PTV Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hi guys, fairly new around these parts, loved reading your posts and seeing some of your Gibson guitars in all their glory. I wanted to start a thread about chasing the tone. You know when you get a guitar / pedal / amp combo, and straight away you get this idea in your head how you want it to sound, most of the time it falls short, so something else is bought and tried out (GAS!). Well, in my 15 years or so of playing I've had many guitar / pedal / amp combination, and I think I've finally found the combination that has matched that tone in my head that I've always been looking for. I've done it with a parts guitar I put together with a buddy. He makes things out of wood. So he built me an Explorer body, I then got a neck and hardware and bingo! We put it together! I can't put the guitar down, I play it and instantly it sounds as it looks and it sounds as I've always wanted a guitar to sound. The pickups are some Vanson hex pole high output humbuckers and I really can't get over how they sound. Link for those interested My link I've got 2 other guitars (Les Paul Classic with EMG set and PRS Santana SE with Dirty Fingers set). Now I like how these both sound, but I love how the Explorer sounds. What do I do? Do I accept that all guitars will sound different and enjoy having the options of other tones? Stop making things complicated, grab a beer, pickup my Explorer and rock out? Do I buy the same pickups and fit them in these other guitars and hope they'll sound the same? (is that pointless?). Or do I buy another guitar, fit these pickups in and be very happy with 4 nice guitars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 What do I do? Do I accept that all guitars will sound different and enjoy having the options of other tones? Stop making things complicated, grab a beer, pickup my Explorer and rock out? Do I buy the same pickups and fit them in these other guitars and hope they'll sound the same? (is that pointless?). Or do I buy another guitar, fit these pickups in and be very happy with 4 nice guitars? 1, 2 and 4 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmis Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hi guys, fairly new around these parts, loved reading your posts and seeing some of your Gibson guitars in all their glory. I wanted to start a thread about chasing the tone. You know when you get a guitar / pedal / amp combo, and straight away you get this idea in your head how you want it to sound, most of the time it falls short, so something else is bought and tried out (GAS!). Well, in my 15 years or so of playing I've had many guitar / pedal / amp combination, and I think I've finally found the combination that has matched that tone in my head that I've always been looking for. I've done it with a parts guitar I put together with a buddy. He makes things out of wood. So he built me an Explorer body, I then got a neck and hardware and bingo! We put it together! I can't put the guitar down, I play it and instantly it sounds as it looks and it sounds as I've always wanted a guitar to sound. The pickups are some Vanson hex pole high output humbuckers and I really can't get over how they sound. Link for those interested My link I've got 2 other guitars (Les Paul Classic with EMG set and PRS Santana SE with Dirty Fingers set). Now I like how these both sound, but I love how the Explorer sounds. What do I do? Do I accept that all guitars will sound different and enjoy having the options of other tones? Stop making things complicated, grab a beer, pickup my Explorer and rock out? Do I buy the same pickups and fit them in these other guitars and hope they'll sound the same? (is that pointless?). Or do I buy another guitar, fit these pickups in and be very happy with 4 nice guitars? I don´t know if i got your quests right, but now you have a guitar (combo) that sounds like you always wanted a guitar sound, why do you want another one sounding exactly the same? A number two as a backup or? To me the idea of having several guitars (except that it is really fun to hunt them down and own them :-)) is to nail several different sounds i like to express, but that may just be me. Well, if i have to vote i choose 1 and 2 :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Chasing Tone: We chase it, we find it, we get sick of it, we chase it, again! Most real "tone" comes from your fingers, and the "soul" you put into your playing. NOT as much, from guitars, pickups, pedals, etc. One should be able to get great "tone" from ANY decent guitar, and amp, alone! The rest, is just "colored bubbles!" IMHO, as always! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I don't even use the word "tone" much, unless I am referring to the tone controls. To me sounds are sounds, what sound I like at the moment. Whether it is blues or heavy metal, I have several guitar/amp/pedal combinations depending on the mood. If "tone" is in the fingers then I don't have much of that, I am a hack but I enjoy what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 ...If i have to vote i choose 1 and 2... Chasing Tone:...We chase it, we find it, we get sick of it, we chase it, again!... I agree 100% with both the above conclusions. ...If "tone" is in the fingers then I don't have much of that, I am a hack but I enjoy what I do... Riffster is doing himself a massive dis-service. He has tone in his fingers for sure. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I agree 100% with both the above conclusions. Riffster is doing himself a massive dis-service. He has tone in his fingers for sure. P. Are you talking about the sarcastic tone of his typing? :P :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTV Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 I think you guys are right, what ever I play there's always a very similar sound to it, regardless of amp or guitar. I think I've just found a setup that brings out the best in my playing and a guitar that responds well to my playing. I think I'll get a beer, and a new guitar and put the pickups in that. That way, I win Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I think you guys are right, what ever I play there's always a very similar sound to it, regardless of amp or guitar. I think I've just found a setup that brings out the best in my playing and a guitar that responds well to my playing. I think I'll get a beer, and a new guitar and put the pickups in that. That way, I win Now don't you already feel more rock n roll :) Screw the MAN, do what you want !