Tone Is In The Guard

[Sgt. Pepper]

Steve Ford always said the tone is in the plastic. Here’s proof.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/new_research_proves_electric_guitar_tone_largely_depends_on_pickguards_prices_of_used_guitar_hardware_already_skyrocketing.html

[OrdinaryNimda]

That was yesterday. It does not count on normal days.

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, OrdinaryNimda said:

That was yesterday. It does not count on normal days.

What about tomorrow?

[OrdinaryNimda]

14 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

What about tomorrow?

I had to read the article half-way before realizing, it was an April Fools joke.😄 

[SteveFord]

Of course it's in the plastics.

It says right there on the little plastic knob: TONE.

That's why Telecasters sound so metallic, they have metal knobs.  

[sparquelito]

TONE IS IN THE GUARD 
(a poem)

Tone is in the guard
Or so Mr. Steve Ford said
Whether chords are fingered or barred
Or whether you pluck, strum, or shred

Tone is in the plastic you see
and the tiny screws and bits
No really, please listen to me
And in how the pickguard fits

Tone resonates differently
Through one-ply, two-ply, or three
and the number of screws, incidentally
according to John Frusciante and Flea

So be willing to pay for that tone
Vintage pickguards are worth the cash
Please don’t ***** and moan
Just fork over the money from your secret stash

Pretty soon you’ll be playing like Eddie
and that guy from Alcatraz
You’ll sound just like the Kings, BB, Albert, and Freddie
With flash, style, pizzazz, and razzmatazz

So please take my advice
And carefully heed my warning
Get the vintage pickguard, at any price
And you will the boss of Tone by morning

fin

 

I’m gonna shut up now. 

😔

 

[Karloff]

7 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

Of course it's in the plastics.

It says right there on the little plastic knob: TONE.

That's why Telecasters sound so metallic, they have metal knobs.  

lol ... you are truly a wise sage

[fortyearspickn]

I've got an amp with a volume dial that goes from 1 all the way up to 11.  It is  much louder than those that only go 1 -  10.   

[gearbasher]

I think someone should try to contact fujifan and inform him of this revelation.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 hours ago, fortyearspickn said:

I've got an amp with a volume dial that goes from 1 all the way up to 11.  It is  much louder than those that only go 1 -  10.   

My Fender DeVille actually went from 1 - 12. It’s how Fender made it. It wast me being a wise guy. I think they still make em like that.

On those at 4 it was like a Motörhead concert.

Edited April 3 by Sgt. Pepper

[Pinch]

1 hour ago, gearbasher said:

I think someone should try to contact fujifan and inform him of this revelation.

 

That was an interesting chapter in the history of this forum. Spirited debate.

[Retired]

Is it possible for strings to change tone? I bought a pair of Thomastik round wounds in .010-.044's. and can hear much more sustain than the guitar ever had before. So I purchased two more sets of Flat wounds and both guitars never had the sustain or tone they have now. Expensive strings though. Close to 30.00 a pair. 

[jdgm]

2 hours ago, Retired said:

Is it possible for strings to change tone? I bought a pair of Thomastik round wounds in .010-.044's. and can hear much more sustain than the guitar ever had before. So I purchased two more sets of Flat wounds and both guitars never had the sustain or tone they have now. Expensive strings though. Close to 30.00 a pair. 

Oh yes.   Plenty of tone in new strings; you get what you pay for with strings IMO, cheapies go dead much quicker.   The prices have gone up a lot in the last few years.

Also the different materials; I buy pure nickel at the moment.   I want to buy some chromes to hear what they sound like. 

When I tried stainless steel strings at 1st I liked them, not now though. I never liked cobalt strings at all.  A couple of times I bought Optima gold-plated strings (Brian May uses them), very loud and clangy, suit some guitars better than others, of course they lasted much longer than other strings.  I have not tried coated strings of any sort so far.

Edited April 4 by jdgm

[Retired]

2 hours ago, jdgm said:

Oh yes.   Plenty of tone in new strings; you get what you pay for with strings IMO, cheapies go dead much quicker.   The prices have gone up a lot in the last few years.

Also the different materials; I buy pure nickel at the moment.   I want to buy some chromes to hear what they sound like. 

When I tried stainless steel strings at 1st I liked them, not now though. I never liked cobalt strings at all.  A couple of times I bought Optima gold-plated strings (Brian May uses them), very loud and clangy, suit some guitars better than others, of course they lasted much longer than other strings.  I have not tried coated strings of any sort so far.

Thanks JD, Think it was you who told me they were good the first time. Yeah, I to have experimented with all types of strings. I even ordered some out of New York once to try them. I did like Nickel also. Think it was Rab's who first suggested them to me. Or maybe it was Pippy? 

But These Thomastik strings are the best I used to date. So I will stick to them plus they claim much longer use. What impressed me was my Gold Top has never had sustain before. I tried pedals and all sorts of stuff and when I put the Thomastik strings on it yesterday, it sounded almost like semi hollow.  They are long enough to put on the Riviera also.  So it's next.