Guitar players Tone!!!!!!!

Matt_22 · Post by **Matt_22** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

What guitarist in the industry do you think have the best guitar tone? I'm talking past guitarist or current guitarists. Heavy metal, blues, classic, country, punk, anyone.....

If I could narrow the selection down I would have to say Adam Jones from Tool. His distortion has a dark sound yet it is so clear that you can hear every note he plays. The only thing that I don't like about jones is that he plays through about $1,000,000 of processors.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

I like Junior Brown's clean yet full tone, like a Fender Twin with 18" speakers or something. Locally, that guy from the Nightcrawlers has a great Tele-on-steroids sound. Lots of definition, but still good 'n dirty.---->JMS

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

I think Matt Rakar's tone is awesome!

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

Zakk Wyldes tone on the no more fear album

And............... Angus Young , I know some may disagree but it always gets your attention doesn't it

Killjingle · Post by **Killjingle** » Monday Sep 27, 2004

hmmmm........

hard metal... Dimebag Darrell and Max Cavalera
hard rock... Godsmack
rock... Prince
classic rock... Robin Trower and Jimmy Page
blues... I love Hendrix's tone when he played the blues
death metal... Allen West
shredder... Steve Vai and EVH
prog... Alex Lifeson
punk.. Doyle Von Frankenstein
honorable mention... Ted Nugent, John Christ, and a little old band called Trouble

local... I love the guys in my bands tone. Perhaps I am biased. Something about that warm tube sound that just pulls me in. Specially when there are two of em!!! Mike Palone has great tone, Kirk Tonkin does, Rick Ramsey had great tone in Stix and Stones, Mark Middleton and Felix both do, mind you these are just a few that came to mind in the few seconds that I took to post this. Now that I think more, I would say Punkinhead has good blackmetal tone, Craig and Bob from Rennis sound good together, as well as the guys from Pivot, AJ from Stone Krow was a master of processing and had good tone, Robbie and Jeremy from a former band called Dim were pretty awesome, I liked Broken Neck's tone, man I could go on and on, but I wont. I think tone like musical taste and beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I will say that I am a fool for a CD that is produced very well though.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

songsmith wrote:I like Junior Brown's clean yet full tone, like a Fender Twin with 18" speakers or something. Locally, that guy from the Nightcrawlers has a great Tele-on-steroids sound. Lots of definition, but still good 'n dirty.---->JMS

We dubbed that guitar the "TELEWHACKER"

Clean sound: Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash
Hard sound: Michael Schenker

Yeah...I like V's...nothing else sounds like one.

FatVin · Post by **FatVin** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

As guitar tones go, I'm rather fond of my own, but seriously

I've always admired Clapton's tone,

Knopfler,

Stevie Ray,

Billy Gibbons,

David Gilmour,

Junior Brown does have great tone,

and Yeah, I like what the guy in The Nightcrawlers was doin too

but there is one name nobody has mentioned and I think it's worth discussion. . .

Brian May of Queen

Now that's tone.

Some people will say that EVH's tone is cliche but if that's true it's cause everybody else copied it, but on that first VH album. . .fahgetaboutit

I think a guitarist should go out there and make his own tone.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Robben Ford
Allen Holdsworth
Steve Vai
SRV
Eddie Van Halen
George Benson
BB King
John McLaughlin
Lindsey Buckingham
Johnny Rzenik
old sKool

and I really like the tone that Richie Sambora got on the new Bon Jovi album.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

but there is one name nobody has mentioned and I think it's worth discussion. . .

Brian May of Queen

That was one that came to mind too, Vinny, but I didn't post it right away. I guess you could put him in the "classic" category.

I read somewhere that he has a guitar wired for all 3 pickups in series to get most of those tones.

FatVin · Post by **FatVin** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

I remember reading that too and I also remember reading somewhere about Brian May putting together his first set of pickups out of used motorcycle parts.

DMFJ03 · Post by **DMFJ03** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Rammstein's over all guitar tone, to me, is awesome.
Mick Thompson of Slipknot has great tone too.
I'll have to agree with Alex Lifeson as well.
Slash had some shattering tone.

On the local scene - I will have to go with Jason and Scott of Deviance. They have some killer sound. That guys from Pivot. Kirk "They Call Me Otto" Tonkin formerly of The Grimm, Spinebelt (even thought they aren't really local) tone is the diggity-bomb-yo! Richey (I Enemy, Wake Up Screaming) had it going on too.

And in all honesty, Matt Rakar and Bill Pinos had awesome guitar tone with mutial former project - Ever Since Yesterday.

I could go on and on, but I won't!

Punkinhead · Post by **Punkinhead** » Tuesday Sep 28, 2004

Zakk Wylde's tone on No More Tears is phenomenal....

Satch's tone on Always With Me, Always With You is awesome....

The brothers from Arch Enemy on Wages of Sin sound heavy as hell....

I really like the tone Shadows Fall gets too...

Petrucci's tone kicks some ass as well....

As far as local, I don't get out much but I remember Jason from Deviance has a damn brutal sound...The dudes from Suicide Switch have a good, thick sound too...Once I get the chance to get out more (when school is out again....) I'll add more to this side of the post...

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Wednesday Sep 29, 2004

I agree about Wishbone Ash...just listened to that old chestnut 'Persaphone' the other day. Someone famous was in that band, but I can't remember who it was now. ? For guitar tone, I love Carlos Santana. Also love some of the cool things Lindsay Buckingham does.

old Skool · Post by **old Skool** » Wednesday Sep 29, 2004

I always liked the tone George Lynch had from back in the Dokken days. Another was Warren DeMartini. His tone wasn't over the top but combined with his style of playing made a really nice fit. Most stuff today all sounds the same to me- pretty much a Les Paul or PRS through a MesaBoogie Rectifier. Don't get me wrong, I think it sounds great. Just all sounds the same.

