What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
- Thread starter TVFV
- Start date
BRHGM
New member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Don't agree on the PRS vs Les Paul stuff. Paul Reed Smith wanted to combine the best features of Gibson guitars with a Fender neck. He remains a vintage guy and was a student and friend of Ted McCarty, the former head of Gibson guitar. Yes, PRS makes modern pickups and has metal guy endorsees, but the guitars are vintage styled and are available with vintage pickups. Jackson, Charvel, Dean, B. C. Rich, Steinberger, and even Ibanez make much more modern guitars. That said, vintage guitars are still selling well. Some people like modern and that keeps EMG and Dimarzio in business and others like vintage which is Seymour Duncan's bread and butter. Not a problem, these same companies are building products to appeal to both camps. I like both vintage and modern and when I want a PRS, I'll get one and when I want a Les Paul, there's no substitute.
Don't agree on the PRS vs Les Paul stuff. Paul Reed Smith wanted to combine the best features of Gibson guitars with a Fender neck. He remains a vintage guy and was a student and friend of Ted McCarty, the former head of Gibson guitar. Yes, PRS makes modern pickups and has metal guy endorsees, but the guitars are vintage styled and are available with vintage pickups. Jackson, Charvel, Dean, B. C. Rich, Steinberger, and even Ibanez make much more modern guitars. That said, vintage guitars are still selling well. Some people like modern and that keeps EMG and Dimarzio in business and others like vintage which is Seymour Duncan's bread and butter. Not a problem, these same companies are building products to appeal to both camps. I like both vintage and modern and when I want a PRS, I'll get one and when I want a Les Paul, there's no substitute.
EDX
New member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
the big problem here is that the modern some of us despise ain't the same as the modern others despise
on the 80's the modern tone had character, everything had to sound rawk and polished at the same time
on the 90's grunge taken over and modern was all reminiscent of it
Y2K got more diverse versions of modern sound, but it started to get kinda generic
2010's modern got more generic, still it wasn't so bad, many good innovative tones got copied and made generic
2015's modern is where it started to go stupid, almost all generic tones, hard to discern which "modern" band is which
present modern tone is a emasculated abomination, it's got way too controlled, there's no more character, you won't difference modern bands from the same genre, it's got completely generic, low end is the focus, high end is despised, mids are spammed instead of being balanced
the big problem here is that the modern some of us despise ain't the same as the modern others despise
on the 80's the modern tone had character, everything had to sound rawk and polished at the same time
on the 90's grunge taken over and modern was all reminiscent of it
Y2K got more diverse versions of modern sound, but it started to get kinda generic
2010's modern got more generic, still it wasn't so bad, many good innovative tones got copied and made generic
2015's modern is where it started to go stupid, almost all generic tones, hard to discern which "modern" band is which
present modern tone is a emasculated abomination, it's got way too controlled, there's no more character, you won't difference modern bands from the same genre, it's got completely generic, low end is the focus, high end is despised, mids are spammed instead of being balanced
Gunslinger_505
New member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Interesting thoughts expressed here. I've always had a vague idea, but it seems like a lot of gray area between the two. This may be exasperated by the choice of amp, equalization, OD/Distortion pedals, etc. There are some pretty modern sounding players out there who use vintage pups.
Reminds me of an interview I saw with John Mayer. In it he calls SRV's sound dated... Does that make Mayer's sound "modern?"
Interesting thoughts expressed here. I've always had a vague idea, but it seems like a lot of gray area between the two. This may be exasperated by the choice of amp, equalization, OD/Distortion pedals, etc. There are some pretty modern sounding players out there who use vintage pups.
Reminds me of an interview I saw with John Mayer. In it he calls SRV's sound dated... Does that make Mayer's sound "modern?"
Last edited:
MkIII Renegade
New member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Ahh yes, the cranked 5150/6505 fizzmonsters. That kind of gain can make anyone feel like a hero in a guitar store. The problem is, it makes everyone sound the same. And of course they are playing in much the same downtuned style, too. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED on modeling amps! :angryfire
"Modern" these days = A particular 6505 tone I really dislike. You hear it with every metalcore/"prog"/djent or whatever the **** band out there these days. Over-compressed & flattened out (no grain or character to the distortion..just a multi-layered wall)/over-smooth/cliched/unimaginative/derivative/utterly unoriginal are some ways to describe it. That usually goes for the bands/music/musicians as well.. :rant:
Ahh yes, the cranked 5150/6505 fizzmonsters. That kind of gain can make anyone feel like a hero in a guitar store. The problem is, it makes everyone sound the same. And of course they are playing in much the same downtuned style, too. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED on modeling amps! :angryfire
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
See, to me, 90s guitars sound better than 80s. But I don't like the songs those 90s guitars are in. There are very few 80s sounds outside of jazz or fusion that I like. The 70s had some great tones, but I tend to not like the ones everyone goes crazy over. As far as modern tones, 400 layered reamped guitars playing power chords doesn't really inspire me to play.
