Guitars that don't do Cleans?

[MetalManiac]

Is there such a thing? I'd say yes.
Playing my EVH Guitar with the '78, all i get is a sterile clean sound, and it may be the fualt of the guitar moreso than the pickup- really couldn't say;
BUT..that thing is a whompping Mutha when the gain is cranked!
Am I just imagining this or is it real?

[SabbathFan0220]

Some guitars are better for cleans, others are better for dirt.

My SG Special is a very fat sounding SG. It'll kick you in the balls with some gain, but the cleans are kinda lifeless.

[Funkfingers]

I feel this way about my PRS SE One and SE Singlecut Soapbar. I have upgraded both guitars with US-made pickups and control parts. Through overdriven valve amplification, both guitars make the filthygorgeous blues-rock noises that I crave. Neither is particularly spectacular when the amp runs clean.

[formula73]

Generally speaking, I don't like humbuckers for cleans, at all, unless it's heavily processed and eq'd. Sparkly cleans are Fender territory, imho.

[Gypsyblue]

I don't think any solid body guitars with humbuckers sound great clean - especially Les Pauls and SGs.

A semi-hollowbody with humbuckers (like an ES-335) can sound great, to me, playing clean tones. But a Les Paul or SG just lacks warmth and resonance, and sounds flat and lifeless, in my hands, when I play with a clean tone.

One could say that Strats with Strat single coils do clean tones better than they do distorted tones. I would.

[some_dude]

Les Pauls were originally designed to produce clean tones... it's the whole point of the maple cap on a mahogany guitar.

My one Les Paul (Burstbucker 1 and 2) puts out a clean tone that is easily on par with the P90s that are in my other Les Paul, and my SG (57 Classics) is only a short step behind those two.

Long story short, I don't think it's so much the guitar that makes or breaks the clean tone as it is the pickup. Hot, dull and midrange heavy overwound humbuckers aren't going to produce the dynamic range and top end detail of an underwound humbucker. Ceramic or Alnico 5 aren't going to produce the compression of Alnico 2.

[thunderkyss]

Les Pauls were originally designed to produce clean tones... it's the whole point of the maple cap on a mahogany guitar.

My one Les Paul (Burstbucker 1 and 2) puts out a clean tone that is easily on par with the P90s that are in my other Les Paul, and my SG (57 Classics) is only a short step behind those two.

Long story short, I don't think it's so much the guitar that makes or breaks the clean tone as it is the pickup. Hot, dull and midrange heavy overwound humbuckers aren't going to produce the dynamic range and top end detail of an underwound humbucker. Ceramic or Alnico 5 aren't going to produce the compression of Alnico 2.

Well the cleans the Les Paul were "designed" to make are more of a flat.... classic jazz type of clean. It's about balance & clarity.

When I think of cleans though, I'm thinking deep, round, & bubbly, SRV type cleans. That's Strat/single coil territory.

So there are different levels of clean & of course it really depends on your situation. If you're trying to sound like SRV with Wolfgang or what not... probably going to come up short. But you should be able to play arpegiated cleans like GnR, Don't Cry, Knock'n on Heaven's Door...... or Skynyrds, Simple Man... or the Eagles, Hotel California... Zepplin's, Stairway to Heaven

[JeffB]

Has more to do with pups than guitars,.IME. certain pickups sound like ass clean. Actives Or high output buckers for example.

[some_dude]

But you should be able to play arpegiated cleans like GnR, Don't Cry, Knock'n on Heaven's Door...... or Skynyrds, Simple Man... or the Eagles, Hotel California... Zepplin's, Stairway to Heaven

And I suppose that Marshall's can only do AC/DC and Telecasters can't do anything but Country-Western.

[Empty Pockets]

Two words: Roll down your volume knob, dumby.

[Jessie's ghost]

I'm also calling hogwash on this. Not every guitar will do your favorite clean tone, but I think nearly every guitar can do some form of good clean tone. It's just a matter of finding its strengths and playing on those strengths.

[That90'sGuy]

I never had much luck with getting good cleans out of the EMG 81/85 set. Those things are so powerful that the cleans always suffer even though with overdrive they always had massive sustain and clarity.

