heymisterk Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I have read on this fine Forum that it is nearly impossible to exactly copy most guitarists' exact tone. After years of trying, I have come to realize I cannot get Pete Townsend's exact "Live at Leeds" tone. I... -play an SG Classic with the P-90s. -play through a Mesa-Boogie tube amp -have rolled back the guitar's volume while cranking the amps gain, which is what I have read helps. And it does. -play solos through a VooDoo SuperFuzz The only thing left to do, I think, is play with heavy gauge strings and buy vintage HiWatt amps and have them modded like he did. So, I am hanging it up! I will continue to play you, Live at Leeds, more than any other album, but like Stages of Grief, I have finally arrived at Acceptance. Anybody been here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky4 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Didn't he use Hiwatts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yup. realized that I can't sound like most others about a year ago, and that's when I really started to write my own stuff and move away from covers. I can get close to Jack White, but its always different, and in no way can I reach his solo tone, but for riffs and chords, I have it just about down, but not quite. Same for Black Keys stuff. Just keep it up man, do your own stuff, that's always the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yes, but with the bass. I gave up a long time ago trying to do Mountain's Felix Pappalardi sound. I don't have the resources to acquire those magnificent Sunn Amps he used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yes, but with the bass. I gave up a long time ago trying to do Mountain's Felix Pappalardi sound. I don't have the resources to acquire those magnificent Sunn Amps he used. I have a Sunn Never giving that baby up, but thinking about turning it into a head instead of a combo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Yes, he did. And they were modded too. I bought my Mesa before I was obsessed with that tone he got. But I don't have the motivation - or the bank account, unfortunately - to keep my obsession alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 I know we all have tones that reach into your soul and grab it. There is just something about that Live at Leeds sound - and Woodstock, for that matter - that is just so compelling to me. It is just such a pure sound; that's the only way I can describe it. The biggest step I made, obviously, was buying the a guitar with P-90s. I have become quite the disciple, even though I know they have their flaws. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre S Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I have read on this fine Forum that it is nearly impossible to exactly copy most guitarists' exact tone. After years of trying, I have come to realize I cannot get Pete Townsend's exact "Live at Leeds" tone. I... -play an SG Classic with the P-90s. -play through a Mesa-Boogie tube amp -have rolled back the guitar's volume while cranking the amps gain, which is what I have read helps. And it does. -play solos through a VooDoo SuperFuzz The only thing left to do, I think, is play with heavy gauge strings and buy vintage HiWatt amps and have them modded like he did. So, I am hanging it up! I will continue to play you, Live at Leeds, more than any other album, but like Stages of Grief, I have finally arrived at Acceptance. Anybody been here? Doesn't matter if you can ever get the tone, because everyone plays differently, so how their amp expresses their playing will be different to how it expresses yours. What I like to do is, design a rig around the same lines as someone I like, say Joe Bonamassa and Eric Johnson and Eric Clapton. Look at the common features; multi amp setup, the difference, Eric uses different amps for different tones, where as Bonamassa combines amps for tones. Then when you have the planned rig, research everything, reduce it to what you need it for, (like instead of 4*12's use 2*12s or 1*12 cabs or combos) minimize the amount of amps, and tweak it to your taste. That way, you have an inspired rig, that is similar to whoever, but its different enough to be called your own tone. Don't copy someone elses but the only way that you are going to get a good tone without buying loads of gear and returning, is to see what your favs are using and modify that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The Mesa is a great amp. Now Fred about that Sunn, Don't give that up for anything. If they were still around for bass i'd use it instead of the Marshall. And I like the hell out my Marshall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I have read on this fine Forum that it is nearly impossible to exactly copy most guitarists' exact tone. After years of trying, I have come to realize I cannot get Pete Townsend's exact "Live at Leeds" tone. I... -play an SG Classic with the P-90s. -play through a Mesa-Boogie tube amp -have rolled back the guitar's volume while cranking the amps gain, which is what I have read helps. And it does. -play solos through a VooDoo SuperFuzz The only thing left to do, I think, is play with heavy gauge strings and buy vintage HiWatt amps and have them modded like he did. So, I am hanging it up! I will continue to play you, Live at Leeds, more than any other album, but like Stages of Grief, I have finally arrived at Acceptance. Anybody been here? I think every body has been there that actually plays and listens. Check out my reply in the Player VS. Listeners thread. Fred has nailed it with his response to this. Quit trying to sound like someone else and try to figure out what your sound is. I'm sure you got enough to get your overall Heymisterk base tone. Then think of all the guys out their who will be trying to get your tone!