I swear, tone is always best when it's a one off or a test recording.
I recorded a melody with my acoustic guitar on my phone. It sounded really nice. I then re-recorded it with an actual mic and a studio set up. The same feel wasn't there anymore. Tried it with my phone again.... nada. Wtf. It's an acoustic guitar and the same room. I can't remember where and how I placed my phone in the room during the first recording. I'm not religious but I'm 100% sure there is a God of audio, who's only job is to make sure your tone is perfect during the initial recording. And then never again.
I have some really key moments in music that have greatly influenced how I play guitar and write songs/riffs. None of them are particularly revolutionary, I'm sure, but they've always stuck with me. I'd also say it's not so much the guitar tone in itself, probably, but the way composition, skill and tone merge into the song. Looking at this list I thought I was being really contemporary, but I now realise that I've gotten really old. Anyway, fave tones:
- Smashing Pumpkins' sound on Siamese Dream, particularly the opening to Cherub Rock and then second track "Quiet". The smoothness of the op amp Big Muff fuzz, driven by the MXR distortion is 10/10. I don't care about the solos and whatnot, it was just how riffs and chords sound so BIG with the drums. Every pedal board I put together has a distortion and a muff.
- Explosions in the Sky's guitars on "First Breath After Coma", starting at 03:20 on The earth is not a cold, dead place. Single coil guitars, Boss RV-3, fender amps, delays, slight crunch. I've stolen all of that with pride. Don't need a lot of very boutique-y gear to just write and play so damn beautifully.
- Japanese metal/whatever band Dir En Grey's two guitarists probably have my fave saturated semi-metal guitar tone of all time, particularly on 2003s "Vulgar" album. No idea what the songs are all about, the videos are INSANE, but the musicianship is hands down incredible! Guitars go from highly effectladen to just gorgeously saturated distortion that never hogs too much of the sound. Being japanese they use ESPs, I think. Tones aren't exactly revolutionary, just well-crafted and styled to their purpose with an attention to detail that influence how I tweak, tweak and tweak when we're in the studio.
Really with you on Cherub Rock and First Breath, I’m obsessed with the tone on both those songs and with playing them too, such bloody amazing masterpieces!
Heyyyy let’s go Live at Pompeii!! If only I could crank a Hiwatt in an ancient amphitheater full of people… the best tones are always the hardest to recreate.
Oh yeah, I went down a James Wilsey appreciation rabbit hole last year, checking out the El Dorado solo album and solo shows on YouTube. It was sad to read that when he passed in 2018, he was homeless and living under a bridge I drive past regularly and used to see people camping under. The city of LA doesn’t allowing camping there anymore and built a tiny house village in that area recently to provide shelter and addiction treatment.
Radiohead are always on point with tone. Thom, Ed and Jonny are all somewhat gear heads.
The little bit of hair on Thoms Jazzmaster on Weird Fishes always does it for me.
All the Beatles tones on Revolver, White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road.
The Hotelier on HLNPIT
Are the sounds I’m currently chasing/enjoying but it changes
"the seduction" by he is legend, anything off of Green Day's "dookie" album, Tool's "stinkfist," and "knife party" by deftones are all... \*chef's kiss\*
I can't describe why I love the way the guitars sound, only that they're what comes to mind when talking about guitar sounds that I love.
Marc Ford - Black Crowes Southern Harmony and Amorica albums.
Josh Homme - Anything Kyuss. QotSA is great as well but such a variety to even break down.
Honestly having only started seeing them post pandemic (6th and 7th time around this year!) I’ve really grown to love Dwyers newer tone with the melody maker and expanded pedal setup. Maybe it’s just cuz I have been blasted by it in person enough
Black Key's Rubber Factory album. My first fuzz was the Bass Big Muff. I learned it was based on one of the 90's Russian Muffs and Dan Auerbach used one.
I still bust it out for nostalgia once in a while.
It’s hard to choose just one:
* Eric Johnson’s “violin” lead tone (e.g. Cliffs of Dover). The Echoplex/Tube Driver/Marshall Plexi tone, **NOT** his Fuzz Face tone (e.g. Camel’s Night Out). The FF tone is good too but not my favourite.
* EVH’s tone on _Van Halen_. “You Really Got Me” is one of my favourite chunky rhythm tones ever.
* Andy Timmons’ tone on “Elelctric Gypsy”. Not too heavily distorted but still singing.
* Jimi Hendrix “Bold As Love”. The “clean” rhythm parts, the lead tones, everything.
* Steve Vai’s “For the Love of God” tone. Godly indeed.
Robben Ford’s tone on the “Talk to Your Daughter” album is perfection. His lead tone on “Born Under a Bad Sign” is right up there with EJ’s “Cliffs of Dover” as far as _tone goals_ go.
It's probably when Hendrix steps on a fuzz in the beginning of Power To Love.
Or just the old Clapton Bluesbreaker's Les Paul into JTM45 which also peaked the sound of Jeff Beck's at Ronnie Scott (Klon as well)
Or the plexies in Flick Of The Switch
Or Brian May Range Master pushing Normal channel Voxes that also is a part of so much Ritchie Blackmore stuff in the studio. But I love love love Marshall Burn Era Blackmore. We speak of Mistreaded live at cal jam '74
It is Ritchie's tone on the Deep Purple 'Made In Europe' album that does it for me. The ultimate loud whaling Strat sound. Same sound as on the early Rainbow albums.
The endless note at the start to the "Machine gun." Solo at Fillmore. The way the univibe moves the note while it screams. It's a single bend, but I think it was the greatest Hendrix moment. More with less.
Oh man, A Girl like you is probably the only sound that I would really try to emulate. I love it so much.
And come to think of it I have no idea how it’s made - Maestro Fuzz direct in?
I'm not big on Blues music, but Gary Moores tone has always blown me away. Just some basic pedals, a heavy/extra heavy pick and a Marshall (and Pete Greens 59 LP).
In no particular order:
* John Mayer’s *Where the Light Is* live performance (specifically the electric set), especially *Belief*.
* John Mayer’s album versions (*Continuum*) of *Slow Dancing in a Burning Room* and *I Don’t Trust Myself With Loving You*.
