why do people try to get someone else's tone?

[xerxes]

why do some people try to get the same tone/sound that someone else has? sorry if you are one of those people, but ive been perplexed with this for a little while now. its like, thats there tone, get your own. the person you are trying to emulate obviously didnt copy their tone from someone else. maybe your tone could be the new big thing! i mean, ive seen sooo many threads about trying to get srv's tone its ikely to make his shiver in his grave!

i mean, i love duane allman's tone more than maybe everybody in the world, including the late duane allman himself. but i dont want his tone, that was his, i want my own.

please someone explain it to me.

 

[flank]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

i dont think it really needs to be explained?

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

I spent almost twenty years perfecting my tone. Sure, I have influences that helped me shape that tone but I feel it's mine and I love it. :smoker:

 

[theodie]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Well, I think it is the same reason alot of popular bands sound the same. Lack of creativity. Also it is harder coming up with ones own sound and it sounding apealing to an audience than just ripping off someone elses.

 

[chcjunior]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Realistically speaking how many truly unique tones are out there? In the big picture, there aren't THAT many.....especially compared to the number of guitar players.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

i have no idea, i mean, i can understand cover bands doing it, but then again i can't understand cover bands. How is covering other songs an artistic venture

anyhoo, i have one of the most, if not THE most unorthodox punk rigs i've ever seen and/or heard, but yanno what? In my opinion its the best tone for what i play, and because its so unorthodox i can shape it to sound however i want. If i don't end up playing punk forever, its gonna be really easy to get a different tone, but if i do, well, its original

 

[Wattage]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Too learn and expand my options.

 

[ledzepp29]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Because its easier and more satisfying to pursue and achieve someone elses tone than to have your own. How are you supposed to know what your official tone is in the first place? How do you know when to stop tweaking it? That said I don't like copying other peoples tone I like using them as references like, I like this element of that persons tone but not nececerily this part. Like for instance, I love that kind of honky warm sound that joe perry/early angus young gets when he plays near the twelth fret, but don't like his rhythm tone that much.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Well, tone is really subjective.. When people start playing guitar, most of the times it's because they like this or that type of music, or band or whatever. I don't really think any of us had a clear idea of what tone was when we started playing, therefore, we found a guitar sound we liked from a band we liked and started from that...(this might not apply to everybody but...). Some quickly experimented and went our own ways, some others are just plain satisfied by what they sound like sounding like others... Remember that not everybody feels the need to be unique. Finding a "unique" tone that is satisfying is hard IMO... we are all at least a little biased as to what sounds "good" and therefore sometimes, people tend to ressemble each other as far as tone goes... And then there's also the trend issue: What bands are popular in this period, etc...

 

[mrfjones]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Surgeon said it as well or better than i could have. I picked up a tele because when i started out some of my favorite bands had guitarists that used it. I didn't really sound like them because i was playing out of a crappy marshall solid state but i found that i liked the tele and have branched off from there and now i still use one of my teles as my #1 and a bluesbird as #2. But, it got me started. From there i have found a tone i like a lot and i am still tweaking it and adding some effects and some different sounding teles and other guitars. I still pick elements of tones that i like and see what i can do with them or add them somewhat to my own sound(change them a little or shift them or whatever) learning a new tone or someone elses for that matter is like learning a song to me, maybe i will find a chord that i really think sounds great and i will use that chord in something of my own where it fits realy well for me. So that said i never try to steal anyones tone but i will take some elements and change them a little to fit my style and tone and from that my tone gets better, at least to me it does.

On a side note i hate all the pop bands that sound the same, like most of the PRS into a mesa rig bands that all sound the same to me... I know there are great tones you can get out of that combo, so why are they all the same? People are sheep and will go where they are led. If the producers and big time record executives didn't have a $ as the bottom line then maybe things would sound differently but they will use a popular tone until it is played to death and then they have to find something else to exploit.

Sorry for the long post guys.

 

[SOLO GUITAR STEWIE]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Surgeon said it as well or better than i could have. I picked up a tele because when i started out some of my favorite bands had guitarists that used it. I didn't really sound like them because i was playing out of a crappy marshall solid state but i found that i liked the tele and have branched off from there and now i still use one of my teles as my #1 and a bluesbird as #2. But, it got me started. From there i have found a tone i like a lot and i am still tweaking it and adding some effects and some different sounding teles and other guitars. I still pick elements of tones that i like and see what i can do with them or add them somewhat to my own sound(change them a little or shift them or whatever) learning a new tone or someone elses for that matter is like learning a song to me, maybe i will find a chord that i really think sounds great and i will use that chord in something of my own where it fits realy well for me. So that said i never try to steal anyones tone but i will take some elements and change them a little to fit my style and tone and from that my tone gets better, at least to me it does.

On a side note i hate all the pop bands that sound the same, like most of the PRS into a mesa rig bands that all sound the same to me... I know there are great tones you can get out of that combo, so why are they all the same? People are sheep and will go where they are led. If the producers and big time record executives didn't have a $ as the bottom line then maybe things would sound differently but they will use a popular tone until it is played to death and then they have to find something else to exploit.

Sorry for the long post guys.

HERE HERE....I STARTED WITH A CUSTOM MADE TELE AND A BLUES JUNIOR
AND NOW HAVE UPDATED MY TONE....I TAKE PEOPLE I LIKE
(SATCH, VAI, JOHNSON, PETTY, YJM, MCALPINE, JOLLY) AND EMULATE THEIR PLAYING TO EXPAND MY VOLCABULARY AND CREATE TONES THAT ARE UNIQUELY MY OWN....MY .002 CENTS.

STEWIE

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

i think it helps create your own tone.

example:

i was highly influenced by eric clapton and SRV. it doesn't show as much now, because i went through a whole shred fase whihc yngwie, vai, becker, satch became big influences. and now recently im starting to have a slight influence by john petrucci.

through all this, some people are starting to say that im starting have my own tone. which is really cool!

 

[Creedis777]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

"Cause' we'ra all getting tired of the media. Becuase they try to hard to make you like something. Cause we're all getting tired of the media. Becuase creating something "new" is just recycleing" Relient K- Wit's All Been Done Before

Gotta love the big record comanies. :smack:

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

no, i refuse to believe anyone has my tone

its a custom pedal with a limited edition fender, neither of them really designed for what i use them for, i think im in good hands

 

[Mincer]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

Realistically speaking how many truly unique tones are out there? In the big picture, there aren't THAT many.....especially compared to the number of guitar players.

True, but you won't ever get to be a unique guitarist without a unique tone. It goes hand in hand with musical knowledge and a unique approach.
Some people like to drive the same cars or dress the same too, and I will never understand that, either.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

If there's a guitar tone you really like I think it's interesting to find out how it was achieved. And the sum of a few people's tone might give you some useful pointers to the kind of gear (and technique) that would suit you.

As a guitar player I find it interesting to know how other guitar players are getting their sounds.

But I think you have to draw a line between that general interest and the people who become obsessed with one player's tone to the point where they attempt to recreate their hero's rig down to the finest detail. That to me is silly.

Even with my rig Hendrix couldn't get close to my tone. :laugh2:

 

[xerxes]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

im not saying using different aspecs of people's tone....im saying comming to the boards and asking how was i get this tone, or how can i get srv's tone....i dont understand that...

 

[Curly]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

well, since there are entire sites devoted to players' gear & setup, apparently there are a lot of people interested in this stuff

IMO, everyone in any creative field has favorites who inspire and influence them, whether it's through emulation, a sympathetic influence, or outright copying

an example is Ray Charles, who said his style was copying Ray Brown and Nat "King" Cole, till one day he said he decided to see what Ray Charles sounded like.
I don't think anyone doubts that Brother Ray was an original, yet he copied others when he started.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

I only understand it for the purpose of doing a tribute band. Notice I never post on threads about what players I think have the best or worst tone. I simply don't care. My tone comes from using the chain of gear I gravitate toward.....same with most other players. The cards usually fall where they may. One thing I love about Duncan is that I'm able to test a bunch of different pickups and settle on the ones that are 'my sound.' My sound is a LP with C-5/59 or a strat with Fat 50's into an amp that sounds like a big clean EL-34 amp, a chewy grindy plexi, or the thonk of doom GIANT modded Marshall tone. Basically, American guitars into British sounding EL-34 amps. The only thing that sounds different from Marshall is the trademark Bogner Growl.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: why do people try to get someone else's tone?

well, people try to get other peoples' tones because they sound classier and more contemporary. Why do you think almost everyone owns a Strat or Les Paul?

The difference is the fact that most people just play power chords in pop/rock music, and their tone is all they have to offer. You can only get so many good sounding tones for power chords on downtuned guitars.

That's why people call it guitar playing and not 'tone exhibition'. It's like saying:'Hey, that percussionist gets such a generic tone on his maracas, everybody has that tone!'

I want my tone to be like SRV's, but the way I play is my own style altogether.