What Is Good Tone?

[J Moose]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

All of this feeds back into my career, and continues to develop my ear for tone. The strangest phenomenon is that now I find that I am able to produce this kind of tone from a broad array of equipment, including other people's rigs, hire amps that I might use for one show, and guitars and amps that shouldn't by rights produce those tones. It's like I'm willing the equipment to produce those tones, and it does. This is what leads me to believe that tone begins in the heart and imagination., which seems like esoteric metaphysics, but is very real to me. Regardless, the first steps involve lots of experimentation to find the pieces of equipment which come along to be our teachers!

Indeed.

"Tone" can't be purchased or taught...

 

[Rainmaker]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

Is it weird that I copied wahwah's post into a .doc file and saved it on my computer?

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

i think 3nz was on to something. hell, i think adrian smith isn't known enough for his tone. he had a really good sounding tone. i must admit, though maiden is my favorite band of all time, dave murray didn't always have great tone. sometimes it was kind of gainy and muddy, but i can't recall when adrian ever had less than great tone.

the way adrian sounded with his strat or jackson through those marshalls was awesome. i really like adrians latest stuff with maiden too. some great solos like journey man or blood brothers.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

You have achieved good tone when all thought about tone dissapears. I'm not talking about ignoring bad tone while you play. I am saying that when you have finally found great tone, all striving to improve or tweak it falls away and you, and the sound, become one.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

1)i hate the pantera rythm tone...So as you see ,tastes differ...It's too slashing and too unnatural for my tastes.Too saggy and oversaturated.Without the mighty bass tone ,it's real crap.And for a musicians ear ,it doesn't matter if there is bass or not ,you hear the guitar well...
2)Mostly ,a powerfull tone couldn't used to get a fast riffage.Why?..Because a mighty tone has mostly a slower attack ,therefore a bigger punch and balls.I can't say that the "rust in peace" tone is huge or ballsy...it's just right...
3)Good tone is what brings you to your target.You have to know what you want.To slay ,to caress ,to crush?

 

[Mephis]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

obviously technique has a lot to do with tone, but aside from that, what do you think makes good tone? i realize this question would not be very good unless you were to at least categorize it basically into the type of music. so for metal, blues, rock, etc..., respectively, what do you consider good tone and how do you achieve it?

Piano like clarity on rhythm and vowel sounding leads.

For just about any style.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

Piano like clarity on rhythm and vowel sounding leads.

For just about any style.

sounds like my dimarzio pickups

 

[tc]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

of course tone is very individual. and of course the brown sound wont sound so nice in...say...a crytopsy song.

 

[SCOTT502]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

Any tone that doesn't detract from the overall production/quality of the song/rest of tracks. It may not be AMAZING, but if it fits the mix and doesn't stick out as something really bad or obnoxious, it's good tone to me.

All excellent posts but for me this comes closest. At the end of the day its always about the "song" and the guitar is only a part of the end product.

 

[Animal]

Re: What Is Good Tone?

Good tone is whatever will effectively communicate the message in the guitarists head for the song. You could have what could be most considered the most toneful rig in the world by a panel of tone-hounds and still not be happy with whats coming out the other end. You'll need certain tools to paint a picture, and we all know that there's a million different ways to apply paint to a canvas.

The huge variation of tones out there by all sorts of successful bands is living proof that there is no one way to go about it. They've found what they jive with and it makes up apart of their tonal identity. It would be boring if everyone had what is considered by the elite "great" tone. We don't all need to sound like Larry Carlton plugged into a $30,000 amp.