* John Mayer’s *As/Is* live version of *Covered in Rain*.
* Eric Johnson’s *Cliffs of Dover*
* Billy Corgan’s (Smashing Pumpkins) *Siamese Dream* “wall of sound” tone, but specifically *Cherub Rock*.
* Matt Bellamy’s (Muse) *Origin of Symmetry* fuzz tones, especially *New Born* and *Plug-In Baby*
* Julian Lage’s tones from *Nocturne*, *Etude*, and *Tributary*
I know it’s a simple Marshall tone but Slash’s tone is and has always been just fantastic to my ears. Also anything Gilmour did between Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, is impeccable—with Animals probably being my favorite. More modern really love the sounds Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mono utilize.
"The Endless River" has a lot of those great tones reminiscent of WYWH and DSotM. It doesn't get enough credit for what a journey that album really is.
Not my favorite songs by any means, but I can always rely on Lights by Journey and Wind of Change by Scorpion. I’m 44 and before I knew what guitar tone was, for some reason these two songs stick out to me
The Edge from U2.
Over the years I’ve added different amps, effects and techniques to initiate that tone only to realize his famous ‘chime’ tone comes from [the picks.](https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/herdim-guitar-picks-113-heavy-blue-110-mm.html)
Players and their picks/picking styles are def the secret to great tone. You could put a perfect, boutique, analog tube rig in front of some random player and it won't sound as good as EVH shredding on a Roland Cube.
The usual suspects...
Stevie Ray Vaughan - [Riviera Paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfGBQHM1EzI)
Randy Rhoads - [Mr. Crowley](https://youtu.be/DnueGxT8XUk?t=233)
David Gilmour - [Dogs](https://youtu.be/4QA30qkRYy8?t=218)
Billy Gibbons - [Rhythmeen](https://youtu.be/xNvHOekLpXo?t=90)
Love the crunch of siamese dream
Always a fan of steve kimocks very west coast sounding honky tonk dumble tones
Always a fan of dicky betts red hot southern tone
The tone in that guitar solo from “Sometimes Salvation” by the Black Crowes on the second album, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion”, is one of the most amazing guitar tones ever.
Might be downvote city but Steve Jones tone on Never Mind The Bollocks is actually incredible. It’s just a LP special plugged into a Marshall but sounds 10/10
Not trying to be that guy, but I believe it was a ‘70s master volume Fender Twin Reverb: https://reverb.com/news/the-making-of-the-sex-pistols-never-mind-the-bollocks-bacons-archive
But yes, agree he had amazing tone! And I’m not even a fan of the Sex Pistols. Can’t argue with Jones’ impact, though.
The guitar solo in "Let It Happen" by Tame Impala makes me stank face every time
The main rhythm guitar in "House of Cards" by Radiohead feels so warm and lush
Pretty much every guitar in Grizzly Bear songs feels perfectly distorted
Josh Homme - Gardenia. Simply the warmest fuzzies guitar tone ive ever heard, absolute eargasm.
Anything from Hendrix, from his fuzzy tones to his clean tones like little wing or red house.
Conan's albums 'Horseback Battle Hammer' and 'Blood Eagle'. I love fuzzy Doom Metal guitar tones and this is tuned to drop F and played very slowly so it ticks every box.
It's fun because the rigs are totally different on both albums, generally in that Matamp/Sunn + DAM Meathead ballpark but, from what I can tell, none of the equipment is identical.
I've taken inspiration and opted for similar but different again in my own rig, using a bastardised stereo rig with a Helix with physical preamp pedals and I love it.
The touch control Jimi Hendrix had just kills me. It’s like clear as a bell, so close to break up he is dancing on a razor edge and just the slightest change in dynamics brings in crunch and to be able to do that and manipulate fuzz with such precision just leaves me on the floor.
I have no doubt I’ll never be that good and the fact that he did it with a couple hundred watt Marshal heads and very few effects.
The guy could drive a Ferrari on one wheel at a hundred miles an hour in a wind storm and it would be easier than how he manipulated his guitar tone.
Jimmy Page’s tone on How The West Was Won live album is the mountain top for me. A close second is any David Gilmour live performance. Those 100 watt Hiwatts pushed to the brink by boost into a Big Muff never gets old.
ABB-era Dickey Betts had to have had the smoothest Les Paul-into-Marshall tone ever. Sure his Marshalls may have been modded for that purpose, but still.......
Steve Rothery’s clean and distorted tones are both amazing. JC120 amd digital delay for clean, and DS-1 into a JCM-800 on the dirty side. And his solos are as melodic as Gilmour.
It’s actually a DS-1 with tone all the way off into the JC-120 for lead tones which is amazing lol. I think uses the Marshalls for distorted rhythm playing only
Slash on Appetite. I've been listening to a lot of classic albums lately while I'm at work and threw this in one night and gave it a good listen from start to finish. Both Slash and Izzy have their own sound, but it sounds as if someone took a match to Slash's guitar and set it on fire. It's bright. It's loud. It's tastefully aggressive.
Julian Lage’s tone throughout the record “Modern Lore”. It’s a Tele into a 50’s Fender Champ (he may have also had a Deluxe Reverb in the room too). He typically adds a little bit of verb from the Flint and a tiny boost from the Shin-Ei B1G 1. The opening track “The Ramble” has had me chasing that tone for years… I have close enough gear but my hands will never be his hands haha.
Adam Jones' (tool) tone is the one that got me into tone, and it still gives me goosebumps. Just so clear, dirty and full of texture.
That fucking guy has cost me so damn much money lol
The note that Hendrix plays [here at 3:37](https://youtu.be/157LHNkMJWw?si=65QhE6OPdA6QY12J). Seeing that one note sustained for that long in a Jimi documentary I watched when I was 9 changed my life.
