How to sound like Jerry Garcia without buying any special equipment

First off I want to apologize for the stuttering and sniffling in this video...
Anyway,
I mostly upload to youtube for my own amusement...but the other day I checked my analytics and saw that my most popular videos usually have something to do with Jerry and the dead. especially my videos on the Phred Instruments wolph. I know that a lot of people become interested in trying to get that Jerry tone and usually end up seeking out and buying equipment to achieve said tone...I've done the same... ive bought guitars, pedals, speakers, and so on trying to chase that tone... on a budget of course. But along the way I realized there were a few basic things that really make up the tone and it doesn't involve pricey amps and pickups perse. Of course spending the time and money tracking down the various parts of jerrys rig and sound will get you closer than what I show in this video, but you can get you in that realm. All you really need to get started is a single coil in the middle position, a thick pick, reverb, and high mids.. it does help to have a guitar with a longer scale length as well. But with all these thing put together, you can start to get there and without having to buy anything. You can most likely pull some jerry esq tones out of any rig with these few tips.
hopefully it helps some people who are just starting up trying to chase that tone and aren't sure where to start.
Update: I recommended a single coil in the middle position and said most humbucking guitars won't get the tone you're looking for...but that's in regards to the standard two humbucker guitars. You can get some close tones out of a humbucker in the middle as well!

[@tims6824]

This was the single most helpful video I've found on how to capture Jerry's tone without having to buy a Twin Reverb with JBLs. That tone is very very close and this has helped encourage me that I can get close without paying thousands of dollars. Thank you for posting this. Also, that's some quality playing right there. Keep it up!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Thats all I was hoping for! I am really glad it helped you out some!!! Do link me to your videos if you ever upload some Jerry jams!!!

[@0713mas]

Thanks for posting! Covered a lot of ground in a shorter length video. Single coil middle setting, some spring reverb, a blues driver with the gain down. EQ in a little brightness and EQ out any super bassey tones. Finally, an envelope can help but is not as important as the other stuff. Wow, you sound great at the end!!! 🔨 that tone

[@kjguitarman]

Your tips and advice are very accurate. Your playing coupled with your setup nails the Jerry sound. Thank you for the video!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Many thanks for the view and the comment! Glad it was useful!!!

[@5hinobiGaijin]

You've practiced. You have a great ear and good touch. Keep it up, man. Not everyone has this gift.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Many many thanks for those kind words! 🙏

[@roytube10]

great applicable tips. basic stuff without going overboard. the stuff about the mid range was a wake up call for me. will be playing with my amps tonite!

[@skunkybomont2593]

Yoo great video my friend! You got a new sub here, keep making how-to grateful dead content please. This video was a joy to watch and hear👍👍

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Many Thanks for the sub! You'll find lots of GD related content on my channel! And more is sure to come!

[@Rwamos1981a]

This is great! thank you for posting :) I'm going to study some of those licks as they sound great. As a strat player, this is giving me a good boost of confidence.

[@STSGuitar16]

I've found coil-tapping humbuckers gives a great Jerry tone, too. Pretty much the only times I ever use coil taps are for getting Jerry sounds, so they are actually useful for that lol. I also always go with the treble nearly all the way up and the bass nearly all the way down on the amp and that really, really helps get closer. The first time I set my amp that way and started playing I was like "woah, that's instant Jerry!" Plus the extra treble gives it more of that bite that Jerry always had while still having a "clean" tone. It isn't overdrive that gives Jerry's sound that extra bite and ability to cut through the mix, it's all that treble. It just gives you that extra oomph that you need when you're soloing without having to use a distortion or overdrive pedal (obviously Jerry very rarely used heavy overdrive; his tone was basically clean). Works like a charm!

