That Robert Cray sound

[elicross]

I've been listening to Strong Persuader, and a little while back I saw that YouTube video of Robert Cray playing with Clapton. I like his tone, and it got me to wondering just how he gets it.

I can get good midrangey sounds from my Strats. I'm fond of the old neck-pickup-through-Tube-Screamer thing. That strikes me as one of the great signature electric blues sounds. But Cray's tone is an example of another classic Strat blues sound, and I'm not entirely sure how he gets it. Something so bright and...Stratty...but still very smooth and cool, not grating at all. He seems to get a good bit of sustain, but doesn't sound like he's got a whole lot of gain going.

I'd guess he's using the middle+bridge position, but I'm not sure about that. And beyond that, I'm at a loss. Anybody know what amps he plays through, and what effects (if any) he uses?

[melody]

Gear
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Special, Martin Acoustic
Amps: 2 Matchless / Clubman 35
1 Fender / Vibroking
Rack: Zack Manufacturing / Vibroman 1.0
TC Electronics / 2290
Samson / Wireless
Peavy / Valveverb
Korg / DTR-1 Tuner

[elicross]

Interesting. Thanks. I figured he didn't use much in the way of effects. I remember seeing him use a delay for a solo once (might be on the Crossroads 2007 DVD). It's unusual to hear an actual echo on a blues solo, but he made it work. I'd like to have one of those TC delays. I considered one when I was in the market for a delay, but $250 was more than I wanted to spend. Ended up with a Hardwire DL-8, which is pretty darn nice for about $100 less.

I wonder how different his rig was back in the 1980s. His sound on more recent albums like Time Will Tell and This Time seems a little more mellow than it used to be.

[CocoTone]

Gear
Guitar: Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Special, Martin Acoustic
Amps: 2 Matchless / Clubman 35
1 Fender / Vibroking
Rack: Zack Manufacturing / Vibroman 1.0
TC Electronics / 2290
Samson / Wireless
Peavy / Valveverb
Korg / DTR-1 Tuner

Not arguing, but I have never, ever seen young Bob play a Tele, or a Gibson, cept for maybe 25 years ago, he did use a 335 on the odd tune. He uses his custom shop hardtail Strat.

CT.

[CocoTone]

His Strat Super Reverb tone from the 80's was the best.

CT.

[melody]

Not arguing, but I have never, ever seen young Bob play a Tele, or a Gibson, cept for maybe 25 years ago, he did use a 335 on the odd tune. He uses his custom shop hardtail Strat.

CT.

Well me either, But that was a cut and paste from his web page..

[CocoTone]

He probably has more guits than he's admitting to, but I think its safe to assume that he's a Strat cat.

CT.

[Cogs]

He also does not use a pick & that accounts for some of that "pop" he gets.

[elicross]

That's true. I wonder if he uses his nails.

I have a feeling some vintage (or vintage-style) Strat pups went into his early sound, too. That would help explain how bright and "quacky" his tone was back then. I've seen his CS signature Strat described as having Custom Shop 69s, but the Fender literature just says something like "custom vintage pickups."

[elicross]

Something else that struck me while I was reading the Wikipedia entry about Robert Cray: Back when "Smoking Gun" was released, it reached #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts. I know I run the risk of sounding a typical middle-aged guy, saying "Music was better back then" -- but can you imagine that happening today? I can't.

[phantomman]

I've seen his CS signature Strat described as having Custom Shop 69s, but the Fender literature just says something like "custom vintage pickups."

I have both sets of these -- RC's and CS '69s -- installed in similar guitars and while the RC neck and middle pickups sound sorta "69-ish", the bridge pickup with its non-staggered poles sounds much hotter and beefier......less "spank" and more "squawk" (if that makes sense).

Of course these are the standard Fender production items -- what Robert actually uses may be completely different.

[Custom 5]

Cray's sound seems to come across better on his albums than in his live performances.

[Rickenjangle]

Cray's sound seems to come across better on his albums than in his live performances.

I tend to disagree. I've seen him about 4 times, and each time he had a different rig but the sound was amazing. Now, there might be a bit more overdrive, live, and the sound is a bit more crystalline on the albums, but overall, the sound is very much consistent overall. Unlike, say, Chris Duarte, whose sound is all over the map from show to show and song to song...

FWIW I like the Clubman sound better without the VibroKing added. But I did like the earlier Strat/SR tone the best.

And I've never seen him play anything, live, other than his Strats...