Evaluating Tone

[Buc McMaster]

As I was joyfully striking my guitar last night, it once again came to me that we as the player never really get to hear the true tone of our instruments. From the above-and-behind perspective we hear one thing while a listener in the same room hears something entirely different. Facing a wall or other hard, reflective surface from a foot or two back is perhaps a better representation of the "out front" sound, but still, we never get to hear our own instrument as others do. Some of us have had another become the player, allowing us to be the listener......perhaps a better perspective on our guitar's tone, but still it's not the same tone you generate when you're behind the guitar - everyone attacks an instrument in a different way. A high quality recording is perhaps the best opportunity we have to hear the true character of the tone we produce as a player/guitar unit. But we will all admit that the best recording pales as a representation of actually being there, right in front of an acoustic instrument as it's played: there are nuances that the best recording cannot capture.

 

I find it quite contradictory and a bit frustrating that we fret so over the tone of our treasured instruments yet we never really get to hear a first person version of what it really sounds like. We change our strings, saddles, pins, picks, etc. looking to draw the best from our guitar and yes, we perceive tonal changes these things make, but always from the above-and-behind perspective.

 

Arrrrggghhh!

[larryp58]

Well said, Buc! The closet that I've come to hearing the "true" tone of my guitar is to find someone with the same "style" that I have, and let them play it while I listen. Man, I've got two great sounding Gibsons!!!

[Taylor Player]

If you have the guts to do it, a sound port on the upper bout of the guitar toward your face makes a huge difference in how the player hears the guitar and does nothing to the tone for a listener. I did it to a Yamaha I had for awhile and it made that thing great for playing. I have seen them on several very high buck guitars, but I ain't cutting into my Gibbys for nothing!

[TommyK]

Take it to the wall man!

 

Face a solid wall when you play. The solider and flatter the better. Concrete basement walls are dynomite for reflecting the sound back to you.

 

Go sit in your time-out chair:

 

Some like to face a corner.

 

 

Saxophonists have a similar complaint. I've known them to gravitate towards court yards, surrounded by brick and glass walls. Even concrete block surrounded stair wells.

 

Best of all... no saws are involved.

 

For man caves with gypsum walls, I've wondered if a 4x4 panel of sheet metal or Masonite screwed to the wall or set up on an easel would work. Bare gypsum walls work, but many builders in the last few decades have been texturing the walls to minimize echos for a more homey feel.

[bkharmony]

Yes, Buc is right on this. Shame.

 

When I want to hear more of my guitar's actual tone I go play in my bathroom. It's one of those little 50s bathrooms with tile covering the shower, and it tends to reverberate the sound back.

[onewilyfool]

I've noticed, playing guitars back and forth with friends, that there are "player" guitars (which sound great to the player) and "performer" guitars, which project out to the audience. Sometimes they are both, but rarely. I've compared some REALLY top end guitars like Froggy Bottom, Goodall, etc.....and you can really hear the difference between player perspective and listener perspective. As a couch player, for me, it gives me the most joy when I play a guitar that sounds great to me, because I rarely "perform". But as some of the performers on this forum may attest to, when they perform, the audience may be the desired sound, especially for small venues like coffee shops, etc. Larger venues you are into sound systems and pickups, so it may not matter that much. When I play open mics, I can't even hear my guitars, only the PA system, which takes some getting used to.

[zombywoof]

One of the reasons you always bring someone along when you go to check out a guitar - so you can hear it from the front.

 

It also explains why my guitars always sound better when played by other folks (at least that is what I keep telling myself).

 

Hey Buc, I ain't seeing no Hemi badge on that Mangum.

[thabesh]

I think that the best reflection for our playing, and, by default, tone, comes right back to us from those we are playing for - the audience/listeners. I think that the true measure of the tone you get from your guitar comes back to you immediately and, also after the fact in the comments you receive. Tone is pretty subjective to me. Of course there certainly are differences, but, what you do with what you've got and are hopefully happy with is what ultimately hits home and, to me, matters.

