T HE TONE CHECKLIST
He suggests you invest in a new amplifier,
and after some more discussion, the seed is
planted. You then try out the latest supercool boutique creation and declare, “This is
it!” only to discover four months later that
“this” is most certainly not “it.”
So there you are, back at square one with
a hole in your wallet and a piece of gear
that isn’t getting it done. What happened?
What do you do next? What if this happens
with the next piece of gear you try? Does
all tone knowledge come from seemingly endless trial and error? Did iconic
guitarists like Van Halen, Santana,
Hendrix and Stevie Ray – players with
instantly identifiabl tones – go through
the same demoralizing searches? You just
spent your vacation money on this amp
and your wife will throw you out if you buy
another one – there has got to be a secret
to finding good tone that keeps your cash
reserves liquid and your marriage solid.
As there are so many little details that
make up a signature tone, we’ll focus on
the basics of what kinds of tones emanate
from what kind of gear. We will use general classifications to help narrow down
the wonderfully ridiculous number of gear
choices out there. You will then be able
to try a piece of gear and know what to
listen for.
A quick note before we jump in: throughout this checklist you will see a lot of
adjectives regarding tone. Almost every
description has an opposing point of view.
Please understand that our purpose here it
to generally classify, not define.
to know about you through your
tone? Do you want one signature tone
or several? Can you describe each tone in
detail? What do you want the listener to
feel when he/she hears it?
The honest truth is it’s an equipment jungle
out there and it’s easy to get lost. The
good news is that the players mentioned
above made it to the other side and so
can you! Our eight-step tone checklist will
help you identify the gear you need, before
you open up the wallet, meaning a better
chance of getting it right the first time. If
you’re sick of spending money on gear that
doesn’t get the job done, read on.
Head, Heart and Hands
Electric guitar tone begins before you ever
pick up your instrument. It starts with your
heart, is assembled in your head and lives
in your hands; the gear you use is simply a
conduit for the expression of these departments. You won’t find your tone in an
amp, guitar, stompbox or rack unit unless
you know what you’re looking for. The oft-heard line, “I’ll know it when I hear it,” is
nothing more than a cop out! Just because
you can hear it in your head doesn’t mean
you’ll ever figure out how to get it out of
your hands.
Ever heard this line before? “Smokin’
Johnny Hotlix played my rig and still
sounded like Smokin’ Johnny Hotlix!” Why
does this happen? Because Johnny Holix
can answer all the questions above and
apply those concepts to
any rig. He is absolutely
dialed into what he
wants. And you’d best
believe that he dug
hard (just like you) to
find it. Some players
can do this naturally,
like a gifted athlete;
some folks stumble
on it by accident. But
the rest of us have to
work at it.
Checklist Point #1: Clean Tones
The amplifier is where clean tones are
delivered, and provides the foundation
for the rest of your tone. Today’s amps
deliver thousands of styles and colors of
clean tones, so how does one narrow it
down? Let’s start by identifying the four
basic types of clean tones that the rest are
derived from.
Fender’s ’ 64
Vibroverb Custom
So how does one get “it” out of their
hands? You have to decide what is important to you; it requires the asking and
answering of lots of tough questions, and
unfortunately, there’s no easy way around
this. What exactly is your musical personality? What tones fit your musical personality? What do you want the rest of the world
But here’s the rub
– I have no way
of understanding what’s in your
heart and how
you create music
with that source.
That is what
makes your art,
your art. We’re
certainly not here
to discuss the esoterica of tone in your
soul, and we’re not here to discuss the
application of your God-given physiology,
either. The point of this article is to help
you get inside your head and make some
decisions about your tone. Hopefully your
heart and hands will follow suit.
“Fender-style” Clean: In the 1950s, Leo
Fender and his amp company pioneered
this style of tone, created by the use of 6L6
power amp tubes and a Class A/B power
configuration. Look for a sparkling, clear
and open sounding color. The highs cut
hard, the mids are transparent and crisp,
and the lows are dry and clear.
