I did a spectral frequency analysis on your samples last night. This technique is used in forensic voice analysis to identify/eliminate a suspect.

Usually an unknown exemplar is compared with a known one.

We aren't trying to have Vince arrested so there was no need to get him on the phone.

For a known exemplar that is.

It's funny you would think that an expert would have to have an exemplar that is made under the exact conditions as the unknown. This is rarely the case. Most time a suspect is in jail or prison and the exemplar is taken over the phone. It is interesting to watch it done and to ask how could you get a solid result from something that doesn't sound anything like the unknown. That may be why not all states accept it as admissible evidence.

OK, I just listened to the samples I used. They came from this file. And I don't think you had any reverb on it either. clips-blox-bridge.

Your attack was pretty consistent not exact and may have played some part in the db range of course. But the frequency/db is interesting to see graphically.

I used the first 4 notes from each audio sample of each metal [brass, aluminum, steel] block.

I will post the exemplar samples including the spectral analysis results this morning.

This is not perfect and it is not something I spent a few days on. But it shows a clear difference in frequency and tonal range.

robt57 · June 10th, 2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arlo

We aren't trying to have Vince arrested

there is a thought though... to have him be incarcerated about the same time you'd supposed to be sending his NAMM parts back north.

"rookie recordist mistake"

remind me not to hire you for any studies.... ;)

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 10:46 AM

First the exemplars from Woodman's file.

Brass

Steel

Aluminum

A JPG file of all 3 exemplars.

Click the image to open in a larger view.

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 10:48 AM

Brass results:

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 10:50 AM

Steel results:

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 10:51 AM

Aluminum results:

woodman · June 10th, 2008, 11:02 AM

Arlo, that would be terrific (spectral analysis). i'm fascinated by the whole thing. round up the usual suspects!

i'm not sure what i'm looking at in your diagram, though ....

some background on the clips that may help you sift the evidence:

consistencies:

the block samples were all played at identical settings. (i used the POD due to the variables in miking up amps i'm constantly hauling in and out for gigs.)
the strings on each sample were played in but not close to dead, and i used the same pick.
i tried to get the waveforms as nearly equal as possible. (it was interesting to note that the aluminum had less spiky transients than the others.)

inconsistencies

in hindsight, i wish i'd logged the stock settings more thoroughly. about a month elapsed between tracking the stock sound, the routing/installation, and the first round of clips, and my memory was far from perfect.
the blocks were recorded at least a week apart - i wanted to gig each block before swapping out for the next one, so i had to roll with the booking tides.
human error, like the reverb blunder noted above. this was my first project of this nature and i learned a lot: i shouldn't have used ANY effects, not even reverb, and i should've written down every detail of every setting on every clip for absolute consistency.

but you live and learn. at the very least, i hope this project (1) demonstrates that these blocks have a substantial effect on tone, and (2) illustrates the difference between the various metals so people contemplating this mod can make a more informed decision.

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 11:05 AM

The spectral diagrams above were done with Sony Sound Forge 8.

Here I have used DC LIVE Forensics 6 for another comparison.

Brass

Steel

Aluminum

Tim Armstrong · June 10th, 2008, 11:05 AM

Fascinating!!!

Cheers, Tim

woodman · June 10th, 2008, 11:09 AM

Arlo -- while i was doing all that blabbing, you got the analyses posted. can you shed some light on what we're looking at here (i.e., interpret what you're seeing in these?) it's like reading x-rays -- i know what i'm seeing, but i don't know exactly what it means.

Arlo · June 10th, 2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodman

Arlo, that would be terrific (spectral analysis). i'm fascinated by the whole thing. round up the usual suspects!

i'm not sure what i'm looking at in your diagram, though ....

some background on the

June 9th, 2008, 09:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,964	TaipanTone ferrule blocks: for real today i finished a round of sound clips featuring three of Vince's ferrule blocks (you can see them at TaipanTone. before i routed the Rainbow Tele for this installation, i was expecting a little extra snap. after trying the brass, aluminum and stainless blocks, i'm slightly stunned at the tonal leap. if you like the traditional Tele sound, they may not be for you. but if you're looking for a little more mojo or your axe has a weakness to counter (wimpy treble, weak mids etc.) this mod is worth a look. yeah, it's major surgery, but for me, the results have been well worth it. * the brass gave me outrageous harmonics on the Rainbow -- it was like taking a blanket off the guitar's voice. almost like a mild clean boost all the way across the frequency spectrum. i think this is the keeper for my purposes. * the aluminum scoops the mids a tad and adds a sweet, compressed high end, ideal for chiminess without jagged transients. * the stainless is beefy, plenty of guts in the mids/lo mids but without losing high end. i could see rockers loving this one. but enough blabbing! you can listen for yourself. (bear in mind that these clips aren't works of art, just functional licks to demonstrate the difference.) here are two comparisons of the stock sound, brass, aluminum and stainless blocks: clean nasty here are comparative clips of blocks only (no stock sound) on the bridge and neck pickups: bridge neck these are downloads (i'm pretty sure), and i apologize for the inconvenience. if someone can tell me how to submit a link that magically plays the clip when you punch it, i'd be eternally obliged. but if you listen, you might be surprised. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

June 9th, 2008, 09:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
casterway Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Aldergrove, British Columbia,Canada Age: 40 Posts: 2,840	This sounds strangely familiar.... http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...ule-holes.html __________________ There's nothing wrong with a proper repair... "I don't scratch no guitars." John Lee Hooker, when asked to carve his signature into an old acoustic. Last edited by casterway; June 10th, 2008 at 09:01 AM.