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTV Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Haha. Rock n' roll I've decided on a new guitar, just not sure what pickups to have in there. I love the decisions we have to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I look at it this way... Tone is in the hands! It is far more the player than the instrument... True you can get pretty close the the tone of the guitar Gods from time to time trying different configurations of guitars and gear. But... Each guitar will sound just a touch different as they come out of manufacturing. Even two identical models subsequently off the assembly line will be somewhat different. Wood is a living organism and each piece from each different tree will have it's own consistency/density/nature and will give its own dynamic nuance to the instrument created out of it. What we can get in manufacturing standards is a range of likely outcome that it will fall within... Much the same can be said of amps, but there is less wood and more electronics involved, which is still a bit of voodoo, with wire gauge/quality/consistency and speaker materials such as magnet metals etc. Again you will get a standard range of likely consistency... Mix into that the slight yet real differences between pickups, pots, caps and the controlling factors on guitars and you can modify them endlessly and get results that are either different every single time or literally unnoticeable to the human ear... Add to that that every human ear is different and our personal discriminating tastes are an evolving dynamic themselves that are ever-changing and there are no guarantees no matter what the advertising and marketing says... Having said that... I utilize whatever thoughts and desires prompt me to purchase any particular guitar, or piece of gear, and if for whatever reason if I'm not satisfied with it, then I see no harm in researching what can be modified about it that is more in-line with what I do desire... It's also fun to try new things and chasing that Holy Grail tone (which can be uniquely different and singular for all of us) is a fun and rewarding experience and activity that keeps us from doing things less valuable with our lives and time! There are enough options and potential to keep us busy for our entire lives pursuing such modifications in all of our Holy Grail quests... Nuthin' wrong with it, but you cannot let missing the mark become a thing of failure or disappointment... There are no guarantees any one piece of equipment or guitar will hit the mark we seek to achieve... We'll win some and we'll lose some... It's all good! Personally I tend to hold off from modifications until I compile a history of dissatisfaction with the results I get with a guitar, then I'll do whatever mod strikes my fancy to see if I like it better... I put a set of Gibson 490 open bobbin pickups in my Peavey JF1-EX (poor man's ES335) and now it sounds spectacular! I get some nice Gibson honk out of it and instead of selling it, as I had thought of, it's a keeper... It always played nice, but never sounded quite good enough. Now I'm satisfied with the tone I get out of it enough to keep it... Our answers to your questions will likely be as differing as we all are as human beings; running the gambit. There is no real answer, only personal experiences and history. You need to find your own answers, but sharing the quest is a worthy communion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Hi guys, fairly new around these parts, loved reading your posts and seeing some of your Gibson guitars in all their glory. I wanted to start a thread about chasing the tone. You know when you get a guitar / pedal / amp combo, and straight away you get this idea in your head how you want it to sound, most of the time it falls short, so something else is bought and tried out (GAS!). Well, in my 15 years or so of playing I've had many guitar / pedal / amp combination, and I think I've finally found the combination that has matched that tone in my head that I've always been looking for. I've done it with a parts guitar I put together with a buddy. He makes things out of wood. So he built me an Explorer body, I then got a neck and hardware and bingo! We put it together! I can't put the guitar down, I play it and instantly it sounds as it looks and it sounds as I've always wanted a guitar to sound. The pickups are some Vanson hex pole high output humbuckers and I really can't get over how they sound. Link for those interested My link I've got 2 other guitars (Les Paul Classic with EMG set and PRS Santana SE with Dirty Fingers set). Now I like how these both sound, but I love how the Explorer sounds. What do I do? Do I accept that all guitars will sound different and enjoy having the options of other tones? Stop making things complicated, grab a beer, pickup my Explorer and rock out? Do I buy the same pickups and fit them in these other guitars and hope they'll sound the same? (is that pointless?). Or do I buy another guitar, fit these pickups in and be very happy with 4 nice guitars? Ijust wanted to quote you. In case anyone missed it the FIRST time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I just wanted to quote you. In case anyone missed it the FIRST time. I just wanted to quote you... Hi AXE®! Long time! How's tricks? P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I just wanted to quote you... Hi AXE®! Long time! How's tricks? P. AXE®, AXE®…. Who dat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Chasing Tone: We chase it, we find it, we get sick of it, we chase it, again! Most real "tone" comes from your fingers, and the "soul" you put into your playing. NOT as much, from guitars, pickups, pedals, etc. One should be able to get great "tone" from ANY decent guitar, and amp, alone! The rest, is just "colored bubbles!" IMHO, as always! CB lol, thats it right there. its a vicious cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 lol, thats it right there. its a vicious cycle. It's nicest to make chasing tone a circle of recurrent enjoyment. :) My ingredients are: - strings with a comfortable feel and a bright, rich tone, since they allow for getting most out of any guitar - some picks shaped to my like, of different gauges and made of various materials - an amp which provides a full, definite clean tone - clean as clean can - and at least one flexible high gain channel, with separate controls for each channel - All effects including wah and reverb are just spices to me. In my opinion, the best of all is applying the easiest and cheapest mods first, strings and picks, and then decrease gain severely. When about all the rest of things money can buy, definite clean tones call definitely for different guitars, not just strings, picks or pickups. I couldn't do without any of the "Big Four", in chronological order Telecaster, Les Paul, Stratocaster, and SG. Then I am also a fan of piezos and noiseless magnetic pickups. All in all enough for disenchanting myself, and lots of challenges for improving my fingers' behaviour... The songs I write seem worth all the hassle to me. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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