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Post subject: Question about tone
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:30 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I checked a bunch of back issues of "Guitar Player" magazine out at the library and there is one thread that runs through them like a mantra: "tone". Phrases are like "after the repair my tone changed", "this piece of equipment gives me my distinct tone".

What is tone, as it applies to its popular usage among guitar players? Why is there such a mania about it?

Thanks.


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:43 am
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I posted here, but on second thought, I really don't know how to answer this.


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:26 am
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Just a wild guess...

Tone= sound...

I like the tone (sound) I get from
my SCXD...

The Tele gives the best tone (sound)
of all the guitars I own...

============================

Rasputan2


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:35 am
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Tone
–noun 1. any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc.: shrill tones.
2. quality or character of sound.
3. vocal sound; the sound made by vibrating muscular bands in the larynx.
4. a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc.: a tone of command.
5. an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech.
6. stress of voice on a syllable of a word.
7. Linguistics. a musical pitch or movement in pitch serving to distinguish two words otherwise composed of the same sounds, as in Chinese.
8. Music. a. a musical sound of definite pitch, consisting of several relatively simple constituents called partial tones, the lowest of which is called the fundamental tone and the others harmonics or overtones.
b. an interval equivalent to two semitones; a whole tone; a whole step.
c. any of the nine melodies or tunes to which Gregorian plainsong psalms are sung.

There you go!


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:37 am
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Rasputan2 wrote:
Just a wild guess...

Tone= sound...

I like the tone (sound) I get from
my SCXD...

The Tele gives the best tone (sound)
of all the guitars I own...

============================

Rasputan2


to take that just take that a bit farther, tone is the charcteristic of the sound. What gives sound its shape.


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:38 am
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Tone is going to have a different meaning for each player. A lot of people reference Stevie Ray Vaughan's tone, like its the Holy Grail of tone to accomplish in their sound. No doubt, he was a one of a kind individual but, his tone came more from him than anything else.

Most of your individual tone will come from you, the player. After you've been playing for a while, you will settle on a specific sound. This will be the accumulation of whatever effects you are using, what guitar you're playing, your amp and most importantly, your particular style of playing. This will become, your "tone".

It will take years of refinement to arrive at what you think your best tone should be. This is a thing that is constantly in flux. I just switched out a Boss DS-1 for an Ibanez Tube Screamer this week which brought me closer to where I wanted to be in my own personal tone. Its a never ending, always changing process.

If it comes close to what SRV had in his tone then, you are gifted and please send me your concert schedule so I can come listen. :wink:

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Last edited by Warpfield on Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:44 am
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Wow - that's a really subjective question.

I look at tone like a flavor or color - there really isn't one that is everybody's favorite. It's also personal - I love the tone of SRV , Eric Johnson and John Mayer for instance, but I strive for my own voice.

Some of it is in your gear, some of it is in your hands but as a musician it all comes from your heart. (sorry to sound sappy... :roll: )

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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:50 am
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Your gear has a lot to do with your tone or sound, but more so it comes from within you.

In 1986 The Stray Cats opened a show for Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Close to the end of the show Stevie invited Stray Cat guitarist Brian Setzer out on stage and handed him #1 plugged into his amp. They did "The House Is Rockin'". After the show Brian was heard to say that even playing Stevie's guitar and amp I still sounded like me!

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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:09 am
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Have also noticed personal 'tone' tends to be better when mind is at peace and there are not a lot of garbage-stress-things hanging over head.

But seriously-ish, 'recently played four different guitars in a long sitting on a weekend afternoon, wife and daughter out, dog asleep (not wanting walk), Vetta on a couple different amp / cab models...

...and they (huh, gasp, scary, eek!) tended to sound a lot the same-ish.

Achievement of personal 'tone'?


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:16 am
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JSJH wrote:
Have also noticed personal 'tone' tends to be better when mind is at peace and there are not a lot of garbage-stress-things hanging over head.

But seriously-ish, 'recently played four different guitars in a long sitting on a weekend afternoon, wife and daughter out, dog asleep (not wanting walk), Vetta on a couple different amp / cab models...

...and they (huh, gasp, scary, eek!) tended to sound a lot the same-ish.

Achievement of personal 'tone'?


Once we find a tone/sound we like we have a habit of setting up everything to get that tone/sound. SO, different guitars played through different amps will sound pretty close to the same to us. Others might hear more of a difference.

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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:29 am
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It's the difference between your girlfriend yelling at you and your girlfriend screaming with pleasure...

:D


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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:46 pm
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wickedmartini wrote:
It's the difference between your girlfriend yelling at you and your girlfriend screaming with pleasure...:D


I love it !!!

=================

Rasputan2


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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:16 am
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For a guitarist, your "tone is your sound. It's the combination of your gear, style and ability.

From there, if a guitarist describes gatting serious tone from some gear he is saying that it sounded really good.

Famous guitarists have a distinctive tone. Think of the playing of Billy Gibbons, and you hear his tone. It's the flavor of your playing.

and

It's not just gear. David Gilmour always sounds like David Gilmour.


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Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 6:15 am
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The best way to describe tone is this:

Two people sing the same note, on key. One is Roseann Barr and the other is Beyonce.

One is scratchy and nasty and the other is smooth and sweet. Same note. Different tones.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 7:32 am
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This is a great topic!

"Quality of the sound" is a great definition. But that's not necessarily "quality" as in good vs. bad (though it can be). It can also be different ways you form the sound.

Like some have said, it can be a never-ending quest. My drummer friend was watching how one of our guitarist friends was always screwing with his amp to find the tone he wants and made some remarks comparing "bad-hair-days" to "bad-tone-days" for guitarist.

I've had a string of wonderful "tone-days" lately. I think a lot of it has come from me cutting pedals out of the mix. It's just me and my amp these days, and I'm loving it. And I don't really screw with the amp's setting much beyond setting the volume to an appropriate level for the room. Mostly, I've discovered how to use the tone and volume pots on the guitar to get the variants I want. And if I can't get what I'm looking for out of the Strat, I've got the LP on hand. Between the two of 'em tone has been wonderful lately.

I think this approach has made me a better player, too. Since the pedals aren't coloring my playing, I'm having to be more sensitive and nuanced as a player these days. And that's caused me to grow.


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