M.O.A.T... the Mother Of All (guitar) Tones thread

[Blast9]

OK, here's my pick...

I'm hoping someone can give an insight into any of these or any you pick!

EVH...Runnin' with the devil ... Absolute all time classic!
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100 watt (err... thats loud innit?) late 60's Marshall cranked to oblivion, gtr on one side, room sound on the other.... Yer f@ckd if your walkman headfone socket is broke!! (Donn Landee, Ted Templeman)


Hendrix... Axis bold as love
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100 watt Marshall (?) HUGE corpulent cleanish stereo tone. Just listen to the speakers woof from the bottom end... EDDIE KRAMER!! Beyer ribbon mics!!

Voodoo Chile (the long blues version)... Lovely room sound as above.

Voodoo Chile (Slight return) ... Exploding Marshall n Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face!


Yngwie! (Yes, Yngwie!)... Black Star off the first album... YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HEAR THIS TUNE for exemplary guitar tone (forget the rest of the instrumentation)

Awesome Jeff Beck-esque clean, morphing to huge "violin" tone from a 50 watt late 60's Marshall cranked to oblivion with a DOD booster pedal... Beautiful on the edge emotional playing, lovely room sound (Ron Nevison?)


Steve Vai ...
[top]

The Animal (Passion and Warfare) Loud as hell 100 watt Marshall (probably modded late 60s) recorded to tape, through API channel... Totally huge bottom end! Eventide H3000 Harmoniser set to 5ths.

Erotic Nightmares

Exciting, agressive tone from a Marshall JCM 900... Yes, I know! Awesome nevertheless...

Gary Moore

[top]

Anything from Corridors of Power... Blinding playing, superlative tone. Guitars mixed really high (probably in all sesnses of the word!

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(Did I mention Marshall... Did I mention loud... Did I mention Non-master volume?)

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[Ted Nightshade]

Hendrix- clean tone intros to Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand- just like a-ringin' a bell!

Stevie Ray- it don't get any more fanatic than this guy did.

[Rab]

Two players who consistently do it for me are Alan Holdsworth and Alex Lifeson...

[halcyo]

maybe I'm just not 'guitarist' enough, but I always kinda hated alot of the 'guitar god' sounds. I'm not saying they arent great players, cause they are, but EVH's sound, although great for that band, is a terribly cheesy guitar sound. Maybe its just been overused or something?

I was about to list some of my favorites, and say that EVH's and Hendrix's tones always seemed TOO processed for my taste, but I guess my favorites are pretty processed as well, just in a different way.

I think what I mean is that, for example, the EVH tone is designed to make the guitar stick out and be the highlight of a track (I mean, he IS EVH), while stuff I like makes the guitar sound great in the mix, and leaves the song to be highlighted. It seems like guitarists love these huge thick tones, that in my opinion, sound like shit with the rest of a track. I always thought that big woofy guitar tone was kinda nasty. I like crytal clear highs. A guitar should be really tight, but the tone should be uplifting to a track.

Again, I'm going through a 'less crazy guitars' phase, so maybe its just a mood

halcyo

[Inner Light]

Dimebad Darrell

George Lynch

Pat Metheney

Joe Satriani

just to name a few

not really sure what they used tho

[Blast9]

I was about to list some of my favorites, and say that EVH's and Hendrix's tones always seemed TOO processed for my taste, but I guess my favorites are pretty processed as well, just in a different way.

Good points well made in your post Halcyo!

Please list your faves, 'cos I think this should be an "educational" thread.

Its obvious there will be a lot of testosterone 'n kerosene stuff in here, so go 'head and keep some balance




Good choices all round... Can you all name some specifics?

Alex Lifeson: "Hemispheres"


George Lynch: Michael W where are you!

