How to get that kind of Cray Strat Sound?

[stratman323]

The new generation texas specials are good. Lower output than what is in the mexican robert cray signature and the custom shop signature use texas specials. There was even an article with RC saying TS are his favorite pickups.

People will say all kinds of things if they get paid enough by Fender. Remember, he will get some sort of commission or royalty from every signature guitar sold (I assume) so he has a financial interest in saying he likes what Fender do.

The fact remains that none of his classic early recordings (which defined his tone) were made with Texas Specials. Cray's sound is a '64 Strat with standard pickups. That's all you need to know.

 

[dogletnoir]

I wanted a hardtail Strat & the MIM RC is one of the few affordable options. The fact that it's a great guitar & sounds fantastic is just icing on the cake.

That was my rationale also.

 

[StratUp]

People will say all kinds of things if they get paid enough by Fender. Remember, he will get some sort of commission or royalty from every signature guitar sold (I assume) so he has a financial interest in saying he likes what Fender do.

The fact remains that none of his classic early recordings (which defined his tone) were made with Texas Specials. Cray's sound is a '64 Strat with standard pickups. That's all you need to know.

I was about to post the same as a question, I.e. "Was that before or after his endorsement deal?". But I see you beat me to it.

 

[Torvald]

Just listened to the video. My first thought was, It's not the pickups. I'd look to the amp first.

 

[jball85]

Bootstrap Vintage Sparkle.

Yes, they may not be correct spec wise to the pickups in Crays strats, but I'm telling you they'll nail that sound.

 

[Mojo-Man]

Bootstrap Vintage Sparkle.

Yes, they may not be correct spec wise to the pickups in Crays strats, but I'm telling you they'll nail that sound.

Thanky you. That's the reason Iam asking people. Getting new input, products and so on. Verry interesting research, not so easy to get in Europe.

 

[Geoff06]

Listening to that first video of Phone Booth, I realized that I had forgotten how good his singing is.

I've always loved how crisp his guitar tone is and as a couple people have said, I'd look at amp [and maybe speakers if rolling amps isn't an option] more than specific pickups. Amp volume is also part of the answer.

 

[stratman323]

I was about to post the same as a question, I.e. "Was that before or after his endorsement deal?". But I see you beat me to it.

Same with Stevie Ray. I don't think he ever even played a guitar with Texas Specials, did he? Certainly none of the recordings that made him famous featured TSs.

Same with his big bro Jimmie Vaughan. His signature Strat features Tex-Mex pickups - an overwound pickup. Yet Jimmie's classic recordings with the Fabulous Thunderbird were all made using vintage pickups - definitely not hot pickups.

Same with Mark Knopfler - doesn't his signature Strat feature TSs? Also another player who made his name & defined his sound with low output vintage Strat pickups. Can anyone see a pattern here?

Surely the real question is this. Why are Fender so desperate to fill their signature guitars with overwound pickups that are nothing like the pickups that "defined" the artist? And how come all of these artists are persuaded to endorse inappropriate pickups? How much do they all get paid to use what Fender want to push?

It's all very odd. Money talks.

 

[stratman323]

Bootstrap Vintage Sparkle.

Yes, they may not be correct spec wise to the pickups in Crays strats, but I'm telling you they'll nail that sound.

So will most vintage style Strat pickups, 57/62s, SSL-1s etc. etc. etc.

 

[stratman323]

Listening to that first video of Phone Booth, I realized that I had forgotten how good his singing is.

Cray is basically a soul singer, reminds me of O. V. Wright. Mind you, Albert King was basically a soul singer too.

 

[Ramblin'man]

The Blues is soul singing my friend.

 

[StratUp]

The Blues is soul singing my friend.

Which is why it comes across so poorly with some folks who are going through the motions, but don't have it in their soul.

 

[stratman323]

The Blues is soul singing my friend.

That's an oversimplification, as you well know. It's much easier to hear the connection with soul music in the voice of Albert KIng than it is with the voice of Elmore James, much as I love him. You know that & you know that I know that.

 

[somebodyelseuk]

Cray is basically a soul singer, reminds me of O. V. Wright. Mind you, Albert King was basically a soul singer too.

Yeah, I always thought of him as a sort of Otis Redding meets BB King - not a Cray officianado, just a lasting first impression.

As for getting the sound - Strat, amp and a lifetime of practise.

 

[jball85]

Thanky you. That's the reason Iam asking people. Getting new input, products and so on. Verry interesting research, not so easy to get in Europe.

No problem, it's not much help to recommend something that's already been thrown out here. If you haven't checked their website, a strat set runs about $75 shipped internationally.

 

[rolandson]

How to get that kind of Cray Strat Sound?​

Have your singer fall into your speaker cab and take out a driver.
Everything changed after that night, for both.

 

[AJK1]

I've listened. Just not a fan. Was trying to help. Not be an ass.

He’s too slick, clean and wimpy for me

 

[stratman323]

He’s too slick, clean and wimpy for me

You mean he understands what a volume control is for?

 

[El Gobernador]

He sat in with us at the Mint in L.A.

Played my back up Strat. I use a floating vibrato. He plugged into the house amp. A Rivera.

He sounded great. Just like Robert Cray.

He has massive hands. That's where it comes from.

 

[soulman969]

The smart ass answer would probably be to hire Robt Cray himself. Like many others before him he as a very unique and recognizable style and sound. If someone can listen to a recording and know it's BB King, or SRV, or Clapton, or Santana they can probably pick out Robt Cray as well.

I believe the guitar contributes mostly due to the pickups and to a certain degree the hardtail bridge. I don't sound like Robt Cray playing mine but the guitar itself does have that kind of snappiness and funky tone Robt Cray is known for. So to get there I'd start with buying Robt Cray pickups. They're very good. And I prefer a hardtail so there's that as well.

I've seen him perform live and his setup is pretty simple. Dual Matchless amps surrounding what looked like a Super Reverb or maybe a Vibro-King and he swapped back and forth between a Sunburst and an Inca Silver CS Robert Cray model throughout his set. That was it. He played straight in without effects pedals.

Maybe this will help; https://happybluesman.com/how-sound-robert-cray/