What is it with this obsessive deal with sounding JUST like . . .

henryrobinett

henryrobinett

Fractal Fanatic
So I have a question: What is the deal with people trying to sound like everyone else? Or a selected sample of other guitar heros? What is the deal with that? The Kemper and Tone Shaping possibilities has people around these parts practically fainting with dizziness over this stuff. FINALLY you can sound like XXX!

I know I'm in a tiny, tiny and miniscule minority, but that is not why I bought the Ultra and ultimately the II. I have NO PROBLEM with people that do, but I find it curious. Music, FOR ME, has always been the quest to find my OWN sound. Be my own man. And I know, that's just me, and that's OK. But I'm just surprised that so MANY people are obsessively drawn to sound like someone else. It's just a hobby thing for fun? A game to see if you can? I kind of don't really get it.
 
I find the endless threads on different forums across the Net - chasing Edge's tone, chasing Eddie's tone, chasing Eric Johnson's tone, etc - has probably sold more amps, pedals, cabs, modelers and now profilers than any other pursuit.

I'd rather sound like me. Even when I do covers - and I do a lot of covers - I just dial up the tones I like to do it.

I admire guys like SteadyState here that NAIL stuff in the original vein of tone *and* feel; but personally... I'm not in a tribute band so I can do my own thing when I play out live.

So I do.
 
Here is an answer, but I'm not sure it will be a popular one.

Could it be laziness?

Could it be because they can't imagine anything else?

Could it be because if they 'sound like somebody famous', they believe their listeners will think more highly of them and give them respect?

Granted, there are some really cool tones done by other people, but for my money, I try to find new stuff and I don't give a rat's a$$ about sounding like XYZ.

My goal for tone? Find sounds that inspire me to write.

You asked, so there's my 2 cents.

L
 
There are a lot of cover bands out there. If you can nail the tones of the bands you are covering you will be rehired. Most bar owners judge bands by their sound. If you can get close to what the drunks want to hear then you will make more money. Granted, most of the patrons can't tell, but many bar owners can.
 
I don't have the patience to get as *exact* as a record, but certain guitar tones just plainly kick @ss... so why not?

And even if *I* played through <insert your rock star here>'s rig, I would not sound anything like them.

So I would say I'm half way there, I admire a lot of recorded tones, but don't take the time to get into tribute band territory.

Richard
 
It would seem that being a true artist and following one's own path; creating one's own identity, is just not for everyone. Lacking true creativity and talent, some can only mirror the real artists and innovators and then try to claim a piece of their creativity. I like many sounds of other players, and on rare occasions try to recreate one or two. But as Scott said so elegantly, "I'd rather sound like me."

Everyone has their own reality ......
 
it's funny you ask this.
Until I got my Axe II I never even thought about trying to nail someone elses sound.
Even when I got my II the first thing I did was try to create a patch that nailed my real mark IV, my real 5150 II and my real Black face 2 channel dual Recto.
My tones.
Once I was happy with those patches I found myself suddenly trying to nail other peoples tones.....................................because I could.
When your main amp is a mesa mark IV, you're not going to bother trying to nail Eric Johnson or a "Satch Boogie" type of tone, it's just not there.
Now I have all of these amp models to play around with and I can dial in EJ, or Satch, or Eddie, or Petrucci or use somebody elses patch to do so.
In my case it's just for fun and I would never use 90% of these tones for my own stuff, but it's also helping me learn how to dial in better patches all around.
I've been fooling around with EVH patches lately and I have discovered some really good tones from amp models I would normally not even think about using
that I can tweak and use for my own stuff.
I'm not going to play in any tribute band , nor do I need my ego stroked by the "wow you nailed that tone" type of threads.
when I hear a good clip and want to see the patch I don't want it so I can mimic anyone I want to see what the builder of the patch did that is different from what I do.
For example, I've never used a PEQ in real life before, now from looking at other peoples patches that use them I'm finally starting to "get it"

plus I don't have the time or the patience to really try and nail somebody elses tone to a tee. :)
 
strat714 said:
There are a lot of cover bands out there. If you can nail the tones of the bands you are covering you will be rehired. Most bar owners judge bands by their sound. If you can get close to what the drunks want to hear then you will make more money. Granted, most of the patrons can't tell, but many bar owners can.
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I completely disagree with this statement. In my experience a band will be rehired if you play the music well and put on a good performance that keeps people dancing and buying drinks.

