Tone is in not caring so much.

[Cliff Fiscal]

I was thinking.......the less I think about gear and tone, the more I enjoy the tones that I'm getting.

 

In fact, now my tone is starting to get gnarlier and raw......good tone is good tone (and easy to get), but that nasty ugly tone that works so perfectly in a song or band is true enlightenment.

 

Good tone is so boring now.

 

I love good bad tone.

 

It has been a long journey though......

[Hulston Prickle]

Two things I've noticed:

When I take a break from guitar, sometimes no more than a month or so, and I don't read anything online or elsewhere about gear, and then I plug back in and play some, I think "hey, this sounds good enough, I don't need anything else." But, when I start obsessing over it, and reading about what the "pros" use or what people on this forum use, all of a sudden I think I need something else.

For years I rocked a mid priced, reliable, but unhip and non-stylish amp. I lusted after big name brand x and thought that would be my holy grail tone and it would be so much better and different than my current amp. After playing several examples of different models of brand X, and then owning one and A/B-ing it with my old amp, I sound 99% the same on either amp.

[NinjaRaf]

I agree...when I just play, Im cool. When I cant play so much, I obsess about finding the best tone ever lol....then I plug in and Im like...{censored}ing this {censored} is perfect lol.

[NinjaRaf]

I agree...when I just play, Im cool. When I cant play so much, I obsess about finding the best tone ever lol....then I plug in and Im like...{censored}ing this {censored} is perfect lol. The grass is always greener...I coulda saved myself about 12k in a year had I just kept the amp that I have now, AGAIN, and not got into obsession...

[americansinner]

Good tone for me comes when I quit thinking about it, close my eyes, and starting paying attention to where and how exactly I am hitting the strings.

[DrakkarTyrannis]

I'm happy with what I have. I'm done tone searching. I look at other rigs just to see what's out there these days, but I have no need for anything else. My setup is perfect and I just nailed the tone I'm the most happy with. Hell I've had my amp for 5-6 years now and I'm still learning things about it..why do I need anything else?

[paul88lx]

Just last week I found the sounds I have been looking for all along. A Keeley Time Machine Boost>modded Rat>Mesa Subway Rocket clean channel. The vintage side of the TMB does really amazing things to the Rat. Particularly the 1973 setting. The modern side tightens the Rat up like I never thought a Rat could do.

 

I'm stunned. And stoked.

[Stevetemp]

I know what you mean. I think that's what makes a "good player sound like himself on anything". You just play and you know what to do with the tone you have.

[Sixtonoize]

One day I realized that I pretty much sound exactly the same through whatever rig I use.

All of a sudden, chasing tone stopped being such a priority.

[Warhorse]

I sound the same on pretty much any amp. The only question is, if the amp fights me or not.

[The Anomaly]

 

One day I realized that I pretty much sound exactly the same through whatever rig I use. All of a sudden, chasing tone stopped being such a priority.

 

 

This. I dial in "my" tone with whatever I use, and for the most part, I accomplish just that.

[Kardula]

 

Two things I've noticed: When I take a break from guitar, sometimes no more than a month or so, and I don't read anything online or elsewhere about gear, and then I plug back in and play some, I think "hey, this sounds good enough, I don't need anything else." But, when I start obsessing over it, and reading about what the "pros" use or what people on this forum use, all of a sudden I think I need something else. For years I rocked a mid priced, reliable, but unhip and non-stylish amp. I lusted after big name brand x and thought that would be my holy grail tone and it would be so much better and different than my current amp. After playing several examples of different models of brand X, and then owning one and A/B-ing it with my old amp, I sound 99% the same on either amp.

 

 

I did something similar, I lusted after an ENGL for YEARS until I played one, I like my rivera MUCH more. Even after owning my Rivera for a while and then playing some bogners it really hit me how good the rivera sounded. I think that once you get decent gear a lot of the lusting for more/better stuff goes away, at least it did for me.

[LaXu]

You know you have good tone when you stop caring about your tone and concentrate on playing. Otherwise it just irks you that you don't sound your best and at the same time can't play your best. Of course this can change from day to day - don't know if it's weather, your ears or your mood but there are days when you just feel like you sound like {censored}. That's usually when you put your previously favorite amp on eBay and start shopping for a new one.