See, to me, 90s guitars sound better than 80s. But I don't like the songs those 90s guitars are in. There are very few 80s sounds outside of jazz or fusion that I like. The 70s had some great tones, but I tend to not like the ones everyone goes crazy over. As far as modern tones, 400 layered reamped guitars playing power chords doesn't really inspire me to play.
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Some of you are lumping "modern" together with all the ****ty radio metal.
I think there are good and bad examples of both vintage and modern.
IMO:
Good vintage:
-"Shoot to Thrill"
-"Walk All Over You,"
-Queen's first 3 albums,
-Joe Bonamassa's latest album,
-Page's tone on "Nobody's Fault but Mine," "Lemon Song" & "Ocean,"
-"Paperback Writer,"
-"Simple Man."
Crappy vintage:
-"Sympathy for the Devil," and a few other Stones songs i can't think of
-Montrose "Rock Candy,
-the original studio version of "Strangle Hold."
-and a couple of George Harrison's lead tones
-"White Room" lead tone (definitely still a great song though)
Good modern tone:
-the "Trendkill" Album
-pre-modulation Van Halen
-Dream Theater's latest 2 albums
-"The Test that Stumped Them All"
-Chimp Spanner "At Dream's Edge" album
-Meshuggah - "Do Not Look Down"
- "Nobody Knows Anything" & " Riding Shotgun" by Anthrax, and really the John bush era of Anthrax overall.
- Slash's current tone
**** modern tone:
-the "Train of Thought" album
-practically every metalcore band with few exceptions
-Jerry Cantrel "Anger Rising"(although it's still a damn good song overall)
-the Damage Plan album
-Van Hagar
-most Grunge bands
-Meshuggah - "Stengah"
- Guns 'n' Roses era Slash tone
Just a few examples off the top of my head
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Some of you are lumping "modern" together with all the ****ty radio metal.
I think there are good and bad examples of both vintage and modern.
IMO:
Good vintage:
-"Shoot to Thrill"
-"Walk All Over You,"
-Queen's first 3 albums,
-Joe Bonamassa's latest album,
-Page's tone on "Nobody's Fault but Mine," "Lemon Song" & "Ocean,"
-"Paperback Writer,"
-"Simple Man."
Crappy vintage:
-"Sympathy for the Devil," and a few other Stones songs i can't think of
-Montrose "Rock Candy,
-the original studio version of "Strangle Hold."
-and a couple of George Harrison's lead tones
-"White Room" lead tone (definitely still a great song though)
Good modern tone:
-the "Trendkill" Album
-pre-modulation Van Halen
-Dream Theater's latest 2 albums
-"The Test that Stumped Them All"
-Chimp Spanner "At Dream's Edge" album
-Meshuggah - "Do Not Look Down"
- "Nobody Knows Anything" & " Riding Shotgun" by Anthrax, and really the John bush era of Anthrax overall.
- Slash's current tone
**** modern tone:
-the "Train of Thought" album
-practically every metalcore band with few exceptions
-Jerry Cantrel "Anger Rising"(although it's still a damn good song overall)
-the Damage Plan album
-Van Hagar
-most Grunge bands
-Meshuggah - "Stengah"
- Guns 'n' Roses era Slash tone
Just a few examples off the top of my head
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
I should have specified his rhythm tone sounds like a hairy fart. His lead tone, however comma is like the Holy Grail of lead tone.
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Indeed it is. I don't expect everybody to agree with all of my selections.
Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk
Lewguitar
New member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
This is Vintage Sounding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ODNQPQo3A
And this is Modern Sounding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVbIP2JP5u0
This is Vintage Sounding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ODNQPQo3A
And this is Modern Sounding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVbIP2JP5u0
Last edited:
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
I would think that there isn't a specific vintage or modern sound...there are a lot of each. I think there are vintage and modern 'feeling' pickups, though, too. It is more about the response, for me, than the tone which tells me what camp it is in.
I would think that there isn't a specific vintage or modern sound...there are a lot of each. I think there are vintage and modern 'feeling' pickups, though, too. It is more about the response, for me, than the tone which tells me what camp it is in.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: What does "Modern Sounding" mean?
Modern sounding is anything with them new-fangled fancy electronic gizmos in it. Why back in my day we had to use a reg-gyu-lar gee-tar made outta wood and string. Then they come up with that steam-powered guitar, but that didn't work out so well. Couldn't hear it over the boiler. Yep, now they got them modern ee-lek-tron-nik type gee-tars and now you cain't hear your train comin' all night long.
Modern sounding is anything with them new-fangled fancy electronic gizmos in it. Why back in my day we had to use a reg-gyu-lar gee-tar made outta wood and string. Then they come up with that steam-powered guitar, but that didn't work out so well. Couldn't hear it over the boiler. Yep, now they got them modern ee-lek-tron-nik type gee-tars and now you cain't hear your train comin' all night long.
Similar threads
