The Truth About Our Favorite Artists' Tone

[HotInTheShade86]

This seems to be a reoccuring theme here so i mind as well put in my 2 cents. Buying gear because our favorite artist uses them! Oh man I'm sure we've all been there and deeply depressed about the amount of cash we have shelled out to buy Joe Schmoe's signature $3K amp, only to find out we achieved the same tones with the solid state Fender combo we traded for in-store credit.
Most tone gurus will tell you that it's all in the hands. There is alot of truth to this fact. But of course it's alittle more complex than that. For example, would anyone really want to listen to Steve Vai play "Whispering A Prayer" through a Squier 5 watt practice amp? If it was all in the hands our guitar heroes wouldn't spend millions on pro-gear like the Super Flaming Flangerator Compression or the Vintagerator 5000, etc.
Another reason why people are always disappointed with signature or artist approved gear is that we have been lied to. Artists keep the secret to their tone well kept. For example Angus Young has always been adament that his Marshall crunch was from his trusty Plexis. What did I find in his rack? None other than Mesa Boogie preamps. No Marshall gear present! Another example is Zakk Wylde's signature Marshall, being that it's about a million dollars for one of those you would think he uses them. Word on the street is that he hates them and only uses vintage JCM 800s from the early 80's and wont even touch those unless Lee Jackson tinkers with it first.
Another thing I get a kick out of is how alot of musicians (Metallica) have become sluts to Mesa Boogie, endorsing the overpriced hunk of junk they call "the Triaxis". If it were really worth the pricetag why would Hetfield and Petrucci have it modded by ripping the guts out?
I think it's time for artists fess up and amp makers, like Marshall, to make good amps.

[anuj]

yay, more conspiracy theories.

i'm no marshall lover, though, that's for sure.

~A

ps~ i also hate angus young's tone, be it marshall or mesa (sounds like marshall to my ears), and metallica and petrucci have been known to endorse the mark series. solid amps, if you ask me.

want a good amp, check out a two-rock custom. (4 grand retail).

[jem7vwh]

the perfect solution- play what you like, not what people tell you to. I love old 80's rock sounds, but hate Marshalls.

[Petie]

In terms of endorsments, it comes down to this:

A lot of what people percieve as the identifiable 'tone' of their favourite player has more to do with their overall sound, which includes playing technique and touch, than just the tonal frequencies and distortion characteristics of their setup.

[HotInTheShade86]

Nah...if I found even a novice guitar player and gave him the sheet music to a Dokken song along with George Lynch's guitar and live rack...it would sound like just like Lynch.

[Petie]

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or if you really believe that, but when I was at Vai's soundcheck in July, Thomas Nordell sure didn't sound like Steve Vai when testing his gear.

[HotInTheShade86]

Alot of people bring up the Thomas Nordegg arguement. This is somewhat invalid because at a pre-show soundcheck I attended he didn't sound like Vai either, mostly because he was playing dry and probably out of only one or two of the preamps. Then Vai went up to check it with the rest of the band and he didn't sound like Vai either . Thomas Nordegg would not have the need or the time to go over all the effects and preamps in Vai's rig. Thats why most artists carry two (or more) of everything in their racks in case something goes wrong, they can change it on the fly. Most effects processors are all digital and very reliable compared to the tube power/preamps that Vai uses. Which is why Nordegg was testing the amps.

[HotInTheShade86]

But of course I respect your purist opinion on tone...and if you believe that Steve Vai will achieve 90% of the same tone with a Marshall Micro-Stack...then God to ya bro!

[Petie]

What's the point of soundchecking if not to check sounds?

[kent k]

Hey GuitarWizard, welcome back. Still charming as ever, huh?

[AndersPGM]

For example, would anyone really want to listen to Steve Vai play "Whispering A Prayer" through a Squier 5 watt practice amp?

thatīd be something!

[Drew]

Originally Posted by HotInTheShade86

Nah...if I found even a novice guitar player and gave him the sheet music to a Dokken song along with George Lynch's guitar and live rack...it would sound like just like Lynch.

Congratulations, that, I believe, is the most assinine thing I've ever read at a guitar forum anywhere. You just beat out a whole army of thirteen year olds who believe that Slash is the best guitarist ever because, apparently, he plays more like slash than anyone else out there. You my friend have true talant- use it. I hear Bill O'Reilly's going off the air...

I was wondering the Guitarwizard thing myself... The style's not 100%, but he's capable of faking it, I think (unlike valvulator), and the content is dead on. Bashing AC/DC is just the sort of thing he'd do as a cover, too.

-D

[HotInTheShade86]

Okay...let me get this straight for the record...Petie, Kent K, and Drew all think that if I were to play an A chord through George Lynch's gear...that my A chord would have a 90% tonal difference than George himself playing an A chord through the same gear?
Do you all honestly believe that?

[HotInTheShade86]

Oh yeah, and I assure you I'm not this GuitarWizard fellow, and when have I ever bashed AC/DC? I think they're great and they put on a good show.

[vaijem777]

Originally Posted by HotInTheShade86

Okay...let me get this straight for the record...Petie, Kent K, and Drew all think that if I were to play an A chord through George Lynch's gear...that my A chord would have a 90% tonal difference than George himself playing an A chord through the same gear?
Do you all honestly believe that?

Assuming that the aforementioned SHEET MUSIC that you're playing consists of nothing but an A chord, sure.

GuitarLoser strikes again!