[Rab]

Fair enough... specifically -

Alex Lifeson... the "weird out" solo on La Villa Strangiato
Alan Holdsworth... Devil Take the Hindmost

[Dangerous Dave]

Eric Johnson - Cliffs Of Dover
Steve Morse - Tumeni Notes
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms
David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather

Nuff said'

DD

[Mike Tholen]

Zakk Wylde.

[Jay Kahrs]

Hendrix on the Band of Gypsies disc.

Damn.

The cabinet thunk...the clarity...the first note of the guitar solo in Machine Gun...

Nuff said.

[Blast9]

Yeah!

CABINET THUNK! thats the ticket!


SLIDE GUYS:

David Lindley... Amazing screaming tone, and a sense of fun too.

Ry Cooder

Alan Holdsworth... Devil Take the Hindmost

I have to sit down and have a cup of tea after that one... What else can you do? Perhaps the most "non-elevator" bit of fusion out there.

David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond

There ya go. Iconic riff. How 'bout the solo in "Another Brick in the Wall". Wasn't that a DI'd Les Paul, re-amped thru a Fender twin or Hiwatt?

[Rusty Cage]

Ronnie Wood - A Nood Is As Good As A Wink... THICK.

Some great rhythm and slide parts, by the bye.

[Matt Smith]

Hetfield's rhythm tone on Metallica's black album will always be the ultimate guitar sound in my book. So smooth, huge and powerful.

That was the Mesa/Boogie Mark II C+, though he also used an ADA MP-1 as well in some manner, though unfortunately I don't know specifics.

Matt Smith
www.theocracymusic.com

[enharmonic]

Warren Haynes
Malcolm Young
Carlos Santana
Albert Collins
Kim Thayil's wah drenched solos
Josh Homme (from Kyuss til today)
David Gilmour
Peter Townsend

[Ted Nightshade]

Originally posted by Blast9
How 'bout the solo in "Another Brick in the Wall". Wasn't that a DI'd Les Paul, re-amped thru a Fender twin or Hiwatt?

That tone and solo are so astonishing- how was that done?

It's OK to name players, but I think we ought to be naming a specific track with the choicest tone- I know I didn't do that for SRV.

BTW as far as Band Of Gypsys, have you heard the CD set with the whole of all the performances? Or at least a lot more? It's just jaw-dropping... some of the very most lucid and tightest live Hendrix ever. And I've heard and studied it all.

[KevinS]

Ty Tabor- "Over My Head" - I think he used one of those 80's Fender Strats with the three button pick up selector and a Gibson Lab Amp. Although, he always has a sweet tone no matter what he uses............

[alfonso]

Hey, what about early 70's Ritchie Blackmore tone?

A.F.A.I.K anything else has been reproduced somehow, but "that" R.B.'s tone is still a mistery...

Fireball & Machine Head albums....great!

[AnthonyV]

Here's a second for Zakk Wylde. He gets the fullest and richest tone without being muddy. And those pick harmonic screams.. HELL YEAH!!

Prong - Cleansing - guitar sound will rip your face off but its not harsh at all.

Umm.. there's tons but those are the ones that stand out for me.

peace,
Ants

[Blast9]

Ty Tabor- "Over My Head" - I think he used one of those 80's Fender Strats with the three button pick up selector and a Gibson Lab Amp. Although, he always has a sweet tone no matter what he uses............

Yeah! Fender Elite Strat (active). According to Slipperman, someone in the know said he actually split the signal with a TC Line Driver into the Lab Series L5 and a JCM 800 for the 1st 4 albums...

There's a thread somewhere on the PSW archives (I believe its Slippy's legendary heavy guitars thread http://marsh.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/287/ ).

He also retrofitted the preamp from the strat into his rack at some later stage...

It's OK to name players, but I think we ought to be naming a specific track with the choicest tone- I know I didn't do that for SRV.

I'm with you there Ted.


Must check out that Band of Gypsys thing... I have the DVD which contains stuff from both those gigs (The CD is from the 1st gig, I believe).

[Ted Nightshade]

Originally posted by Blast9

Must check out that Band of Gypsys thing... I have the DVD which contains stuff from both those gigs (The CD is from the 1st gig, I believe).

The original album has tracks from both nights- and is NOT the best of it! My estimation of those concerts and even my estimation of Jimi (longtime object of worship for me) changed when hearing it all- for the better! I don't know why they picked some of those cuts on for the original album.

[Blast9]

I know that it was due to contractual wranglings...

Something to do with a contract he foolishly signed without realising the consequenses, (before Polydor), so to get them off his back, they agreed on delivering a live album to fulfil the obligation, hence the small number of tracks included...

Is this CD readily available now? Definitely on my must get list now... Forget gear! tutt

[Ted Nightshade]

Originally posted by Blast9
I know that it was due to contractual wranglings...

Something to do with a contract he foolishly signed without realising the consequenses, (before Polydor), so to get them off his back, they agreed on delivering a live album to fulfil the obligation, hence the small number of tracks included...

Is this CD readily available now? Definitely on my must get list now... Forget gear! tutt

Been out for a few years now. Still available? Not sure. Bought it for a friend a few years back.

[KevinS]

Originally posted by Blast9
Yeah! Fender Elite Strat (active). According to Slipperman, someone in the know said he actually split the signal with a TC Line Driver into the Lab Series L5 and a JCM 800 for the 1st 4 albums...

Interesting. I heard he didn't like telling anybody that he used the Lab. He wanted to keep it a secret.
He would cover it up or hide it.

[Rusty Cage]

Interesting. I heard he didn't like telling anybody that he used the Lab. He wanted to keep it a secret.

At one point that was true - Ty didn't want people snatching up 2nd-hand Labs in case he needed to himself. At some stage he came out with it - probably around the time he started moving onto other amps (Dogman?).

Gretchen's my favourite example of his guitar tone, but maybe I'm biased because that album has my favourite set of songs.

[rynugz007]

The edge (U2)!!!!!!!!!! recognize

One of the most unique and interesting guitar sounds i've ever heard. Hendrix, van halen and all the others on here have phenominal tone as well but those tones are not as difficult to recreate as the edge's sound. Check out "where the streets have no name", "the fly", "mysterious ways" and just about anything else they've done for some serious, complex, harmonically rich guitar sounds.

[robmix]

I totally agree, the Edge is insane. At times it's been a bit too processed but when it's right it's pretty magical. I second some of the other recommendations, Hendrix "Little Wing", SRV "Couldn't Stand The Weather", "Little Wing". EVH is always pretty impressive. I dig Tom Morello's baritone gtr tones on Audioslave. Huge Pat Metheny fan - Bright Size Life. I also dig Nine Inch Nails guitar sounds, not that they sound anything like normal guitar sounds, but I think they match his vocal angst pretty well.

Rob

[Ted Nightshade]

Well we can't talk about the Edge without talking about Gilmour's delay tones on Another Brick in the Wall part 1 ("a snapshot in the family album... donkeydonkeydonk) and that completely insane bit at the beginning of "Run Like Hell"!

[enharmonic]

My tone is pretty damned good

McInturff FLE through a Wizard Modern Classic running into an Orange cab.

[Jay Kahrs]

Originally posted by Rusty Cage
At one point that was true - Ty didn't want people snatching up 2nd-hand Labs in case he needed to himself. At some stage he came out with it - probably around the time he started moving onto other amps (Dogman?).

I think it was around there. Ty had a really uniqe tone on those first few albums and Dogman is probably my overall favorite Kings X record. The self produced albums they've done in recent years just don't measure up IMHO but I still dig 'em a lot.

[meteor]

besides my brother, who is only legendary among our friends, i would have to point out D. Gilmore on the song "Coming back to Life," and The Edge on the 2nd version of "Walk On" (produced by Radioheads producer whose name i cannot recall at the moment).

cheers,