Cultivation of a Tone of Personality

clockwork green · October 01, 2012, 01:43:28 AM

Tone is a funny thing. Sometimes really good tone is totally boring. I don't mean using an amazing country-clean tone in a doom band but an otherwise beautiful and appropriate tone can be just a bit dull and expected. I'm sure in a room by himself, Hendrix and that Octavia had to be a bit weird sounding. Jonny Greenwood and his glitchy whammy pedal probably sounded terrible by itself and yet perfect with various Radiohead songs. Sometimes chasing that ideal bedroom tone just doesn't serve the song and it rarely creates a signature tone. Michael Schenker's half-cocked wah tone just serves UFO and the Scorpions but sounds kinda weird when isolated.

I worry that I've mastered the sterile, expected, stoner/doom tone or at least gotten kinda close (recording that is another story). My tone needs a little personality makeover. I was noticing how many of my favorite bands have sounds I'd often consider a bit noisey and messy and yet it works so well to add personality and helps songs, bands and musicians to stand out.

Thoughts? Tips? Comments?

yesca · October 01, 2012, 07:23:17 AM

i'd say some of the "tone" is in the players play style.

Mr. Foxen · October 01, 2012, 08:13:41 AM

Don't set the amp alone and leave it, fuck with the eq with everything else going on, because that is where its important. And do it with your head in front of the speakers so you don't fuck up the treble, I have to hear that too much. leaving a wah cocked is kind of good for getting a handle on how midrange works in a mix, because you can be away from your amp hearing what else is going on and fucking with mid.

neighbor664 · October 01, 2012, 08:25:27 AM

You're over thinking it.

clockwork green · October 01, 2012, 01:53:23 PM

Quote from: neighbor664 on October 01, 2012, 08:25:27 AM
You're over thinking it.

Most certainly but I don't really have a realistic alternative. This is where my brain goes when I'm ignoring the people around me.

neighbor664 · October 01, 2012, 04:21:26 PM

Also, as with our own personalities, the the things we see as flaws and shortcomings others may perceive as character. As personality! It's our imperfections that make us unique.

fallen · October 01, 2012, 04:30:16 PM

It's a legit question but as long as you're running anything other than the stock humbucker guitar into a Marshall, or an EMG into Dual Rectifier/5150 head you'll be a lot different sounding than 95% of other loud bands out there.

And if you switch it up and add some 10s or a 2x15 or basically anything other than a 4x12 with 75 watt Celestions it's a different tone again. Some people would say that the speakers make the most difference depending upon what mid frequencies they accentuate.

bitter · October 01, 2012, 04:49:21 PM

I think of this in terms of dirt. I need my dirty sound to "feel" a certain way. To make things chunky and chewy enough, I end up with an arguably boring tone.

As long as the tone isn't overly obnoxious (i.e. squeals or treble-laden) I don't mind it being boring. It's that feedback in my fingers that I want.

everdrone · October 01, 2012, 08:20:01 PM

there is a million boutique pedals and weird effects, just figure out what you play best and get that.

its easy to experiment with this nowdays since podfarm and other pedal modelers cost about $100, I am just not into tone as much as writing good music tho, I really just need a good dirt sound that is heavy for chugging and fzzzzzz, so thats what I bought

RacerX · October 01, 2012, 08:42:54 PM

I'm not sure I can reconcile both "expected" and "sterile" in reference to doom tone. Sure, there is a general set of tonal expectations for doom guitar, but "sterile" isn't on my list.

Please clarify.

Submarine · October 01, 2012, 09:41:57 PM

The biggest single factor in tone is your fingers (bone structure).
This an amusing little anecdote about Ted Nugent and Eddie VH which somewhat supports the above statement.
http://www.guitarworld.com/eddie-van-halen-remembers-meeting-ted-nugent

clockwork green · October 01, 2012, 10:33:56 PM

Quote from: RacerX on October 01, 2012, 08:42:54 PM
I'm not sure I can reconcile both "expected" and "sterile" in reference to doom tone. Sure, there is a general set of tonal expectations for doom guitar, but "sterile" isn't on my list.

Please clarify.

I tend to play pretty neat and clean. I never feel comfortable playing as loose and sloppy as a typical Matt Pike solo. I just can't allow myself that reckless abandon.

justinhedrick · October 02, 2012, 10:09:08 AM

Quote from: clockwork green on October 01, 2012, 10:33:56 PM
I tend to play pretty neat and clean. I never feel comfortable playing as loose and sloppy as a typical Matt Pike solo. I just can't allow myself that reckless abandon.

I can't play a solo . . .

mawso · October 04, 2012, 12:05:09 AM

I had "saturday night" by The Misfits playing when I opened this thread. There's not a lot you can say in favour of that guitar tone, except that when you hear it, it totally works.

liquidsmoke · October 04, 2012, 02:12:00 AM

I was more or less trying to copy the Holy Mountain tone years back and I'm glad I snapped out of that. It wouldn't quite fit the type of stuff I'm playing now that well anyway.

At the end of the day the riffs and songwriting are much more important but there is no reason not to try to go for your dream tone or at least experiment a lot to find something a bit different that you might like even better.

I wouldn't trade the tone I've got now for anything but it took awhile to create it.