Cork-sniffing slum-dogs... speak out!

[C1-ocaster]

Player A and Player B are in a room together (fully clothed).

Player A plugs into a guitar rig in the room and dials in his tone (still fully clothed, btw)

Player A then hands his guitar to Player B (Player B at this point could be partially naked, but this is not relevant)

Player B then plays through the same guitar rig, with the same guitar. The tone sounds completely different.

Why?

Playing technique.

(At this point, both Player A and Player B have disrobed. However, this does not change the point being made)

Likely you're already aware of this, but I'll throw it out there as it might be helpful to others.
One reason why the "tone" will sound a bit different is due to where you're standing when the other half naked/half dressed person is playing. The tone we hear and dial in is related to where we stand in relation to the speakers.
If the amp is on the floor you're standing above it at a big angle. Depending on tall you are and the height of the speaker's location your ears are far up from where the actual true tone of the amp is. So when the other player plays you're likely farther back and the angle of your ears to the speaker is decreased and it will sound a bit different and sometimes a good bit different, it depends on the amps location, your ears, and the room acoustics.

You can even hear a tonal difference with your own playing. Try it out for those who haven't. Stand next to the map as you normally do and set your tone the way you like. Now move away from the amp as far as you can go and the tone will have changed.
The frequency of the sound waves, tone, are affected by the room and what's in the room. Depending on where you're standing those frequencies get altered and by the time it hits your ears it usually does sound different at different locations in the room
Those of you that do mic'd recording know this.

Here's an example we've all experienced when hearing live bands in bars and clubs. When playing live, players set up their tone based on their proximity to the amps speakers and the player is digging the tone and volume. But the people sitting or standing say 15-20 feet away are hearing the speakers at a different angle and ear position, and to them the tone is trebley and loud and not so great.
Same gear, same player, different tonal experience. The player otoh is in tonal rock heaven.

Anyway, that's just one aspect affecting tone, there are of course other aspects to it as well.
The player is also a part of it, but not the biggest nor major part of the actual "tone", imo.
The player gives the tone "style".
Part of a style includes tone, and part of the tone includes the style, and away we go! 'Round and round the mulberry bush..."

 

[rlord1974]

Part of a style includes tone, and part of the tone includes the style, and away we go! 'Round and round the mulberry bush..."

And therein lies the problem in defining such terms.

 

[Badronald]

Never cared what anybody thought. Play whatever I want.

I pretty much sound the same through anything I play anyway, so I chase tone to a point but beyond some quality gear I sound the same. Good tube amp, good Guitar and a good boost and delay and its all the same.

I seriously can not belive the tone is in the fingers hype.

Yea ok if you straight up cant play you might not get a good tone because your notes are not clean.

But when I plug into a Peavey it sounds like a Peavey, when I plug into my VHT, it sounds like a VHT and not a Peavey.

Edit: When I tried a Rockerverb it sounded exactly like a Rockerverb. And that Herbert did not sound like any of them.

Sorry to derail, Mod on Bogner dude!!!

It's fine.
I do fly dates, play at multiple churches, pick up gigs, clubs, outdoor gigs. I use what is provided. Vox, Fender, Matchless, Boogie, Marshall, Line 6, Egnater, Crate, etc......and I sound just like me through all of them.
I use a Stratocaster and play with very clean technique and manipulate the volume and tone constantly.
Don't know what else to say other than I know how to dial amps. I've had to make due in so many situations over the years, that eventually you have to sink or swim.

 

[C1-ocaster]

Part of a style includes tone, and part of the tone includes the style, and away we go! 'Round and round the mulberry bush..."

And therein lies the problem in defining such terms.

Indeed.

 

[Motorpud]

Player A and Player B are in a room together (fully clothed).

Player A plugs into a guitar rig in the room and dials in his tane (still fully clothed, btw)

Player A then hands his guitar to Player B (Player B at this point could be partially naked, but this is not relevant)

Player B then plays through the same guitar rig, with the same guitar. The tone sounds completely different.

Why?

Playing technique.

(At this point, both Player A and Player B have disrobed. However, this does not change the point being made)

I like your equation, I find that injecting full on male nudity into a lesson always helps me concentrate and absorb the information better.

With that said, I still don't believe that every player sounds different through the same rig.. They can, but I think that if you take 2 average players of the same skill level and have them play the exact same thing one after the other, you'd have a hard time telling the difference.

I guess that I'm focused on decent or GOOD players. Good players have very individual hands (phrasing and tone control) and will make the same rig sound different.

See, phrasing is the single most recognizable attribute of a person's playing IMO. I don't equate that to the "tone is in the fingers", note selection and composition comes from the mind.

Listen to Kill Em' All and then pop in MOP. Same players, same fingers, same style, different amps, world of difference.

 

[Bob Savage]

I could count the amps I've owned that I couldn't have lived with as my only amp on one hand, and probably have a couple free fingers.