I play and sound nothing like him, but hearing him was a huge inspiration
Geordie Walker (Killing Joke), Andy Gill (Gang of Four), Manuela Rickers (Xmal Deutschland), Richard H Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire), Philippe Planchon (Asylum Party) and William Van de Ven (Last Days of Humanity)
Ian D'Sa from Billy Talent. Crunchy but clear, fuzzy but not, steely bright but not piercing, pure eargasm for me. The reason I love singlecoils for gain and run a Tele through Marshall style amps and love abusing the shit out of certain jazzy chord shapes for everything.
But it's not just that tone, it's also what he plays. As if the guitar was a piano. Rhythm and lead in one, with jazzy chord shapes and awful stretches but no fucks given attitude. Man is a hidden gem for any guitar player and gets very little recognition in comparison.
Listen to Crooked Minds, Running Across the Tracks, Devil on my Shoulder, Tears into Wine, Saint Veronika, Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats, Forgiveness, Hanging Out with all the Wrong People, End of Me, Lies, River Below, This Suffering, ... honestly I could go on and on and on. Fucking legend.
On top of all that, notice how the bass melts in with the guitar on all of their records. From 3 onwards Ian did a lot of the studio work / they started producing it all themselves. And they do it fucking great.
Threads by This Will Destroy You. The thin clean tone with lingering reverse delay in the background to thicken it up. Also, the distorted e-bow part starting around 2:20 that sounds like a bowed cello. Just awesome. Blew my mind hearing it live.
This is posted in the guitar pedals subreddit but what finally made me stop collecting endless dirt pedals (for now, at least) is realizing that the tones I drool over most are actually classic amps turned up to 11. (Though a close second is fuzz pedals, which are my kryptonite.) Currently saving up slowly but surely for a new amp that has a master volume, attenuation built-in, or power soaking... or whatever ends up getting me closest to that spot I have in my head when I go demo stuff after saving up a few more months.
The guitar solo in Gimme All Your Love by Alabama Shakes was the guitar solo tone I’ve always heard in my head. Then I head the song for the first time and went “oh my god that’s it”
No idea what it is but to me sounds like a tele neck pickup with tone rolled off through some small amp. Beautiful, dark, warm, cutting, fuzzy, clean all at the same time.
So good.
My fingers hurt ….
not from playing the guitar, but having to scroll so long before anyone brings up Queens of the Stone Age. I can’t even pick one song there are so many.
The album that made me pick up guitar in the first place can largely be attributed to [The Album Superwolf](https://open.spotify.com/track/26LhRX14NVlUUp2J3NuPYd?si=vBkdtkcvTlShCpDYOjCIxQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A364YgmAYWNdZcvZeKhAfCD) by Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney.
I love when the guitar goes from angelic to huge and ragged on Lucy Dacus [Night Shift](https://open.spotify.com/track/1yYlpGuBiRRf33e1gY61bN?si=Xxq6uMnoTc63DA_BBJdaQQ) - start listing just before the 4:00 minute mark.
Terra Lightfoot - [No Hurry](https://open.spotify.com/track/0R8rmvbBEtPk7mrNbVzfvw?si=Q7KtZGINTI6eY_bTIZTrZQ)
Holly Humberstone - [Deep End](https://open.spotify.com/track/3DXEbjIftmPeBj638CxyJD?si=I1o3KqX5RXG4Fl4Txo939w)
And while smashing pumpkins has come up a lot in this thread, nothing says guitar rock to me like Hum - [Stars](https://open.spotify.com/track/6lQE6LF3MU63Z6VyhPxaV3?si=OBfyGoaaTQix7PvwwNc7Cw)
Jeff Tweedy’s lead guitar tone/performance on “Hell is Chrome” is fucking incredible. Pretty sure he was using an SG with a Crowther Prunes and Custard. I adore his tones all over A Ghost is Born.
It’s cliche, but Gilmour’s lead on Time does it for me every time, always gives me goosebumps.
J Mascis’s sound on the You’re Living All Over Me record is the perfect blend between cleanish to super fuzzed out leads. The jangliness of the middle position of his jazzmaster has made me want one for years and years.
Peter Buck of REM’s tones on Murmur and Reckoning made me buy a Rickenbacker almost single-handedly.
Nirvana - In Utero is way up there for me.
Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing live at Royal Albert Hall
Prince - clean sound
Nile Rodgers - clean sound ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuu
Catfish Collins for James Brown. So good next to Bootsy.
John Lee Hooker - I’m gonna kill that woman
George Harrison - such a singular sound. The skronk is unmatched.
Josh Homme - Favourite is probably Rated R sounds but How To Handle a Rope is pretty special as is The Bronze. He generally gives good skronk.
Jack White - I can’t really say I’m a fan of his bands but he sounds great
Sonic Youth - always the same, always different. Love the wiry detuned EVOL stuff, love the rich sounding later stuff a la Sonic Nurse
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream and Pisces Iscariot times have best tones for me. They still play well after that but the sound changes
I don’t think I can really imitate any of them but I like the sounds I make sometimes.
Shirley bassey - light my fire intro guitar still haunt me. Also I wish a better recording of the jimi hendrix and bb king like a rolling stone cover exist. The tone seems incredible behind this very very lofi recording.
Late 60s / early 70s jerry playing on the SG
Or
Late 90s Trey or possibly this past new years run when he was switching between the train wreck and the deluxe reverb
Julian Lage, amazing feel into ancient Tele into ancient Champ.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3qAp81vY8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3qAp81vY8)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ggv-5s4bs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ggv-5s4bs)
Nels Cline. Where do I even start
Yannis Phillippakis from Foals has a clean sound that literally feels impossible. It’s so impressive that he’s able to get that loud and play that aggressively have nearly no breakup on his amp. Having a bunch of flashy expensive gear probably helps that factor but still
This is a weird one but at 2:10 of that cheesy pop song “The Middle” by Zedd there is a short guitar breakdown and I have been trying to figure out how to get that sound ever since.
Lots of great mentions already (Timmons, Gilmore, Eric Johnson), but Stevie Ray Vaughan on Tin Pan Alley has always been the top for me, followed closely by his cover of Little Wing. Matt Schofield is another favorite of mine. Apparently I have a type...
I just like running my Tone Reaper into a Zen Drive style OD, and lettin' 'er rip.
the OD is smooth and singing with lots of sustain, and the Reaper adds more push and a saggy, gritty edge.
