Enough, with the "Fizz!"

[charlie brown]

Not really, somebody posted a video of Joe Bonamassa explaining how Clapton rented/borrowed and amp and guitar from a local guitar store when he had a guest appearance on a show. Joe went on to explain how tone was on the fingers, how Clapton sounded like Clapton despite the fact that he was playing on a brand new amp that even had tags on.

 

Frankly I think it is mostly a matter of preference when it comes to tone.

 

Yeah, I think you're right. But, it's interesting, and fun, to explore the variables,

and "why," (or, why not) some tones appeal to some, and not to others. A lot of folks

liked Gary Moore's tone. I always thought it was too harsh, a lot of the time. I liked

his playing, though. Did Joe say if EC borrowed the "same" (new) version, of his guitar

and amp? Or, were they different, as well?

 

Stylistically, players will always sound like themselves, no matter the gear. But, I

DO wonder, about the sound being "the same," regardless of gear. Vox, don't sound like

Fenders, nor Fender's like Marshall's, etc. Gibson's don't sound like Fender's, either.

At times, with the right amp/and eq, they might be closer. But, there is a difference

in inherent "tone" or sound. Milking, and/or exploiting (if you will) those inherent

differences, to their best advantage, is more the key, it seems to me. But, yeah...you

will always sound like you, once you arrive at your "signature" sound/style, etc. Until

then, I guess you'll sound like you, sounding like someone else.

 

CB

[pippy]

...I'm getting increasingly disillusioned of the "thin/fizzy" distortion, too often employed (IMHO) nowadays.

 

My complaint is not about that kind of tone. It's about what I can only describe as too much processed (amp or pedal) thin, buzzy/fizzy, sounds, that actually "mask" the natural tone, of the guitar (regardless of what type) and/or amp. EC, sometimes has this "problem" with his "booster" circuit (IMHO), when if he'd just leave the booster off, and crank up the amp volume (or guitar volume), it would (and does) sound "heavenly!"

In the clip shown in the OP listen again to EC's tone when he first starts to 'noodle' (around 0:53) and when he first starts to play (around 1:12). Wonderful. For about 20 seconds...

He only gets 'fizzy' from around the 1:32 mark after he appears to wind all the knobs up. I don't know whether he has stomped on a fuzz-box at the same time but that's when it all starts to go downhill............IMHO.

 

You know what is cool about this thread? That I am going to dig it out next time somebody says tone is in the fingers because I remember some pretty decisive opinions that Eric Clapton would sound like himself no matter what gear he played. Now it turns out nuances make a difference.

 

...somebody posted a video of Joe Bonamassa explaining how Clapton rented/borrowed and amp and guitar from a local guitar store when he had a guest appearance on a show. Joe went on to explain how tone was on the fingers, how Clapton sounded like Clapton despite the fact that he was playing on a brand new amp that even had tags on.

Did Joe say if EC borrowed the "same" (new) version, of his guitar and amp? Or, were they different, as well?...

I don't know if it's the same interview I saw, Riffster, but in the one I saw JB was going to be playing the Royal Albert Hall (I'm pretty sure) and EC had agreed to play a duet of 'Stepping Out' with JB.

EC turned up for the soundcheck with a Strat and his Fender Tweed, plugged in and (according to JB) sounded exactly the same as he did when he recorded the track playing his 'burst through the Marshall 2x12 on the 'Beano'.

 

The point I took from this tale wasn't that EC always sounds like EC regardless of what equipment he uses but that he can sound like 'himself' if he so chooses......which is a different thing.

 

P.

[badbluesplayer]

Clapton said he was getting some bad amps from Fender at one point. I'm not sure when. Like the cabinets were made out of plywood or pressboard. He said he didn't know why they were bad. He took them to his amp guys and they started putting them in pine cabinets. He said it was like night and day.

[charlie brown]

Well, since we seem to be focusing on EC...I loved his John Mayall,

Cream era tone, the most. I love is "Strat" tone too, WHEN it's

more toward the clean side, or slightly, naturally tube overdriven.

But, when he uses the "boost," to full bore, it just gets fizzy and/or

anemic sounding, and loses depth, and roundness. When he wants to

go that boosted route, I'd much rather hear him with a Gibson, and

a Marshall, to get it from the amp, "naturally." If that makes any

sense?

 

I really had not intended to trash EC's tone, at all. Just that I

was less enthralled with one aspect, of it. But, that's also not

limited to just him. Most of the time, I love his tone, his dynamics,

and subtlty!

 

But, as always, this is just my opinion, observation.

 

 

CB

[pippy]

I really had not intended to trash EC's tone, at all....

I think that came across very clearly, CB.

 

Whilst I agree that his LP / Marshall / BluesBreakers tone is utterly seminal I enjoy his Strat / Fender / Music Man period just as much. The songs are better, too...........