If you meet the above criteria and use a GOOD tone that is in the right ball park (i.e. don't cover U2 with Metallica tones) then you will do just fine.

The one exception might be a tribute band where there will actually be people in the audience that will notice and appreciate it when you nail the tone of the artist that you're covering.
 
AdamCook said:
I completely disagree with this statement. In my experience a band will be rehired if you play the music well and put on a good performance that keeps people dancing and buying drinks.

If you meet the above criteria and use a GOOD tone that is in the right ball park (i.e. don't cover U2 with Metallica tones) then you will do just fine.

The one exception might be a tribute band where there will actually be people in the audience that will notice and appreciate it when you nail the tone of the artist that you're covering.
Click to expand...

I'm with Adam on this. After years of cover bands, one thing I've discovered is (unless you're a guitarist) the audience could care LESS about the tone. I've seen plenty of guitarists who were horrible, gawd-awful tone, but jumped around onstage and had fun, and crowds respond. It always put me in perspective on whether I need to worry obsessively about nailing Bad Co's solo tone on 'Shooting Star'.

To the OP. Go with Spaceboy. It's fun. It's gear. It's music. It's all good.

Ron
 
Why is this always such a big issue? I see almost as many comments and threads on various forums of people saying "find your own sound" as i do about people trying to copy someones tone. Who cares? If someone wants to try and copy eddies tone, let em. Quit raggin on them. The axe fx obviously gives everyone the tools to copy tones that we previously weren't able to reproduce as easily. Let people enjoy themselves and tweak till their hands fall off.
 
Part of what draws me to the guitarists I admire is their tone. For me it's fun to try and replicate not only the tone but the playing. This is just one of the options provided by gear like the AxeFx. It's not the endpoint, and when I write originals, I use my own tones I've created from scratch. That being said, I'm pretty simple in my own sound in that my most used tones are a clean, crunch, and lead like so many other players. Another great thing about the Axe being so powerfully flexible is the ability to create those very unique tones that use equipment most guitarists wouldn't normally have in their rig (formant, ringmod, etc.)

Tone chasing is fun, but it doesn't match actually making music on the fulfillment scale.

It's a cliche, but for a good reason: the most important tone shaper is your fingers and the brain that's controlling them.
 
I like the technical aspect of trying to "nail" a popular tone as well as trying to play it as well as sounding like no one I have ever heard. I could care less about what someone else thinks of it and thats the best part about the Axe. Everyone thats using one can go the way they want with a tone they want to use. I get a charge out of it every time I am able to get a sound that I have heard a famous who ever play and that's what makes it fun and puts a smile on my face every single time :D.
 
electronpirate said:
To the OP. Go with Spaceboy. It's fun. It's gear. It's music. It's all good. Ron
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+1

It's all of the above. To the modeling part, being able to completely invent amps that never existed from parts of amp that did is cool. Being able to model amps you have at home but are too fragile to gig with is cool. But, seriously, sometimes being able to really nail a distinctive tone in a well-known song kicks ass too. The solos in Owner of a Lonely Heart or Another Brick in the Wall are examples. Even the casual non-musician listener perks up and recognizes it. Yes, you can play them with your own tones. But it is a crowd pleaser to pull a perfect version of a well recognized solo out of the hat as the finishing touch.

It's a tool is what I'm saying, a spice to flavor the performance. I wouldn't want to live in it, but I'm cool with those who do. Especially if they share the patches. :lol
 
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Maybe having another artist's tone inspires people to play more and better? And if God forbid, you do want to sound like
another artist at times in your playing style, this too can up your game technically and inspire/equip you to play better.
All the greats were inspired by somebody and often started by imitating their heroes, note-for-note which evolved into
their unique style. Even these heroes often play their-heroes songs from time to time. I don't find this disappointing, just
familiar.

If you want to be-different for the sake of it or because the tone that inspires you to play more or better is unique,
that's great too.

How great is it that we have a device that actually can imitate familiar tones perfectly or create unique
new ones? To me, these abilities complement each other very well and make the Axe even more valuable
as a creative tool.