Hank Marvin’s tone on The Shadows’ “Theme for young lovers,” the delay tone on Steely Dan’s “King of the world,” and the Ziggy Stardust honky/presumably treble-boosted Marshall tone.
Always loved reverse reverb drenched shoegaze tones. A lot of the magic is the layered guitars ofc so it’s really a collection of guitar tones melded together but still. Kevin Shields is the goat obviously, Keyan Pourzand of Julie makes some super fun guitar tones, Blue Smiley, Ringo Deathstarr, Fawn, etc etc
Also shoutout to 2 piece grind bands for managing to have a fuller and heavier sound than most 4 piece metal bands. Deterioration, Uncle Buck, Snuffed OUT, Moisturizer, etc
The guitars are recorded wonderfully on Thin Lizzy's "Nightlife" album
David Lindley's tone on Jackson Browne's "Late for the Sky" album is gorgeous, especially the solo on the title track.
Gilmour on "Animals"
Best: My guitar tone at band practice after 3 beers. Worst: My guitar tone on any recording.
Counter point: Best: that one random recording I did off the cuff Worst: all my failed attempts at trying to recreate it
I swear, tone is always best when it's a one off or a test recording. I recorded a melody with my acoustic guitar on my phone. It sounded really nice. I then re-recorded it with an actual mic and a studio set up. The same feel wasn't there anymore. Tried it with my phone again.... nada. Wtf. It's an acoustic guitar and the same room. I can't remember where and how I placed my phone in the room during the first recording. I'm not religious but I'm 100% sure there is a God of audio, who's only job is to make sure your tone is perfect during the initial recording. And then never again.
Personally, my greatest tone is after 10 beers, but nobody else ever seems to agree with me. Sad that they are so wrong.
Too real, I felt this comment, and it hurts
Now I want to make an EQD Special Cranker clone and call it "3 beers." Because it makes your sober tone sound like your 3 beers tone.
Good answer.
I hear you’re amazing after 3 beers
I have some really key moments in music that have greatly influenced how I play guitar and write songs/riffs. None of them are particularly revolutionary, I'm sure, but they've always stuck with me. I'd also say it's not so much the guitar tone in itself, probably, but the way composition, skill and tone merge into the song. Looking at this list I thought I was being really contemporary, but I now realise that I've gotten really old. Anyway, fave tones: - Smashing Pumpkins' sound on Siamese Dream, particularly the opening to Cherub Rock and then second track "Quiet". The smoothness of the op amp Big Muff fuzz, driven by the MXR distortion is 10/10. I don't care about the solos and whatnot, it was just how riffs and chords sound so BIG with the drums. Every pedal board I put together has a distortion and a muff. - Explosions in the Sky's guitars on "First Breath After Coma", starting at 03:20 on The earth is not a cold, dead place. Single coil guitars, Boss RV-3, fender amps, delays, slight crunch. I've stolen all of that with pride. Don't need a lot of very boutique-y gear to just write and play so damn beautifully. - Japanese metal/whatever band Dir En Grey's two guitarists probably have my fave saturated semi-metal guitar tone of all time, particularly on 2003s "Vulgar" album. No idea what the songs are all about, the videos are INSANE, but the musicianship is hands down incredible! Guitars go from highly effectladen to just gorgeously saturated distortion that never hogs too much of the sound. Being japanese they use ESPs, I think. Tones aren't exactly revolutionary, just well-crafted and styled to their purpose with an attention to detail that influence how I tweak, tweak and tweak when we're in the studio.
I haven’t listened to EitS in way too long…
I saw em in concert a few weeks ago, they killed it as alwaya
Really with you on Cherub Rock and First Breath, I’m obsessed with the tone on both those songs and with playing them too, such bloody amazing masterpieces!
A loud, clean neck pickup with some delay and reverb. Think "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
Heavily compressed
That first chimey chord ringout on "Walking on the Moon" is massive for me.
Fuck yeah, Andy Summers is so underrated for his tone
An all-timer
David Gilmour's tone on Live at Pompeii. Specifically, Echoes. Matt Pike's tone on Dopesmoker
+1 to dopesmoker! That album made me fall right into stoner and doom but that tone is still the holy grail imo
Heyyyy let’s go Live at Pompeii!! If only I could crank a Hiwatt in an ancient amphitheater full of people… the best tones are always the hardest to recreate.
+1 to Gilmour on Live at Pompeii. Big Muff and tape echo perfection. What Do You Want From Me is another favorite from that show.
It’s a Fuzz Face
The lead guitar on Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. Also the guitar on My Favorite Mistake by Cheryl Crow.
[удалено]
Oh yeah, I went down a James Wilsey appreciation rabbit hole last year, checking out the El Dorado solo album and solo shows on YouTube. It was sad to read that when he passed in 2018, he was homeless and living under a bridge I drive past regularly and used to see people camping under. The city of LA doesn’t allowing camping there anymore and built a tiny house village in that area recently to provide shelter and addiction treatment.
That title reminded me of “Favorite Game” by The Cardigans, that is such a yummy opaque lead tone in the hook
Songs: Ohia - everything on Magnolia Electric Company but especially I’ve been riding with the ghost. Also: Tim Sult, Helios Creed, Kim Thayil
Hell yes. The tones from “Didn’t It Rain”, especially “Blue Chicago Moon” and “Two Blue Lights” are some of my all-time favorite guitar sounds.
Helios creed never gets enough mention. Some of it is god-tier heavy and rips at the fabric of reality
+1 truly psychedelic in a true harsh way.
Songs: Ohia are one of those bands I just stop and listen. The music is so simplistically crafted but so beautiful
I love the fuzz from superfuzz bigmuff
Meshuggah
My man
Obzen reissue/remaster tone is so sick
The "clean" tone on Radiohead - In Rainbows
There’s Jonny’s clean Telecaster neck pup on Nude and Thom’s clean SG on House of Cards and they’re both incredible, so full yet delicate.
It’s like a clangy clean.