In fact partly because I had been reading this thread I got out the Strat and played along with Slowhand through both '461' and 'No Reason to Cry' in their entirety this afternoon.

Just me, the Strat and my '78 Music Man 2x12 (set to 'Eric'). Bliss...

 

P.

[rct]

One in Every Crowd, 461, and EC Was Here are prolly my three favoritest records ever after the Dominos stuff. Slowhand was a great tour too. I saw him with Carl, and I've seen Bobby, so I've seen all the Dominos you can!

 

Anyway, Hyde Park from now 10, 15 years ago almost, he can definitely still do it and I have no doubt today he can still do it, it isn't something we lose. We just change how we sound. I don't like my sound from then, but I like my sound now. I love his sound from then, I don't like it from now.

 

rct

[charlie brown]

I think that came across very clearly, CB.

 

Whilst I agree that his LP / Marshall / BluesBreakers tone is utterly seminal I enjoy his Strat / Fender / Music Man period just as much. The songs are better, too...........

In fact partly because I had been reading this thread I got out the Strat and played along with Slowhand through both '461' and 'No Reason to Cry' in their entirety this afternoon.

Just me, the Strat and my '78 Music Man 2x12. Bliss...

 

P.

 

Oh I agree. As I said, I love his Strat tone. Just "less so," when he employs the

built in "boost" to Full degree. And, even then, It may depend on How he uses it.

Fizzy can (sometimes) work! There are just times, that I think it's less effective,

and more compromising, to his otherwise excellent tone.

 

The music you're referring to, was mostly just his Strat, and the amp's natural overdive.

Maybe a pedal or two, as well. But it was that cleaner "strat" tone, which can be great!

A lot of (if not most) that particular era, in his music, "needs" that tone. It really

wouldn't sound, or be, the same without it. So, "horses for courses," for sure!

 

CB

[pippy]

One in Every Crowd, 461, and EC Was Here are prolly my three favoritest records ever after the Dominos stuff. Slowhand was a great tour too. I saw him with Carl, and I've seen Bobby, so I've seen all the Dominos you can!...

I liked all his solo (i.e. post - 'Blind Faith) stuff he put out while he was with RSO and still have them all (7 studio & 2 live) on vinyl; starting with the eponymous 1970 album 'Eric Clapton'* through to 'Another Ticket' in '81.

His output started to go in a different, much more commercial, direction when he signed to Warner Brothers.

'Money and Cigarettes' has a few good tracks but after 'Behind the Sun' I stopped buying his albums for quite a while.

IMHO - and finally with relevance to the thread! - certain tracks on the last named are his first 'Fizzy' sounding cuts; especially the godang-awful 'Forever Man'.

It was a surprise when a friend played me a 'new' EC album I liked - 1989's 'Journeyman' - by which time he had left W.B. to join Reprise and I had finally bought myself a CD player.......

It's follow-up - 'From The Cradle' - is one of my favourite EC albums of all.

 

* The list of musicians on this first solo effort makes interesting reading, including (in their album-snap order);

Rita Coolidge; Bobby Whitlock; Leon Russell; Sonny Curtis (of The Crickets fame); Jim Gordon; Bonny and Delaney Bramlett; Carl Radle and, last but not least, the 'un-pictured' Steven Stills. Not a bad bunch of Hired Hands....

 

P.

[badbluesplayer]

I've got the mid boost circuit on my Strat and I don't like it that much. It sounds o.k. until you get to 3 or 4 and them just gets muddy. Sounds like crax compared to most any decent boost/overdrive pedal.

[Thommo]

Interesting one this.

 

I've just watched the video in the first post and it sounds like the whole thing is a bit thin - not just the guitar. There's no body to the brass and the drums might as well be cardboard boxes. It's basically been mixed for TV. A lot of current sound recordings seem to be like this - very middly, very compressed, and no warmth. It's a sign of the digital "revolution"....

 

Just my opinion....

[buliwyf]

I dig blues and there has been and still is some great blues players out there.Me personally I usually dont dig the thin sound of a Strat for playing the blues except for a few players.What I really want to say is my personal opinion the blues needs a LP sound especially that woman (Ok Clapton coined the phrase)Crying sound more in line with Jimmy Page or BB Kings hollowbodys full sound.Please dont jump on me about this it;s just my preferred sound for the blues.Maybe the correct sound dosent come from the amp or guitar or even the fizz effect maybe it comes from the player and the feeling he gets when he plays it,sorry to get all philosofical (I knew I couldnt spell that)

Btw my favorite sound for the sad sad blues.

 

[capmaster]

There have been some "fizzy" guitar tones in the past, too, in particular when fuzz boxes had their heydays. One of my all-time favorites features one of the "fizziest" guitar tones I ever heard - I guess next to all of you know this song. I love the particular version so much that I just live with that sound: