When You Want To Change Your Tone...

[Californiaman]

What do you do first?

[duane v]

Change guitars

[sparky scott 29]

Amp controls here for me.

After that, I use pedals or whammy.....

[MrNylon]

Amp contro;s.

[cookieman15061]

All of the above.

Really depends on how drastic the change.

[CaptainNemo68]

I don't change guitars...I switch Les Pauls

[charlie brown]

Really depends on what you mean by changing "Tone?"

Sometimes, all I do is change the volume and/or tone

control, on the guitar. Once I have the amp set, I

rarely change it. IF however, I want a totally different

"sound," then I change to the guitar, that will give me

that, and (maybe) adjust the amp, slightly, to maximize

the character, of that particular guitar. LP, to Ric 12-string,

for example...or Gretsch hollowbody, or even Strat or Tele.

The biggest change, in my setup, is when I go to the Ric 12-string. It

needs a compressor, and (for me) an EQ pedal, to maximize

what I want out of it. The other's, I can pretty much just

switch the guitars, and leave the amp alone. It's nice, though

to have all those options. ;>)

 

CB

[PartsPvt]

I chose/modified kept..my selection of tones. The LP Custom with coil taps and hot bridge pickup..the 355 Stereo TDSV with custom pickups and modified Varitone..and the ES175 single pickup..and the Strat all have very different tone structures..So I grab the guitar with the range I want.

The AMPS I use were also chosen/Modified to have variation..

 

Maybe adding a Gretsch 6120..just cause I miss my old one..

[Versatile]

It's nice to have 'pre-set' tones to call up when required ie different EQ on clean and drive channels, as well as an EQ/Boost pedal and a Comp

 

 

[Bender 4 Life]

I've recently gone from being a "str8 into the amp" guy, to using a multi-effects unit with an amp/song/artist modeler built in.

It's a budget unit, with an "expression" pedal, but i've been able to get some REALLY good "mimic" tones by spending the required time learning what the unit will do, and actually tweaking it to get what I want to hear out of it.

 

Some "tone patches" i've had to modify 3 or 4 times......but when I finally store them, they're "right".

 

I WAS an "oldschool" guy who thought automatically that digital=bad/sucks/krap...... but I was wrong. When pushed thru the clean side of my Blackstar amp, my finished tones sound quite authentic.

 

I've played my old GLP, GFly-V, GSG Std, AmDlx Strat, MexiTele, and Agile AL-3000 Prestige (LP copy) thru it so far, and i'm hoping the others sound as good thru it as these have (especially my Sheraton).

I'm trying the Sherri out when I sign off this morning....keep your fingers crossed !!

[Boston004681]

Amp controls here for me.

After that, I use pedals or whammy.....

 

Yeah same.

[Californiaman]

I'm the type of guy who starts with the amp's tone controls.

Then I fiddle with the guitar's tone and volume.

If that doesn't dial me in where I want to be sonically, I switch guitars. I do a lot of that anyway.

There's a big difference between the sound of my telecasters and my ES-175 (Classic '57 pups vs. the single coils).

I also enjoy adding a pedal now and again.

[S t e v e]

tbh i find that my guitars offer most of the tones i'm after so if i want something a "little" different...i'll twiddle the amp knobs

[Witmer]

The first thing I do is fiddle with the knobs or pickups on my guitar. If that doesn't do it, I change amps (models). I'd change guitar, but you know... I only have one, so... <_<

[DennisMiller]

I change guitars, but in all fairness, I don't gig. Since I just play at home, I would never fight the adjustment at the guitar and the amp looking for some tone I know how to get more easily out of another guitar 10' away from me.

 

I haven't gigged in so long, so I can't relate to the irritation some of you folks go through lugging around 2-3 guitars to a performance or fighting to change your Les Paul to sound like a Strat if you don't have a Strat with you... I just can't imagine.

[LPguitarman]

Usually just adjust the EQ on the amp. Bass, Middle & Treble.

[BIGBENDS]

Turn the guitar volume and/or tone knobs.

[Riverside]

I change to a coiled cord, then if that's not enough, I top-wrap.

[L5Larry]

I flip the pickup selector switch to a different position.

[Jon S.]

Turn the guitar volume and/or tone knobs.

 

+1. Then use pedals if needed..

[DennisMiller]

Larry - On your 345, do you use more than a couple Varitone positions much? I vaguely recall you saying you only used 2 or 3 positions. That times a 3 position switch and tone knobs is certainly a lot, but do I remember correctly?

[Silenced Fred]

I flip the pickup selector switch to a different position.

 

+1, that's about it, then sometimes, I fiddle with those knobbie job things on the geetar

[L5Larry]

Larry - On your 345, do you use more than a couple Varitone positions much? I vaguely recall you saying you only used 2 or 3 positions. That times a 3 position switch and tone knobs is certainly a lot, but do I remember correctly?

 

Under "normal" circumstances I only use positions 1 & 3, but as you say, even two Varitone positions plus the three-way pickup selector gives a WIDE variety of tonalities available at your fingertips.

[Californiaman]

I saw an Ibanez Jet King 1 the other day for sale.

Coil tapped humbuckers. Many tonal qualities in that guitar.

[Zonkers]

Flip from bridge to neck and fuss with the knobs, depending on what I am looking for.