Our Preferred Tone & Our Favourite Style Of Music

[Steadfastly]

Since we all have a preferred style of music; country, fold, rock, pop, etc., I was wondering if that makes a difference in the tone that we prefer in our guitars. My favourite style of music is classic country and a few newer artists like Alan Jackson, Vince Gill & George Strait. Perhaps that is why I like the Martin sound versus something more on the treble side like Taylor.

Any thoughts on this or am I out to lunch?

[DukeX]

I like lots of different kinds of music, but my guitars don't necessarily reflect the music I listen too.

For example, I love classic rock and the sound of someone else playing Les Pauls and Strats, but I do not prefer to play them.

I love Martins and Gibsons in others' hands but have never gravitated toward them, although I have a Martin 000-15sm on the way, so you just never know.

[jay7347]

I think you make a good point. My preferred styles are solo acoustic and I lean towards Lowden's/Bashkin's. I like the tones of those much better than Martin's or Taylor's. But, I have a few friends that play Martin's and get them sounding pretty darn good. And one of my favorite guitarists, Michael Hedges, made a Martin sound awesome. So whether its the brand, or what one does with the brand is open to interpretation.

-jay

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

Since we all have a preferred style of music; country, fold, rock, pop, etc., I was wondering if that makes a difference in the tone that we prefer in our guitars. My favourite style of music is classic country and a few newer artists like Alan Jackson, Vince Gill & George Strait. Perhaps that is why I like the Martin sound versus something more on the treble side like Taylor.

Any thoughts on this or am I out to lunch?

Except that George Strait has most recently played both Guild and Taylor guitars in concert.

Alan plays some luthier brand I believe, but the maple bodied guitar that I have seen him with the most in publicity pictures and tour/concert pictures is not a Martin.

Vince Gill...DEFINITELY a Martin Man to be sure...but...he has a number of awesome vintage Gibson acoustics that he plays in studio as well!

But...keep in mind...especially in the studio...you have no real idea what these guys may be playing...or more to the point...what brand of guitar you may be hearing. All of the superstar recording engineers can take, and make, ANY guitar they want to sound ANY way they want it to, so we can be completely fooled by what we are hearing, and what we think it is, brand and model wise.

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[vindibona1]

I don't have a favorite style of music nor necessarily a favored tone. I like all styles of music so it's necessary to understand that the guitar plays a ROLE in the music and the tone of the guitar has to meet the needs of that role.

Singers typically are best aided by warmer sounds that don't compete for "ear space" with their voices. That's why I believe Gibson guitars are so popular with singers. Many of them provide a nice warm balanced sound that supports the sounds of the voice rather than compete with it for attention. Instrumental guitar soloists usually prefer a sound that's a bit brighter and more articulate as their sound needs to be the shining star rather than a voice. While I'm not a Collings owner I think of that brand when I read what I just wrote about soloistic sound.

But a lot of tone does come from the fingers. Two players playing the same guitar might produce radically different tones. I don't sing but often support singers and then the next moment might have a solo bit. I prefer guitars that are more "well rounded" and work to give my guitars the flexibility they need to perform in almost any situation. Therefore I like a well balanced sound with good articulation and full resonant harmonic tones, yet still warm. For me, I'd rather have a guitar that is a bit too bright and resonant than too dark. I think of the saying "It's easier to tame a lion than teach a pussy cat to roar". And so I gravitate to guitar sounds that will knock you over when I want them too and can also sound gentle and warm when needed also.

I appreciate folks who like "authentic" sounds. But I'm thinking that the sound paradigm of popular tone is continuously shifting. So just try to get to tone that fits the music.

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

But...keep in mind...especially in the studio...you have no real idea what these guys may be playing...or more to the point...what brand of guitar you may be hearing. All of the superstar recording engineers can take, and make, ANY guitar they want to sound ANY way they want it to, so we can be completely fooled by what we are hearing, and what we think it is, brand and model wise.

I'm with Duff on this, and I also think it applies to live performance tone.

I'll even go so far as to say that a lot of guitar purchasing choices are made based on the perceived image of a given brand: Martin is often associated with the traditional, Taylor with the contemporary, Gibson with the "classic." Those associations are powerful marketing tools, and so are professional endorsements. I think a lot of people want to play the guitar of those they admire, and tone may play only a part of that attraction.

[mercy]

I agree with this statement of Willey's "I think a lot of people want to play the guitar of those they admire, and tone may play only a part of that attraction." I was that way once, didnt know anything about sound, just looks. Now I know what sound I like and can identify different sounds. I think it takes awhile to develop ears.

[Br1ck]

Interesting subject, because I finally found the guitar that works with my Texas singer/songwriter style, in both looking the part, and sounding the part. My 65 Epi Texan is bashed and battered to a well worn patina, and it's huge dry sound is everything I need in a guitar.

So one night at an open mic, a friend who was not planning to play decided he wanted to and borrowed my guitar. I would not have though it was the best for his fingerstyle playing. It sounded great and he loved it. The guitar's dryness showed off his considerable technical prowess, usually demonstrated on a 000.

Is the guitar you play a fashion statement as much as anything else? How much is motivated by trend and perception more than anything else? I've had new players approach me in guitar shops asking my opinion regarding a D 28, mainly because they have friends and have seen so many artists playing them. Tried to at least have them play some 000s.

