Is tone in the hands, or the pedals?
- Thread starter SkyMonkey
- Start date
I like gear less and less everyday....and performing more and more
StrumerJoe
Well-Known Member
Tone starts in the noggin', then passes through the heart and out through the hands.
That is the only logical scientific reason that can explain why I sound the same no matter what I play or play through.
That is the only logical scientific reason that can explain why I sound the same no matter what I play or play through.
eSGEe
Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
RVA
Ambassador
Maybe because it is now your job to inspect it.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
Feck the Strap, mr Voodoo, Only thing I need well hung is my... Nevermind.
No tone in that.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
Reminds me of a Joke, Bro.
A fella with a speech impediment was looking for a job. He found an opening at the panty hose factory and went in to apply.
During the interview, the boss man asked what his last job was and why he thought he was a good fit for the Panty Hose job.
He explained that his last job was as a diesel fitter.
The boss was puzzled as to what exactly a diesel fitter did. So, the man took a pair of panty hose off the boss's desk and held them up and said,
" Diesel Fitter"
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Amp Mad Scientist
Ambassador of Heresy
I wouldn't say it's that mysterious.
I know if I strap a guitar transmitter to the "right" strap, it will broadcast about 8 miles.
You have no idea what those thangs are capable of.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
HAHAHA Robert, as a Carpenter, I am both, a Performer of Carpentry and an accumulator of hammers. ( Each hammer being whichever is best for the job)
Trim hammer, 20 ounce hammer, 22-24 ounce Framing hammers, Sledge Hammer, Masonry hammers, and even Air powered versions of the above.
BUT I do understand your point of view. Get the perfect setup and keep it simple to make the most of what you have.
And more than anything, earn a good living. For me, that always has to. Be number one.
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
I agreee.
Exvept...
My STYLE will come through but give me a Strat and an old Twin Reverb and I will not sound the same tonally at all as my "regular" tone. Stylistic, yes.
Tone, no.
To me there is quite a difference between style and tone. Set a Marshall I own to hugely scooped mids and lower the gain and it will not tonally sound like me. Style, yes of course.
Jethro Rocker
Ambassador of Live & Loud Action
I should clarify my position here.
I believe that guitar music is flowing and moving, a stream of chords, notes and melodies and that is what we hear and compare.
But -
If one could in theory get a bunch of guitar guys to play the same setup and not play, as such, but just hammer on a power A chord once.
Let it ring.
They should all sound essentially the same.
Tonally.
Angus should sound like Eddie on Eddie's rig, with that example. He might attack the chord a bit differently but essentially the tone would remain the same.
As soon as he starts blues soloing he sounds more like Angus.
THAT, to me, is called style NOT tone.
Nugent sounded like himself on EVH rig cause he played, well, like himself, thus STYLE. Once one hears someone's style it is hard to dig simply the tone out of that and compare.
So yes, we hear all the playing and style and equate that with certain players which makes them sound like themselves but their root tone is unique to their rig setup.
EVH still sounds like himself stylistically on all albums but some of the later stuff tonally is quite different from VH 1. We KNOW it is Eddie playing but if one looked at one chord pulled out of those later recordings they would be tonally different from the first.
I believe that guitar music is flowing and moving, a stream of chords, notes and melodies and that is what we hear and compare.
But -
If one could in theory get a bunch of guitar guys to play the same setup and not play, as such, but just hammer on a power A chord once.
Let it ring.
They should all sound essentially the same.
Tonally.
Angus should sound like Eddie on Eddie's rig, with that example. He might attack the chord a bit differently but essentially the tone would remain the same.
As soon as he starts blues soloing he sounds more like Angus.
THAT, to me, is called style NOT tone.
Nugent sounded like himself on EVH rig cause he played, well, like himself, thus STYLE. Once one hears someone's style it is hard to dig simply the tone out of that and compare.
So yes, we hear all the playing and style and equate that with certain players which makes them sound like themselves but their root tone is unique to their rig setup.
EVH still sounds like himself stylistically on all albums but some of the later stuff tonally is quite different from VH 1. We KNOW it is Eddie playing but if one looked at one chord pulled out of those later recordings they would be tonally different from the first.
"When it comes to gear, we all chase the mythical holy grails, and I’m lucky enough to own a lot of them. But it’s funny: If I took an Epiphone Les Paul and a Peavey Bandit or if I took a ’59 Les Paul and a Dumble, chances are I’m going to sound very similar, and, to me, that’s gear in a nutshell. It all comes down to you. It’s the type of pick you use. It’s your attack and your bloom. Do you have a light tough, or do you pick hard? Tone really starts with you. It's what you hear in your head and how it manifests. Gear is important – you want to have the right tools – but there isn’t one device, electric guitar or amp that’s a game changer. Nothing is going to give you your sound. Your sound’s in you. Your gear is just there to help you... "- Joe Bonnamassa
My personal experience. My youngest picks any one of my electrics. Tweaks the pedals. Tweaks the amp. Plays. In my mind I’m going….. so that’s what it’s supposed to sound like. He hands me the guitar. Changing nothing. I still sound like crap.
For me, that answers the question.
For me, that answers the question.