Tone like Paul Gilbert, can I get from a pedal?

[elcid]

I know of a guy who for financial reasons has to sell his PGM301 for $1100 shipped. Maybe I beat him to posting it here

[MelodyMan]

^^ i love you cid

[elcid]

I hope it's "not in that way", man. Either way Im flattered.

[MelodyMan]

Haha...nothing to worry about. You just post what I'm thinking a lot of the time.

[jemplayer55]

Originally Posted by MelodyMan

^^ i love you cid

Just had to get this in quotes..... after some slight regurgitation!

[Batchimp RG]

Originally Posted by varador

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YvsOKTPaks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YvsOKTPaks

I've tried to incorporate his picking technique into my playing, and it works

I think that a lot of Paul's sound can be attributed to his picking technique, however, I think there is one other very important element that may be overlooked... Paul uses thinner picks, 0.73mm I think? At those thicknesses, they make a pleasant "snap" every time you pick a string especially if you use his picking technique. It really makes a notes ring out loud and clear.

The downside of lighter picks is that they don't give the best sound when playing metal rhythm... but then again Paul never really played some chugga chugga downpicking metal...

Good post. But I wouild definitely reiterate that the hardtail Ibanez gets a really crisp twangy sound which is so part of his signature sound.

[microdmitry]

Except you can find videos where he plays an off-the-wall Floyd Rose equipped Ibanez (with price tag hanging off the headstock) through whatever Marshall amp was available in the store and he still sounds like PG.

[GuitarEvan07]

Originally Posted by Martyr Machine

tone is all gear.

Your dead wrong. Some comes from gear. A lot from technique

[pushpin&poetry]

Cool Everyone. thanks for the great replys. So thin picks hu? I have always been using Jazz 3's. The little black and red one's, pretty thick. Although I may mess around with some thinner. Anyone know the exact pick?

Anyone have any links to vids or anything that goes into further detail about picking technique? I'd love to learn as much as possible.


Yes, my JCM 800 is a 1982 w/ Vertical inputs. I'm really happy with the sound, and would never sell it although I think I have not found the right combo of pedals to use with it.

Keely-modded Tubescreamer TS9DX where's the best place to get on of these?

I just got a J custom, it's sick although I too love fixed bridge models.

Thanks for all the help.

Originally Posted by waylay00

You definitely have the right gear to start. The JCM800 is very close to the Laney and the Marshall Vintage Modern that he's using now. Also, you'll notice that Paul has a very dynamic tone, and this is comes from the fact that he doesn't use as much gain as you'd expect. He always hits the strings fairly hard to give it that very hard pick attack sound.

I would recommend you get the Keely-modded Tubescreamer TS9DX (actually pictured on Paul's pedalboard in that photo). I set mine to a pretty clean boost (volume all the way up and minimal gain), and combined with a good Marshall-voiced gain channel, I can get really close to Paul's sound.



Tone is definitely not all gear. I guarantee if you let Alan Holdsworth play Paul Gilbert's setup, it would sound just like Allan Holdsworth. There's quite a few stories of how Nugent plugged into EVH's Marshalls, and it sounded just like Nugent. There's another similar story with Clapton. I hate to sound cliche, but you can't get someone's tone through purchasing his gear. You can get in the general area (obviously, a dual rec has a different voicing than a JCM), but overall "tone" is with a player.



The JCM800 has more than enough gain for Paul's sound...Whatever you do, don't get rid of that JCM 2204. Those are steadily on the rise. Is it a vertical or horizontal input jack config?

[waylay00]

Here's the Keeley. You can order it directly from them:

http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=36

Like I said, I would use it as a primarily clean boost with a tiny bit of gain (with the flexi switch on though). Also try playing with the gain and dialing in some more midrange on the amp too.

[MelodyMan]

Originally Posted by jemplayer55

Just had to get this in quotes..... after some slight regurgitation!

Haha...what's the problem with a little brotherly love??

[skins345669]

Originally Posted by Josh_P

For Gilbert style stuff try tilting your pick like a knife edge against your strings and play really hard.

Actually I've heard from people who've played with him live that he doesn't pick that hard, but if you look at his EQ pedal above, the top treble is really pushed, which should accentuate picking dynamics. He also has a really, really, really, really low action on all his guitars, which will affect the tone too.

[redaxe]

Paul Gilbert's picking technique makes me feel like I don't even begin to know anything about playing the guitar. The man's a beast at floating arm picking. Spend hours training with a metronome and really work on a "biting" floating right arm pick technique and it'll get you closer to the sound you seek. It's worked for me; especially his late-Racer X, early-Mr. Big tone.

[rockguitar4ever]

marshall tsl or any modern marshall and a pgm301, works for me(im also a jem user as well thought), but for gilberts sound PGM and modern Marshall really comes close

[Andy43]

I own a Laney and have no problem getting his tone. But the Marshall boosted should get there easily. And pick HARD.