Request For Guidance Of Cliff & Also Forum Members About Signature Guitar Tone

Hyper Planet

Hyper Planet

Power User
There is always something around my mind about creating my own unique and original tone on the guitar tone land. actually when I got to know FAS company I realized that I can attain to this goal in a professional way, it's very modern and very versatile tool, it has so much more possibility than to the real AMP CAB,... etc, all we know this points already !,

On the other hand I know that our idea about the guitar tone and realize this point what kind of tone we're looking for ?
What kind of music we're playing and all this matters is cardinal point

But anyhow I'm really intresting to have Cliff input and you guys about this topic : If we're looking for our own singnature tone

1- what we need exactly ?,
2- It's a huge, complex and expensive circle ?
3- Do we need a really good studio, sound engineers and mixing guys like:
Richard Chycki, Andy Wallace, Paul Northfield,Rick Kwan, Michael H. Brauer, Doug Oberkircher, Kevin Shirley...?
4- We could only use just a really good guitar tone tools such as AXE-FX ll ?
5- How much sound engineering and mixing guys are involve in this circle ?
6- How much our idea about that original guitar tone is important ?
7- Which one of them has more additional contribution ?
8- Do you think all the story happens in the studio by engineers tricks and techniques ?

I'm sunk on this matter every single day :stupid:


Kind Regards,
 
Last edited:
IMO, its a paradox.

One can only create a truly unique guitar tone by not trying to do so. The artists we all exemplify as having a unique sound that makes them instantly recognizable never approached the instrument in this context, but rather simply made music and through the process of being good at the instrument created their unique sound.

if you approach it trying to create your own sound as the goal, you'll have no depth/meaning to the tone and therefor, the sound would be unique, but uninteresting to an outside listener.
 
People looking to create a unique tone usually do so at their own peril. You've never heard of someone because of their tone, you always learn of an artist via their songs. Only after the songs grab the listener does anyone bother to dissect the "tone", and the truth is, even with a different tone, the songs would still be great.
 
I think playing style is the most important aspect of a signature tone. A great player will sound like themselves on just about any kind of gear. Good equipment, studios, engineers, etc. can help bring out the best version of your sound, but ultimately it comes down to the player. Some players simply have a uniqueness that shines through.
 
Gamedojo said:
IMO, its a paradox.

but rather simply made music and through the process of being good at the instrument created their unique sound.

.
Click to expand...

Thank you Game Dojo for your input, That's a true story !, it can germinate through the process, but in which framework ?
 
You're chasing the wrong rabbit. The first question you need to ask is this:

"What does the SONG need?"

Figure that out, then find the tone that matches the answer.

Trying to chase your own "tone concept" will probably be a maddening endeavor. What you hear changes based on your mood, the environment, your evolving approach to the instrument, etc. For example, listen to Ritchie Blackmore's recordings over the series of Deep Purple and Rainbow albums. The tone changed dramatically based on what amps he used in the studio and live, the guitars he used, the studios and halls (and hotels!) they recorded in, and so on.

But you always know that it's Blackmore.
 
There is no piece of gear that will help you get a signature sound, imo. There's a video of andy timmons playing through some battery powered amp and honestly..sounds just like he normally does.

If you want your own unique voice, you just have to ask yourself why you play, and once you can figure that out you'll know what you have to do to express yourself. And like speaking, it can be through any microphone or preamp or EQ, but it will still be your voice and thats what people will be listening to.

Also I recall there is a video of Guthrie Govan playing through an Axe FX and everyone was freaking out about his patches, asking for them and his settings etc... Turned out to be factory presets haha.

If I had to summarize it in one word, I'd just say: Hands.
 
Rotti said:
:roll
Show me your killer tone hands with a Peavey Rage.
Click to expand...

Dimebag Darrell from Pantera achieved a very unique tone, and huge fame, using sold state Randall's no one wanted. Dude cool play though, and he made that solid state distortion work for him.
 
lqdsnddist said:
Dimebag Darrell from Pantera achieved a very unique tone, and huge fame, using sold state Randall's no one wanted. Dude cool play though, and he made that solid state distortion work for him.
Click to expand...

Dime had a lot of mysteries going on in his signal chain, but yes, he made it work for him.
How much better did he sound once he made the move to Krank with Damageplan though? Lots, lots better.
This coming from a huge Pantera fan with a CFH tat to prove it.
 
whereas our musics and hands feel is the key, but there something I can't figure out yet is role of behind the curtain I mean Studio Sound Engineers N mixing guys knowledge ? To make music more influential, fresh, modern, N unique sound, for instance:
Scene From A Memory guitar tone could be so good if JP wanted to use ZOOM GFX-8 ?
 
Last edited:
I recommend finding what inspires you the most.

I believe the inspiration is the "magic" not the guitar gear or tone per se.

When you hear something like Eruption by VH, his inspirational playing comes across right away. Also why playing his exact rig would not sound like him at all.

If you are truly inspired, and it comes through the music, your tone will appear to be great.
 
FractalAudio said:
Tone is in the hands. Tone is also in the gear. Everything in this society has become polarized to that point that even things like this have become an either/or. Life isn't black or white. I blame politicians. But I digress....
Click to expand...

LOL, good point.
Personally, I get so tired of the "EVH will still be EVH even when playing through a box of stale ding-dongs in an aluminum trash can" talk.
Sure, a kid in Guitar Center that's been playing all of two weeks can plug a $4K LP into a Friedman in a platinum room and still sound like ass.
...but gear fucking matters. Otherwise we'd all be swooning over the cheapest deal on a Crate we could find and not hanging out over here.
 
For years I chased tone thinking I have to sound like (insert favorite guitar player at the time) to play like that....when reality was/is I had to be able to play like that to sound like that.

Great tone helps great players be great, but great tone doesn't make mediocre players good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom