Tone matching guitars

[fremen]

It works.

We already knew it of course, as the tone match block can improve a pseudo-acoustic preset, which is used to give an electric guitar an electro-acoustic sound. That's what I did with the very first preset in my bank A (check my blog ; try that preset with an electric guitar in position 2 or 4 of the pickup selector. It's made for my Ibanez RG though)

However what I did last week is one step further. I used my Ibanez RG (pickup selector = position 4) as source to correct the dull sounding position 4 of my Variax magnetic pickups. Works very well too ! I had to play two songs at a gig where I could bring only one guitar and it has to be the Variax JTV89 as I needed an open tuning. For the other song I wanted to use the magnetic pickups though, and the tone match block saved the day for the clean sounds. Those of the Variax are really dull imho, and with the TM block, I was able to "capture" the clean "quack" of my Ibanez. Not a 100% identical match but more than good enough ! I'll upload some samples and possibly a preset soon, I have some computer issues atm

[Rex]

Thanks for posting your adventures, fremen. I've been thinking about doing the same thing. I want to tone-match some of the single-coil positions on my Ibanez 540S to make them sound more like a sweet-sounding Strat I know.

[fremen]

Thanks for posting your adventures, fremen. I've been thinking about doing the same thing. I want to tone-match some of the single-coil positions on my Ibanez 540S to make them sound more like a sweet-sounding Strat I know.

That's on my agenda too, my Ibanez will certainly like some TM of a nice Fender USA Strat I have at home

[Secret80'sMan]

Can we start building a repository of dry clean pickup tones that people can use to match? might allow truer translation of presets when shared if someone says use the JB or Texas Specials reference file.

We would need specifications to follow and a curating process for quality. Just wondering how many people would be down with that?

[MesaGuitarGuy]

It works.

We already knew it of course, as the tone match block can improve a pseudo-acoustic preset, which is used to give an electric guitar an electro-acoustic sound. That's what I did with the very first preset in my bank A (check my blog ; try that preset with an electric guitar in position 2 or 4 of the pickup selector. It's made for my Ibanez RG though)

Fremen,
when you TM a guitar, do you strum chords or play riffs or a combination?
thanks
Jeff

[fremen]

I only did a quick one as time was an issue, strumming basic open chords, and it was good enough for my needs for one song. I'll probably redo it, fine tune the sound, and then post some samples and presets.

[stm113]

This is something that I have wondered about the idea of Tone Matching guitars, this is what I'd like, it I possible?

Can I record my Les Paul on a dry track and when reamping it use a tone match to simulate a single coil? I would only use it as a textural thing, just for blending/layering? I know if its possible it wouldn't be 100% accurate but could it work just for some blending?

[zentman]

Billy Gibbons basically tone matches all of his guitars for live use. He has them matched to his Pearly Gates.

[barhrecords]

Billy Gibbons basically tone matches all of his guitars for live use. He has them matched to his Pearly Gates.

Can you elaborate on this?

I've seen him 4-5 times the last few years and he has always played either a Gretsch BillyBo (awesome guitar!!!) or a custom tele (bridge pickup only) that matches Dusty's bass.

The Gretsch really sounds great though. But sounds like a Gretsch to me; not like a vintage LP. Has that AC/DC filtertron growl thing.

I'm guessing he's using Marshall JMP pre amps too? At least it sounds like a modern Marshall preamp distortion to me.

At Oakwood ampitheater, my wife and I were on the second row. You could clearing see the monitor engineer playing rhythm guitar stage right.

Richard

[fremen]

This is something that I have wondered about the idea of Tone Matching guitars, this is what I'd like, it I possible?

Can I record my Les Paul on a dry track and when reamping it use a tone match to simulate a single coil? I would only use it as a textural thing, just for blending/layering? I know if its possible it wouldn't be 100% accurate but could it work just for some blending?

It works to a degree, I'm doubtful you'll be able to have a good acoustic sound with a Les Paul. It would be much easier with a guitar with single coils

[zentman]

From a guitar site:

"DigiTech Mono 28 EQs (x2)
These are staples and are responsible for the main trick, which is using the EQ settings to mimic the tone of his No. 1 Les Paul, Pearly Gates. Here’s what the Guitar Secrets book says about it: “To achieve as fat a tone as Pearly with his other guitars, Gibbons turns to a Gold Lune Frequency Analyzer and two DigiTech Mono 28 programmable EQs. Several years ago, he recorded the Pearly Gates guitar and then compared its sonic characteristics to those of his stage guitars. The DigiTech EQ was then used to adjust the tone of each instrument to make them sound like Pearly. The settings of each guitar are stored individually so that they can be recalled instantly during the live show. “You have to take advantage of the upper levels of sophistication that modern gear can provide,” Gibbons explains."



