Tone is in the fingers/hands?

[rsm]

If so, mine sounds more like it comes from my arse.

I know the title is one of those cork sniffer discussions, but maybe we can put a different spin on it, like:

what gear gives you your core / defining / signature / whatever sounds that you dig? What gear helps you make your fav tones/timbres/sounds you dig most, i.e., your sound?


For me it is my crappy playing (see above, regarding arse tone), coupled with good gear (IMO), primariliy my Rickenbacker guitars into Vox amps for my dry sounds jangle, chime and twang; from clean, edge of break-up / hair, to crunch and power stage saturation. A JangleBox compressor is the only effect I use with this set-up. My other core set of tones comes from a low cost modeler wrapped (in bound is an initial series Vox Tonelab table top version that is replacing my ToneLab LE) with a G-System.

What about you?

 

[ke2]

When playing by myself, any decent setup guitar with at least a humbucker in the bridge, an amp with enough distortion (or a ditto pedal).

Live, the same guitar, and an amp that will be heard in a band context.
Marshall, od pedal (and preferably a delay), and I`m set.

 

[Badronald]

Stratocaster / Marshall / two boosts / delay

 

[robb]

being left handed and playing left handed.

 

[racerevlon]

The "secret sauce" rig. My secret weapon for over 20 years--I used to mix it in with 1, then 2, then 3 other amps back in the day. I could turn any of the other amps off and get a different but equally good tone, but when I shut off the "secret sauce" rig, everyone immediately goes, "What happened?"

Don't leave home without it...

 

[Meathead]

Stratocaster / Marshall / two boosts / delay

Pretty damn hard to go wrong with that.

I use basically the same thing, but I have a few 'marshall voiced' amps with great master volumes.
Getting a nice tone at ANY volume is imperative for me, since one gig my drummer is using a Gretsch drum kit with a loud Ludwig supraphonic snare drum...the next we all have very low stage volume and he's using Roland V drums.

 

[EXPcustom]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hands and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

 

[Zachman]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Ooh... I like that.

 

[Heritage Softail]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

 

[Marshall Law]

it's still in the hands, Eddie still sounds like Eddie on any rig SRV sounded like SRV on any rig,

 

[ke2]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

And for some, an inherent blindness of the distance between the bar and your fingers

I`m not going to say that anyone can`t buy just what they want, but I personally don`t UNDERSTAND the reason for owning several high-end amps, and guitars that cost an arm and a leg, just to NOT be able to play the intro of "Sweet child o`mine" in time.

 

[mysticaxe]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Then I never should have sold my Crate combo...

Usually, I run a jcm800 type rig or something with a little more gain, and add phaser and delay for solos. A superstrat is a must for me...

 

[EXPcustom]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

And for some, an inherent blindness of the distance between the bar and your fingers

I`m not going to say that anyone can`t buy just what they want, but I personally don`t UNDERSTAND the reason for owning several high-end amps, and guitars that cost an arm and a leg, just to NOT be able to play the intro of "Sweet child o`mine" in time.

Some of us just don't have musical talent to make a living off of being a musician but we buy gear because of it's a hobby, we accept the fact that we wont ever make it to the big time and some of those amps and guitars appreciate in value.

I know right now if I dumped all my gear I could make a huge sum of money because almost everything I own has went up in value over the years save a few pedals, power adapters and cabs.

Nothing wrong with being a rock star in your own head just dont torture other people with your loud playing, I always try to be considerate of my neighbors.

 

[rsm]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Sig worthy!

 

[JakeAC5253]

The ears have a lot to do with it as well.

Lolzgreg once said to me "If you can't play perfectly on beat your tone automatically stinks"

 

[ke2]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

And for some, an inherent blindness of the distance between the bar and your fingers

I`m not going to say that anyone can`t buy just what they want, but I personally don`t UNDERSTAND the reason for owning several high-end amps, and guitars that cost an arm and a leg, just to NOT be able to play the intro of "Sweet child o`mine" in time.

Some of us just don't have musical talent to make a living off of being a musician but we buy gear because of it's a hobby, we accept the fact that we wont ever make it to the big time and some of those amps and guitars appreciate in value.

I know right now if I dumped all my gear I could make a huge sum of money because almost everything I own has went up in value over the years save a few pedals, power adapters and cabs.

Nothing wrong with being a rock star in your own head just dont torture other people with your loud playing, I always try to be considerate of my neighbors.

Same here I usually just turn it up in the weekends, and even then, very rarely. I`m too old and ugly to "make it" in the biz even if I wanted to (2 kids, a wife and a full-time job is more worth to me). But when I was a teenager, I practiced enough to make me feel that my gear is at the same level as I am today. I could never justify getting a Herbert or a Bogner etc. The stuff I have, has paid for itself by gigging, but I would need a reason for getting that kind of gear.

I have friends that are very interested in tools. Some of them have entire Makita series, or blue Bosch all the way. I work in the tools business, and get discounts that really make a difference. For the kind of use I put them through, Bosch`s green stuff is more than enough. If I was a millionaire, and had enough money put aside to give my kids a comfortable life, I`d probably also be found under the stairs, with my Suhr or Tyler pounding out metal riffs through a stereo Diezel/CAE rig barely on.

 

[ke2]

The ears have a lot to do with it as well.

Lolzgreg once said to me "If you can't play perfectly on beat your tone automatically stinks"

So very true.
If you can`t play in time, you might as well learn to do so on a decent guitar and a 1st version Pod with a headset.
I did a lot of time with that setup, and I`ve made money on the effort

 

[rsm]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

And for some, an inherent blindness of the distance between the bar and your fingers

I`m not going to say that anyone can`t buy just what they want, but I personally don`t UNDERSTAND the reason for owning several high-end amps, and guitars that cost an arm and a leg, just to NOT be able to play the intro of "Eight Miles High" in time.

Fixed for me. Not a big G n R fan.

 

[ke2]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Great saying and the premise behind my many gear purchases.....

And for some, an inherent blindness of the distance between the bar and your fingers

I`m not going to say that anyone can`t buy just what they want, but I personally don`t UNDERSTAND the reason for owning several high-end amps, and guitars that cost an arm and a leg, just to NOT be able to play the intro of "Eight Miles High" in time.

Fixed for me. Not a big G n R fan.

I grew up with The Byrds, my mom had several albums great band with great songs! And the clip you posted was from NRK, the Norwegian no.1 channel

 

[Ventura]

Gear sets how high the bar is, your hand and fingers determine how close you can get to that bar.

Ooh... I like that.

Nice quote. For me? My best hours of playing have been my '57 goldtop Lester plugged direct into my 20thA XTC. Second to this, my Suhr S4 plugged direct into a rebuilt Peavey Classic 30. Amazingly lush tones, hours of fluid sustain and rich sounds. Love it. Oddly enough, I've got an arsenal of FX, but direct is my preferred sound when possible.

FWIW,
V.