Have all the best guitar tones been created?

[stephen sawall]

What is a new tone or sound today ?
Djent was 10 almost 15 years ago. It certainly isn't new anymore.

As far as music from the last 2-3 years goes I am hearing much cleaner sounds. More in common with hip hop and R&B than anything.

 

[anomaly]

Same, most of my favourite tones are from the 80s..or early 90s

Master Of Puppets was the first tone that really caught my attention, then Alice In Chains Dirt album.

 

[RaceU4her]

These guys are like a digital modern metal 311 minus the reggae?

i dont get any 311 vibes myself, but i think they are similar in that they are their own thing that can cross over into many genres which means fans from all over, which is exactly what i try and go for myself. both bands could play ozzfest or the summer jam hippie fests and people would dig them, its not something a lot of bands could do

 

[guitarsnob]

Master Of Puppets was the first tone that really caught my attention, then Alice In Chains Dirt album.

Master of Puppets was the reason I wanted to learn guitar!

 

[PDC]

I think most on this forum have figured out what sounds/tones really translate well when live or recorded in a band context. Many of our absolute favorite guitar ‘sounds’ from classic recorded albums actually sound pretty dry as iso tracks. Sykes tracks on the 1987 ‘Whitesnake’ album come to mind - Jaw dropping playing, for sure. But drag the bass track and kick drum out and the actual guitar tracks really aren’t providing that signature ‘thump’ you hear in the final, full band mix. Along those lines, most of us have learned the hard way how quickly our favorite bedroom / guitar store ‘shred’ tones get swallowed whole in a live or recorded mix.

Whether clean, edge of breakup blues, classic rock, chunky rhythm, or searing leads, I think we all know what works and what doesn’t. I think the variety in what we hear comes from physical technique and how certain players literally ‘attack’ the instrument and ‘wring’ notes out of the guitar.

 

[mooncobra]

Nowhere near it. Like sands of the hourglass, these are the endless tones of our lives!!!!

 

[japetus]

Nowhere near it. Like sands of the hourglass, these are the endless tones of our lives!!!!

BASED

 

[311splawndude]

i dont get any 311 vibes myself, but i think they are similar in that they are their own thing that can cross over into many genres which means fans from all over, which is exactly what i try and go for myself. both bands could play ozzfest or the summer jam hippie fests and people would dig them, its not something a lot of bands could do

Exactly

I think most on this forum have figured out what sounds/tones really translate well when live or recorded in a band context. Many of our absolute favorite guitar ‘sounds’ from classic recorded albums actually sound pretty dry as iso tracks. Sykes tracks on the 1987 ‘Whitesnake’ album come to mind - Jaw dropping playing, for sure. But drag the bass track and kick drum out and the actual guitar tracks really aren’t providing that signature ‘thump’ you hear in the final, full band mix. Along those lines, most of us have learned the hard way how quickly our favorite bedroom / guitar store ‘shred’ tones get swallowed whole in a live or recorded mix.

Whether clean, edge of breakup blues, classic rock, chunky rhythm, or searing leads, I think we all know what works and what doesn’t. I think the variety in what we hear comes from physical technique and how certain players literally ‘attack’ the instrument and ‘wring’ notes out of the guitar.

This is spot on of course but I'd be interested in your opinion on the future of guitar tones, or possibilities there of.

 

[nightlight]

There are endless variations of the same basic tones that dumbass gear page dudes will spend all their money chasing and dumbass companies will still hype gear for them to chase. Find something decent to use and play your guitar so you get chops which will have more of an effect on your tone=simple living.

Hopefully I have offended a few gear page members with this post.

Are you in the wrong forum?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

i dont know if its "new", but tim henson is the only dude lately i can say i have no clue how to get that tone. i know hes digital so who knows what they will come up with next

Is that an edited photo? How the hell do that many people listen to Polyphia?? If there were no girls at Rush concerts, I can't imagine there being very many at a Polyphia show.

