Chicken Pickin tone

[Micahbell]

I want to get into playing some country guitar, but I am having trouble with tone. I can never get that great chicken pickin tone I hear all the time!
Just a point in a general direction would be great.
Here is my rig - I realize that I won't use most of these to achieve the tone I am looking for, but I figure I might as well post it everything because you never know.

Strat* -> Boss EQ -> Diamond J-Drive -> Diamond Fireburst -> Boss EQ -> Boss Tremolo -> Diamond Compressor -> Peavy Classic 30
then the effects loop is
Boss chorus -> Electro Harmonix Small Stone -> Electro Harmonix Q-Tron -> Dunlop Wah -> Diamond Memory Lane

*as I mentioned in another thread, I just got this guitar today. It is "The Strat" model, and it has the regular 5 way switch, then a two way rotary that changes the selector to be bridge, neck and middle (series), middle and bridge (series), neck and bridge (parallel), neck and bridge (parellel) with middle pickup in series.

So there you have it - any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[jimh]

You probably want to have the bridge, or middle pickups selected (probably not both, would be a bit too 'hollow')
Clean channel, not too much bass, fair mids, and good bit of high, not too much or it'll slice you head off. ( the Classic 30 should be able to get a fairly decent country type tone)
Then a touch of compression for the attack and even out the notes.
No drive or distortion, no chorus, no wah, no trem no funk from the q-tron.
Bit of 'slapback' delay if your pedal will do it.

Just my initial thoughts.  any body else feel free to correct me......

 

[spauldingrules]

On my amp a LOT of compression from my dynacomp does the trick.

 

[dbw]

I agree, turn up the compressor a bit... and use that EQ.  If you have a phase switch this is the time to use it