"Your Tone," when did you find it, or...have your found it, yet?

[charlie brown]

Discussions on the "Skill level" thread, made me wonder,

when you found your "own" sound, tone? And/Or...IF you

have, yet? Personally, I think I've decided I like so many

different tones, that they all become part of "my sound,"

as opposed to chasing anyone else's. It IS gratifying, to

nail some other player's tone, at times...but, pretty soon

you start to realize, that it either wasn't that difficult, or

so important, that you want to remain there! It's always

seemed to me, that getting to be a much better player,

from a technical/skill level, will almost guarantee that your

"Tone" will improve, and even become "your own," because

you can (more easily) figure out how "they" get that sound,

in the first place, and progress from there.

 

More "nonsense?" LOL!

 

CB

[duane v]

When I got my Peavey Renown in 1980...... That little amp just sounded kick-***. However it just couldn't keep up during backyard parties, so I traded it plus $50 for a SMF half stack. Now that amp had the "brown sound" but it caught on fire during a back yard party and it was deemed unfixable.

 

I sold my 65 impala in 1982 to finance two Mesa Boogie B-heads, and took a loan from Dad to get four Mesa Boogie stacks. I regret selling those two heads, because I bought into the Mesa Boogie Mark IV hype](*,) .... Those heads never sounded as good as the B-heads.

 

Now I'm more at ease with my VOX AC50.... Good crunch when it has to, and great cleans.

[midiman56]

I've always felt that it was that strange (and strained) relationship between mastery of the instrument and mastery of the electronics that made electric guitar so much fun!

 

I really can't think of another instrument that allows you alter the sound as much. You could make an argument for synths, I suppose ... but they are different in that the sound generated is completely synthetic where the sound of an electric guitar still originates from a vibrating piece of wire!

 

So ... have I found "my" tone yet? HELL NO ... the fun is in the looking!!!

 

JIm

[RobinTheHood]

Tone? Guitar-wise? I dont know. I have five different guitars that all sound different. I like playing certain guitars for certain sounds...all of which are amatuerly boorish.

 

Now bass, on the other hand...I bought a GK rig many years ago because I wanted a amp with lots of attack. I paired it with my Epi EBM with actives. Without any EQ and extra toys, it was almost the sound I wanted...for metal.

Never got around to playing much metal. Now I'm in a rock/blues/folk band and I'm constantly turning the trebel/EQ down. Too much attack...go figure.

 

Anyway, I always looked for that perfect tone but could never afford to buy it. Good bass tone can be expensive if you want strong attack and booming bottoms...and no mud. Of course, stock Epi PUPS are good for producing mud, so maybe that was my problem.

 

I've stopped looking for tone when it comes to bass, for the most part. Its as good as its going to get with what I have, and I cant afford to drop another $1.5K on a new rig just to search for the holy grail. Maybe I'll feel differently when I advance my guitar "playing" to "gigging". We'll see.

[tsiratiug]

Yes. I found it in my hands.

 

Depending on the song, I switch freely between my main three guitars (a Tele, a Strat and a Sheraton) - all through a '76 Deluxe Reverb and I always sound like me. I'll sprinkle effects here and there but, my base tone has been my sound for as long as I can remember. I have friends that have been on the tonequest forever - constantly trying new amp/guitar configurations and still never quite happy with their sound. I couldn't imagine the frustration.

 

How many of your have seen a really great guitar player play it through a different rig and still sound amazing and unmistakebly like themselves? I saw a video last year on Youtube of Eric Johnson playing a Fender G-DEC amp. He made that little solid state practice amp sound like his multi-amp live rig! But, actually, he didn't, he just sounded like Eric Johnson, not Eric Johnson's gear.

[rathole]

I have a little fender g-dec--I actually like it--I use it to record to my Akai dps24 quite often--but I think a great guitar player can sound great on anything--I have several nice guitars and I sound like crap no matter what the quality of my equip. I always told my brother it wasn't the quality of his golf clubs but the guy swinging them..same with my guitars and amps I think. :D

[PP_CS336]

...Now I'm more at ease with my VOX AC50.... Good crunch when it has to' date=' and great cleans.[/quote']

 

Duane, It's funny that you mentioned this amplifier. I was looking at this one AC50CP2 in Musician's Friend. It sells

there new for $649.99 while the smaller AC30CC2 which is smaller and less wattage sells for $1,199.00. Go figure...

It must be one of those Beatle things (like with the Casino). Because they used it the manufacturer feels they can

get away with selling it at a higher price because of the association. :D

 

Anyhow, I as wondering what you thought of your VOX AC50, because I was thinking of getting one (speaking of

tone, which is what this thread is about) I really don't like the tone of the Fender Stage 160 I have now (Solid State

with DSP effects). I played a Casino through an VOX AC30 in Alto's one day and really liked the sound. I just

didn't like the price. I have an Epiphone Sheraton II and a LP Standard that would probably sound nice through

either the AC50 or AC30, but I was leaning toward the AC50 because of the lower price and more bang for the buck.

But if you or anyone else reading this think I'm wrong, give me your opinion. Thanks!

[matiac]

My tone...hmm...sound...would be an effort to achieve a "fat", "warm (?)", pretty massively overdriven, not necessarily loud, hopefully very funky, generally Les Paul utilised, although lately a certain Stratocaster has weighed heavily in the overall picture...tone. Again, these qualities I've mentioned are an EFFORT, that hopefully, I have achieved. To my ear, I suppose I have, and for my purposes (stress relief, fun, pissing off neighbors ((yeah, I know, "grow up!"))), my "sound" has evolved satisfactorily over the years. Would I play out with my "sound"? You bet! I'd LOVE to be in a working, paying band (wow, quite the segue). Will that happen for me? I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. But that's not gonna stop me from playing my guitars. I love them. Next to my wife and kids, I'd kill and die for my "babies".:) :-({|=

[charlie brown]

Yeah, I sometimes wonder if I even have "a Tone?" I like so many different kinds of "tones," and/or styles...

"Beatles, Byrds, (original) Yardbirds, and all the blues based Rock, too...some country/rock-a-billy...and just

try to get a decent guitar sound, for those styles. Even when I "write," I tend to think in terms of a particular

style...or, sometimes the lyrics or meter will dictate that, to me. Then you tend to put those "stylings" in,

that way. ???? I don't know....LOL!

 

CB

[matiac]

Well Chuck, thing is, tones a subjective thing. What may be pleasing to ones ear may sound like total trash to anothers. As far as I'm concerned, most of the stuff I've heard from guys right here on this forum has sounded P.D.G. to me, and everything I've heard has had a distinctive sound unique to the individual, especially if they post a lot of stuff. When I listen to my stuff, there's things I hear in my stuff that's pretty similar from song to song. Yeah, each song is different, but you hear little "signatures" that are unique to each player. But I can play either of my electrics for a given song, and to hear them on playback, they sound the same insofar as technique. I think what I'm trying to say is the guitar is 50% of a players sound, the rest is the player.

[Axe2Grind123]

My tone follows me from guitar to guitar, amp to amp, pedal to pedal. maybe it's in my fingers? :P

[duane v]

 

Duane' date=' It's funny that you mentioned this amplifier. I was looking at this one AC50CP2 in Musician's Friend. It sells

there new for $649.99 while the smaller AC30CC2 which is smaller and less wattage sells for $1,199.00. Go figure...

It must be one of those Beatle things (like with the Casino). Because they used it the manufacturer feels they can

get away with selling it at a higher price because of the association. :P

 

Anyhow, I as wondering what you thought of your VOX AC50, because I was thinking of getting one (speaking of

tone, which is what this thread is about) I really don't like the tone of the Fender Stage 160 I have now (Solid State

with DSP effects). I played a Casino through an VOX AC30 in Alto's one day and really liked the sound. I just

didn't like the price. I have an Epiphone Sheraton II and a LP Standard that would probably sound nice through

either the AC50 or AC30, but I was leaning toward the AC50 because of the lower price and more bang for the buck.

But if you or anyone else reading this think I'm wrong, give me your opinion. Thanks! [/quote']

 

When I bought mine it wasn't $649](*,) .... However I recently purchased my daughter a used one at the GC in Pasadena and got a smokin deal on it.

 

Once I changed out the speakers to Celestion 30's it really sounds like freight train, especially when I turn the gain up a little. The cleans are also cleaner with the speaker upgrades.... the stock speakers sounded pretty good as well....

 

I couldn't believe it when I saw the price drop from $999 to $649#-o .... It seems I almost always end up paying more for stuff:-s

[charlie brown]

50% is the guitar, Matiac?? You really think so? Well...maybe. I always thought it was more like 80% player, and 20%

Amp/Guitar/pedal(s). But, I may be way off base, that way...who knows? ;>b I've wondered about this, for some time,

because of an experience I had, from another player. He said to me: "Man, your tone is amazing, how do you do that?!"

(I was dumbfounded, as I never really "thought" about it, I just played...you know?) I've never felt/thought "my tone,"

was anything special, really...and still don't. But, you ARE right, it really is subjective...to a point, anyway.

 

In fact, I always think OTHER players, are so much more "toneful," and better/more articulate, than me...So???

 

Cheers,

 

CB

[charlie brown]

 

When I bought mine it wasn't $649](*' date=') .... However I recently purchased my daughter a used one at the GC in Pasadena and got a smokin deal on it.

 

Once I changed out the speakers to Celestion 30's it really sounds like freight train, especially when I turn the gain up a little. The cleans are also cleaner with the speaker upgrades.... the stock speakers sounded pretty good as well....

 

I couldn't believe it when I saw the price drop from $999 to $649#-o .... It seems I almost always end up paying more for stuff:-s [/quote']

 

Guitar Center, Pasadena...Man, I used to go in there, quite a bit...3 to 4 years ago. They (were, anyway) one of the nicer ones, with some decent sales folks, that were both helpful and knowledgeable. Are they still that way?

 

CB

[duane v]

 

Guitar Center' date=' Pasadena...Man, I used to go in there, quite a bit...3 to 4 years ago. They (were, anyway) one of the nicer ones, with some decent sales folks, that were both helpful and knowledgeable. Are they still that way?

 

CB[/quote']

 

Ya know CB, I've had nothing but good luck at the GC's in Covina, Pasadena and Hollywood. The key is know what you want and what you're willing to pay for it.

 

I do miss how music stores operated in the 70's and early 80's..... You could get guitars set up in many different configurations , and nobody worried about if it wasn't exactly how it came from the manufacturer. I remember seeing white Les Pauls with Gold pickguards and back plates, custom graphics..ect..ect.... It was a great time to be a player.

[larkin38]

I thought I found my tone when I got my first fuzz box and plugged it thru my Fender Champ. I knew nothing then. Had all three knobs on the fuzzbox turned up to ten. I knew nothing about tone or style then.

But in 1977 I bought this amp for $125.00 and found my tone without a fuzzbox.

 

 

After I stopped playing in bands I sold the amp coz I had too many. Got over 200 bucks and a small Fender amp for it.

I never knew the model name. It was a solid state amp with 2 12inch speakers that put out 100 watts. Didn`t have to push it much past volume 4. And it was light as hell. Easy to lug around.

[bvarsel]

Definitely one of the more interesting threads to date. Great topic CB. Would have to differentiate between "sound" and "tone". I think the "sound" part comes more from the player and the "tone" part comes more from equipment. In other words, set up a rig and have two players each strum a barre "G". The tone and sound will be almost identical. Now have each play the same song. While the "tone" may stay pretty close they will probably "sound" different. Does that make any sense at all???!!!

[jcwillow777]

I would say I have found my tone/sound. I would say it is a combination of things for me. My amp and speaker cab is a big part, guitar, pedals, and my technique. I have a few Marshall clones, and a Marshall DSL. The clone I like the best is my Webber 6M45 - a Plexi clone into a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. I prefer a darker tone when playing solos and this amp gives me that. I also prefer a guitar with humbuckers over single coils, I like a fatter sound, at least when getting an overdriven sound. I also use a lot of pedals, I am not a purist, never have been and I never will be and I don't apologize for it. I use my neck pickup for mainly for soloing and combine when I want a crunched rhythm. I do like a good clean tone as well and I find that I use my bridge pickup for this.

 

It took me several years to find the sound that I have now, but it sure makes playing a lot more fun when I know I can get the sound/tone I want for any given song that I am playing.

 

I bought a Peavey Renown in the '80s too, and I still have it. I'm looking at it as I type. I bought mine in the early '80s. I use it to teach with at school. I got one of the first ones that came out. The second edition had LEDs in it so you could tell which channel you were on, but they changed the electronics in that version and the amp didn't sound as good, in my opinion. I can still get come pretty good tone out of it, but I prefer a tube amp now. And I will never have any problems keeping up volume wise in a jam session with it. I have thought about selling it several times, but I know I wouldn't get anything for it. IT still sounds as good today as when I bought it.

