Pick one tone that shaped you forever.

[1neeto]

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.

I remember being blown away when I first heard The Trooper. Yet I was never a fan of that band as amazing as they are.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

I remember being blown away when I first heard The Trooper. Yet I was never a fan of that band as amazing as they are.

Something special about hearing Maiden for the first time. The Trooper is so intense. In today's music it doesn't sound very heavy but back then it was cutting edge.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Something special about hearing Maiden for the first time. The Trooper is so intense. In today's music it doesn't sound very heavy but back then it was cutting edge.

I didn’t understand it back then what made that riff sound so cool and later on I understood it’s the harmonized lead guitars what makes it special.

[Ray175]

Two songs demanded full attention from my ears uopn first hearing. For Xmas 1968 I received Cream's Wheels of Fire as a present from my folks. When Clapton took off in the middle solo of White Room I was hooked. Totally flat sound, treble boost and a partly cocked wah-wah at that point. Wow,
Second time was seeing Yes in october 1970 - I was in a balcony 10 foot above Steve Howe, and I just couldn't believe how he got such a massive diversity of sound from a couple of pedals ans his ES-175D. Looong sustained notes that you didn't typically associate with a rock sound.

[MC5C]

Santana on "Samba Pa Ti" is one of my foundational songs, I learned in when I was 18, but the electric guitar tone that persists in my ears is Roy Buchanan's "The Messiah will come again". I custom built a Tele just to get that tone.

[dnf777]

Bill Sims
That a beautiful lead on you4 tele! You really coaxed its voice out well
Is that natural overdrive, or do you have a pedal helping out?

[KevWind]

I agree with Steve DeRosa I could not pic one tone
In fact I think it is hard to divorce the tone from riff or the progression the timing the pauses between the notes etc.
And maybe even impossible to divorce the tone from the hands of the player

That said one of my first serious interest in studying tone and influences ( like Santana has stated also ) was what Gabor Szabo was doing with an acoustic and pickup. I literally played the grooves out of this live album in 1967

[Bill Sims]

Well... that ain't me playing...

But I agree, he nails it. And as I said, that is probably my favorite electric tone. I love that Tele bridge pickup voice.

[Mr. Jelly]

Mine is before your time it appears. Before pedals. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton using a Marshal Bluesbreaker amp and a Les Paul. He was never the same after he quit using a Les Paul. All Your Love is pure guitar and passion. The space makes it ooooz.

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

[stephenT]

Both ends o the spectrum. and anything that falls in between.

[blue]

Originally Posted by stephenT

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

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Mine is before your time it appears. Before pedals. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton using a Marshal Bluesbreaker amp and a Les Paul. He was never the same after he quit using a Les Paul. All Your Love is pure guitar and passion. The space makes it ooooz.

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

I wouldn't be so sure about the "before pedals" part. Although there appears to be no photographic confirmation, it seems that Clapton most likely used a Dallas Rangemaster treble boost in front of the Marshall. Although, for all practical purposes, it was used more as a part of the amp (actually sitting on top of it, and probably left on all the time) than how we think of pedals being used today.

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

I wouldn't be so sure about the "before pedals" part. Although there appears to be no photographic confirmation, it seems that Clapton most likely used a Dallas Rangemaster treble boost in front of the Marshall. Although, for all practical purposes, it was used more as a part of the amp (actually sitting on top of it, and probably left on all the time) than how we think of pedals being used today.

I used to have a bluesbreaker. It didn't need pedals. It was the best gig amp I ever owned. I'd set the volume on 10 and turn the guitar down to play cleanly and turn the volume up to get dirty. The amp sounded weaker when I used a tube screamer pedal. This is not to say you are wrong. I'm just relating my experience.

[6L6]

Cliff Gallup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm9Mp88Z52w

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

I wouldn't be so sure about the "before pedals" part. Although there appears to be no photographic confirmation, it seems that Clapton most likely used a Dallas Rangemaster treble boost in front of the Marshall. Although, for all practical purposes, it was used more as a part of the amp (actually sitting on top of it, and probably left on all the time) than how we think of pedals being used today.

as far as "Before pedals" you are probably correct (unless Mr Jelly is exceptionally well preserved ) According to this it would be before 1946 https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/c...-effect-pedal/


However as far as Clapton and his tone, it seems Mr Jelly is correct

https://theproaudiofiles.com/eric-clapton-guitar-tone/

Excerpt :
The distortion you hear on the “Beano” record and Clapton’s other 1960s recordings is from the amp being cranked. The humbuckers on the various Gibson guitars he used in the Bluesbreakers/Cream era pushed the amp harder than single coils could — pushing it into more overdrive. This particular overdrive from the Bluesbreaker combo is often mistakenly attributed to a Dallas Arbiter Rangemaster treble booster. Despite rumors on the internet about Clapton using a Rangemaster, he says that he never did. This is confirmed by the recording engineer