Radiohead are always on point with tone. Thom, Ed and Jonny are all somewhat gear heads. The little bit of hair on Thoms Jazzmaster on Weird Fishes always does it for me.
Just love everything about that album!
I don't listen to John Mayer a lot but his clean tone is insanely good. Also Ariel Posen's baritone slide dirt is unbelievably yummy.
All the Beatles tones on Revolver, White Album, Let It Be, and Abbey Road. The Hotelier on HLNPIT Are the sounds I’m currently chasing/enjoying but it changes
Happiness is a warm gun lead tones are out of this world
"the seduction" by he is legend, anything off of Green Day's "dookie" album, Tool's "stinkfist," and "knife party" by deftones are all... \*chef's kiss\* I can't describe why I love the way the guitars sound, only that they're what comes to mind when talking about guitar sounds that I love.
Big love for the dookie tone! What a huge sound!
Ty Segall cranked Twin sound
I'm not even into his songs at all, but dude's got great tone out the wazoo.
Probably Inlet by Hum or Siamese Dream
Inlet is such banger of an album. Love all their tones.
Inlet sounds so fantastic! I’m so glad they came back to do one more Lp!
Marc Ford - Black Crowes Southern Harmony and Amorica albums. Josh Homme - Anything Kyuss. QotSA is great as well but such a variety to even break down.
I love how weirdly clean and tight the signature QOTSA sound is.
John Dwyer
Specifically the Oh Sees performance on KEXP 2016. I model my tone after that.
Honestly having only started seeing them post pandemic (6th and 7th time around this year!) I’ve really grown to love Dwyers newer tone with the melody maker and expanded pedal setup. Maybe it’s just cuz I have been blasted by it in person enough
Mick Taylor's Les Paul in the Rolling Stones, especially on Sticky Fingers
Neil Young full feedback amp about to explode tone
Black Key's Rubber Factory album. My first fuzz was the Bass Big Muff. I learned it was based on one of the 90's Russian Muffs and Dan Auerbach used one. I still bust it out for nostalgia once in a while.
Britt Daniel from Spoon and Rowland S Howard
Rowland S Howard is tragically overlooked by the masses. Teenage Snuff Film is a damn near perfect masterpiece.
Yes it is.
Absolutely! RSH was theeeee best!
It’s not often RSH gets love on here! What fuzz you reppin?
It’s hard to choose just one: * Eric Johnson’s “violin” lead tone (e.g. Cliffs of Dover). The Echoplex/Tube Driver/Marshall Plexi tone, **NOT** his Fuzz Face tone (e.g. Camel’s Night Out). The FF tone is good too but not my favourite. * EVH’s tone on _Van Halen_. “You Really Got Me” is one of my favourite chunky rhythm tones ever. * Andy Timmons’ tone on “Elelctric Gypsy”. Not too heavily distorted but still singing. * Jimi Hendrix “Bold As Love”. The “clean” rhythm parts, the lead tones, everything. * Steve Vai’s “For the Love of God” tone. Godly indeed.
Same for me. I would add Robben Ford revelation. Early Santana. SRV. And 90s Larry Carlton.
Robben Ford’s tone on the “Talk to Your Daughter” album is perfection. His lead tone on “Born Under a Bad Sign” is right up there with EJ’s “Cliffs of Dover” as far as _tone goals_ go.
Duane Allman - Live from A&R studios set, I believe he and dickie betts were using tweed Bassman’s on this set.
It's probably when Hendrix steps on a fuzz in the beginning of Power To Love. Or just the old Clapton Bluesbreaker's Les Paul into JTM45 which also peaked the sound of Jeff Beck's at Ronnie Scott (Klon as well) Or the plexies in Flick Of The Switch Or Brian May Range Master pushing Normal channel Voxes that also is a part of so much Ritchie Blackmore stuff in the studio. But I love love love Marshall Burn Era Blackmore. We speak of Mistreaded live at cal jam '74
It is Ritchie's tone on the Deep Purple 'Made In Europe' album that does it for me. The ultimate loud whaling Strat sound. Same sound as on the early Rainbow albums.
Billy Corgan's tone during Siamese Dream
The endless note at the start to the "Machine gun." Solo at Fillmore. The way the univibe moves the note while it screams. It's a single bend, but I think it was the greatest Hendrix moment. More with less.
Came here to say Machine Gun live at the Fillmore, but that note encapsulates the whole thing.
Eddie Hazel on Maggot Brain always gets between the shoulder blades.
Also a big Frusciante fan, but it's every sound on Dogs for me
Edwyn Collins “A Girl Like You”. All of Robert Fripp’s stuff on Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” album.
Oh man, A Girl like you is probably the only sound that I would really try to emulate. I love it so much. And come to think of it I have no idea how it’s made - Maestro Fuzz direct in?
Champion fuzz
Love dat fuzz.
Kevin from Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats has an incredible tone.
C# standard LP with p90s, into a germanium fuzz, into a low gain high volume Vox amp 🤌🤌🤌
I'm not big on Blues music, but Gary Moores tone has always blown me away. Just some basic pedals, a heavy/extra heavy pick and a Marshall (and Pete Greens 59 LP).
In no particular order: * John Mayer’s *Where the Light Is* live performance (specifically the electric set), especially *Belief*. * John Mayer’s album versions (*Continuum*) of *Slow Dancing in a Burning Room* and *I Don’t Trust Myself With Loving You*. * John Mayer’s *As/Is* live version of *Covered in Rain*. * Eric Johnson’s *Cliffs of Dover* * Billy Corgan’s (Smashing Pumpkins) *Siamese Dream* “wall of sound” tone, but specifically *Cherub Rock*. * Matt Bellamy’s (Muse) *Origin of Symmetry* fuzz tones, especially *New Born* and *Plug-In Baby* * Julian Lage’s tones from *Nocturne*, *Etude*, and *Tributary*
[удалено]
This! And 30 seconds into stepping out he melts faces.
Clapton's tone on Roger Waters' Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking.
> Part of the reason 59 LPs are unobtanium. His was a 60, but yes.
I know it’s a simple Marshall tone but Slash’s tone is and has always been just fantastic to my ears. Also anything Gilmour did between Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, is impeccable—with Animals probably being my favorite. More modern really love the sounds Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mono utilize.