June 9th, 2008, 10:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,964	it really depends on the guitar. but yeah, i like the brass too. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

June 9th, 2008, 11:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
robt57 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lost Yankee in Nashville Age: 51 Posts: 3,708 21 Photos	I thought I remembered that was a SD, oh well! ;) __________________ Leo's Great, Leo's Good, let us thank him for our... Twang!

June 10th, 2008, 01:20 AM	#8 (permalink)
James TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 42	why did you put reverb on the brass and steel tracks only? __________________ www.matchesthesky.com

June 9th, 2008, 09:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
Southern ILL Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Illinois Age: 38 Posts: 982	I am really surprised by the differance....I like the brass.I think it just warmed up the tone a whole lot on your cleans and exactly like you said boost the dirty stuff.....I think I may go the brass with the brass half bridge and a P90 .......thanks for taking the time to do this!!

June 10th, 2008, 01:59 AM	#10 (permalink)
RotelliCaster Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bethany, Oklahoma Age: 41 Posts: 437 13 Photos	Wow! What a difference each of them make! I like them all, it depends on whats being played. The brass does seem to have the all around tone with the steel a close second, IMO. Thanks for the sound clips Wood Man. I burned them to a disk and I'm gonna play them in my truck until I don't have to drive the car pool anymore! JK Good job at clearly demonstrating the range of sound these help produce. __________________ " Trust me, I saw this in a cartoon and I'm pretty sure I can do it! " http://www.myspace.com/bmwsteve Guitar Photos

June 10th, 2008, 09:38 AM	#13 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	Woodman, I did a spectral frequency analysis on your samples last night. This technique is used in forensic voice analysis to identify/eliminate a suspect. Usually an unknown exemplar is compared with a known one. We aren't trying to have Vince arrested so there was no need to get him on the phone. For a known exemplar that is. It's funny you would think that an expert would have to have an exemplar that is made under the exact conditions as the unknown. This is rarely the case. Most time a suspect is in jail or prison and the exemplar is taken over the phone. It is interesting to watch it done and to ask how could you get a solid result from something that doesn't sound anything like the unknown. That may be why not all states accept it as admissible evidence. OK, I just listened to the samples I used. They came from this file. And I don't think you had any reverb on it either. clips-blox-bridge. Your attack was pretty consistent not exact and may have played some part in the db range of course. But the frequency/db is interesting to see graphically. I used the first 4 notes from each audio sample of each metal [brass, aluminum, steel] block. I will post the exemplar samples including the spectral analysis results this morning. This is not perfect and it is not something I spent a few days on. But it shows a clear difference in frequency and tonal range. __________________ My music? It is free for my friends. Last edited by Arlo; June 10th, 2008 at 10:54 AM.

June 10th, 2008, 10:46 AM	#15 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	First the exemplars from Woodman's file. Brass Steel Aluminum A JPG file of all 3 exemplars. Click the image to open in a larger view. __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

June 10th, 2008, 10:48 AM	#16 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	Brass results: __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

June 10th, 2008, 10:50 AM	#17 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	Steel results: __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

June 10th, 2008, 10:51 AM	#18 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	Aluminum results: __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

June 10th, 2008, 11:02 AM	#19 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,964	Arlo, that would be terrific (spectral analysis). i'm fascinated by the whole thing. round up the usual suspects! i'm not sure what i'm looking at in your diagram, though .... some background on the clips that may help you sift the evidence: consistencies: the block samples were all played at identical settings. (i used the POD due to the variables in miking up amps i'm constantly hauling in and out for gigs.) the strings on each sample were played in but not close to dead, and i used the same pick. i tried to get the waveforms as nearly equal as possible. (it was interesting to note that the aluminum had less spiky transients than the others.) inconsistencies in hindsight, i wish i'd logged the stock settings more thoroughly. about a month elapsed between tracking the stock sound, the routing/installation, and the first round of clips, and my memory was far from perfect. the blocks were recorded at least a week apart - i wanted to gig each block before swapping out for the next one, so i had to roll with the booking tides. human error, like the reverb blunder noted above. this was my first project of this nature and i learned a lot: i shouldn't have used ANY effects, not even reverb, and i should've written down every detail of every setting on every clip for absolute consistency. but you live and learn. at the very least, i hope this project (1) demonstrates that these blocks have a substantial effect on tone, and (2) illustrates the difference between the various metals so people contemplating this mod can make a more informed decision. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

June 10th, 2008, 11:05 AM	#20 (permalink)
Arlo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Maine [in a van down by the river] Age: 50 Posts: 2,333	The spectral diagrams above were done with Sony Sound Forge 8. Here I have used DC LIVE Forensics 6 for another comparison. Brass Steel Aluminum __________________ My music? It is free for my friends.

June 10th, 2008, 11:05 AM	#21 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 9,678	Fascinating!!! Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

June 10th, 2008, 11:09 AM	#22 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,964	Arlo -- while i was doing all that blabbing, you got the analyses posted. can you shed some light on what we're looking at here (i.e., interpret what you're seeing in these?) it's like reading x-rays -- i know what i'm seeing, but i don't know exactly what it means. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)