Now over time, the average player will hone in on what they like. I'm a guy who never owned a dread for the first thirty years I played, but the more I explored past styles, depression era country, Stephen Foster, etc. I started playing them and now own two.

Then there is the harsh reality that talented people can sound like themselves on anything.

The only advise I could give that makes sense to me is own a parlor, a 00, and OM, a jumbo and a dread or two. Oh, one of each in rosewood and mahogany. Throw in at least one twelve string, and a resonator. And don't forget to play Bach on the resonator, Neil Young on the parlor, or anything else on anything.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

Except that George Strait has most recently played both Guild and Taylor guitars in concert.

Alan plays some luthier brand I believe, but the maple bodied guitar that I have seen him with the most in publicity pictures and tour/concert pictures is not a Martin.

Vince Gill...DEFINITELY a Martin Man to be sure...but...he has a number of awesome vintage Gibson acoustics that he plays in studio as well!

But...keep in mind...especially in the studio...you have no real idea what these guys may be playing...or more to the point...what brand of guitar you may be hearing. All of the superstar recording engineers can take, and make, ANY guitar they want to sound ANY way they want it to, so we can be completely fooled by what we are hearing, and what we think it is, brand and model wise.

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

Yes, that is very true.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Interesting subject, because I finally found the guitar that works with my Texas singer/songwriter style, in both looking the part, and sounding the part. My 65 Epi Texan is bashed and battered to a well worn patina, and it's huge dry sound is everything I need in a guitar.

So one night at an open mic, a friend who was not planning to play decided he wanted to and borrowed my guitar. I would not have though it was the best for his fingerstyle playing. It sounded great and he loved it. The guitar's dryness showed off his considerable technical prowess, usually demonstrated on a 000.

Is the guitar you play a fashion statement as much as anything else? How much is motivated by trend and perception more than anything else? I've had new players approach me in guitar shops asking my opinion regarding a D 28, mainly because they have friends and have seen so many artists playing them. Tried to at least have them play some 000s.

Now over time, the average player will hone in on what they like. I'm a guy who never owned a dread for the first thirty years I played, but the more I explored past styles, depression era country, Stephen Foster, etc. I started playing them and now own two.

Then there is the harsh reality that talented people can sound like themselves on anything.

The only advise I could give that makes sense to me is own a parlor, a 00, and OM, a jumbo and a dread or two. Oh, one of each in rosewood and mahogany. Throw in at least one twelve string, and a resonator. And don't forget to play Bach on the resonator, Neil Young on the parlor, or anything else on anything.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

The only advise I could give that makes sense to me is own a parlor, a 00, and OM, a jumbo and a dread or two. Oh, one of each in rosewood and mahogany. Throw in at least one twelve string, and a resonator. And don't forget to play Bach on the resonator, Neil Young on the parlor, or anything else on anything.

Now that's signature worthy!

[posternutbag]

I think it does. I am pretty much a dedicated grasser with a little country and a few Grateful Dead tunes thrown in for good measure. My preferred tone is clear and dry, with a focus on the fundamental, crisp attack, medium to short sustain and few overtones. I think if I played solo fingerstyle, I would prefer/want/need a very different tone.

The interesting thing to me is how this actually plays out in the music that I play. I do a lot of crosspicking, and superficially, crosspicking seems similar to fingerstyle in that both produce a sustained, flowing cascade of (usually) eighth notes. But I think because I am hitting the string with a flatpick, I am imparting more energy to the string than I would with bare fingers, and as such I need lots of clean, clear headroom, and I don't want overly lush overtones cluttering the sound. I find that when I play a guitar with lots of sustain and full, lush overtones that my playing sounds at best cluttered and at worst muddy.

[Silly Moustache]

I like Br1ck's answer,but speaking for myself, as an old bluegrasser, it had to be a dreadnought but I needed a wider neck, which led me to 12 fret dreads, and ultimately, a new Collings DS2h in 1999. Itfit me and on an AS/B , well A/B/C/D test, it came out on top of a HD28vs, a santa cruz d12, and a Bourgeois ds20.

I now have four Collings dreads, I saw a sitka/hog DS1 on eBay; and I was the only bidder so I got it for the starting price, similar story with a 2007 DS2h, and finally, a fellow AGF pal pitched up with an adi/hog DS1a.

I feel "safe" on stage with all/any of them.

I am a great admirer of Martins and their "house" tone, but there is something about the even balance of my Collings guitars.

In my YouTube videos you'll also see me playing a 0002h and a Waterloo, and others, (all 12 fretters) but I couldn't be doing without my Collings 12 fret dreads.

This vid explains why :

[Steel and wood]

First to admit that I was initially inspired to own and play Fender and Martin guitars and amps mostly because the music I was listening to and players I admired. (With multiple exceptions of course). My playing has been influenced over time by favourite players from genres include Americana, rockabilly, country, surf guitar and even bluegrass.

Not to say that I don't have a healthy appreciation for other guitarists and guitars outside of Fender and Martin and of course my musical tastes are a lot wider than the stuff I play.

[Pitar]

I don't identify with a style. Categorizing music just to say I do puts the wrong side of the brain to work. Music is on the other side and that's where I am when embracing my muse. When wholly consumed playing something I'm likely to be the musical idiot savant with eyes open but unseeing, mind awake but unconscious of it, hands in concert with the ears and the world shut out at least 3 minutes per tune. I'm probably not alone in that behavior.