What is a lead tone???

boingboing

boingboing

New member
Hi! I have been playing guitar for a year!

I have always had rythm tones!!!!!

I never could figure out how to get a lead tone...

I bet there are some huge secrets to how to get cool ones :D

But if anyone could point me in the right direction, I could finally play so lead perhaps?

Thanks! =)
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

Well alot of a lead's sound is going to come from the player; how he/she frets, slides from note to note, bending tendencies, and most of all their vibrato. Your hands and picking hand technique will matter much more here than it will for your tone than it will for playing rhythm IMO

That said, what kind of music do you play? Thats a good start.... different types of tones for different kinds of music
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

boingboing said:
Hi! I have been playing guitar for a year!

I have always had rythm tones!!!!!

I never could figure out how to get a lead tone...

I bet there are some huge secrets to how to get cool ones :D

But if anyone could point me in the right direction, I could finally play so lead perhaps?

Thanks! =)
Click to expand...

If you can't figure out a "lead" tone what makes you so sure you have a "rythm" tone?

What I am trying to say is that only you can decide what is an acceptable lead and/or rythm tone.

To me, playing lead requires me to phrase well with my own tone; of course, good tone/phrasing is in the ear of the beholder!

:cool2:: private::friday:

Try messing with your amp/pups/set-up/etc. to shake things up a bit; you might run into something you really like in doing so. :bling:
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

Yeah, you're right about that 100%!

Well, metal because I had EMGs... but now, I have JB and Jazz ;P

IT'S AMAZING HOW BEAUTIFUL IT SOUNDS! :D

It's just that, I really like that big juicy super ultra pure lead sound some players have lol...

I wish I could play with a tone like that ;P

Oh, and I had a Line 6 Spider III 15W too...

Gotta start somewhere lol...
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

arellanon said:
If you can't figure out a "lead" tone what makes you so sure you have a "rythm" tone?

What I am trying to say is that only you can decide what is an acceptable lead and/or rythm tone.

To me, playing lead requires me to phrase well with my own tone; of course, good tone/phrasing is in the ear of the beholder!

:cool2:: private::friday:

Try messing with your amp/pups/set-up/etc. to shake things up a bit; you might run into something you really like in doing so. :bling:
Click to expand...

Hi! Well, for me, a good rythm tone is treble-happy, distorted killness and tight palm muting! ;P

And a good lead would be super big juicy koolaid ultra smooth smoothiness?

I don't really know how to get that type of sound... it must be really hard though
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

boingboing said:
Hi! Well, for me, a good rythm tone is treble-happy, distorted killness and tight palm muting! ;P

And a good lead would be super big juicy koolaid ultra smooth smoothiness?

I don't really know how to get that type of sound... it must be really hard though
Click to expand...

Well, if you are happy for sure with your rythm tones you can bypass changing everything; just try swapping out your bridge pup. Or, if your axe has two tone pots, keep the rythm pup segment as is and play with the bridge pup circuitry, i.e. change pots, add/remove caps, etc.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

It'll depend a lot on what kind of music you're into. A lead tone should have some bite & cut to it, with sustain. It can be fairly clean or dirty. Reverb helps to make the single notes sound full. I like a lot of body to my leads, rich & full, even on the bridge PU; crunch & punch. I think too much distortion can detract, as does an overly bright or thin sound. It should have a natural feel to it. Speed isn't nearly as important as style. Well-placed notes with feeling mean much more than playing scales fast to show off. And easy on the whammy bar, volume swells, effects boxes, and other gimmicks. Overdo them and you'll sound like a teenager. Solos should have energy & excitement, unpredictibility. A little feedback can be effective, if done sparingly. Phrasing is crucial; let it breathe. It's a conversation, and you're not an autioneer. Use different solo tones on different songs, and both bridge and neck PU's throughout the night. Variety keeps the interest level up.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

blueman335 said:
It'll depend a lot on what kind of music you're into. A lead tone should have some bite & cut to it, with sustain. It can be fairly clean or dirty. Reverb helps to make the single notes sound full. I like a lot of body to my leads, rich & full, even on the bridge PU; crunch & punch. I think too much distortion can detract, as does an overly bright or thin sound. It should have a natural feel to it. Speed isn't nearly as important as style. Well-placed notes with feeling mean much more than playing scales fast to show off. And easy on the whammy bar, volume swells, effects boxes, and other gimmicks. Overdo them and you'll sound like a teenager. Solos should have energy & excitement, unpredictibility. A little feedback can be effective, if done sparingly. Phrasing is crucial; let it breathe. It's a conversation, and you're not an autioneer. Use different solo tones on different songs, and both bridge and neck PU's throughout the night. Variety keeps the interest level up.
Click to expand...

Yeah... but I don't know how to make it sound full... AND smooth...

It's too crunchy, or too thin... too distorted... but I guess it's quite complicated to build up a nice lead sound?
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

If it's too distorted, you probably need less gain and a little bit of compression. With a bunch of sustain, it's even more important to work on your phrasing (as blueman said). Be able to cut off a 1/16 note to sound like a 1/16 note. I would use reverb with caution in trying to thicken your sound. For a solo, you generally want less reverb than the other instruments in the band, to be sounding 'up front'. You can throw in some double stops and chords to thicken things up, but pay attention to your dynamics to keep things smooth.

