PDC
Well-known member
Great thread - pure gold experience / knowledge here. I cannot add anything new. Just another vote for less gain and more volume always sounds better.
What would you consider your biggest tonal realisation that has made an impact on the way you dial in gear?
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njshred
Well-known member
Your alone tone is not bright enough to cut through a band mix. Live reduce your bass and increase your treble by “2” each.
DanTravis62
Moderator
Staff member
You're missing the point - you aren't dime bag and it isn't going to work for your tone and your band
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Hack
I have been thinking this same thing lately. The high mid vs low mid voicing knob would be very useful because many of us are trying in futility to do this same thing with hidden combinations of presence/bass/treble adjustment combinations, lol
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Hack
One thing I can say that I am pretty sure is true, though, is that pickups are the single biggest impact on your tone. A lot of people say that you can dial out the pickup with your amp. That is true. But in doing so, you completely change the dynamic of the amp in some cases. If you get the right pickup in your guitar, you should then find the best amp to match it. For me, I think the Roxy is probably the best pickup I have ever played. It sounds great with a lot of amps, but man does it love the Low Mid voiced amps.
ChurchHill
Well-known member
I'd agree to an extent, but I think speakers have a bigger impact that pickups. Think about how different a rig sounds through a V30 vs a Greenback, even if everything else is the same. Pickups have about the same impact. Which one is of greater impact depends on the rig, the player, and the style.
From a bigger perspective, I think that everything that transduces the signal has a very significant impact. Any time you're changing mechanical energy to electrical energy, or voltage to current, the resulting copy of the signal is necessarily different than the original. Analog to digital, for that matter. Pickups, speakers, and transformers all fall into this category.
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Hack
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I guess for me, I don't want to change speakers again. I have gone through so many and absolutely love the Redbacks.
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GuitarVacation
Active member
Guitar volume and tone knobs. Didn’t use ‘em for a long time. Now I do, and it’s a whole new world.
I will say, however, that the years I spent doing the chug chug, shred, repeat: Don’t think volume/tone knobs are important for heavy stuff. By heavy I mean fast, brutal, and hopefully satanic.
For all other less extreme guitar, a good single channel amp, maybe 1-2 dirt pedals for EQ and or Fuzz, and there is a wealth of tone in the knobs on the guitar.
I will say, however, that the years I spent doing the chug chug, shred, repeat: Don’t think volume/tone knobs are important for heavy stuff. By heavy I mean fast, brutal, and hopefully satanic.
For all other less extreme guitar, a good single channel amp, maybe 1-2 dirt pedals for EQ and or Fuzz, and there is a wealth of tone in the knobs on the guitar.
Jakem
Well-known member
Lowering the gain.
Metalhex
Well-known member
If the "trick" is to use much lower gain for recording than one thinks, then is it really necessary to have big amps with 5 gain stages aside from playing band volumes?
cobrahead1030
Well-known member
Turn the gain up, go ahead & add some reverb & delay while you’re at it…
When I first started playing out, some 20+ years ago, I ran my gain too high like most; same with any effects I would run. Noise gates sucked back then, so I followed the natural progression of learning to play with less gain.
That’s always been tremendously helpful when I play out. I don’t have the feedback or muddy tone issues a lot of guys struggle with. My technique got a lot better and I don’t feel my playing is handicapped when a sound guy asks me to change something.
When it comes to recording, I have to de-program that “less is more” mindset a little. There’s a whole world of sounds I overlooked for the longest time, in the name of keeping everything clean & clear sounding.
Effects have come a long way since then, which also helps. I still hate noise gates.
When I first started playing out, some 20+ years ago, I ran my gain too high like most; same with any effects I would run. Noise gates sucked back then, so I followed the natural progression of learning to play with less gain.
That’s always been tremendously helpful when I play out. I don’t have the feedback or muddy tone issues a lot of guys struggle with. My technique got a lot better and I don’t feel my playing is handicapped when a sound guy asks me to change something.
When it comes to recording, I have to de-program that “less is more” mindset a little. There’s a whole world of sounds I overlooked for the longest time, in the name of keeping everything clean & clear sounding.
Effects have come a long way since then, which also helps. I still hate noise gates.
DrewJD82
Well-known member
What all the instruments that aren't my guitar sound like.
ners
Well-known member
Just how much a pickups voicing dictates tone. Played only EMGs for like a decade and I hated absolutely any amp setting that wasn't for metal.
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nightlight
Well-known member
I think on the subject of soundmen, they are listening from a position that would allow them to hear your tone holistically from the audience's perspective. Learn to work with them and if there's time, have a chat about why you sound the way you do and how you hope he can help that translate when it hits the audience's ears.
Far too many guitarists/bassists/drummers/vocalists think that the sound they are getting on stage is what listeners here, but I think a good rule of thumb is that it's not mixed for live. So a bit of give and take with the sound guy can really help your music shine in the venue.
Not saying that most soundmen aren't dicks, but it really helps if you can pop up to the FOH and have a listen to what he's hearing.
Far too many guitarists/bassists/drummers/vocalists think that the sound they are getting on stage is what listeners here, but I think a good rule of thumb is that it's not mixed for live. So a bit of give and take with the sound guy can really help your music shine in the venue.
Not saying that most soundmen aren't dicks, but it really helps if you can pop up to the FOH and have a listen to what he's hearing.
anomaly
Well-known member
Actually you're wrong. I did have myself a Dime rig about 15 years ago, with a Randall rg100es and a Dean ML and I used it in my band at the time. I had very similar settings to Dimebag with my amp and EQ's and it cut like a hot knife thru butter. Seriously, I miss that rig very much.
Believe it or not, the pickup, the l-500xl is a big part of that sound. It probably wouldn't have worked with any other pickup because it makes the gain so clear and cutting.
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DanTravis62
Moderator
Staff member
Sure then buddy, I'm glad that worked for your dimebag cover band but that's not going to be salient or pertinent advice for people who are trying to get their own sound and find their own way
Because even dime used layering of other amps and massive amounts of studio and live EQ to make that sound work
It's bad advice, and it lead to thousands of local bands with shit tone that sounded like a can of bees, and if you want to pretend it works more power to you
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Brain Becker
Active member
Gain is your friend as are mids, but don't use too much of each.
Simon Dorn
Well-known member
Different guitar players sound different.
Simon Dorn
Well-known member
You want him fuck his guitar?
Simon Dorn
Well-known member
is only as good as the worst one.
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