Pick one tone that shaped you forever.

[stephenT]

Bill Frisell is (IMO) the greatest living guitar player/composer.

Originally Posted by blue

To have a "clean" tone, leave lots of space, and still command attention. Freakin' scary!

[Rwpierce]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I'm a metal head too. It was those Iron Maiden harmony solos that made me pickup the guitar in '87. Powerslave tones (from '84).



Although this didn't shape or influence me, I love SRV's tone.

Same with me Dru. SRV and all those after him that were shaped by his tone Henry Garza, John Mayer etc.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by blue

Not a riff. Not a progression. Just a tone. For me it was Ernie Isley on "That Lady". Legend has it they wanted to remake a 1964 hit of theirs, and were inspired by Carlos Santana's sound.

Funnily enough it is claimed that Hendrix played on the original 1964 version.

Blue,
I can honestly say: The only reason any “tone” has ever appealed to me was the music/playing attached to it.

I’ve only aspired to create music that gives me a similar satisfaction whenever I listen back to it, but none of it has a tone borrowed from those whose music inspired me.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

[blue]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Blue,
I can honestly say: The only reason any “tone” has ever appealed to me was the music/playing attached to it.

I’ve only aspired to create music that gives me a similar satisfaction whenever I listen back to it, but none of it has a tone borrowed from those whose music inspired me.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

I don't know. I feel that everything can be "pulled out" of a piece of music and be appreciated on its own merits and be inspiring. Tone, dynamics, or lack thereof, timbre, rhythm, etc.

To me, and this is not an insult as I respect you greatly, your statement is like saying "I can't seperate the saxophone/trombone/clarinet/etc. from the music"

The dynamically flat compressed modulated tone in the clip I posted is, to me, practically a different instrument than what was heard in the Bill Frisell clip. I use both tones, and I will play completely different music if my rig was set for one or the other.

Again, not judging you in any way. I just often hear little things that make me want to rush home and try some ideas. Usually rhythmic.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by blue

I don't know. I feel that everything can be "pulled out" of a piece of music and be appreciated on its own merits and be inspiring. Tone, dynamics, or lack thereof, timbre, rhythm, etc.

To me, and this is not an insult as I respect you greatly, your statement is like saying "I can't seperate the saxophone/trombone/clarinet/etc. from the music"

The dynamically flat compressed modulated tone in the clip I posted is, to me, practically a different instrument than what was heard in the Bill Frisell clip. I use both tones, and I will play completely different music if my rig was set for one or the other.

Again, not judging you in any way. I just often hear little things that make me want to rush home and try some ideas. Usually rhythmic.

Good morning Blue,
First and foremost: My post only speaks for me, and I don't feel you're judging me at all, but yes: I can NOT separate the music/tone from the player.

My observation is that people chase tones as if something magical was going to happen when they 'get' that tone......and nothing does happen, except others may go "Wow! That sounds exactly like so & so!"

My point is that "So & So" did it because it was THEIR sound; their tool for expressing their voice the way they heard it in their head.

I've listened to, digested and worshipped guitar, bass, saxophone, drums, etc for as long as I can remember, and they've always affected me mightily.

The ONLY time I can remember desiring to recreate a tone was when I got a Maestro Fuzztone after hearing Satisfaction. Almost as soon as I tried it, I stopped using it. It was a very telling 'buyer's remorse' moment, but for much deeper reasons that I wouldn't understand for another 30 years.

Ever notice that you know it's Mark Knopfler playing even if you hear him on a Suhr, or a National Resophonic?

I'm sure you've heard the old tale about the engineer remarking to Chet Atkins how great his guitar sounded, so Chet put the guitar on the stand, and said "How's it sound now?".....

There's no doubt that there are certain tones that just appeal to the senses ( Jr. Walker has one of my favorite tenor voices of all time), but it never occurred to me to ask what kind of mouthpiece and/or sax he was playing....and Mike Sharp's solo on The Classics IV 'Spooky' tells me that Mike Sharp is one of the best tenor players ever to walk the earth, with an entirely different sound than Jr.Walker, but playing the same instrument.

I've just always ascribed what I'm hearing to the player with their chosen tool of THAT moment, and when I want to hear that tone again, I play that music again.

I don't work at having my own tone; I just try to compose music that appeals to my rhythmic & harmonic sense, and hopefully it isn't trite or repetitious....But no matter what I do, it always sounds like me, acoustic or electric, dry or ambient....but I don't think about it.

You're mostly correct, though: I personally can NOT separate the tone from the player, and why would I?

Best regards, and let's hope for a really good 2021!

Howard Emerson

[Rmccamey]

Trower-Bridge of Sighs

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by blue

Not a riff. Not a progression. Just a tone. For me it was Ernie Isley on "That Lady". Legend has it they wanted to remake a 1964 hit of theirs, and were inspired by Carlos Santana's sound.

Funnily enough it is claimed that Hendrix played on the original 1964

The tone of my father's voice when I was screwing up..

[Rwpierce]

Originally Posted by varmonter

The tone of my father's voice when I was screwing up..

Haha, I will 2nd that!

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by varmonter

The tone of my father's voice when I was screwing up..

Made my day!!

Thanks!

Howard

[rwmct]

Peter Green, Jumping at Shadows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy7IonOLQd8

To me, that is the best sounding blues rock playing I have ever heard. The intro is a classic in and of itself, and the way he cranks it up in the solo is just too good.


The other tone that sticks in my mind is George Thorogood, as on the studio version of One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer. Discussing this with my wife, we agreed the best description of his tone here is "masculine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDf0IwXoOmY

[roylor4]

There are three players whose tone and style made a huge impression on me.

BB King
Angus Young
Carlos Santana

The order depends on the day.

[j3ffr0]

Neal Schon is a master of tone. Listen to "Lights" and "Stone In Love" for two completely different, but great tones.

[J Patrick]

...can’t say one players tone ever shaped my own tone...I have owned over forty amps...at least that many electric guitars and probably a hundred pedals....and I have always been able to get a tone that worked for me and what I was playing at the time....I gave up trying to emulate other players tone by the time I was 16....

[redir]

I'm a chameleon when it comes to playing electric guitar and part of the reason why I have such a huge pedal board. I love the tones of John McGeoch and Will Sergeant 80's new wave tones, The clean tones of David Gilmore and Jerry Garcia, the edgy blues tones of Albert King, the metal tones of Kerry King, the rockabilly fuzz tones of Poison Ivy and so on. It's just an impossible question to answer.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by varmonter

The tone of my father's voice when I was screwing up..

You win. [emoji23]