The Tone Thread

[Greg_L]

OK, here's my first attempt at sounding vaguely like early Pearl Jam. I'm not going for the awful 80s hangover production of the original, I want something more akin to the remix of the album that Brendan O'Brien did about 15 years ago which is more like their punky live sound.

This is with the tele on the neck pickup. I'm gonna try it on the bridge pickup shortly - This is as much gain as I can get without it feeding back uncontrollably in my little room.

EF Tone Test.mp3

Here's the bridge pickup on the tele. I think I might play both parts on my Crimson but dial the hi guitar in in a slightly different way.

EF Tone Test Bridge.mp3

I guess either one sounds ok to me. Did they record that song with a Tele?

[JD01]

OK, here's my first attempt at sounding vaguely like early Pearl Jam. I'm not going for the awful 80s hangover production of the original, I want something more akin to the remix of the album that Brendan O'Brien did about 15 years ago which is more like their punky live sound.

This is with the tele on the neck pickup. I'm gonna try it on the bridge pickup shortly - This is as much gain as I can get without it feeding back uncontrollably in my little room.

EF Tone Test.mp3

Here's the bridge pickup on the tele. I think I might play both parts on my Crimson but dial the hi guitar in in a slightly different way.

EF Tone Test Bridge.mp3

I like the neck pick up one the gooderest. The bridge sounds a bit brittle and thin to my ears. Neck has a bit more body and still has that little something to push it thru the mix. You going to do a full cover of this one ?

Probably, I'm looking forward to relearning all the lead bits. Took me bloody ages and I probably never quite mastered them when I was about 17.
Just did a quiet guide vocal earlier just so I could tell where I was in the song as I was playing. I think the first line of the verses is a little high for me at F#

[JD01]

OK, here's my first attempt at sounding vaguely like early Pearl Jam. I'm not going for the awful 80s hangover production of the original, I want something more akin to the remix of the album that Brendan O'Brien did about 15 years ago which is more like their punky live sound.

This is with the tele on the neck pickup. I'm gonna try it on the bridge pickup shortly - This is as much gain as I can get without it feeding back uncontrollably in my little room.

EF Tone Test.mp3

Here's the bridge pickup on the tele. I think I might play both parts on my Crimson but dial the hi guitar in in a slightly different way.

EF Tone Test Bridge.mp3

I guess either one sounds ok to me. Did they record that song with a Tele?

I'd hazard a guess Mike McCready recorded his parts on a strat. But I've no idea really.

[Greg_L]

I'd hazard a guess Mike McCready recorded his parts on a strat. But I've no idea really.

I just listened to the original. It doesn't sound very stratty to me, but I suppose it could be. It doesn't really sound very Fendery at all, but it does sound single-coil-ish. Could maybe be something with a P90.

[JD01]

I'd hazard a guess Mike McCready recorded his parts on a strat. But I've no idea really.

I just listened to the original. It doesn't sound very stratty to me, but I suppose it could be. It doesn't really sound very Fendery at all, but it does sound single-coil-ish. Could maybe be something with a P90.

He's known to play a '59 Jr.

[Greg_L]

He's known to play a '59 Jr.

There ya go. That very well could be the sound. It does kind of sound like Jr P90 would sound.

[JD01]

He's known to play a '59 Jr.

There ya go. That very well could be the sound. It does kind of sound like Jr P90 would sound.

Sod it. I'll try it with a Humbucker into a TubeScreamer next.

[WhiskeyJack]

There ya go. That very well could be the sound. It does kind of sound like Jr P90 would sound.

Sod it. I'll try it with a Humbucker into a TubeScreamer next.

HanTaun could do some heavy lifting there as well.

[JD01]

Sod it. I'll try it with a Humbucker into a TubeScreamer next.

HanTaun could do some heavy lifting there as well.

Yeah, I think I'm gonna use the HanTaun for the low guitar part with a bridge humbucker but the OCD with the bridge humbucker for the high part. The OCD is pretty aggressive when you push it up a bit so it should probably suit the song pretty well.

