Jump to content

favorite guitar tones


Recommended Posts

forget the soloing talent, the "lasting" imprint of the artist and all that mess. what are your favorite guitar tones?

 

Could be just a player, could be as specific as one tune.

 

a few that come immediately to mind for me are:

 

edge (might be in a league of his own)

willie nelson (maybe my favorite)

chris whitley (the live stuff with all those old ass nationals through a small combo amp)

neil young and that crazy amp setup he has with that old little fender combo and his volume switcher

jeff's light fuzz tones (amazing)

J mascis (on anything)

jerryberry

marc ford on 2nd and 3rd BC records

michael timmins rhythm (strat) and solo (hollowbody acoustic/electric)

clapton in the 70s

jj cale

page (later zep)

all of mmj

gilmour

prince

frusciante

SRV

billy gibbons

 

I know there are many I'm forgetting.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 59
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Cool idea!

 

I agree with Marc Ford circa SH&MC.

 

Carlos and the infinite sustain - think of the solo on Europa

 

The Bakersfield twang of David Nelson's Telecaster in the NRPS

 

The laser-beam intensity of Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics" - and the highly squeezed, compressed textures of his partner Adrian Belew

 

My favorite (hands down) Jerry's sound when he does a run at the "Tiger" - that otherworldly sound from the '72-'73 meltdowns

 

I'll think of more later.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Anything from Wes Montgomery (legendary jazz guitarist in case you don't know), but especially "Round Midnight".. Wes learned to play with his thumb because he didn't want to disturb his wife when he was practicing late at night. His thumb gave it that fat, warm sound on that big Gibson hallow body.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Agree with the Edge. Pretty much came up with his own style.

 

Mark Knopfler gets a very unique sound, too.

 

Garcia was able to play a variety of tones not only throughout his tenure but within any given show. I think of comparing early 70s Row Jimmy's to late 70s Row Jimmys or the sound he gets on Deal for the album versus a live JGB Deal. One of my favorites is the tones on Shining Star from early 90s JGB.

 

Jorma has a pretty distinguishable tone, too, that I love.

 

oh, and B.B. King.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Van Halen "Eruption" ...everything about it.

 

The acoustic guitar on the VU's "After Hours" is the perfect gentle touch to go with Mo Tucker's vocals. Plus such a great contrast to the fuzzed-out raw sound of most other Velvets stuff (which is also way kickass but I don't know enough technical stuff to comment on.)

 

The distortion on Syd's guitar in "Interstellar Overdrive" and pretty much every other way he uses the guitar on Piper.... daaaaaaaamn!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Tweedy ala ALTWYS :rock

 

Pretty much my exact feeling, as well as Muzzle Of Bees and Spiders live.

 

Nels a la Impossible Germany obvvvvvv. + Ashes live.

 

I really love Bennett's tone on Summerteeth (the song).

Link to post
Share on other sites

Gilmour (probably the king of texture/tone- had several different gorgeous trademark sounds)

Barrett (his crazy distorted work on Piper was groundbreaking to say the least)

Hendrix ( the ultimate guitar god, who also happened to be friends with Barrett)

 

Those three changed it all IMHO. The Edge's sound can be heard on "re-emergence" from Echoes and Run Like Hell.

 

the following:

 

Page

Townsend

Fripp

Angus Young

Neil Young

Link to post
Share on other sites

With about 42 seconds left in Spoon's "Dont Make Me a Target," Britt Daniel uses this really fuzzed out guitar line that I think it really cool and I don't hear often.

 

Right around the 1:30 mark in You are My Face, Nels' guitar tone is great.

 

And, I always liked the tone on a lot of George Harrison's solos.

 

On the Raconteurs new album, the sliding electric guitar that runs throughout that song has a pretty beefy tone to it.

 

I'm really bad a describing guitar tones, I just know what I like when I hear it.

Link to post
Share on other sites
No love for Brian May? He was all tone.

Oh God yes. How about his patented twin-lead attack on things like "Keep Yourself Alive"? It just burns into your brain.

 

I need to mention Jeff Beck's amazing crying tone on ""Cause We've Ended As Lovers" - just so beautiful. Nearly all of "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" have an incredibly elastic sound that showcases JB's strengths - unpredictablity, crazy harmonics, etc. His approach is just really unique to my ears (especially during that period).

Link to post
Share on other sites
I need to mention Jeff Beck's amazing crying tone on ""Cause We've Ended As Lovers" - just so beautiful. Nearly all of "Blow By Blow" and "Wired" have an incredibly elastic sound that showcases JB's strengths - unpredictablity, crazy harmonics, etc. His approach is just really unique to my ears (especially during that period).

 

 

Hell Yes, Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and especially Led Boots :thumbup

Link to post
Share on other sites

This should be obvious but Johnny Greenwood!!!! The Bends, bends my ears!! Ok Computer is all tone the Paranoid Andriod freakout!! Just for my sakes!!

I gotta see these guys live someday soon.

 

oh yea how about Malkmus ! Wowee Zowee has some pitch perfect moments Motion suggest itself anyone?

Link to post
Share on other sites

My .02

 

Neil's crunchy Crazy Horse tone. Jeff's tone from ALTWYS, Spiders, pretty much AGIB really harkens back to that classic Neil tone in my opinion.

 

This should be obvious but Johnny Greenwood!!!! The Bends, bends my ears!!

 

Totally agree with that one.

 

One who I don't hear too much about around here but really has some of the most crystal, beautiful tone I've heard is Steve Kimock. I'm not so into the whole Jam Band scene, but his guitar tone is really impeccable and I could listen to a lot of that stuff for days.

 

I'd put Bill Frisell in a real class of his own as far as tone goes as well

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...