Pay a lot of attention to dynamics. If you play a flurry of notes at identical volume, all you're going to get is a big yawn. Play around with what you want to emphasize.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

mudpuppy said:
If it's too distorted, you probably need less gain and a little bit of compression. With a bunch of sustain, it's even more important to work on your phrasing (as blueman said). Be able to cut off a 1/16 note to sound like a 1/16 note. I would use reverb with caution in trying to thicken your sound. For a solo, you generally want less reverb than the other instruments in the band, to be sounding 'up front'. You can throw in some double stops and chords to thicken things up, but pay attention to your dynamics to keep things smooth.

Pay a lot of attention to dynamics. If you play a flurry of notes at identical volume, all you're going to get is a big yawn. Play around with what you want to emphasize.
Click to expand...

Hmm, well, the thing I noticed is that my sound is quite thin...

I'm looking for that beautiful lead sound... that big, round smooth and clear sound!

Hmm... I think someone might be in need of some FUZZ! Ahh! I fogot about fuzz, see!

I remember a real fuzzy sound with my EMG gave me a thick solo lead sound!

I'll try something out!
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

boingboing said:
Yeah, you're right about that 100%!

Well, metal because I had EMGs... but now, I have JB and Jazz ;P

IT'S AMAZING HOW BEAUTIFUL IT SOUNDS! :D

It's just that, I really like that big juicy super ultra pure lead sound some players have lol...

I wish I could play with a tone like that ;P

Oh, and I had a Line 6 Spider III 15W too...

Gotta start somewhere lol...
Click to expand...

You're probably not gonna get an incredible lead tone from a Line 6 Spider modeling amp especially a 15 Watter. I tried the Spider & didn't like it much & then i heard Peavey were doing modeling amps now with their new Vypyr line, so i tried one of those...much better. I scored a 75 watter for about half price$350 AUD (approx $280 US). I can get some pretty impressive lead tones out of that especially for an amp i payed only $350 for.
Like the other guys said though, it's not all in the amp or the pickups, a lot of it is in your playing aswell, bends vibrato etc. The Jazz & JB are more than acceptable for getting great lead tones. Marty Friedmam & Warren Demartini are 2 players that immediatly come to mind that both used JBs & they both had great lead tones, although Marty may have used the Jazz for his lead playing. But yeah i have a Jazz/JB combo in my Jackson King V & i think they're awesome, but i've noticed a lot of metal players on this forum don't like the JB.
I dunno about palying around with your electrics & wiring if you don't know what your doing though.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

dave4378 said:
You're probably not gonna get an incredible lead tone from a Line 6 Spider modeling amp especially a 15 Watter. I tried the Spider & didn't like it much & then i heard Peavey were doing modeling amps now with their new Vypyr line, so i tried one of those...much better. I scored a 75 watter for about half price$350 AUD (approx $280 US). I can get some pretty impressive lead tones out of that especially for an amp i payed only $350 for.
Like the other guys said though, it's not all in the amp or the pickups, a lot of it is in your playing aswell, bends vibrato etc. The Jazz & JB are more than acceptable for getting great lead tones. Marty Friedmam & Warren Demartini are 2 players that immediatly come to mind that both used JBs & they both had great lead tones, although Marty may have used the Jazz for his lead playing. But yeah i have a Jazz/JB combo in my Jackson King V & i think they're awesome, but i've noticed a lot of metal players on this forum don't like the JB.
I dunno about palying around with your electrics & wiring if you don't know what your doing though.
Click to expand...

I could never get a good tone, period!

I hate it with a passion...

I tried an EQ setting that bring down the highs after 700Hz, that helped alot :D
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

rhythm tone is the balls of your tone. Your lead tone is what sets you apart from the mix. Usually bouncing between rhythm and lead your lead tone will have more midrange because you're trying to cut through. Me personally I have my highs backed off with my mids pushed along with some of my lows to get a fat smooth tone that cuts through. Having a bit of reverb fattens it up too like blueman said, and I even use delay to give it more character as well. It's all taste though. The usual trend though is more mids for more cut in a live situation.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

As you said, JB might be too bright. Usually people use it with 250k pots, perhaps you've got 500k. That makes a big difference. Tell us something about your guitar, JB is known to act differently in different guitars.
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

ACH91332 said:
rhythm tone is the balls of your tone. Your lead tone is what sets you apart from the mix. Usually bouncing between rhythm and lead your lead tone will have more midrange because you're trying to cut through. Me personally I have my highs backed off with my mids pushed along with some of my lows to get a fat smooth tone that cuts through. Having a bit of reverb fattens it up too like blueman said, and I even use delay to give it more character as well. It's all taste though. The usual trend though is more mids for more cut in a live situation.
Click to expand...

Yeah... well, to tell you the truth, the JB kills for rythm, but for lead, it sings rather thin if I'm not mistaking lol...

That sounds good! I'll see what I can do ;P
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

kaligula11 said:
As you said, JB might be too bright. Usually people use it with 250k pots, perhaps you've got 500k. That makes a big difference. Tell us something about your guitar, JB is known to act differently in different guitars.
Click to expand...

Ah, yeah, that makes sense...

It's an Ibanez RGT6EXFX 2008 Basswood body ;P

It makes alot of sense. Perhaps I need something muddier...
 
Re: What is a lead tone???

i'd play with the EQ more before changing pickups.. it'll make more of a difference straight away!

always try the cheapest things first :D
 
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