Mackovyak · Post by **Mackovyak** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

Ok, Playing a little catch up...3 days in the hospital with an infected ankle cut (Damn Hurricane Jeanne)

I always loved the electric tones of guitars that seemed to have a mind of their own. Like the guitar was a wild animal and could only be tamed by the right man.

Nugent
Hendrix - Esp. Live at the LA Forum (You can probably only download this anymore(

Acoustic

Travis Meeks (Days of the New) - That guy is the Man for acoustics

also....whoever played acoustic on the Soggy Bottom Boys "Man of Constant Sorrow." That tone is BADASS!

Locals (well PA ones...)
I haven't been up there in a while checking out bands (look out christmas time 10 days in PA!!!!), but I still love the tone on Badwrench's Cosmo Rocket. Frammous rocks.

Finally, slightly off topic, the best bass tone I've ever heard has got to be whatever Slash and Duff played through on the Use Your Illusion albums. Yes, Slash...He played a lot of 6 string bass on those albums.

Justin

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

ZappasWife wrote:I agree about Wishbone Ash...just listened to that old chestnut 'Persaphone' the other day. Someone famous was in that band, but I can't remember who it was now. ? For guitar tone, I love Carlos Santana. Also love some of the cool things Lindsay Buckingham does.

There have been quite a few changes in W.A. over the years with some interesting people. Here's the history:

http://wishboneash.com/band_familytree.asp

Post by **Ron** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

FatVin wrote:I remember reading that too and I also remember reading somewhere about Brian May putting together his first set of pickups out of used motorcycle parts.

Here is all you'd ever want to know about Brian May's sound and equipment. http://www.brianmaycentral.com/sounds.html

Oh, and Vin... he used the motorcycle valve springs as the return springs for his vibrato arm.

daveb · Post by **daveb** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

I dig Adam Jones sound. Jimmy Page. Robin Finck. Kim Simmonds. Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck agian and Jeff Beck a third time for effect. Blackmore. Andy Summers. Eric Johnson and Jeff Beck

tonefight · Post by **tonefight** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

Did Anyone mention slash yet? ( I haven't read everything )

I love when he goes to the neck pickup for some of those really melodic leads he does.............. Man that just sings so sweet.

the herald · Post by **the herald** » Thursday Sep 30, 2004

SRV, GILMOUR, DUANE ALLMAN, FELIX, JASON FEATHERS, HENDRIX, BOSTON, PAGE, ALEX LIFESON, BILLY GIBBONS, EDDIE,ROY BUCHANON, NEIL YOUNG, GARCIA, ANDY SUMMERS......

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Friday Oct 01, 2004

Neil Young, well not exactly the smoothest sound but definitely unique. He never considered himself a good guitarist by any stretch of the imagination. I am pages away from finishing his biography Shakey. For all of you musicians interested in experimental sounds and recording techniques, even if you don't like Neil (an aquired taste I admit but he has his moments), I recommend this book. He is extremely spontaneous and not afraid to try weird things when recording, sometimes with disastrous results. He didn't give a shit either, and just laughed when his record companies got pissed off. He has even bargained with record execs for LESS money per record so that he could get some creative control but they still wanted him to repeat Harvest again.

facingwest · Post by **facingwest** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

By far, Eric Johnson's tone is the most well rounded and sweetest tone I've ever heard....Not to mention how freaking crystal clear it is.

jreider · Post by **jreider** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

this is just tones, not the actual albums

Eddie Van Halen - I really dig everything up to 5150, then it got too chorus-y for me

Steve Vai - the Flexable/Leftovers stuff, and Eat 'Em and Smile DLR stuff

Allan Holdsworth - I love all of his tones, specifically the ones that are created with an actual guitar, and not the Synthaxe thingy

Eric Johnson - awesome tone all the time

Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow, actually most of Jeff Becks stuff

Ritchie Blackmore - another guy who seldom has bad tone

Brian May - my all time fave tone

Malmsteen - the stuff with Alcatrazz and his first two solo albums - super
raw, but in my opinion, his best tones.

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

I'm a drummer, but I do listen intently to guitar, so here are my faves...

National:
Satriani: All, especially on "Back To Shalla-Bal".
Stevie Ray Vaughn: All.
Zakk Wylde: All.
Slash: All.
Honorable Mention: I also liked Mick Mars' tone over the entire lifespan of Motley Crue. Fuel's Carl Bell gets some nice stuff going too.

Local:
Felix Kos.
Dick Kos: Whatever one of the 10 million amps he brings always sounds AWESOME.
Darrell Ruzzi: Always had a nice tone on his Les Paul, and his Firebird sounds great too.
Rich Johnson: Great sound, great player.
"Big" Jim Ricotta: Jim's always willing to do what it takes to get great tone out of his rig, but he never gets credit for it.
Fat Vinny: Nice round tone to go with his round self.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Edge of Backstreet Law, Mike Ritchey of Vs The Earth, and Matt Freaking Day of IN.

Just my .02

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Saturday Oct 02, 2004

Dick Kos: Whatever one of the 10 million amps he brings always sounds AWESOME.

Totally agree...The common denominator is that Les Paul. I think its the best sounding Les Paul I ever heard.

Of course, you've never heard the V......

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Guitar players Tone!!!!!!!

Guitar players Tone!!!!!!!

Tones