Are harsh tones ever desirable?

[Kac]

Re: Are harsh tones ever desirable?

Don't have this effect with my blues jr. But I've replaced the speaker and pre amp tubes... Try messing with the tone knobs and changing out some stuff, or replace the amp. There certainly could be a time and place for the harsh tones you mentioned, but if it's too harsh for you, then change something up. I wouldn't want to be stuck just using the neck pickup.


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[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Are harsh tones ever desirable?

Yes, some times harsh tones are desirable. If I understand correctly, the old-school solo was bridge pickup full blast. With a Strat and a Tele that can seem harsh, but you're right next to the amp. Those brights are going to cut through the mix. What may sound bad up close, to you, may sound great from a distance. Ask someone to listen from a distance and tell you.

Harsh tones in my mind are places like All Along The Watch Tower where Hendrix was doing the octave bends (pinky bends on B string, first finger on E string), or on Coming Back to Life (Pink Floyd) at the beginning of the song where you can hear David Gilmour switch to bridge pickup. That and most of the Deftones' dissonant passages

Try using your tone knob to dial it in, but otherwise, try having someone listen from a distance and tell you how it sounds out there. You may be surprised.

 

[saladin]

Re: Are harsh tones ever desirable?

Any Big Black record and the first Jesus and Mary Chain LP come to mind as harsh, but they wouldn't sound the same with "smooth" tones.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Are harsh tones ever desirable?

Depends on the style of music I guess.