Song Rig
Hang
Mike Stern · Voices · 1997
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Fusion crunch — Stern's Yamaha Pacifica or Fender Telecaster through a Soldano creates a tight, defined overdrive tone that serves the high-speed jazz-rock fusion context. The attack is crisp and the sustain controlled.
Signal Chain
- 1Yamaha Pacifica (HSS) or Fender Telecaster
- 2Soldano SLO-100 (crunch channel)
Amp Settings
High treble and mids — Stern needs note separation at the fast tempos of jazz fusion. The Soldano's tight low-end prevents muddiness when playing complex chord extensions at speed.
Technique
How to Play It
Bebop vocabulary at rock speeds — Stern plays Parker-derived lines at fusion tempos, blurring the boundary between jazz and rock through tempo alone.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Telecaster → Soldano SLO clone or Friedman BE-OD pedal → clean amp. The tight low-end of the Soldano is essential; spongy British amps blur the fast lines.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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