[@STSGuitar16]

@@Mr_Turtlewizard well, it depends on the type and size of a band really. If you’re in a group with a lot of other instruments, a lot of times the guitar will need to cut some of the mids (the frequencies that fill up the mix most in a large ensemble) for sure, but also depending on if you have a lot of higher frequency instruments you don’t necessarily want to boost the treble a ton or things can start to clash with other high-treble instruments and become ice-picky. In another situation like a three piece (guitar, bass, drums) the guitarist would want to boost the mids a ton as well as lots of treble in order to cover a bigger frequency spectrum to make up for a lack of other instruments. For Jerry, his tone lies mostly in the upper-mids to treble range. Bobby and Keith handled a lot of the mids with their instruments (along with Phil on bass at times), and then phil handled most of the bottom end along with the percussion. So yeah, that situation definitely calls for a lot of treble so that Jerry’s guitar can float along above the other instruments. But yes you’re right, bedroom tone isn’t always a good tone that will sit well in a band mix. In my band we have two guitars, keys, bass, and usually some backing vocals going on and I have found that I love a ton of midrange in my tone as it really can make your guitar truly pop in the mix without needing to add more volume in order to be heard in the mix. Just depends on the band, the room they’re in, the instrumentation of the group, etc..

[@NolalanD]

your birdsong licks sound wonderful

[@RamenNoodlez258]

@@NolalanD thank you!

[@floridagolfinstruction8814]

Thank you for posting this....in my quest I found that the amp settings STARTED me on my way.....your thoughts on the middle pick up are brilliant......I have hum buckers and can get the sound but when I tried with the middle pick up the tone immediately got brighter and closer to what I hear in my head as "the jerry sound"....(I tried the pick up on a friends guitar, not mine)......thanks again....

[@otherstar1]

You're spot on with the pick. Jerry used a 2mm Adamas graphite pick (no longer available).

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Yeah ive seen those actually occasionally pop up on Reverb before. Thought about picking some up and not just for jerry tone. I myself prefer thick picks for the most part. Of course some things call for thinner picks, or at least make certain things easier. I usually use 1.20, but I find having a nice arsenal of picks of different thickness as well as different materials is good. To me they are paintbrushes haha. I think the pick is an often overlooked part of ones sound.

[@sirbergersworth]

If you call Dunlop enough, they will run a batch. That is what we did back in the day. I bought a gross at that time. Still rocking. Lol

[@otherstar1]

@@sirbergersworth I got a dozen a number of years ago and they are still all going strong!

[@BuffaloVoice]

Jim Dunlop 15R Adamas Picks -- 12 picks www.amazon.com/dp/B00TQBAWSY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_97K54B5XQ842BSJX4K1P?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[@swampduck2609]

You can get em, but I have a tough time with them. Soloing I love them but with chords I struggle to get a good sounds. I’ve been playing for a long time and I was excited when I got them cause Jerry and Trey use them, but personally I can’t.

[@Murdokstankfoot]

Bro, police sirens in a Jerry video, bout made me eat my roach.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

🤣

[@hunterthompson2206]

Probably also worth noting the range of guitars JG played. Granted he spent more time with some than others, but he played everything from Gibson SG to Travis Beans (aluminum neck!) to Strats to the later custom guitars. Fender amps to Mesa Boogie. And yet he always sounded entirely like himself.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

For sure! The man played with a lot of equipment over the years. Your observation is correct though. Hell Jerry sounded like Jerry even with just an acoustic. That's why I say in the video that 90% of the tone comes from the fingers! Hey man, thanks for the view! (~):}

[@GuyNarnarian]

Yeah he had a ton of guitars of course as his career was basically his entire lifespan. To me the general key is the bluegrass roots, mixed with some blues and a lot of Mixolydian licks. Flat 7 is your friend on songs like Franklin's tower, Scarlet/Fire, etc.

[@DIYTutorialGuy]

New subscriber here! Great videos, great playing.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Thank you! And thanks for subscribing!

[@johnjames77]

You got it down !

[@jroc2201]

Well played

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Thanks!

[@ellahorses5436]

That’s helpful, thanks

[@Bibby1971]

Great video! Thank you!!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Thanks for watching!

[@mzmudy]

Such a great explanation! Thanks for showing this. How do you like the Wolph guitar? I am most interested in a Jerry sounding guitar that has a bit of twang, like in Mama Tried; though I like all the tones. BTW, awesome playing too!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

I do enjoy the wolph! Although haven't played it much lately as it needs some work. If you're wanting a guitar capable of tawng and Garcia tones, a strat is where it's at!

[@stevebartos2761]

You’re smart.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

I don't know about all that, but thanks for checking out the video brother! Hopefully you got something from it!

