who has the best guitar tone?

[pureoldsound]

I' ll have to say:

Tom Scholz/Barry Goudreau (early Boston sound, plexi tone)
Alex Lifeson (from Rush-Moving pictures, Limelight)
Billy Gibbons (has a very unique signature tone)
Gary Richrath (when he was in REO Speedwagon)
Mick Jones (Foreigner)
Young Angus (AC DC)
Trevor Rabin (when he was with Yes)
Duane Roland (form Molly Hatchet- Flirtin' With Disaster)
Neil Schon (from Journey- Escape, Stone in love)
Ian Crichton (from Saga- Saga, Silent knight, images at twilights, worlds apart)

More modern tones:

Ross Childress & Dean Roland (Collective souls, Can say I'm a true fan but they have good guitar sound)
Matt Roberts & Chris Henderson (from 3 doors down, Not a fan either, but they have some cool tones)

 

[Lee]

For inventing a completely different tone, I' say larry Carlton on Royal Scam. It's a tone that just came from nowhere.
I'm old enough to remember the album release. It was awsome (and still is).

Another 'great' that started it all should be up there.

Charlie Christian was the FIRST tone hero.

 

[B2D]

Eric Johnson, hands down!

close seconds go to David Gilmour on The Wall, Steve Vai on Alien Love Secrets, Joe Satch on Crystal Planet, and Larry Carlton on Fingerprints.

 

[Mincer]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Man, my list has none in the poll- I don't really like any of those listed.
Id go for:
Allan Holdsworth
Steve Morse
Ritchie Blackmore
Robert Fripp
early 70s Steve Howe
mid 90s Trevor Rabin
early 80s Tony Iommi
Eric Johnson

 

[jdm61]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

back in the day, B.B King said he had only heard two guitarists whose tone made him sweat......Clapton was one, but I'm gonna go with the other one.....Mr. Peter Green........amazing tone AND technical skills AND feel.....hard to believe that somebody who played the blues like that was a nice schizophrenic Jewish boy from London.:bigthumb:

 

[Ocifer]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

No particular order: Brian May, Eric Johnson, Slash, SRV, Gilmour. Those are the ones that give me the shivers...

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Me first, after all I dialed it .

Then Warren DeMartini from '86 on to mid '90's. Robbin Crosby after him, I guess... a tandem thing.

And, Slash's tones from UYI 1&2 and the Spaghetti Incident. I'm not a fan of his real life, stand-in-front-of-you, Les Paul and Marshall tone. And an AP2 in the neck... ugh.

 

[Akrin]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Eric Johnson's tone is incredible.

Also Alex Lifeson, especially back in the 70s.
ES355 + Plexi = :bigthumb:

 

[stonabus]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

knoffpler

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Estaban.......

 

[Schecter006Elite]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

I put SRV. Although I think i have one of the heaviest tone's I've ever heard. I love it.

 

[Schecter006Elite]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Damnit! Nm, I should've Voted for Adam Jones from Tool. He achieve's incredible tones with his set up. Tool rules.

 

[V-Spot]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Those cats from Tides.. huge, crushing wall of sound. Wata from Boris, specifically 'Flood'. Mastodon. Matt Pike. The kids from The Sword. Joe Preston for the ultimate, heaviest bass tone. Josh Homme on Kyuss' 'Sky Valley' album. Jus Oborn and Liz Buckingham of Electric Wizard.

It could go on, but I think I've gotten my point across.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Damnit! Nm, I should've Voted for Adam Jones from Tool. He achieve's incredible tones with his set up. Tool rules.

+1 Indeed. Tool are most excellent.

 

[Earwicker]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Mark Knopfler

 

[dasfonzie]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

George Harrison, especially during the last two albums. That Rosewood Tele was amazing

I like Eddie Van Halen's a lot too. Nice and thick but not to smooth. Real ballsy.

edit- I gotta mention Duane Allman, The Doobies (dunno who plays what) and John Frusciante

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Shawn Lane

Allan Holdsworth

Brett Garsed

Eric Johnson

Mr. Knopfler

Greg Howe

I like this smooth, mellow lead sounds...woah!

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

I agree Iommi in early eghties - awesome!
Satch Flying in the blue dream
Malmsteen
Blackmore
Lynch, especially beast from the east and Dysfunctional
Chris Oliva - Gutter Ballet
Al di Miola, Paco de Lucia - friday night in San Francisco
Iron Maiden Somewhere in time
Accept Metal Heart
SRV Changing Weather
Vitto Bratta Main attraction
Mark Knopler - old stuff
Scorpions

Gee, I guess I really like strats ...........

 

[MBreinin]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

Well, it is so objective!

Here are my favorites.

EVH, Eric Johnson, Larry Carlton, Freddie King, SRV, Gilmour, Knopfler from Dire Straits and Commique, Gary Moore.

SRV, EJ and DG's tones were simply UNREAL live...they just floored me.

Mike

 

[shredaholic]

Re: who has the best guitar tone?

From the list:

For clean tone, definately SRV

For overdriven tone, EVH followed by Slash


but I wouldn't change my personal tone for anyone elses, I've tweaked it so its EXACTLY what I want from a guitar tone.

Custom Guitar > BKP's > Custom built pedals > Plexi > G12M's = tone heaven