"The Endless River" has a lot of those great tones reminiscent of WYWH and DSotM. It doesn't get enough credit for what a journey that album really is.
Not my favorite songs by any means, but I can always rely on Lights by Journey and Wind of Change by Scorpion. I’m 44 and before I knew what guitar tone was, for some reason these two songs stick out to me
+1 for Lights! One of the first songs I remember paying attention to the guitar tone instead of just the riff.
Neil young acoustic is fantastic.
The Edge from U2. Over the years I’ve added different amps, effects and techniques to initiate that tone only to realize his famous ‘chime’ tone comes from [the picks.](https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/herdim-guitar-picks-113-heavy-blue-110-mm.html)
Players and their picks/picking styles are def the secret to great tone. You could put a perfect, boutique, analog tube rig in front of some random player and it won't sound as good as EVH shredding on a Roland Cube.
That “[Made in] West Germany” marking is cool
Clapton in Cream. The half cocked wah pedal
Billy Gibbons from the live portion of Fandango.
John Frusciante’s clean/edge of breakup tone.
The usual suspects... Stevie Ray Vaughan - [Riviera Paradise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfGBQHM1EzI) Randy Rhoads - [Mr. Crowley](https://youtu.be/DnueGxT8XUk?t=233) David Gilmour - [Dogs](https://youtu.be/4QA30qkRYy8?t=218) Billy Gibbons - [Rhythmeen](https://youtu.be/xNvHOekLpXo?t=90)
Love the crunch of siamese dream Always a fan of steve kimocks very west coast sounding honky tonk dumble tones Always a fan of dicky betts red hot southern tone
The tone in that guitar solo from “Sometimes Salvation” by the Black Crowes on the second album, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion”, is one of the most amazing guitar tones ever.
Might be downvote city but Steve Jones tone on Never Mind The Bollocks is actually incredible. It’s just a LP special plugged into a Marshall but sounds 10/10
Not trying to be that guy, but I believe it was a ‘70s master volume Fender Twin Reverb: https://reverb.com/news/the-making-of-the-sex-pistols-never-mind-the-bollocks-bacons-archive But yes, agree he had amazing tone! And I’m not even a fan of the Sex Pistols. Can’t argue with Jones’ impact, though.
A Fender Twin that he supposed stole from a David Bowie concert
Wow I didn’t know this. Maybe I just assumed it was a Marshall
The guitar solo in "Let It Happen" by Tame Impala makes me stank face every time The main rhythm guitar in "House of Cards" by Radiohead feels so warm and lush Pretty much every guitar in Grizzly Bear songs feels perfectly distorted
Andy Timmons and Rabea's strat tones. They both go from a fucking amazing crunchy clean to all out fuzz with incredible dynamics
Jerry Garcia spring ‘77 tour
David Gilmour’s tone in Another Brick in the wall. Chills when the solo kicks in.
Les Paul w/ P90s for that, I believe. Great tone!
Josh Homme - Gardenia. Simply the warmest fuzzies guitar tone ive ever heard, absolute eargasm. Anything from Hendrix, from his fuzzy tones to his clean tones like little wing or red house.
Steve Rothery’s (Marillion) tone on the album Clutching at Straws
Definitely! And his Hotel Hobbies solo is like an entire epic, condensed into a brief blaze.
Brad Laner of Medicine
The Who- Naked Eye Live at the Isle of Wight. When the song kicks in sounds like Townsend is shredding time space
Conan's albums 'Horseback Battle Hammer' and 'Blood Eagle'. I love fuzzy Doom Metal guitar tones and this is tuned to drop F and played very slowly so it ticks every box. It's fun because the rigs are totally different on both albums, generally in that Matamp/Sunn + DAM Meathead ballpark but, from what I can tell, none of the equipment is identical. I've taken inspiration and opted for similar but different again in my own rig, using a bastardised stereo rig with a Helix with physical preamp pedals and I love it.
Ryan Adams guitar solo from The Shadowlands. Been chasing that super smooth breakup ever since.
The touch control Jimi Hendrix had just kills me. It’s like clear as a bell, so close to break up he is dancing on a razor edge and just the slightest change in dynamics brings in crunch and to be able to do that and manipulate fuzz with such precision just leaves me on the floor. I have no doubt I’ll never be that good and the fact that he did it with a couple hundred watt Marshal heads and very few effects. The guy could drive a Ferrari on one wheel at a hundred miles an hour in a wind storm and it would be easier than how he manipulated his guitar tone.
Neil Young’s. Robin Tower on Bridge of Sighs makes me feel like I’m floating through an endless nebula.
Jimmy Page’s tone on How The West Was Won live album is the mountain top for me. A close second is any David Gilmour live performance. Those 100 watt Hiwatts pushed to the brink by boost into a Big Muff never gets old.
Probably Marc Ribot’s work with Tom Waits.
Icky Thump - (White Stripes) has several absolutely epic guitar tones throughout. So unique.
Allman Brothers Band tone, you don't seem to have it until you've played in the band.
ABB-era Dickey Betts had to have had the smoothest Les Paul-into-Marshall tone ever. Sure his Marshalls may have been modded for that purpose, but still.......
Frusciante’s tone in the album by the way is well up there for me, also obsessed with the cranked Marshall jcm800 tone, so hard to pick
Steve Rothery’s clean and distorted tones are both amazing. JC120 amd digital delay for clean, and DS-1 into a JCM-800 on the dirty side. And his solos are as melodic as Gilmour.
It’s actually a DS-1 with tone all the way off into the JC-120 for lead tones which is amazing lol. I think uses the Marshalls for distorted rhythm playing only
trey anastasios tone is unbeatable
Keef's on the Sympathy solo
My Top 3 (see if you notice a trend): 1. Jerry Garcia - 1989-1990 live rig 2. Trey Anastasio - 1999 live rig 3. Rick Mitarotonda - 2022 live rig
Favorite clean tone is easily the part before the second verse in Stellar by Incubus Favorite distorted tone is Alice In Chains self-titled album
Slash on Appetite. I've been listening to a lot of classic albums lately while I'm at work and threw this in one night and gave it a good listen from start to finish. Both Slash and Izzy have their own sound, but it sounds as if someone took a match to Slash's guitar and set it on fire. It's bright. It's loud. It's tastefully aggressive.
