Can Someone Describe "Muddy"

[29Tudor]

I've heard the term "muddy" used as both a positive and negative when describing

pickup tone. I've been messing with guitars for many years and can truthfully say I

don't know what muddy means. I play Blues (BADLY!) and like a dark, maybe muddy

tone. I know what I don't like, harsh screechy tones, which to me are the opposite

of muddy.

[musicmaker99]

I've heard the term "muddy" used as both a positive and negative when describing

pickup tone. I've been messing with guitars for many years and can truthfully say I

don't know what muddy means. I play Blues (BADLY!) and like a dark, maybe muddy

tone. I know what I don't like, harsh screechy tones, which to me are the opposite

of muddy.

 

 

I consider muddy to be an apt term whenever articulation is affected adversely. You can have an 80's mega distortion that isn't muddy, or a clean tone played ever so gently that IS muddy. It's a cross blending of signals/ tones that seems loose and undefined, sometimes it's subtle and other times glaringly obvious.

 

That's my take on muddy.

[ne14t?]

Muddy is going to be a darker sound, roll off a bit of tone on the guitar and then start messing with the lows and mids on your amp (generally decreasing them) to achieve that fluid but slightly dirty sound. You can achieve it by messing around with the gain as well; however you wanna be careful so you do start distorting the sound. Its that nice little area were the amp sound starts to distort but not far enough were it start crunching or you get too far from blues and too close to rock, if that makes any sense!

[Whitmore Willy]

I consider muddy to be an apt term whenever articulation is affected adversely.

+1...Lacking in definition.....

Even if a sound is dark, it still can have a defined sound. (the notes stand out)

If it lacks that articulation the sound is muddy.

 

My opinion only,

 

Willy

[stein]

+1...Lacking in definition.....

Even if a sound is dark, it still can have a defined sound. (the notes stand out)

If it lacks that articulation the sound is muddy.

 

My opinion only,

 

Willy

Thats how I would describe it also.

 

It is almost always used by a player describing something lacking. Usually, someone who LIKES a sound would say mellow or dark, or greasy or heavy (used for other things too tho)or, velvety.

 

But I think when someone says muddy, they mean muffled, and they USUALLY mean to say lacking in desired definition.

[Dougefresh91]

Muddy to me sounds like there's a blanket over my amp blocking out the highs. Or something.

[Versatile]

For me muddy is something I try to avoid....

 

An unpleasant slightly distorted sound with poor definition....usually when playing 'clean'

 

It depends on one's own aural perception and no doubt varies with the listener...

 

To be contrasted with a tight, compressed hi gain sound

 

Sometimes EQ is a major factor

 

For me H/B's suffer more than S/C's......

 

V

 

[Upiory]

I've always used 'muddy' to describe a loss in definition at higher volumes or increased gain. An apt example would be with my Sheraton. On a good amp, the stock neck pup would dissolve into a colorless mud as gain increased. I put in Duncan '59s and the problem vanished. That's my 'muddy' example for whatever it's worth.

[RaSTuS]

I've been an advocate of swapping out the pups for a while, but I think anyone considering doing that owes it to themselves to try simpler and more economical remedies first, it just may save them many dollars in the process.

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/67564-hngd/page__view__findpost__p__917147

[Oopssorryy]

I would say when you start to loose sustain, definition, or articulation with your tone I would call that muddy. You can have a dark or think tone with out it being muddy, just like you can have a bright and thin tone that's muddy. A third of it is your pickups, the another third is your amp and amp settings, and the rest is your playing. Using your fingers can cause muddiness, or improper fretting of notes.

 

When I think of muddy tone, I think of Clapton's Woman tone.

[boss gt8]

I think of my les paul in the neck position and heavily overdriven to the point where it has NO definition

[RaSTuS]

I would say when you start to loose sustain, definition, or articulation with your tone I would call that muddy. You can have a dark or think tone with out it being muddy, just like you can have a bright and thin tone that's muddy. A third of it is your pickups, the another third is your amp and amp settings, and the rest is your playing. Using your fingers can cause muddiness, or improper fretting of notes.

 

When I think of muddy tone, I think of Clapton's Woman tone.

I think that's an accurate but over simplified assessment, your guitar's electronics and the signal path can make a world of difference also. With the electronics varying the tone pot resistance and capacitance values, as well as where you place the caps in your circuit can make vast differences in what that guitar will ultimately sound like. Also the signal path makes a huge difference, not only the pedals you use, but the order of them in the chain, changing the order of your pedals will yield varying results.

[Oopssorryy]

I think that's an accurate but over simplified assessment, your guitar's electronics and the signal path can make a world of difference also. With the electronics varying the tone pot resistance and capacitance values, as well as where you place the caps in your circuit can make vast differences in what that guitar will ultimately sound like. Also the signal path makes a huge difference, not only the pedals you use, but the order of them in the chain, changing the order of your pedals will yield varying results.

 

I throw in the electronics inside the guitar in with the pickups, and the pedals, and chords, in with the amp. It is a simple explanation, but it's a working one. With the correct wiring (is there really a correct wiring?) your guitar can sound can change, but I haven't really played with the signal chain with pedals as of yet, so I don't really know how it works...yet.

[blues335]

Example that may explain my appreciation of the term.

 

take a bog standard stock epiphone sg or epiphone dot from the mid 90's

 

plug those two guitars into a less than average amp.........MUD ie lack of definition, lacking highs clarity and punch on the treble side

 

plug those two guitars into a really good amp with a bright switch...........MUD gone

 

same pickups same guitars different amps

 

moral of the story, from experience, don't pick on your guitars........invest in a good amp......... \:D/

[Upiory]

You really make a good point here. Guitarists spend so much time worrying over and tweaking their instruments that they frequently ignore the obvious. Guitars are just more fun to play with, aren't they? We need to put more time into choosing our amps. The differences are profound.

 

Ampeg.

[StewartB]

Here's a dictionary definition that probably sums it all up...............................

 

mud·dy (md)adj. mud·di·er, mud·di·est a. Not bright or pure: a muddy color.b. Not clear; cloudy, as with sediment: muddy coffee.3. Lacking luster; dull: a muddy complexion.4. Confused or vague: muddy thinking.

Works for me................

 

StewartB

[matiac]

muffled.

[BillyGibson]

Like the muddy Mississippi. It's not dirt. It's not water.

It's just brown muck.