[Buc McMaster]

Hey Buc' date=' I ain't seeing no Hemi badge on that Mangum.[/quote']

 

That's MAGNUM to you, sir! And the Hemi is there, trust me. I de-molded and de-badged it, but it's the 6.1L SRT Mustang/Camaro-eater under the hood. 425HP, brother, and it truly is a monster. Bought it new off the showroom floor, cash money, and it's not given me any trouble at all.......it just goes and goes and goes........fast.

[CAMELEYE]

A few weeks ago shortly after I'd decided to hang on to my friend's Fuller's reissue J-35 I had another picker over and several of my guitars out on stands. At one point my back was turned and I heard this incredible tone monster being played behind me. Deep articulate bass, each string vibrating clearly and trebles that, while not able to peel paint, could at least scuff up the wall some. I couldn't figure out what guitar it was, and thought he must have brought something over that I just didn't notice. Slowly I turned ... and there it was, the J-35!

[Murph]

Take it to the wall man!

 

Face a solid wall when you play.

 

I discovered this by accident, at the bottom of a MAGIC stairwell. I stand and play at the bottom of those stairs a LOT.

[Dotneck]

Take it to the wall man!

 

Face a solid wall when you play.

 

I've got a nice double door in my shop. I've learned that the doors make all my guitar sound better. So I take advantage of those doors every so often.....

 

[zombywoof]

That's MAGNUM to you' date=' sir! And the Hemi is there, trust me. I de-molded and de-badged it, but it's the 6.1L SRT Mustang/Camaro-eater under the hood. 425HP, brother, and it truly is a monster. Bought it new off the showroom floor, cash money, and it's not given me any trouble at all.......it just goes and goes and goes........fast.

 

[/quote']

 

Now your talking - it takes MOPAR to catch MOPAR.

 

We bought one of the first Hemi Mangums to hit the dealerships but it was the 5.7. Not even sure you could get the SRT yet. The dealers were having so much trouble selling them initially they would drive them and drop them off where I worked to make sure they got me in one. Only gripe I had was why they would not spend an extra dime and put the slash between the R & T.

 

Now we have been looking at a Challenger.

[Buc McMaster]

Yo Zomby......still driving the RT? They quit the Magnum after 3.5 years of production. Mine is an 07 and one of 165 made in the TorRed color. Wish I could drive something else daily and store this one for posterity. I reckon in 20-30 years these limited production muthers will be worth some change. But lordy it's a hoot to drive! I have altered the exhaust, add cold air induction and an aftermarket performance tune........haven't dyno'ed it but I should be pushing 450-460HP with the changes. Even at 4400lbs it's accelerates like a rocketship. It is a beast! Go Mopar!

[zombywoof]

It gets worse, our other decent car is the also discontinued Crossfire which is pretty much a leftover Mercedes SLK in a Chrysler skin.

 

I bought the Magnum when I lived in Mississippi where it came in real handy when you had to pass a line of farm vehicles on a two lane road. Also no snow which helped with the low clearance. Even the 5.7 L will throw you in the back seat when ya hit the gas. Again, i do not trecall the SRT being availabe when I bought it - they only had the two other models with the V6 in 'em.

 

Only real problem with the car (which I am sure you are aware of) - ya can't see nuttin' behind it at night.

 

I test drove a Challenger SRT last year - black one with rally stripes and one of the last with the 6 speed manual. Problem was it was when they were not giving anything for trade-ins. Planning to go back when the 2011s come out to see what kind of a deal they will cut on a 2010. The tuned exhaust in the Challenger is worth the price of admisison alone. But I am trying to get a 1951 Chevy pickup back on the road so should be dealing with that.

 

Good to know guys that play Gibsons also drive somethting other than a "basic transportation module."

[suburude63]

Most of the time at shows you hear the guitar through an amp & PA system ! So once in a while I will record my guitars I am playing . Then play it back through my stereo system. I always end up loving them even more!