[jcwillow777]

I would say I have found my tone/sound. I would say it is a combination of things for me. My amp and speaker cab is a big part, guitar, pedals, and my technique. I have a few Marshall clones, and a Marshall DSL. The clone I like the best is my Webber 6M45 - a Plexi clone into a 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. I prefer a darker tone when playing solos and this amp gives me that. I also prefer a guitar with humbuckers over single coils, I like a fatter sound, at least when getting an overdriven sound. I also use a lot of pedals, I am not a purist, never have been and I never will be and I don't apologize for it. I use my neck pickup for mainly for soloing and combine when I want a crunched rhythm. I do like a good clean tone as well and I find that I use my bridge pickup for this.

 

It took me several years to find the sound that I have now, but it sure makes playing a lot more fun when I know I can get the sound/tone I want for any given song that I am playing.

 

I bought a Peavey Renown in the '80s too, and I still have it. I'm looking at it as I type. I bought mine in the early '80s. I use it to teach with at school. I got one of the first ones that came out. The second edition had LEDs in it so you could tell which channel you were on, but they changed the electronics in that version and the amp didn't sound as good, in my opinion. I can still get come pretty good tone out of it, but I prefer a tube amp now. And I will never have any problems keeping up volume wise in a jam session with it. I have thought about selling it several times, but I know I wouldn't get anything for it. IT still sounds as good today as when I bought it.

[Nic]

About 6 months ago I started playing a Gibson Johnny A through a Fender Princeton 65 Reissue amp, with just a tweak of reverb. The tone is deep ballsy and clear. I'll play some intricate chord melody stuff with my fingers and then move on to playing some blues with a pick without touching a single knob.

 

I've completely lost any desire for any new equipment. For awhile it will just be a matter of improving the player.

[charlie brown]

Again...no right or wrong answers here...and some great input. For ME, "tone" has always been with the player. The guitar, amp, pedal(s) just add "flavor or color!" But, the player's feeling/style/technique all make up his "tone!" That never changes, really, no matter the "gear" set-up, UNLESS he/she changes "direction" or style, on his/her own. I know that guitars, amps and such, ALL contribute, but when I think about "tone," it's not so much the amp or guitar, but the player. One of my "heros" you all know, is EC! His "tone" has never changed (to me) but his "color or shadings" within that tone, has...and does, all the time, depending on what he's doing. I think that's true, of all great players. And, probably, the not so great one's too! LOL! But, again...maybe, that's just Me?! ;>) And, of course....it's all quite personal and subjective. Which is half the fun, huh?

 

CB

[Notes_Norton]

I don't have only one tone. I have different tones for different songs.

 

I have vol and tone knobs on my guitar, and about a dozen different amp/fx combinations on my stomp box.

 

There is of course more than one right way to do anything. But for me to be stuck with one tone is boring.

 

I use about 60 different patches on my wind synth, and by altering the shape of my mouth, the tension on my vocal chords, pressure of my diaphragm, and lips on the mouthpiece I can get a variety of sounds out of my saxophone.

 

To me variety is the spice of life.

 

Notes

[flyingfrets]

Though I do use a few FX for color (mostly some mellow overdrive & maybe some occassional flanging or chorus), most of my tone comes from not using picks. The variation in attack betweeen the flesh of your fingers and your fingernails is extremely dynamic. The downside of course is that until you're really used to it, it can also be extremely painful. If I were of the fairer sex (or gave a $h!t what my fingernails looked like), I'd be in pretty deep kim chee LOL.

[Steven Lister]

I don't have only one tone. I have different tones for different songs.......

To me variety is the spice of life.

Notes

Yeh brother' date=' amen to all that.

 

And as CB noted, finding someone else's tone has always proven short-lived gratification for me as well. I recall the first time I nailed Keef's [i']Brown Sugar [/i]..., played the hell out of it for a week some year's ago and haven't played it a single time since. I still like to hear him do it and I crank the vol. on the ol' cd, but he can keep doing it for I've long since moved on to my own music.

 

And must we rant again on the "tone is all in the hands" blather. I can set up a couple of rigs that no one's skilled hands from Jimmy Page to Prince to B.B. could play for shyte. Tone, really good to-die-for tone, needs a reasonable combination of talent (heart/soul/mind/feel/hands/etc.), equipment (from guitar to speaker), and a touch of something magical (venue/alignment of the stars/karma?). Short changing any of the elements results in something less....

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"