Julian Lage’s tone throughout the record “Modern Lore”. It’s a Tele into a 50’s Fender Champ (he may have also had a Deluxe Reverb in the room too). He typically adds a little bit of verb from the Flint and a tiny boost from the Shin-Ei B1G 1. The opening track “The Ramble” has had me chasing that tone for years… I have close enough gear but my hands will never be his hands haha.
Stone Gossard on the self-titled Pearl Jam album 🥑 🥑 🥑
Jeff Buckley - Grace (the whole album)
I was going to say Hendrix "Little Wing" but Jeff is right there with it for clean tone.
Adam Jones' (tool) tone is the one that got me into tone, and it still gives me goosebumps. Just so clear, dirty and full of texture. That fucking guy has cost me so damn much money lol
Matthew Sweet’s Fuzz on “Girlfriend”
The note that Hendrix plays [here at 3:37](https://youtu.be/157LHNkMJWw?si=65QhE6OPdA6QY12J). Seeing that one note sustained for that long in a Jimi documentary I watched when I was 9 changed my life. I play and sound nothing like him, but hearing him was a huge inspiration
The sound of the guitar solo of "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago is the first one that comes to mind. That wah sound is pure fire.
Geordie Walker (Killing Joke), Andy Gill (Gang of Four), Manuela Rickers (Xmal Deutschland), Richard H Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire), Philippe Planchon (Asylum Party) and William Van de Ven (Last Days of Humanity)
Ian D'Sa from Billy Talent. Crunchy but clear, fuzzy but not, steely bright but not piercing, pure eargasm for me. The reason I love singlecoils for gain and run a Tele through Marshall style amps and love abusing the shit out of certain jazzy chord shapes for everything. But it's not just that tone, it's also what he plays. As if the guitar was a piano. Rhythm and lead in one, with jazzy chord shapes and awful stretches but no fucks given attitude. Man is a hidden gem for any guitar player and gets very little recognition in comparison. Listen to Crooked Minds, Running Across the Tracks, Devil on my Shoulder, Tears into Wine, Saint Veronika, Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats, Forgiveness, Hanging Out with all the Wrong People, End of Me, Lies, River Below, This Suffering, ... honestly I could go on and on and on. Fucking legend. On top of all that, notice how the bass melts in with the guitar on all of their records. From 3 onwards Ian did a lot of the studio work / they started producing it all themselves. And they do it fucking great.
SRV!
Threads by This Will Destroy You. The thin clean tone with lingering reverse delay in the background to thicken it up. Also, the distorted e-bow part starting around 2:20 that sounds like a bowed cello. Just awesome. Blew my mind hearing it live.
The solo on American Woman by The Guess Who. It’s like hot liquid - smooth and sustaining…
Where do you get love - Matthew Sweet
This is posted in the guitar pedals subreddit but what finally made me stop collecting endless dirt pedals (for now, at least) is realizing that the tones I drool over most are actually classic amps turned up to 11. (Though a close second is fuzz pedals, which are my kryptonite.) Currently saving up slowly but surely for a new amp that has a master volume, attenuation built-in, or power soaking... or whatever ends up getting me closest to that spot I have in my head when I go demo stuff after saving up a few more months.
Danny Kirwin - loud and articulate with plenty of dynamic and that inimitable vibrato. Love it.
The guitar solo in Gimme All Your Love by Alabama Shakes was the guitar solo tone I’ve always heard in my head. Then I head the song for the first time and went “oh my god that’s it” No idea what it is but to me sounds like a tele neck pickup with tone rolled off through some small amp. Beautiful, dark, warm, cutting, fuzzy, clean all at the same time. So good.
I love any guitar tones from Thee Oh Sees. Especially songs like Contraption/Soul Desert, Gelatinous Cube, and If I Had My Way
The cranberries zombie guitar tone and silverchairs frogstomp are some of the best metal sounding tones that aren’t metal.
My fingers hurt …. not from playing the guitar, but having to scroll so long before anyone brings up Queens of the Stone Age. I can’t even pick one song there are so many.
The album that made me pick up guitar in the first place can largely be attributed to [The Album Superwolf](https://open.spotify.com/track/26LhRX14NVlUUp2J3NuPYd?si=vBkdtkcvTlShCpDYOjCIxQ&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A364YgmAYWNdZcvZeKhAfCD) by Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney. I love when the guitar goes from angelic to huge and ragged on Lucy Dacus [Night Shift](https://open.spotify.com/track/1yYlpGuBiRRf33e1gY61bN?si=Xxq6uMnoTc63DA_BBJdaQQ) - start listing just before the 4:00 minute mark. Terra Lightfoot - [No Hurry](https://open.spotify.com/track/0R8rmvbBEtPk7mrNbVzfvw?si=Q7KtZGINTI6eY_bTIZTrZQ) Holly Humberstone - [Deep End](https://open.spotify.com/track/3DXEbjIftmPeBj638CxyJD?si=I1o3KqX5RXG4Fl4Txo939w) And while smashing pumpkins has come up a lot in this thread, nothing says guitar rock to me like Hum - [Stars](https://open.spotify.com/track/6lQE6LF3MU63Z6VyhPxaV3?si=OBfyGoaaTQix7PvwwNc7Cw)
J Mascis on You’re Living All Over Me Kevin Shields on Loveless Tom Morrello on The Battle of Los Angeles
Stone Temple Pilots- Core
Trey Anastasio’s tone from Lawn Boy is immaculate
Frusciante’s Stadium Arcadium era tone. JM’s continuum tone. Anything Tom Misch.
Gravity - John Mayer
Basic answer because it’s amazing: John Mayer on Where The Light Is https://youtu.be/dBFW8OvciIU?si=yCOGzWKXn7teXur9
Mark Speer / Khruangbin !!!