It's a great time to be a guitar player.
 
henryrobinett said:
So I have a question: What is the deal with people trying to sound like everyone else? Or a selected sample of other guitar heros? What is the deal with that? The Kemper and Tone Shaping possibilities has people around these parts practically fainting with dizziness over this stuff. FINALLY you can sound like XXX!

I know I'm in a tiny, tiny and miniscule minority, but that is not why I bought the Ultra and ultimately the II. I have NO PROBLEM with people that do, but I find it curious. Music, FOR ME, has always been the quest to find my OWN sound. Be my own man. And I know, that's just me, and that's OK. But I'm just surprised that so MANY people are obsessively drawn to sound like someone else. It's just a hobby thing for fun? A game to see if you can? I kind of don't really get it.
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Hey Henry,
I totally get what you're saying but to say that the quest to find your OWN sound, to be you own man is what makes you unique (your quote "And I know, that's just me, and that's OK".) is just a little pretentious don't you think? I take it you have a little bit of experience with guitar and tone. Did you start out writing your own songs and creating your own tone? or did you emulate your heros? I think it's a lot of fun to get to sound like one of my heros. It motivates me to play more and from there I have tweaked quite a few different players sounds to create my own tone. If I'm not mistaken many a guitarist greater than I have followed this very path.........yes even the great ones. I can't help to hear Jimmy in Stevies playing and some of his tonal qualities for example. Sorry if I've misread your post but it just seemed to me you were trying to make a point rather than start a meaningful and informative thread.

PS you're not in a tiny, tiny and miniscule minority............perhaps you're just not as unique as you believe.
 
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I can admire cover bands that get close to tribute band covers.

But sheesh, way too much work for me for the return on time investment. The cover band circuit is a labor of love. Low pay and long hours and not many gigs these days. Around here, it's all about repetoire first, musicianship second.

And I agree with Adam, for most run-of-the-mill clubs, it is absolutely about selling drinks and food and nothing else.

The exceptions would be the few places left that really are trying to break new acts or famous places, like the Whiskey or Bluebird Cafe, where it is still about the music or the club is trying to hold up a rep.

Richard
 
Sixstring said:
I like the technical aspect of trying to "nail" a popular tone as well as trying to play it as well as sounding like no one I have ever heard. I could care less about what someone else thinks of it and thats the best part about the Axe. Everyone thats using one can go the way they want with a tone they want to use. I get a charge out of it every time I am able to get a sound that I have heard a famous who ever play and that's what makes it fun and puts a smile on my face every single time :D.
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+1
 
Well no, going with spaceboy is not my cup of tea, but cool for the fun of it all. Ever when I played in cover bands many, many moons ago, I never bothered to try and cop anyone's tone or even their solos or licks. I got those gigs based on my ability to play. That was also my downfall. As much as I frustrated the other members of the band because I was just so stubborn, I was too good to fire. Yes, looking back, I could have learned a lot by attempting to copy, but it wasn't in me and had nothing to do with my purpose for playing music, so in the LONG RUN I'm glad I didn't. Guitar, for me, is about playing ME on that instrument.

It's fine. People like that game and fun of copping other people sound. I STILL think most of the IMPORTANT sound comes from the fingers. I can see learning how those sounds are created. I love Robben Fords tone for instance. But I wouldn't walk across the street to copy his tone. But I like his playing and I might deconstruct his PLAYING to understand, but not to copy. I can see the same thing with tone.

But I don't know. There are only so many ways to slice a fish. There are only so many tones on a real amp and multiples of that on a Fractal. Why not just find them for yourself? It seems so much more fun, to me. I mean, no blame or accusations! Its difference and difference is good. I hate it if everyone in the world thought like I did! Then I'd have to find another way of thinking!
 
AdamCook said:
I completely disagree with this statement. In my experience a band will be rehired if you play the music well and put on a good performance that keeps people dancing and buying drinks.

If you meet the above criteria and use a GOOD tone that is in the right ball park (i.e. don't cover U2 with Metallica tones) then you will do just fine.

The one exception might be a tribute band where there will actually be people in the audience that will notice and appreciate it when you nail the tone of the artist that you're covering.
Click to expand...

+1000

Plus I personally dislike bands where the guitar player has an entirely different tone for each cover the band plays, trying to match the original song. Always sounds very cheap too me, even if he succeeds in his goal.
 
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