[rayc]

Had a friend order that amp ..... he sent it back after an hour

Don't blame him, it is kind of a rubbish amp.

BUT it's a tube amp for a small fee.
I haven't the ears for such but it sounded okay and even better when he demos the Harley Benton Mosrite knock off...
I'd have been stoked as a teen to have had something like it.

[JD01]

You going to do a full cover of this one ?

The guitar solo is really hard...

[JD01]

OK, been doing a bit more work on this. Main thing, I reckon they use way more gain that I've used for years, particularly on the studio recording - they use a lot less now and they play it a lot faster too.

So,

OCD and TS.mp3

Dodgy Old Wah.mp3

Verse Fills With Wah.mp3

Decided to just use the bridge humbucker on my Crimson for everything - the guitars are never playing the same thing at any point in this song.
While the Hand Taun is a smoother overdrive I decided to go for the OCD and a TubeScreamer on this as I reckon this guitars need to sound a bit gnarly.

Also, my dodgy old re-wired wah sounds fine in a mix even though its scratchy has hell and basically not fun to play when I'm just noodling.

[Greg_L]

Sounds pretty good. Are you trying to "nail" their tones or just get something that works?

[JD01]

Sounds pretty good. Are you trying to "nail" their tones or just get something that works?

I'd like it to be vaguely reminicient of the original - but the riff is distinctive enough for that - mainly I just want something that works and sounds decent. The tones actually aren't that great on the original mix, bit muddy and awash with reverb... that being said, it sounds great on the Brendan O'Brien remix.

I'm most surprised by how tidy my old wah wah sounds in a mix. That's saved me 150 quid - I really was expecting to order a new wah this week but just fancied checking it first and maybe recording a rough draft with it.

Now... time to learn that solo - I may be some time.

[rayc]

Sounds fine & yes, a little more defined than the original.

[JD01]

First tone test with the Mustang. I try to play pretty similar stuff, just a few chords that came off the cuff started on the neck pick then I played the same thing on both pickups, then the bridge pickup, then the daft out of phase setting.

Then I widdle a bit on the neck up, widdle a bit on the bridge pickup, then add an overdrive, widdle a bit more before playing some power chord stuff.

Mustang Tone Test 1.mp3

Just my normal settings on the H&K overdrive channel into an i5 with nothing added in the DAW.

[JD01]

My initial thoughts, the neck pickup sounds pretty nice, might need to be careful with it in a mix 'cos its a little flubby but its fine with slight crunch.
I really like both pickups together I think I'll use that a fair bit.
Bridge pickup is savagely bright and pushes the amp harder than I was expecting - will probably be fine in a mix, but its a little harsh in the room.
Both pickups out of phase just sounds naff.

Don't think it copes with loads of gain for rhythm - just sounds totally OTT.

[Greg_L]

It sounds a lot like a Strat.

[Armistice]

Yeah I could see uses for both of the pickups individually, but on a clean dry setting the out of phase doesn't sound much use - there may be other ways of using it.

Whatever you're doing from 2.16 sounds useful as well. Think that's before you do the overdrive, which also works.

I'm sure it'll work well in mixes for certain types of music. And it's a stepping stone to that Jazzmaster, cardigan, teen angst and bum fluff on your chin style that I know you'll want to be aiming for.

[JD01]

Yeah I could see uses for both of the pickups individually, but on a clean dry setting the out of phase doesn't sound much use - there may be other ways of using it.

Whatever you're doing from 2.16 sounds useful as well. Think that's before you do the overdrive, which also works.

I'm sure it'll work well in mixes for certain types of music. And it's a stepping stone to that Jazzmaster, cardigan, teen angst and bum fluff on your chin style that I know you'll want to be aiming for.

The stuff from 2:16 is just the bridge pickup but played quite aggressively.

You're right - I think I'll start bonging again... not sure the mrs will approve