[BEACHBUM]

Since I haven't played every guitar in the world I can't say if some won't do clean. What I can say is that I've got 14 guitars that include Teles, Strats, humbucker equipped semis and arch tops and all of them can do great overdrive as well as clean. Now if you want to talk about amps that's another story. Some won't do dirt without help and others can't do clean at volume. The thing is that you can always add dirt but you can never add clean.

[gibson175]

I don't think any solid body guitars with humbuckers sound great clean - especially Les Pauls and SGs.

I'm pretty sure Les Paul would be the first of many players who disagree with you on that one.

But to the OP...all guitars have their strengths and their weaknesses. Thats why there are so many wood/hardware/pickup combinations as well as so many different amps/speakers.

[IMENATOR]

Well the cleans the Les Paul were "designed" to make are more of a flat.... classic jazz type of clean. It's about balance & clarity.

When I think of cleans though, I'm thinking deep, round, & bubbly, SRV type cleans. That's Strat/single coil territory.

So there are different levels of clean & of course it really depends on your situation. If you're trying to sound like SRV with Wolfgang or what not... probably going to come up short. But you should be able to play arpegiated cleans like GnR, Don't Cry, Knock'n on Heaven's Door...... or Skynyrds, Simple Man... or the Eagles, Hotel California... Zepplin's, Stairway to Heaven

Was Les Paul' guitar originally released with P-90 single coils? I remember a couple of old Mrs Les Paul tv performances on youtube and he was getting some super cool clean tones IMHO. Anyway I agree on the fact that the Les Paul model was in the mind of a jazz player from the begining and that defined its design and original tone.

[Gypsyblue]

I'm pretty sure Les Paul would be the first of many players who disagree with you on that one.

But to the OP...all guitars have their strengths and their weaknesses. Thats why there are so many wood/hardware/pickup combinations as well as so many different amps/speakers.

I know. Les Pauls are designed to have no resonance - although they do of course. But that sound just doesn't do it for me. I prefer a guitar with resonance. Les Paul himself wanted no resonance and eventually went on to play those awful solid mahogany Les Paul Recording guitars with the low impedance pickups that really sounded bland as all get out - especially in my hands. But that tone was his ideal. It's not mine. I like a guitar that feels alive - that's my ideal.

[phil_104]

I won't reach for my Les Paul when it's time for cleans. I just don't feel it has the kind of bloom I am looking for. It has bloom and a very interesting tone, but it's just not what I want. If I'm going humbuckers I'll hit up the ES339. If I want single coils, neck pickup on a strat. That makes me happy.

[IMENATOR]

Is there such a thing? I'd say yes.
Playing my EVH Guitar with the '78, all i get is a sterile clean sound, and it may be the fualt of the guitar moreso than the pickup- really couldn't say;
BUT..that thing is a whompping Mutha when the gain is cranked!
Am I just imagining this or is it real?

It is all about personal taste for tone but I would say yes, there are guitars that don't work fine for clean tones but that also depends of the construction/wood/pickups/strings. Also using a HB in the bridge is the least flavored for clean tones but is the best for playing riffs thru overdriver/distortion IMHO.

My good old strat had a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge. I have to say it was not that bad at all but just not the best clean tone I could get from that guitat becuase single coils do a better job IMHkind, specially in the neck position. At some point I wanted to try a change so I removed the original pickguard and installed a JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck so my (fatter) bridge moved further away from what I would call a nice clean tone but that was a price I was willing to pay in order to get the distorted tone I wanted. I have to say the Jazz neck has a beautiful HB clean tone that allowed me to keep a nice clean tone.

[Andrew Lamprecht]

I'm also calling hogwash on this. Not every guitar will do your favorite clean tone, but I think nearly every guitar can do some form of good clean tone. It's just a matter of finding its strengths and playing on those strengths.

+1

[Gypsyblue]

I won't reach for my Les Paul when it's time for cleans. I just don't feel it has the kind of bloom I am looking for. It has bloom and a very interesting tone, but it's just not what I want. If I'm going humbuckers I'll hit up the ES339. If I want single coils, neck pickup on a strat. That makes me happy.

Me too.