AGH! Feeling really discouraged (rant warning)

[Fang]

Whenever I've played my guitars, I've never been quite satisfied with the tone. I'm playing through a Marshall AVT20, and had a GAX70 before I upgraded to an RGT42DX. There was always this kind of dead, harsh sounding "twang" that I didn't like about the sound in the first guitar, and although the RGT had less of the twang, it was definitely still there. I thought it was the pickups (switched the INF1/2 to a FRED and Evo2), but the twang was STILL there. I tried playing with EQ, using a crappy GSP-21 processor, and playing with the volume/tone knobs but none of that took it away. So I figured maybe I just had a crappy amp and would have to deal with it.

Then yesterday, when I take my guitar in to get the truss rod adjusted, I tried out a Jackson on the same amp there, and it sounded SO MUCH BETTER. The tone was a lot smooooooother/airy, just what I wanted. And then I realized that I actually tended to like my friends crappy old Fernandes strat in terms of sound sometimes better than my own guitars.

Conclusively, I feel down because both guitars were made of alder, and I realized that I most likely haven't been looking into the right kinds of woods for the tone I want. A GAX70 is made of agathis, an RGT42 is a maple NECK THRU. And I think I've wasted time and money upgrading the pickups and keeping the guitar maintained all the time.

[Rekuss]

Hmmm, I kinda know what you mean. I kinda get that with my RG. I don't pick to hard but the notes were a bit, erm 'hard' and then I realised if I picked softer, I could play faster and everything sounded a lot more smoother. You many wanna try that, see if that helps.

[GilkyBear]

Don't be mad, be happy that you are finally nailing down what you are looking for in tone. It takes some people a lifetime, some never find it and just "settle". You are actually getting somewhere!

[Jaden]

ive been looking for 20 years for "the tone" and I still aint found it, im close though !

[Fang]

I just can't figure out how to SMOOOOOTH out the tone, it's not neccessarily finding the PERFECT tone right now, I just want something smoother and fuller.

Can't tell if it's the amp or wood or pickups or something else?

[JJEMMER777]

Originally Posted by whatisshredding

ive been looking for 20 years for "the tone" and I still aint found it

Simple solution - buy a Jem (worked for me)

Fang - you are not alone trust me. EVERYONE who's ever been half serious about playing guitar has come across this problem. Just keep experimenting with different rig setups / guitars until you find what you like!

*greatness never came easy*

[dragsternj]

I gut myself one of these modded Tube Screamers a ts808 and that thing makes everything sounding smooth and warm. Its crazy. That thing and the BBE stomp and i am set.

[David McCarroll]

Have you tried turning down the treble on your amp and whatever overdrive pedals you use? Even the Boss DS-1 sounds pretty cool if you turn the tone down to zero - all Marshalls and Engls sound horribly harsh to me simply because (at least for me) you can't dial out enough top end from the basic tone of the amp.

If that does't start to provide you with an answr, I guess you are due to take a visit to Mahogany Land......

[GilkyBear]

Originally Posted by dragsternj

I gut myself one of these modded Tube Screamers a ts808 and that thing makes everything sounding smooth and warm. Its crazy. That thing and the BBE stomp and i am set.

Drag, was it one of those $500 vintage tube screamers or just a regular Keeley modded one? I have got to try one out, and the sonic maximizer is way up there on the short list

[kirk]

Don't be fooled into thinking that the amp in the showroom is going to sound the same in your bedroom. I've been disappointed more times bringing something home from a store and it not sounding as good.

I think you might be happier trying a different amp.

YMMV

[Lord Lemons]

dude, I know exatcly how you feel.


I saved up 1300$ for a S2170fb, upgrading from an RG370.

Turns out I didnt really like it much, so I returned it full refund and bought an RG1570, and swapped out the pups for evos. With the remander of the money I bought a Digitech GNX4.

Turns out I didnt like the RG either. Or the GNX4. So I sold my RG1570 and got a strat instead, and I still have my mostly useless gnx4.

Shoulda just saved it, based on the fact that my main guitar is my 370 with a swapped out trem, and it plays better than both the S and the RG IMO. So much wasted money...