The Tone Thread

[liv_rong]

I feel like an ass posting my stuff in here since I dont contribute, but the reason I stay away is because I dont have much to contribute, I dont know shit! Anyways, here is a little snippet from something I was messing around with today, It my hh tele into the Mesa Mark 5:25 head with an Orange 1x12 loaded with a V30. I changed the mic to now be slightly off axis and it seems to be working better. This is two guitar tracks, both on the bridge pickup but one track is normal humbucker and the other track is split coil. Panning, compression and limiter and the master. I think it sounds much better than any distorted sounds Ive captured before, but I did have practice for a few hours earlier so my ears are shot haha.

Thanks for the listen.

[Greg_L]

I feel like an ass posting my stuff in here since I dont contribute, but the reason I stay away is because I dont have much to contribute, I dont know shit! Anyways, here is a little snippet from something I was messing around with today, It my hh tele into the Mesa Mark 5:25 head with an Orange 1x12 loaded with a V30. I changed the mic to now be slightly off axis and it seems to be working better. This is two guitar tracks, both on the bridge pickup but one track is normal humbucker and the other track is split coil. Panning, compression and limiter and the master. I think it sounds much better than any distorted sounds Ive captured before, but I did have practice for a few hours earlier so my ears are shot haha.

Thanks for the listen.

For me, I really need to hear that one in a mix. I wanna say it's pretty boxy and woofy, but it might be just right in a modern radio rock mix.

[liv_rong]

Hmm interesting. I felt it to be much less boxy than my usual fair. Wooly I can definetly see though. Thanks for the listen sir!

[Greg_L]

Hmm interesting. I felt it to be much less boxy than my usual fair. Wooly I can definetly see though. Thanks for the listen sir!

Lol. Wooly, maybe. In my mind's ear, wooly and woofy are about the same thing.

Boxy means just what it says - like it's in a box. Murky in the low mids, not much clean top end. Kind of dull. A tone like that could eat up space and cloud up a mix very easily IMO.

[liv_rong]

I meant woofy lol. But yeah, I can see it being not so great in a mix.

[Greg_L]

I meant woofy lol. But yeah, I can see it being not so great in a mix.

We don't know that though. For me, I think I can usually tell when a raw guitar tone will work or not, but that one has me befuddled. Whip up some drums and bass and do some tests with it. It might be awesome.

[Minerman]

Liv : It ain't terrible, so don't knock yourself dude, that's what this thread is all about, hell if it weren't for the original threads at HR, this forum might not even be here...

It is dark & woofy, but like Gerg said it may be great in a mix...I will suggest some more top end, but only enough so you hear the pick attack a little better...Personally, I'd lose the compressor (assuming it's on the guitar tracks & not the master) because gain-y tones are already compressed, & that may be why your high end/sparkle/clarity is low...Same thing with the limiter, if it's on the guitars...

If that didn't seem to help, I'd use the presence knob (assuming your amp has one) before even touching the treble knob because it's easy to get harsh sounding with too much...I can hear all the notes, they just need a little more definition & clarity IMO...

Something I have to do a lot is notch out some low-mids around 300hz, using a small, narrow cut...Your setup might have something like that in another frequency instead, so I'd sweep around with an eq to see if anything ugly is rearing it's head...

Of course, all this is just what I'd probably do, but it may not work for you...Stay after it dude, I've got confidence in ya...

[JD01]

Some parts of that sound pretty awesome, solo'd, Liv. When you start muting it might all fall apart though and just turn into a mushy mess.

[Greg_L]

I haven't posted a tone in a while, so here's some stupid shit from just messing around today.

Gibson Les Paul Custom - Bare Knuckles Mule neck (coil-split) - Riff Raff bridge
Boss Tremolo TR-2
Marshall 1987x 50w Plexi
Presence - 0
Bass, Mid, Treble - 10
Vol 1 - 4
Vol 2 - 0
High input 1 only
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion G12-65
Shure SM57 on grill, on axis, just off center + SM57 on grill 30 deg off axis right next to center mic
50/50 blend
No EQ, little bit of plate reverb impulse

Just some basic vol rolling on the split neck pickup, full blast bridge at the end.

