Style and Tone

[Buc McMaster]

How much influence does playing style have over acoustic tone? Two players, same guitar, same method of string striking (pick or fingers)........would we hear the same tone from the guitar?

 

How much does a style influence tone? Any thoughts?

[EuroAussie]

Absolutely there will be a dfference. There are so many tiny details that go into how you play the guitar, whether its simply how you strike the strings that inevitably there will be a difference.

[fortyearspickn]

Buc, I would think talent and expertise would make it possible for a player to get more out of a guitar. A really great player will be able to draw a better "tone" out of the same guitar played by a novice. A combination of skill and confidence maybe. The old blues players often had inferior guitars but could instill "soul" . Even if they had to sell it to the devil at a crossroads late one night, as some legends go. But, give the two a single "plunk" on the same open string with the same pick, and I don't think there'd be a difference.

[zombywoof]

This is why I never got the oft seen "what guitar should I buy" post.

 

Probably explains why my favorite guitars are often not what even I would consider my best guitar. I was going back and forth last night between my 1946 LG-2 and 1930s Oscar Schmidt concert. I got ears - I know that the LG-2 is the better sounding guitar. But I like the little Schmidt better. Immediate, raw, no overtones to speak of, the notes decay quicker, I mean nothing complex about the sound at all. But it works real well for me. But if I played differently than I do, it might be a totally different story.

 

A good friend of mine has a 1940s Martin 000-18. It sounds great in his hands. But I play that guitar and people want to know what I did to it -the upper end shimmers out and starts sounding like cymbals crashing. Thing is, he has this light James Taylor touch thing going on. I go at a guitar like a starving man who has just had a big fat steak with all the fixins' put down in front of him.

[Buc McMaster]

Absolutely there will be a dfference.

 

So chasing a particular tone based solely on what you hear another player producing with a specific guitar is an exercise in futility, yes? And I agree that the "which guitar should I buy" question cannot be answered by anyone other than the player asking.

 

Townsend rocks a J-200.......but would Clapton have the same success? Perhaps not.

[EuroAussie]

So chasing a particular tone based solely on what you hear another player producing with a specific guitar is an exercise in futility, yes?

 

I think one can try Buc, and then its a question of ones definition of how close am I to the other guys tone before its 'good enough' ?

 

Probably almost too hard to be identical, and depends who you are trying to emulate, but if you take somebody like Noel Gallagher who's arguably not that complicated a player, I probably could sound pretty close like him when strumming away.

[Jerry K]

The guitar itself provides a palette of tone possibilities, the universe within which a player is going to live while playing it. While not every player is able to exploit all the tones on the palette provided, the guitar itself objectively does provide some set of various values for the parameters that players are looking for. For me at least, playing two examples of the same model guitar will often yield a sensation that one is better in some way than the other, and other players confirm it. I agree that skill is at least as important as the objective facts about the guitar in creating the end result. Often much more important.

[blindboygrunt]

bit like talking about different voices isnt it ? we're all basically the same , so why such a different noise come out of our heads ? some car drivers have much more success racing a particular name of car ....its the tiny details that make a certain players individual tone . like zomby says 'what guitar should i buy' is a bit of a strange question .

[Jerry K]

bit like talking about different voices isnt it ? we're all basically the same , so why such a different noise come out of our heads ? some car drivers have much more success racing a particular name of car ....its the tiny details that make a certain players individual tone . like zomby says 'what guitar should i buy' is a bit of a strange question .

 

For the same reason it doesn't really make sense to say some particular model, for example, Gibson CJ-165, is a dud. It depends on who is playing it. To say that is to say I know what's best for everyone. But what's best is different for each player.

[EuroAussie]

For the same reason it doesn't really make sense to say some particular model, for example, Gibson CJ-165, is a dud. It depends on who is playing it. To say that is to say I know what's best for everyone. But what's best is different for each player.

 

How could anyone say a CJ-165 is a dud Jerry, thats just beyond imagination ... shame on them whoever they are !

[GotTheSilver]

Absolutely there will be a dfference. There are so many tiny details that go into how you play the guitar, whether its simply how you strike the strings that inevitably there will be a difference.

 

I read somewhere a while ago a quote that something along the lines of tone is greatly affected by how you release the string with the fretting hand, more so than how you strike the string. (I can't remember the exact quote.) I think I am just now beginning to understand this. I had never really thought about how I release the string, but now I am starting to realize there is a difference in at least how the note comes across when you vary this technique. I can't really describe it any better than that, but I am starting to notice the difference.

