Andy Timmons plays Sgt. Pepper. With fantastic tone.

[AndyK]

You think Andy Timmons has limp dick Mesa tone? And why does Hetfield sound like shit with a Diezel when he sounded like God with a Mesa?

Actually, Hetfield didn't sound like crap when he used old Boogie Mark series heads, then Dual Rectos. Andy's tone sounds like he's using his neck pickup, when he is using his bridge pickup! The chords are so mushy, you can almost not hear the individual notes. Compare that to his Laney amp tone!

Timmons rules, and his playing is awesome! I just think the title of this thread is wrong! I also think Andy should listen to some Pete Thorn and hear what nice attack and presence sounds like again!

 

[university81]

cool vids thanks for posting, great interview

super nice guy and a great player , kinda makes me miss the lonestar i used to own lol

 

[RockStarNick]

I laugh at the thought of VH actually taking us "behind the scenes" to see his rig..

Ugh. Totally. The interviews I've read go something like this:

Interviewer: Tell us about this new pickup

EVH: Well, they had to wind it about 1,354 times, but they finally got it right. The first time, the tone was like a thump, and I wanted more of a thunk. And it was hitting me in my chest, but I specifically instructed that I wanted to be hit in the solar plexus, tonally. And the second go around, it was hitting my in the gut, and not my chest, so that was wrong too...

And on, and on, and on....

 

[thiswaythatway]

And I will go on record and say that hetfield sounds better with Diezels than Mesa or marshalls. I think death magnetic is one of his best sounding records.

And I'm sure Andy Timmons would sound better if he bought a Diezel as well? Did you buy stock with the Diezel company? Hetfield sounds like a shell of his former self, whether or not it's his gear his tone has lost it's thrashy edge.

 

[shred4Him]

I have been a huge Timmons fan for a loooong time now. The change happened when he started to look to Eric Johnson as his standard for tone. On Ear X-Tacy 2, he had what I thought was his absolute best tone. Crunchy, thick, yet very articulate. He used 5150s, Marshalls, Laneys and whatever else.

I have always loved Johnson's clean tone, but his gain tones are sonic mush with no attack... Andy has moved in that direction. He did Resolution with old Marshall heads and still has that rounded and mushy sonic print. I don't think it has anything to do with the Mesas and everything to do with a conscious decision on his part.

The moral of the story: Eric Johnson has wonderful clean tone, but DO NOT use him as a standard for gain unless you want to sound like mush.


I wish he would go back to these tones, but that is all personal preference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7_Wxq2TCSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3JErXcQjKw

 

[70strathead]

I have been a huge Timmons fan for a loooong time now. The change happened when he started to look to Eric Johnson as his standard for tone. On Ear X-Tacy 2, he had what I thought was his absolute best tone. Crunchy, thick, yet very articulate. He used 5150s, Marshalls, Laneys and whatever else.

I have always loved Johnson's clean tone, but his gain tones are sonic mush with no attack... Andy has moved in that direction. He did Resolution with old Marshall heads and still has that rounded and mushy sonic print. I don't think it has anything to do with the Mesas and everything to do with a conscious decision on his part.

The moral of the story: Eric Johnson has wonderful clean tone, but DO NOT use him as a standard for gain unless you want to sound like mush.


I wish he would go back to these tones, but that is all personal preference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7_Wxq2TCSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3JErXcQjKw

i totally disagree on your point of view on eric's lead tone, especially during the late 80's/early 90's. Beautiful cello type tones with that nice tape echo that enhanced it even more. It was totally unique and yet vintage and warm. I do agree these days, his lead tone isnt as good though IMO.

 

[Mr. Willy]

There is no doubt Andy Timmons is an amazing technician with plenty of soul. His tone on these videos is uninspiring to ME. And I will go on record and say that hetfield sounds better with Diezels than Mesa or marshalls. I think death magnetic is one of his best sounding records.

His live tone on the Black Album tour destroys anything tone-wise he's put out since then. Pretty sure it was all Triaxis.

 

[shred4Him]

I have been a huge Timmons fan for a loooong time now. The change happened when he started to look to Eric Johnson as his standard for tone. On Ear X-Tacy 2, he had what I thought was his absolute best tone. Crunchy, thick, yet very articulate. He used 5150s, Marshalls, Laneys and whatever else.

I have always loved Johnson's clean tone, but his gain tones are sonic mush with no attack... Andy has moved in that direction. He did Resolution with old Marshall heads and still has that rounded and mushy sonic print. I don't think it has anything to do with the Mesas and everything to do with a conscious decision on his part.

The moral of the story: Eric Johnson has wonderful clean tone, but DO NOT use him as a standard for gain unless you want to sound like mush.


I wish he would go back to these tones, but that is all personal preference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7_Wxq2TCSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3JErXcQjKw

i totally disagree on your point of view on eric's lead tone, especially during the late 80's/early 90's. Beautiful cello type tones with that nice tape echo that enhanced it even more. It was totally unique and yet vintage and warm. I do agree these days, his lead tone isnt as good though IMO.

That is where this is all opinion. I always find Johnson's attack way too weak with gain and his lead tone is buzzy and sounds like there are blankets over the speaker. I love listening to anything that he does with clean or slightly overdriven. Once he tries to go with more gain, I turn it off. One person's violin is another's ball of mush. For this reason, I never say a person is wrong. We just have different ears.

 

[Badronald]

Andy seems like such a great guy. Amazing player for sure, but I really can't dig his tone. Too dull for me.

Same thing has happened to Bonamassa over the years. His attack is all but gone. Can't dig his tone on the last few albums. I can't believe a guy plays a wall of Marshalls and his tone ends up dull.

Whenever I plug into a Marshall it has that great Marshall midrange and bitey top end. It's the beauty of a Marshall. Rolling the treble and presence knobs to zero should be a crime.

 

[AndyK]

Andy seems like such a great guy. Amazing player for sure, but I really can't dig his tone. Too dull for me.

Same thing has happened to Bonamassa over the years. His attack is all but gone. Can't dig his tone on the last few albums. I can't believe a guy plays a wall of Marshalls and his tone ends up dull.

Whenever I plug into a Marshall it has that great Marshall midrange and bitey top end. It's the beauty of a Marshall. Rolling the treble and presence knobs to zero should be a crime.

+100

Here is the Andy Timmons tone I LOVE.

https://youtu.be/6ZTdR50CzNQ