 

[RaceU4her]

Is that an edited photo? How the hell do that many people listen to Polyphia?? If there were no girls at Rush concerts, I can't imagine there being very many at a Polyphia show.

it looks like there are as many chicks if not more than dudes if you watch the vid, all bouncing up and down having a good time. they are an incredible band with good looking dudes that have a vibe, that draws chicks. im not even that into them and i want to go cause it looks like a good time

 

[GOHOINC]

it looks like there are as many chicks if not more than dudes if you watch the vid, all bouncing up and down having a good time. they are an incredible band with good looking dudes that have a vibe, that draws chicks. im not even that into them and i want to go cause it looks like a good time

When I first heard them I couldn't jive with it but I think they have gotten better and created better songs on each record they have put out. So I'm with you. They really only have a handful of songs I listen to at all, but I dig them enough to want to see them live, sure seems like it would be fun...

 

[RaceU4her]

When I first heard them I couldn't jive with it but I think they have gotten better and created better songs on each record they have put out. So I'm with you. They really only have a handful of songs I listen to at all, but I dig them enough to want to see them live, sure seems like it would be fun...

The disdain this place has for this band is both weird and fascinating to me. You got most of the guitar world calling them a generational talent, but here guys are surprised they sell a couple thousand seat venues and there is a girl in the crowd. Like how does one watch that vid and not at least respect them as musicians?

 

[Bram576]

The disdain this place has for this band is both weird and fascinating to me. You got most of the guitar world calling them a generational talent, but here guys are surprised they sell a couple thousand seat venues and there is a girl in the crowd. Like how does one watch that vid and not at least respect them as musicians?

Yep, they’re talented and sound tight. I can totally respect that; that being said not really my thing… but anything “proggy” never really has been. But hell at least some of the younger generation is listening to some music with real instruments! Mainstream music is such trash nowadays, even though polyphia is not my thing at all, at least gives me hope real musicians won't just die off with everyone just listening to EDM, pop, and mainstream rap.

 

[Arch Stanton]

 

[anomaly]

Master of Puppets was the reason I wanted to learn guitar!

Me too, I wanted that guitar sound so bad.

 

[nightlight]

I like that better than Polyphia, super cool haha

(Except for the ending, then it all falls apart, sigh)

 

[RaceU4her]

Yep, they’re talented and sound tight. I can totally respect that; that being said not really my thing… but anything “proggy” never really has been. But hell at least some of the younger generation is listening to some music with real instruments! Mainstream music is such trash nowadays, even though polyphia is not my thing at all, at least gives me hope real musicians won't just die off with everyone just listening to EDM, pop, and mainstream rap.

I don’t think live musicians are dying off in the least honestly. I was pretty surprised this New Year’s Eve seeing nothing but country bands on all the big cable shows, that was never a thing. My town is this little kind of epicenter for jam bands, there’s bands literally every night, that scene is huge. Taylor swift is the biggest thing literally ever playing her guitar. Phil, Rex and friends are packing arenas. I think everything is fine.

 

[Arch Stanton]

I like that better than Polyphia, super cool haha

Yeah.. it's called "groove".

Polyps has none of that.

Zero panties have ever dropped to that "electric flamenco" music.

 

[Bram576]

I don’t think live musicians are dying off in the least honestly. I was pretty surprised this New Year’s Eve seeing nothing but country bands on all the big cable shows, that was never a thing. My town is this little kind of epicenter for jam bands, there’s bands literally every night, that scene is huge. Taylor swift is the biggest thing literally ever playing her guitar. Phil, Rex and friends are packing arenas. I think everything is fine.

I guess I should’ve specified saying in the rock/metal territory. Country has always been huge and always will be.

I feel like there’s been hardly any new bands in the last 20ish years or so that play high gain shit that can really fill up a place… save for acts like periphery and polyphia. Djent and prog is not my thing at all, but LOADS of people are into it, and many younger kids are getting into instruments over that stuff. When I was a kid the nu metal stuff is what got me into heavy music and that stuff was huge back then. Every single one of those shows could pack out a legit venue. Nowadays you look at new acts coming out and they can’t even fill up a place that has a 2000 capacity venue. I live in Denver for reference. Because people just don’t care as much about rock and metal anymore. The acts that can pack a house are the same acts that have been around forever.

Edit: I’ll add to this I was working out with a group of guys from my work and literally 1 out of 7 knew who Guns N’ Roses was when welcome to the jungle came on lol.