[LaXu]

You know you have good tone when you stop caring about your tone and concentrate on playing. Otherwise it just irks you that you don't sound your best and at the same time can't play your best. Of course this can change from day to day - don't know if it's weather, your ears or your mood but there are days when you just feel like you sound like {censored}. That's usually when you put your previously favorite amp on eBay and start shopping for a new one.

[davebols]

a few years back i quit with the pedals and it all fell into that zone. now i sound like me with any amp or guitar. and mees o.k.

[ENdtime]

The only thing I don't understand about the tone chasers who flip amps, is once you do that, every part of your rig, including guitars and pickups, might have to be tweaked for the new amp.. Your cabinet and speaker may need to be switched and etc.etc.. I've tweaked near every guitar to have what I feel is the best pickups for each guitar to work with my amps that I have, and have had for many years.. I'll tone chase, but not the big things like amps and cabs.. Once I found the sounds I wanted from those, they have remained the same ones for numbers of years.. And all my guitars work with those amps, but whenever I try a different amp a lot of times I could hear my guitar would need to be tweaked as well.. It just doesn't make sense to change major components of your tone all the time.

There are always days I'm not 100%.into my tone, but that's when I turn some knobs.. Or maybe use a boost today, which I usually don't, etc.. Just something to change it up, that doesn't cost me money or require me to alter every part of my rig that I've spent many many hours, days and years developing..Cause as sure as I {censored} every morning, there will be a day not too far away where I completely love my tone again. So it goes in spurts, but mostly I love the tone I get from my amp and that 5150 combo I've had since the mid 90's.. So I figure if I'm in the mood to be tone chasing, its going to be little lateral movements which usually satisfies that craving for something new that day and doesn't cost me any money, and also doesn't ruin all the work and thought I put into getting the tone up to that point..

Plus, let's be honest. There just isn't that many flavors out there.. Sure there are little differences, but clean guitar is clean, distorted is distorted.. No point I'm trying them all since they are just tweaks of what's already out there.. I Can tweak my amp with an eq in the loop that would totally change the tone of the amp to the point its a new amp.!

[EdgeOfDarkness]

if you dont care what she looks like you can enjoy the {censored} better ?

[guitarbilly74]

yeah I agree but I still like to read about gear and try new {censored}. It's part of the fun for me. I was thinking the other day that my rig is finally at a point where I don't really need anything, it is sounding really good consistently. Oddly enough, that made me kind of sad because I really enjoy buying/selling gear and tone chasing, it's a different kind of satisfaction than I get from playing but it's cool nonetheless. But realistically, I don't have any need or space for anything other than what I currently have. It fits my needs to a T. I'm kinda bummed about it

[guitarbilly74]

The only thing I don't understand about the tone chasers who flip amps, is once you do that, every part of your rig, including guitars and pickups, might have to be tweaked for the new amp.. Your cabinet and speaker may need to be switched and etc.etc.. I'

 

Yes it's true and to me, that's a lot of fun

[K-Bizzle]

The only times I think about buying new amps are when I'm on HCAF or watching other bands live.

When I'm playing my rig I never think of buying new gear anymore, I've tweaked {censored} so finely at this point for what I do my rig is {censored}ing perfect.

[Nerine]

Tone is in the fingers.

If you are spending more time playing, the chances are you are becoming a better player and therefore developing better inherent natural finger tone.

[Cliff Fiscal]

GTFO!

[jenksdrummer]

I've noticed that it was easier to write and jam {censored} when I didn't know much. Same with gear - the more you know the more you scrutinize everything and you have to reach for that next level of more which is that much more difficult to acheive.

[Mr R Gecko]

 

Tone is in the fingers. If you are spending more time playing, the chances are you are becoming a better player and therefore developing better inherent natural finger tone.

 

 

Wow.

[Loobs]

 

Tone is in the fingers. If you are spending more time playing, the chances are you are becoming a better player and therefore developing better inherent natural finger tone.

 

 

hahahahaha! Are you for {censored}ing real?