• Registered: 2015-04-01
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

Hi guys,

Firstly I've just discovered this forum and I already have a notepad full of playing and gear tips from everyone here.  It's a great community. 

As you guys seem to know your stuff, I was wondering if anyone here (particularly Joe if he gets a chance) could explain how Joe gets such a thick strat tone on his "Live at the Borderline" show.  As far as I can tell its mostly just the two marshalls (stereo with one cleaner than the other if the usual rig is anything to go by) with an 808 and a fuzz face.  Any ideas how its set up to achieve that tone?

My current setup is:
Strat (strung 11-54)> Fuzz Face> Fulltone Clyde> Fulltone 70 Fuzz> Velvet Minotaur(Klone)> Ibanez 808> Hot Rod Deluxe

As advised by Joe in a (much) earlier post on this forum, I'm thinking of getting an AC30 with greenbacks to pair with the Hot Rod.
Thanks for any help guys

Strat (EJ wiring) & Tele > JH Fuzz face > JH1D wah >  TS808 > TU3 > DSL50(1936 cab) > DL4 (in the loop)

2 Reply by Jimi75 (edited by Jimi75 2015-04-04 04:15:51)

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

Have you played with your guitar's tone knob? I get such tones when using the position between bridge and middle PU, rolling back the tone to 5 or 6 (this requires your second tone pot works seperately and regualtes the tone of the bridge PU!). I used to use a Fuzz and it worked fine, I know use two Klon type overdrives and it works great. My amp is set to slightly break up. Regarding the mixing of two amps, I never was a fan of that, too much to carry to gigs...and I play a lot of them. I believe that in the end it doesn't benefit in such a huge manner that adding a 2nd amp can be justified. Listening to Joe, even when he plays only one amp, or his diminished set up, it still sounds great to me. Before investing in a 2nd amp, why don't you consider upgrading to a "better" amp than the HRD - don't get me wrong the HRD is a great amp, but I would suggest you figure what's you'd get for the HRD, including the new investment you would make and then you go try amps in that price range. Just my 2 cents ;-) There's much fish in the see.

Jimi75's Website

  • jim m
  • jim m
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  • From: Okie City, OK
  • Registered: 2006-04-24
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Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

CharlieHFB wrote:

Hi guys,

Firstly I've just discovered this forum and I already have a notepad full of playing and gear tips from everyone here.  It's a great community. 

As you guys seem to know your stuff, I was wondering if anyone here (particularly Joe if he gets a chance) could explain how Joe gets such a thick strat tone on his "Live at the Borderline" show.  As far as I can tell its mostly just the two marshalls (stereo with one cleaner than the other if the usual rig is anything to go by) with an 808 and a fuzz face.  Any ideas how its set up to achieve that tone?

My current setup is:
Strat (strung 11-54)> Fuzz Face> Fulltone Clyde> Fulltone 70 Fuzz> Velvet Minotaur(Klone)> Ibanez 808> Hot Rod Deluxe

As advised by Joe in a (much) earlier post on this forum, I'm thinking of getting an AC30 with greenbacks to pair with the Hot Rod.
Thanks for any help guys

One amp needs the Boss DD3 in the loop. I think that is very important part of the Borderline sound as it was part of his sound in the two Marshall set up. Another thing I know he has done in the past was wire the tone knob to work on the bridge Pickup.

jim m's Website

  • Registered: 2008-03-07
  • Posts: 508

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

Its no secret Marshall silver jubilee has a thick sound thats it !!

"Everybody's entitled to my opinion. wink

5 Reply by CharlieHFB (edited by CharlieHFB 2015-04-04 18:26:22)

  • Registered: 2015-04-01
  • Posts: 9

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

Thanks for the replies guys,

Jimi75 I do indeed have my second tone control wired to the bridge; it certainly does help darken things up.  Yeah I think i'm gonna end up with the AC30 either way, its just a question of whether or not the HRD stays as the cost of a second hand AC30 is covered by selling the fender.

Jim m, I have recently (last Tuesday) started running the DL4 through the effects loop and that also helps, although I had to change all of my settings!

SOFTMC might have it, maybe I just need a more brute-ish amp...

Strat (EJ wiring) & Tele > JH Fuzz face > JH1D wah >  TS808 > TU3 > DSL50(1936 cab) > DL4 (in the loop)
  • macg1
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
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Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

CharlieHFB wrote:

Thanks for the replies guys,

Jimi75 I do indeed have my second tone control wired to the bridge; it certainly does help darken things up.  Yeah I think i'm gonna end up with the AC30 either way, its just a question of whether or not the HRD stays as the cost of a second hand AC30 is covered by selling the fender.

Jim m, I have recently (last Tuesday) started running the DL4 through the effects loop and that also helps, although I had to change all of my settings!

SOFTMC might have it, maybe I just need a more brute-ish amp...

Well if that is the sound you want, you will be very hard pressed to get it with your current rig. I suggested selling as much gear as possible and going ahead and investing on a silver jubilee, maybe a combo or a clone, OR getting a used super drive 30 or 45 (preferably the 45) from Budda. The latter option is fairly affordable. The silver Jubs are gainy amps with a very unique LED clipping section that will be impossible to reproduce with your current gear. You could get close, I suppose, with your Hot Rod amp with a nice marshall-in-a-box type pedal that has a good tweakable EQ section.

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint
  • From: braintree essex
  • Registered: 2010-02-22
  • Posts: 221

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

That tone is thick because of the EVs in his cabs.... They pack a punch and with the marshall it will sound big!!
If he played it through v30s it would of sounded thinner!

  • From: Ridgeland, MS
  • Registered: 2009-08-12
  • Posts: 1,248

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

It looks like he uses the middle position pickup a lot with that particular Strat.

  • Registered: 2015-04-01
  • Posts: 9

Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

Seems to be the amp then. I'm gonna go and try out a DSL2000 and the Vox, seems like a change is needed.

On another note, I just read on this forum that Joe puts his Fuzz face at the end of his chain, which I've never heard of anyone doing.  Any of you guys do this?

Thanks again.

Strat (EJ wiring) & Tele > JH Fuzz face > JH1D wah >  TS808 > TU3 > DSL50(1936 cab) > DL4 (in the loop)
  • macg1
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Re: Joe's Borderline Strat Tone

CharlieHFB wrote:

Seems to be the amp then. I'm gonna go and try out a DSL2000 and the Vox, seems like a change is needed.

On another note, I just read on this forum that Joe puts his Fuzz face at the end of his chain, which I've never heard of anyone doing.  Any of you guys do this?

Thanks again.

Rumor goes that Hendrix did that too, but you can find pics of Hendrix's effects in every different possible conformation; granted he only used two or three different things. At the end of the day, it is whatever works best for you, so try it out! The worst that could happen is that it sounds like a big wet fart.

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint