I was just wandering why so many people want to sound like a band.
I can't think of anything worse. I do play signature guitars but purely for the feel and the sound you can't get with another guitar. I.e a Jim Root Tele (I love Teles and Fender don't otherwise do one with EMG's).
But wanting to recreate the exact sound? What happened to individuality? Why don't you want to sound like you? Why a certain band? What's the appeal?

Thats what pisses me off about teen's my age, they always are trying to be someone else, theres a diffrence between "hero" and "wannabe"
i however have nearly got my own distorted tone, and nearly got my own clean tone.

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riley

i'm not sure that it's trying to sound like a certain band- at least from the way i look at it.

for instance- i love the srv tone on "texas flood" if i was playing a blues-type song, that tone is great.

when playing a sixties style of song, i love the sound of the byrds 12 string, or just that tom petty sound that harkens back to that era.

you are right- you should make your own kind of music and sound. taking a cue from others, and making it your own is just fine with me

i agree. i have way too many guitar players i admire to lock in to just one's sound. i couldn't even if i tried. my sound might stink but, it's my own stinkin' sound and i like it.

After years of playing in cover bands I've tried to come as close as possible to the tone of the original song we're covering.Although I do have a style that I've honed and made my own over the years I have found that most people want to hear a song as close as possible to what they hear on radio etc. so consequently I'll play lead breaks as close as I can to the original.Take for instance the lead break to Nowhere Man by The Beatles,that lead break is the only one that could possibly suit that song the same goes for Something and Get Back.With a lot of the standard E A B,A D E etc. rock songs though I'll put my own spin on the leads. Having said that if I like the particular tone of a certain artists guitar I'll try to replicate it and use it on other songs giving them a fresh new interpretation.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Good point but I was on about wanting the same rig and have your amp dialled in exactly how that band does.

most of the stuff i do nowdays is playing along with some choise tunes in the house , now playing along with zz top on a strat is all good and well but it just don't sound the same , strap on my modded epi lp into the same amp and settings and it sounds like the real thing same with old alice cooper songs , they just don't sound right unless i'm playing them with my modded epi sg400 , the same go's for strat based music as well , horses for courses and all that

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I don't think it's simply a matter of trying to sound like "X" guitar player (although that is a small part of it) I think it's more like, "Hey, I really like the tone that so-and-so gets! I would like to reproduce that sound if I can." If, for example I like how Entwhistle sounds on "Live at Leeds" I may very well want to know how he gets that tone. It doesn't mean that I actually believe if I can get the same equipment that all of a sudden I'm gonna play just as good as him, I know that's not how it works. It's more a matter of me liking the tone and if I can my tone get close to it ,and I realise I'm not gonna magically become as good as him, why not try?
Its becoming a knee-jerk cliche now, everybody saying "You should try to sound like yourself, not someone else". I see nothing wrong with trying to sound like someone else, I find it is just one step on the road to finding your own sound. It's one way we are inspired to learn and grow. I feel it's a disservice to try to dissuade folks from emulating their heroes.

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'08 Fender Am. Std. Jazz bass, maple fretboard, charcoal frost metallic finish
'10 Squier VM Jazz bass, maple fretboard, natural finish
Ampeg BA115
'09 MIM standard Strat, maple fretboard, sunburst finish
Fender Super Champ XD

I've never tried to sound like someone else exactly, I like to maybe incorporate others licks or sounds into my music but I know the tone and vibe I am going for is a delta blues meets Latin music tone...so I will mix a little Santana lick in with some Muddy Waters to see what can come from that. I've never exactly heard anyone with the tone I want or the sound I am going for so I couldn't say it exists but I know a few have come close.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

As others are saying, I think you can be turned on by a sound without it meaning you're trying to imitate the player - let alone his rig.

I'm partly into guitar because of Pete Townshend's classic '70s drive sound (Won't Get Fooled Again, etc). The man himself has produced that tone on several different guitars and amp setups, so I sure ain't wasting my time buying a PT Sig HiWatt stack or anything. But sometimes to let loose with some gritty howling major chords that sound a bit like that - well, why wouldn't we want to have that waiting in our pocket when we need to pull it out?

And if I could get anywhere near some of Brian May's tones - well, I wouldn't say no!

Cheers - C

wasnt really on about technique, just setup. And its different being inspired by someone and just copying them.

So really you're just saying that someone who wants to pretend to be someone else is maybe a bit sad? Then yeah, I guess...

Cheers - C

pretty much! peace.

If you really think about it, there's no way to get anybody's tone except your own.