There's a rig rundown vid I saw of his tech showing these EQ's and how each was set to make even his Tele sound like the Pearly Gates. When I find it I'll post it.


EDIT: Start at 9:00

[spufuz]

From a guitar site:

"DigiTech Mono 28 EQs (x2)
These are staples and are responsible for the main trick, which is using the EQ settings to mimic the tone of his No. 1 Les Paul, Pearly Gates. Here’s what the Guitar Secrets book says about it: “To achieve as fat a tone as Pearly with his other guitars, Gibbons turns to a Gold Lune Frequency Analyzer and two DigiTech Mono 28 programmable EQs. Several years ago, he recorded the Pearly Gates guitar and then compared its sonic characteristics to those of his stage guitars. The DigiTech EQ was then used to adjust the tone of each instrument to make them sound like Pearly. The settings of each guitar are stored individually so that they can be recalled instantly during the live show. “You have to take advantage of the upper levels of sophistication that modern gear can provide,” Gibbons explains."



There's a rig rundown vid I saw of his tech showing more than two of these EQ's and how each was set to make even his Tele sound like the Pearly Gates. When I find it I'll post it.

Wow! Thats cool.
A little before his time you might say...?

[stm113]

Wow! Thats cool.
A little before his time you might say...?

Agreed… I think Billy has been ahead of his time for a long time. That's a dude from the old school that runs towards technology instead of hiding from it.

[barhrecords]

From a guitar site:

"DigiTech Mono 28 EQs (x2)
These are staples and are responsible for the main trick, which is using the EQ settings to mimic the tone of his No. 1 Les Paul, Pearly Gates. Here’s what the Guitar Secrets book says about it: “To achieve as fat a tone as Pearly with his other guitars, Gibbons turns to a Gold Lune Frequency Analyzer and two DigiTech Mono 28 programmable EQs. Several years ago, he recorded the Pearly Gates guitar and then compared its sonic characteristics to those of his stage guitars. The DigiTech EQ was then used to adjust the tone of each instrument to make them sound like Pearly. The settings of each guitar are stored individually so that they can be recalled instantly during the live show. “You have to take advantage of the upper levels of sophistication that modern gear can provide,” Gibbons explains."



There's a rig rundown vid I saw of his tech showing these EQ's and how each was set to make even his Tele sound like the Pearly Gates. When I find it I'll post it.

That was cool!

I can't comment on the live EQ since I only heard the BillyBo and not the PG A/B. But he gets a great fat tone live. If you are close enough to the stage and can avoid the earsplitting SPL of the typical line arrays, it actually sounds pretty good. But the Gretsch growl is there.

Richard

[stm113]

So how do I go about doing this? I mean to get a more "stratty" sound for my Les Paul through tone matching for reamping?

[barhrecords]

So how do I go about doing this? I mean to get a more "stratty" sound for my Les Paul through tone matching for reamping?

Not sure how much an SC can me made from a bucker using EQ?

You can get the output frequency responses closer but the way a pickup drives the amp will not be there. An SC fronts an amp and pedals different than a bucker, even with the gtr volume rolled off.

And depending on your favorite strat tones, some of it comes from using two pickups at once in the quack positions.

Richard

[stm113]

I think that for the purposes I wanna use it I think it would work for me like that. It' d for texture so it wouldn't be in the forefront and probably not as noticeable.

[zentman]

I TM'd a very nice Tele neck pup with my Seymour Duncan jazz pup on an LTD Viper. I turned it into a cab block I place at the front of the chain. You just play a G chord into the TMA block then play the same chord with the other guitar. Ta da. It really changes the guitar and can be kicked in and out as desired.

[barhrecords]

I guess I look at pups differently. I think about the character of the pup; how it picks up the strings and all that. Not so much the post EQ.

I can see what ya'll are saying.

For me, a filtertron, SC, P90 and humbucker would always be distinct no matter how much post EQ.

[stm113]

I agree 100% about the character of the pups. That's why I would only want or use something like this for 2 reasons:1-is for the reason I mentioned earlier for layering guitars where it'd be for texture so the accuracy isn't "as" important. 2-it would be good use in my cover band as a back up. Example… we play Your Love by The Outfield and my LP is just too ballsy for that tone, it'd be great to be able to simulate a single coil type tone is for some reason my single coil capable guitar isn't available to me.