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 All in the fingers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Right. As much as I love that tone, I realize that my guitar+my amp=my tone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Tone is like a voice, everybody can say the same words, but you won't sound exactly the same. I understand that you want to be as close as possible to his tone and there's nothing wrong with that, when people sing a song they don't try to sound different, infact they try to sound the same, but no matter what you do it will never sound exactly the same, as stated tone is in the fingers, or the bottle caps, or your feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I have read on this fine Forum that it is nearly impossible to exactly copy most guitarists' exact tone. After years of trying, I have come to realize I cannot get Pete Townsend's exact "Live at Leeds" tone. I... -play an SG Classic with the P-90s. -play through a Mesa-Boogie tube amp -have rolled back the guitar's volume while cranking the amps gain, which is what I have read helps. And it does. -play solos through a VooDoo SuperFuzz The only thing left to do, I think, is play with heavy gauge strings and buy vintage HiWatt amps and have them modded like he did. So, I am hanging it up! I will continue to play you, Live at Leeds, more than any other album, but like Stages of Grief, I have finally arrived at Acceptance. Anybody been here? HiWatt still makes a Townsend model, if not find an old one and the mod schematics are available online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The Mesa is a great amp. Now Fred about that Sunn, Don't give that up for anything. If they were still around for bass i'd use it instead of the Marshall. And I like the hell out my Marshall. Not one bit. Once I get more money, I gotta find a place to make a box for the head, then add a 2X12 cabinet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I've never understood trying to match someone else's tone...I've always been about trying to find my own. And it constantly changes depending on the songs i'm writing... I know i'm in the minority here for sure. But even covers should be played with YOUR flavour as far as I am concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 All in the fingers... Everybody says this ( Not knocking you at all dem00n ) and maybe I take this too literally... but you're fingers are only responding as a conduit to your emotions, what you are hearing, and feeling at the moment. I always thought the "All in the Fingers" kind sounds like if you have big fat fingers then you will have a big fat tone etc... Skinny fingers skinny tone.... OK I know how ridiculous that sounds but that's what I always think when I hear that. There is more to it though. I mean Eddie Van Halen is not going to have the tone from VHII by playing through a a 60's Silvertone guitar and a pignose amp.... Even using the same fingers!!!! Will he play like Eddie.... Yep.... Will he play well?.... Most likely.... but his tone will sound like poop if he tries to pull off Somebody Get me a Doctor!! Not saying that he couldn't make something that sounds cool with what he is playing through at the time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I've never understood trying to match someone else's tone...I've always been about trying to find my own. And it constantly changes depending on the songs i'm writing... I know i'm in the minority here for sure. But even covers should be played with YOUR flavour as far as I am concerned. I agree with what you're saying, but there are some sounds, not even an entire song sometimes. One for me is on the Live Cream Volume 2, the opening of Tales Of Brave Ulysses when Clapton destroyed me with that power chord and the Marshalls filled the hall. When I hear that it's like being in church listening to a great pipe organ with Bach playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Everybody says this ( Not knocking you at all dem00n ) and maybe I take this too literally... but you're fingers are only responding as a conduit to your emotions, what you are hearing, and feeling at the moment. I always thought the "All in the Fingers" kind sounds like if you have big fat fingers then you will have a big fat tone etc... Skinny fingers skinny tone.... OK I know how ridiculous that sounds but that's what I always think when I hear that. There is more to it though. I mean Eddie Van Halen is not going to have the tone from VHII by playing through a a 60's Silvertone guitar and a pignose amp.... Even using the same fingers!!!! Will he play like Eddie.... Yep.... Will he play well?.... Most likely.... but his tone will sound like poop if he tries to pull off Somebody Get me a Doctor!! Not saying that he couldn't make something that sounds cool with what he is playing through at the time.... Sorry but you can't disagree with Dem00n, he has the most tone in the world Sl00sh Tone Scorpi00ns Gary M00re Chuck Schuld00ner Ritchie Blackm00re the list of bad puns go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Turn it up to 11 and blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Sorry but you can't disagree with Dem00n, he has the most tone in the world Sl00sh Tone Scorpi00ns Gary M00re Chuck Schuld00ner Ritchie Blackm00re the list of bad puns go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Its in the fingers by the way they push down on the frets and how hard they pick the strings. Slash pushes so hard down on his frets that he had to get a refret done on his B.C Rich, also he hits the strings really hard, creating his tone. Notice that all these guys will copy jimmy pages gear and they cant get his tone still. I have yet to find someone who has the exact tone as a other guitarist. Its sorta...impossible. But thats what i believe, its not facts...just a bunch of rants. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Admittedly you will likely never sound like your hero(es) without their head and their hands. Still I think there is nothing wrong with chasing the tones or our heroes. It's fun and inspiring! Regarding the HiWatt tone, you should check out Reeves Amps, Mister K. They are built by the man behind Pete's legendary HiWatts, Dave Reeves, and he is even making some lower wattage models. I came really close to pullin the trigger on one of his Custom 6 or Custom 12 models before I ordered my 18 watt CeriaTone head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I've never understood trying to match someone else's tone...I've always been about trying to find my own. And it constantly changes depending on the songs i'm writing... I know i'm in the minority here for sure. But even covers should be played with YOUR flavour as far as I am concerned. That/s why I'm more of an arrangement guy, take a song and tweak it a bit. It's refreshing to hear something a bit different. I posted the video a little while ago, but the cover of Cortez the Killer with Grace Potter and Joe Satriani is outstanding. Not the same as Neil Young's, but outstanding. Stuff like that makes you think twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 It's hard to not have a bit of influence sneak in on your compositions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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