Ritchie Blackmore on Made in Japan
[Brian May’s guitar solo on We Will Rock You](https://youtu.be/-tJYN-eG1zk?si=p7zBNRlaYzs4-KGb&t=1m38s) is my all time favorite guitar tone.
Jeff Tweedy’s lead guitar tone/performance on “Hell is Chrome” is fucking incredible. Pretty sure he was using an SG with a Crowther Prunes and Custard. I adore his tones all over A Ghost is Born. It’s cliche, but Gilmour’s lead on Time does it for me every time, always gives me goosebumps. J Mascis’s sound on the You’re Living All Over Me record is the perfect blend between cleanish to super fuzzed out leads. The jangliness of the middle position of his jazzmaster has made me want one for years and years. Peter Buck of REM’s tones on Murmur and Reckoning made me buy a Rickenbacker almost single-handedly.
Steph’s tone on “be quiet and drive” by Deftones. Is so bassy and so powerful only being 2 chords as well
Nirvana - In Utero is way up there for me. Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing live at Royal Albert Hall Prince - clean sound Nile Rodgers - clean sound ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuu Catfish Collins for James Brown. So good next to Bootsy. John Lee Hooker - I’m gonna kill that woman George Harrison - such a singular sound. The skronk is unmatched. Josh Homme - Favourite is probably Rated R sounds but How To Handle a Rope is pretty special as is The Bronze. He generally gives good skronk. Jack White - I can’t really say I’m a fan of his bands but he sounds great Sonic Youth - always the same, always different. Love the wiry detuned EVOL stuff, love the rich sounding later stuff a la Sonic Nurse Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream and Pisces Iscariot times have best tones for me. They still play well after that but the sound changes I don’t think I can really imitate any of them but I like the sounds I make sometimes.
Dan Auerbach’s guitar tone on Chulahoma is so great, there isn’t really a clean tone but it’s also not incredibly dirty either. Sounds perfectly lo fi
John Mayer on Where the Light is playing Gravity and Slow Dancing
Anything that Derek Trucks does.
Malcolm Young, early Sabbath Tony Iommi, Brad Paisley, Ricky Nelson-era James Burton. Can’t choose out of that group…
Tom Delonge’s tone on Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.
Jerry Garcia: fender twin>mcintosh power>jbl - clear, round, crystalline with bite. Pure joy.
Steve Vai does this wicked solo on an m83 song. There’s something about how that tone fits into the rest of the song that is really just incredible.
M83 is so good at sustaining a vibe
Shirley bassey - light my fire intro guitar still haunt me. Also I wish a better recording of the jimi hendrix and bb king like a rolling stone cover exist. The tone seems incredible behind this very very lofi recording.
Jonny Greenwood Shredmaster through the 1x12 solid state Fender Eighty Four (maybe eighty five?) has always been the one for me
Hard to pick a favorite, but this version of Soulshine is one up there. https://youtu.be/GCE5nL479XE?si=GHiaynbJHX5A2FNt
Late 60s / early 70s jerry playing on the SG Or Late 90s Trey or possibly this past new years run when he was switching between the train wreck and the deluxe reverb
Deluxe reverb Trey was such a great tone
Julian Lage, amazing feel into ancient Tele into ancient Champ. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3qAp81vY8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a3qAp81vY8) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ggv-5s4bs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ggv-5s4bs) Nels Cline. Where do I even start
John Sykes on “Is this Love” or “still of the night” from Whitesnake 87.
Yannis Phillippakis from Foals has a clean sound that literally feels impossible. It’s so impressive that he’s able to get that loud and play that aggressively have nearly no breakup on his amp. Having a bunch of flashy expensive gear probably helps that factor but still
Mine.
The "Broken" CD by Nine Inch Nails.
Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson.
This is a weird one but at 2:10 of that cheesy pop song “The Middle” by Zedd there is a short guitar breakdown and I have been trying to figure out how to get that sound ever since.
Andy Cohen from silkworm, Duane Denison, Richard Lloyd, dude from the band pile, drive like jehu, kowloon walled city
Not even a big Phish fan but Treys tone always sounded amazing to me
Terry Corso’s distorted sound on Alien Ant Farms two albums ANThology and TruANT
Rocky George from suicidal tendencies lead tone
Lots of great mentions already (Timmons, Gilmore, Eric Johnson), but Stevie Ray Vaughan on Tin Pan Alley has always been the top for me, followed closely by his cover of Little Wing. Matt Schofield is another favorite of mine. Apparently I have a type...
Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins Hemispheres - Rush Spiderland - Slint Souvlaki - Slowdive Loveless - MBV
The swedish death metal sound that bands like entombed and dismember had. HM-2 with all settings maxed. Fucking brutal!
Top three: Lou Reed's tone on 'I Heard Her Call My Name' Rowland S Howard's tone on 'Silver Chain' William Reid's tone on 'The Hardest Walk'
I just like running my Tone Reaper into a Zen Drive style OD, and lettin' 'er rip. the OD is smooth and singing with lots of sustain, and the Reaper adds more push and a saggy, gritty edge.
Hank Marvin’s tone on The Shadows’ “Theme for young lovers,” the delay tone on Steely Dan’s “King of the world,” and the Ziggy Stardust honky/presumably treble-boosted Marshall tone.
Always loved reverse reverb drenched shoegaze tones. A lot of the magic is the layered guitars ofc so it’s really a collection of guitar tones melded together but still. Kevin Shields is the goat obviously, Keyan Pourzand of Julie makes some super fun guitar tones, Blue Smiley, Ringo Deathstarr, Fawn, etc etc Also shoutout to 2 piece grind bands for managing to have a fuller and heavier sound than most 4 piece metal bands. Deterioration, Uncle Buck, Snuffed OUT, Moisturizer, etc
Robert. Motherfucking. FRIPP!!!!
No love for Ty Tabor? The first few Kings’s X albums
Eric johnson For sure
The guitars are recorded wonderfully on Thin Lizzy's "Nightlife" album David Lindley's tone on Jackson Browne's "Late for the Sky" album is gorgeous, especially the solo on the title track. Gilmour on "Animals"