What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

[Aceman]

All of this grail tone discussion got me to wondering. What exactly do you consider a grail tone?

Let's list what you consider to be your top three, or five…and see where we agree and disagree. Keep it to recorded materials for the top three tones you'd love to nail. And name the recording if necessary….

Live addendum: Name a live tone or two that blew you away. As in you were there…recordings covered above.

Since I asked, I'll throw down first:

#1 Neal Schon from Journey Escape; Stone in Love; The whole album actually. He just sounds stunning on there from crunch to thick saturation to clean you name it. Doesn't hurt that it is some damn fine playing too.

#2 Gary Richrath from REO Speedwagon High Infidelity; Take it on the Run solo. Gary is pretty much a meat and potatoes LP/SuperD/Marshall guy. He also does some of my favorite neck pickup solo tones of all time. Again, I love his sound on the whole album.

#3 Mathias Jabs from Scorpions Love At First Sting; The Same Thrill. I'm not sure if it's the playing (he HURTS that guitar!) or the tone, but again, the whole album the notes are all just awesome.

#4 Jimi Hendrix from Are You Experienced; The Wind Cries Mary. Ultimate CLean Tone ever IMO.

#5 David Gilmour from tThe Wall; Comfortably Numb. No explanation needed. Any version of this song I have heard him do honestly.

Bonus Live:

#1 Yngwie Malmsteen - sounded freaking amazing even that loud.
#2 Gatemouth Brown - that man's tone was deep in his bones.
#3 Eric Johnson - worked those pedals to death, perfectly.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Gotta cite The Allman Brothers Band - Live At The Fillmore East/The Fillmore Concerts.
Roy Buchanan
er...

 

[VinceT]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Peter Green: Love That Burns - it's his oop Les Paul, but just so smoky on that track.


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[IMENATOR]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

- Eric Johnson's clean tone on "40 Mile Town", my dual chorus+echo pedal arrives today
- Blues Saraceno "Stinky Kitty", that is a thick and crunchy hard rock sound.
- YJM Neck lead tone on "Blue"
- Megadeth's Youthanasia album, "Train of consequences" for example.

 

[Dahla]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Damn, this was hard!

James Hetfield - Garage Inc. Or the Load album tone. I know almost everyone wants the black album tone, but to me, those two albums sounds er... greatest! They sound nothing alike though.

Machine Head - Unto the Locust. EMG and a great sounding 5150.

Dimebag - Damageplans first album. Dime-sound without the excessive Pantera sound... Dare I say more organic... *cough*

Slash - World on fire. I love how everything sound on this album. From the guitars to drums.

Ghost - Meliora. It sounds so different! I love it! (I'm not usually a fan of Orange amps for metal...)


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[SFW]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Gary Moore - Blues Alive
Zakk Wylde - No More Tears
George Lynch - Slow Drag
Peter Frampton - Live From Detroit
Eddie Van Halen - Poundcake


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[beaubrummels]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

(Note that 'grail tones' is completely different from best guitar player, favorite artist/favorite band and separate from whether the person is a absolute jerk or not.)

Eric Clapton - Badge / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Ski-ing (somewhere in the '68-'69 period)

Lennon / Harrison - Abbey Road or '69-'71 period (e.g. You Never Give Me Your Money outro, Octopus Garden rhythm and solo, I Want You main riff, lead)

Jeff Beck - There and Back (Starcycle is a particular standout, The Final Piece for the voice-like sound)

Pete Townshend - Heaven and Hell

Tom Scholz - Hitch A Ride

 

[Aceman]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

ZAkk on No More Tears - pooh, that's an effing awesome one. Great solo period.

 

[loversmoon]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Metallica -master of puppets tone
Ghost- organic , different, great melodic tone
Halestorm - into the wildlife
The sword- high country
Iron maiden- seventh son of a seventh son

 

[Mincer]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

I picked albums, as they are my favorite collections of tones in one place. There is also astounding playing on all of these.

Ritchie Blackmore- Made in Japan
Steve Morse- Purpendicular
Robert Fripp- Evening Star
Steve Howe - The Yes Album
Allan Holdsworth - Road Games

 

[voggin]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Eric Clapton - live 335 tones from the "From the Cradle" period
David Gilmour - "Dogs"
Mark Knopfler - Love over Gold
B.B. King - Live at the Regal
Robert Fripp - Scary Monsters by Bowie

 

[84camarofreak]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - deja voodoo
SRV-lenny
John mayer - call me the breeze
Alice in chains - man in the box
Joe bonamassa - too much ain't enough love


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[JOLLY]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Here's a few in no particular order:

Metallica - S&M rhythm tones

Black Crowes - lead tone on "Hard to Handle" is the epitome (to me) of what the Les Paul and Marshall classic tone should sound like.

Candlebox - Cleans and Lead tones on their self titled album.

Zakk Wylde - Pride & Glory and rhythm tones on BLS' Boozed, Broozed, and Broken Boned DVD.

Robbie Blunt - clean Strat tones on Robert Plant's "Ship of Fools" and "Big Log"

 

[voggin]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Here's a few in no particular order:

Metallica - S&M rhythm tones

Black Crowes - lead tone on "Hard to Handle" is the epitome (to me) of what the Les Paul and Marshall classic tone should sound like.

Candlebox - Cleans and Lead tones on their self titled album.

Zakk Wylde - Pride & Glory and rhythm tones on BLS' Boozed, Broozed, and Broken Boned DVD.

Robbie Blunt - clean Strat tones on Robert Plant's "Ship of Fools" and "Big Log"

Oh, man, I had completely forgotten about Robbie Blunt! Yeah, "Big Log" was amazing. Was that a tele?

 

[LLL]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

- Eric Johnson (all of them)
- Tom Scholz / Barry Goudreau (1st 2 Boston albums)
- Ritchie Blackmore (all of them)
- EVH (all early up to 1984 but mostly 1st album)
- John Sykes' Mesa-Boogie Mk. III Coliseum tone (Whitesnake, Blue Murder)

bonus: Ted Nugent - Stranglehold

 

[84camarofreak]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Hey Jolly good call on Candlebox

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[regan]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Ry Cooder : Sister Morphine (the slide part)

Keith Richards : Can't you hear me Knocking

The archetypal Santana 'rolled off tone'

Hendrix: All along the watchtower

I really wanted to drop a J Page tone in but tbh as much as I love his playing his tones were always meh.

So I'll go R Robinson: My morning Song (in fact all of Rich's & Marc's tones from SHAMC are superb)

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Gilmour
May
Angus
Mal
Eddie

 

[tonaholic]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Eddie Van Halen
Joe Bonamassa
Tom Morello
Zakk Wylde
David Gilmour

 

[Demanic]

Re: What are your top 5 "Grail" tones?

Megadeth "Cryptic Writings"
Exodus "Atrocity Exhibition"
Dream Theatre "Train of Thought"
Metallica AJFA
Opeth "Ghost Reveries"

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