[@chasmenear7130]

Rule 1) Clean is the ticket...Rule 2) It's nice to try, but I highly recommend going with what inspires you- which is exactly what J.G. did!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Good words!

[@doubled5383]

Do you use 9 or 10 strings or what gets you best Jerry sound?

[@RamenNoodlez258]

I've never experimented with strings with the intention on finding what works best for Jerry Tones. But I will say I use 10s! Thanks for the view/comment!

[@LonePigsyAndCub]

Hey man, good stuff. I was wondering if you might be able to give me some examples of songs when Jer would use his humbuckers as opposed to single coils (in later years). I'm particularly curious about his clean 90's JGB tones. I love every note the man ever played but there's something I find just absolutely perfect about his sound during that era. I've mostly played Strats myself so I've never spent much time with humbuckers. I'm kinda curious as to what I'm missing.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Hey man, thanks for the checking out the video! You can most definitely still get good Jerry tones with a humbucker. As long as it's in the middle! Jerry used DiMarzio super 2s if I'm not mistaken. I have another video on here using my Phred wolph and although it doesn't have the DiMarzios, it sounds pretty accurate. Alot of that is in the preamp, buffers, speakers and so on. Check out my video on the Phred wolph to hear my humbucker tones. It's not very 90s jer but still.

[@LonePigsyAndCub]

Cool, I'll check that out.

[@RamenNoodlez258]

@@LonePigsyAndCub I'll try and see if I can figure out how to dial in a somewhat 90s era jgb tone for ya when I get a chance! But here's the video I was talking about kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ3dXpp6lLqZqrs

[@johnjames77]

All Jerry guitars with DMarzios Dual Sound or Super 2 where split.

[@LonePigsyAndCub]

@@johnjames77 I know he mostly used the middle pickup split, but I find it hard to believe that he never switched to humbucker mode, and was looking latter era examples of that. That was the essence of my question. No biggie.

[@floridagolfinstruction8814]

BTW.....does the phred guitar behind you sound the same even with the double coil in the middle?? just curious....thx

[@RamenNoodlez258]

It does for the most part! Weirdly enough, my SG can even get some jerry esq tones in the middle position...and it's a standard sg so there is no middle pickup, haha. Just the bridge and neck combined, as you know. But also, the tone comes alot from the how you're playing and approaching the song! Good luck in your endeavor! And also- if you check out other videos of my channel, there are several videos of me playing the Wolph. And also, remember the wolph is coil tapped! So you can make both hamburgers single coil if you so choose!

[@waynegram8907]

Ramen Noodles are you using the Middle pickup with the Tube Screamer gain all the way down and adjust the tube screamer to get boosted mids? Who makes that Garcia Wolf guitar you said its made by Fred but how much are they? Can you make a video lesson showing a lot of different Garcia trademark things he does that I can add to my scales to sound like Garcia?

[@RamenNoodlez258]

In this video I'm actually not using any pedals! But I will sometimes use the blues screamer for that purpose in the context of Jerry tones. And the company that made the Wolph is Phred Instruments. They are hands down the cheapest way to go when it comes to Jerry and Trey inspired guitars. And perhaps I can make a video on that topic at some point! Mixolydian and standard major and minor pentatonic scales will definitely have you in the ball park though! Thanks for checking out the video (~):} And yes, always use middle pup for jerry tones as he played in that position the majority of the time!

[@waynegram8907]

@@RamenNoodlez258 the Super 2 pickup has a lot of midrange peak that Garcia used on the WOLF for the middle pickup so I wasn't sure of that Super 2 pickup since it has a midrange peak was better than a strat middle pickup. I'm not sure if they make a single coil Super 2 pickup for strats to get that extra midrange peak that he was getting. Yes I play major and minor scales but they don't sound like Garcia so I was wonder how can I make my major and minor scales sound like Garcia using his trademark phrasing tips in your video lesson would help.

[@guitarguyinhawaii6185]

What kind of Strat is that ? I need a new Strat wondering which would be a better one to get

[@Pehaff]

Looks like a fender player series strat with a humbucker in the bridge

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Hey there! Very sorry for just now seeing this! It's a 2010 MIM orange sparkle strat. I think it's just a standard strat, nothing fancy other than the finish. Pups are the standard Tex Mex. You could probably pick one up for under 400 bucks. This one was graciously gifted to me actually haha. I really love it!