LPC 1987 65 neck split and trem.mp3

[Minerman]

I haven't posted a tone in a while, so here's some stupid shit from just messing around today.

LPC 1987 65 neck split and trem.mp3

Sounds good dude, the tremolo is a bit too much for me, but I know you like surf & rockabilly...I like it a little more subtle, like some of Ry Cooder's slide playing from the movie "Crossroads" (the 80's movie, not the Britney Spears shit btw)...

Not sure if it's just me or what, but starting around 2:30 it sounds really thick...All of your clips have chunk to 'em, but this one seems to have a bit more to me...

[Greg_L]

Not sure if it's just me or what, but starting around 2:30 it sounds really thick...All of your clips have chunk to 'em, but this one seems to have a bit more to me...

That's where I flipped to the bridge pickup.

[Minerman]

Not sure if it's just me or what, but starting around 2:30 it sounds really thick...All of your clips have chunk to 'em, but this one seems to have a bit more to me...

That's where I flipped to the bridge pickup.

Ooops....

You know something dude, I've kept a shitload of everyone's clips, & I even copy/paste the guitar/amp settings we all post, but I just showed the whole world how much of a simple-minded dumb-fuck I am sometimes...

[JD01]

I always think Tremolo sounds pretty cool when other people use it, but I fucking hate it when I use anything but the mildest settings myself - this clip is probably a bit too much though! The general tone is great though

Sounds great when you turn the tremolo of and switch to the bridge, like Miner says it does appear to be really thick, lots of bottom in it. Even though it sounds great solo'd would you dial this out in a mix.

[JD01]

That's where I flipped to the bridge pickup.

Ooops....

You know something dude, I've kept a shitload of everyone's clips, & I even copy/paste the guitar/amp settings we all post, but I just showed the whole world how much of a simple-minded dumb-fuck I am sometimes...

You probably have more of my old clips than I have... my clips prior to about 6 months ago are best forgotten, mate!

[Greg_L]

I always think Tremolo sounds pretty cool when other people use it, but I fucking hate it when I use anything but the mildest settings myself - this clip is probably a bit too much though! The general tone is great though

By itself the tremolo does seem pretty heavy handed. I personally prefer it that way for two reasons, 1) I'm not a fan of subtle effects. I don't want to add little bits of wanky flavor to my guitar tone. I like effects like flangers and phasers an tremolos to be wild. 2) That's pretty much my "live setting". It needs to be a little aggressive to be noticeable over drums, bass, and another guitar. Subtle tremolo doesn't really work live and loud.

Sounds great when you turn the tremolo of and switch to the bridge, like Miner says it does appear to be really thick, lots of bottom in it. Even though it sounds great solo'd would you dial this out in a mix.

No, I most likely would not EQ any thickness out of it. I almost never EQ bottom end out of my guitar tracks. That's also a centered sound clip. Pan it out wide, like I normally do, and the thickness is not a problem - it's a good thing. And I think the thickness in that clip is a little deceiving. The split-coil, volume rolled up and down neck pickup running throughout most of the clip is so thin and bright that when I switch to full humbucker bridge at full volume, it just seems a lot thicker.

[JD01]

Yeah, you're probably right actually. I hadn't considered what I was listening to back to back.

Live effect use... not something I had considered before actually. I do tend to use effects (except wah) pretty subtly.

[WhiskeyJack]

I tried listening to both greg and liv's tracks at work over my morning coffee but i forgot this god dam computer compresses and squashes everything horribly so i am not going to comment as it does't seem fair and it probably did nasty things to the tone. Sorry dudes.

[Greg_L]

LOL @ tonewood.

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JcpHdh3VS8[/BBvideo]

[rayc]

I like the temo Greg. BUT I do like DDale & LWray et al. Cool I say.
I watched the plank vid a few days ago & it's quite a classic really - certainly a great plank in the debate.

[cakewalkKaKed]

LOL @ tonewood.

/vid

corrr! speechless

your linky led me on to this

"Most of the guitar body SAWED OFF! Did TONE change? " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzuAHhwGOkE love that Segeborn guy