[blindboygrunt]

I read somewhere a while ago a quote that something along the lines of tone is greatly affected by how you release the string with the fretting hand, more so than how you strike the string. (I can't remember the exact quote.) I think I am just now beginning to understand this. I had never really thought about how I release the string, but now I am starting to realize there is a difference in at least how the note comes across when you vary this technique. I can't really describe it any better than that, but I am starting to notice the difference.

 

the left hand shows what you know and the right hand shows who you are

 

congratulations ! happy pickin'

[retrorod]

[thumbup] To ya bbg!

[brannon67]

We all have our heroes and influences, and love their styles and tones, and playing techniques, I understand that, but as for myself, I just want to play and sound like(me) myself. Sure, copy and steal some licks from my favorites, we all do it, but its all going to sound like me playing. Im cool with that, and thats actually the way I want it to be. I may have a different attack picking, or strumming, or fingerpicking then someone else, and its going to sound different because of that. I like alot of percussion in my playing also. Think John Butler (Ocean) 2013....

[Yorick]

I love guitars. But in the long run, I learnt a long time ago, it ain't the guitar. The guitarist's touch is very important, both left and right hand.

 

For example, I love the sound of J 200s if someone other than me is playing them. I played mahogany backed guitars as my main go to guitars for more than 40 years, and I'm sure that affected the way I play--and my touch doesn't translate to Maple.

 

I hear this all the time--last week, backstage at a small festival a few of us swapped instruments. We all played the same guitars; we all sounded different. I'm talking about folks with pretty comparable skill sets, too.

[ballcorner]

In my experience, inexpensive guitars sound about the same no matter who plays them -- not exactly the same but very similar. Good quality guitars, like a Gibson, tend to have individual characteristics dependent on the individual player.

 

Just as different gauges of pick will impact tone , finger size and weight along with nail types etc. will impact the tone, and left hand strength, technique and style will do the same. If you have five other people play your guitar at a jam night, you will see what I mean. I own one guitar that sat in a shop for a while because nobody seemed to be able to get the best out of it. For whatever reason, it sounds great in my hands. One of the other guitars that was available at the same time sold very quickly and it sounded awful when I played it.

 

So, there is merit to the idea that tone is in the hands. Doesn't always mean it is good tone, but tone nonetheless.

[larryp58]

the left hand shows what you know and the right hand shows who you are

 

Couldn't have said it better myself!!!

[GotTheSilver]

I love guitars. But in the long run, I learnt a long time ago, it ain't the guitar. The guitarist's touch is very important, both left and right hand.

 

For example, I love the sound of J 200s if someone other than me is playing them. I played mahogany backed guitars as my main go to guitars for more than 40 years, and I'm sure that affected the way I play--and my touch doesn't translate to Maple.

 

I hear this all the time--last week, backstage at a small festival a few of us swapped instruments. We all played the same guitars; we all sounded different. I'm talking about folks with pretty comparable skill sets, too.

So you're saying I'm destined to sound just as bad as I do now no matter how good a guitar I buy?!?! Oh crap! There goes my improvement plan!

 

Now I am afraid to have others play my guitars, for fear of realizing the guitars really can sound better than they do in my hands! Then I would have no excuse at all!

[Yorick]

Not so, Got the Silver. If you buy a guitar that makes you look forward to practicing, you'll be surprised how better you'll sound!

 

It works like magic.

[bram99]

This is why I never got the oft seen "what guitar should I buy" post.

 

Probably explains why my favorite guitars are often not what even I would consider my best guitar. I was going back and forth last night between my 1946 LG-2 and 1930s Oscar Schmidt concert. I got ears - I know that the LG-2 is the better sounding guitar. But I like the little Schmidt better. Immediate, raw, no overtones to speak of, the notes decay quicker, I mean nothing complex about the sound at all. But it works real well for me. But if I played differently than I do, it might be a totally different story.

 

A good friend of mine has a 1940s Martin 000-18. It sounds great in his hands. But I play that guitar and people want to know what I did to it -the upper end shimmers out and starts sounding like cymbals crashing. Thing is, he has this light James Taylor touch thing going on. I go at a guitar like a starving man who has just had a big fat steak with all the fixins' put down in front of him.

 

I think this is wisdom here....and fitting for many of the topics in this forum....when you connect with a guitar, you connect...

[MR GIBS]

The guitar itself provides a palette of tone possibilities, the universe within which a player is going to live while playing it. While not every player is able to exploit all the tones on the palette provided, the guitar itself objectively does provide some set of various values for the parameters that players are looking for. For me at least, playing two examples of the same model guitar will often yield a sensation that one is better in some way than the other, and other players confirm it. I agree that skill is at least as important as the objective facts about the guitar in creating the end result. Often much more important.

100% agree

would like to add that me personaly started to understand that since I have my Gibson SJ200. Playing for years cheep guitars doesnt lead to something good.