[@mikefarmer6515]

How thick a pick are we talking about?

[@RamenNoodlez258]

I like to go 1.20 mm and up. The wood pick I use in this video is incredibly thick though. Everyone could be different though. Just experiment! (~):}

[@mikefarmer6515]

@@RamenNoodlez258 Thanks man

[@RamenNoodlez258]

@@mikefarmer6515 no, thank you for checking out my video! Hope it helped a little!

[@jimmyb4728]

Don't you use a Qtron with your Phred Jerry castor. Isn't that the whole point of having the on board effects in the Wolf

[@RamenNoodlez258]

You are correct sir! That is indeed the point of having the OBEL haha, and obviously that extends to more than just envelope filters. This video was focused more how one can get a usable base Jerry tone without breaking the bank or buying any special equipment. It's for that reason I actually did not use the wolph in this video as it's built to give you Jerry esq tones right out of the box. But I actually lost my stereo cables so I haven't even used the OBEL on my wolph in a while. I get just as much enjoyment out of playing it without using the obel as I do using it. Of course that obel really gives you that extra push when going for that Jerry quack but it's also not entirely necessary to get in the ball park. I've made a couple videos showing my Jerry envelope filter tone and most of them have been done with non obel guitars. So yeah, that is part of the point, but not the point of this video. Thanks for checking it out and hopefully you got something from it! I appreciate the view and comment brother! (~):}

[@jimmyb4728]

@@RamenNoodlez258 I'm sure it is alot if fun still. My first show was 79 so I believe I'm a little older lol. I became disabled about a year or so ago, and being stuck at home alot i decided to learn guitar I just started lessons. So I'm also watching alot of the different vids on YT about guitar lessons and specifically the Jerry sound. I know about the middle pick up sound Jerry was known for but right now I have a double humbucker single cut. I did talk to Phred last week and I'm thinking of ordering a Lightning Bolt but not sure yet. Thanks for answering brother be safe peace.😎✌🤪💨💨💨🐢🐻🌅🌈

[@RamenNoodlez258]

@@jimmyb4728 ah I am jealous! To have lived then! Haha. I'm 24 so I have to make due with what I can haha. But there's still a lot of good music out there on the scene haha. Anyway, you can get some Jerry esq tones using set up like that! Sometimes the middle position can kind of have that sound! And also the bridge as well. I think Jerry did sometimes play on the bridge for a twangier solo. Here's a Jerry esq tone I got using a similar guitar kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4rOdKSKnbh0eMk

[@jimmyb4728]

@@RamenNoodlez258 yes you are correct in the bridge position with the treble and mids almost all the way up and bass on like 2 or 3 with the reverb almost all the way as well. I have an Orange 20rt crush with reverb and I just ordered a micro Qtron can't wait till it comes thanks for the video link good lookin out brother. Remember age is just a number, I know some 25 year olds that have more sense than some 60 year olds. Peace brother talk to ya soon.😎✌🌅🌈🐻🐢🥀

[@RamenNoodlez258]

@@jimmyb4728 how you liking the Qtrn?

[@swampduck2609]

The final step, unfortunately you are going to have to take off a finger, but if your chasing that true Jerry tone, it’s in the fingers, or lack there of.

[@georgestevens1502]

You have a sound system play something from Jerry and you pantomime it on your guitar.

[@delphinazizumbo8674]

it might be a better idea to find out what YOU sound like

[@RamenNoodlez258]

I certainly do that! Doesn't mean it's not entertaining to emulate tones you enjoy for fun 😉

[@delphinazizumbo8674]

it's the ANTITHESIS of what Jerry was doing.....he would not approve...HE would tell you to find your own self-expression and not try to live in his shoes...all you jam band fan boys are like this....we were never trying to JOIN anything, we WERE the anything....you children need to find YOUR OWN PATHS....@@RamenNoodlez258

[@petersullivan184]

Blow your nose dude!

[@RamenNoodlez258]

Lol I apologized for the sniffles! I was super sick when I made this video...it didn't matter how much I blew my nose, I was stuck like this. It was miserable lmao