The Tone Thread

[rayc]

I've been in bands that did sessions in "proper" recording studios as well as a couple of "demo" studios.
The BIGGEST difference was a drum isolation room in the more expensive "proper" studio and a good band room in the cheaper "proper" studio.
The demo places were just small rooms - egg carton style treatment - and, usually, 4 track tape machines.
What I found most interesting was that the mixes done in all were poor at best.
This is a track recorded in Wirra Willa Studio - one of the "proper" ones.

TeutonicsAndre done.mp3

It was just a quick mono mix of the session, (vocal, sax, bass, guitar, keyboard and drum machine from that same keyboard - it was about 79 or 80). I quit the band before they had the sessions mixed properly - we did go back a 2nd time with a proper drummer and that made a huge difference but I don't have a handy MP3 of any from that session.
The sound is poor due to it being dumped to a cheap cassette in mono with no NR etc.
The song is very much the band's sound and style - they'd been going for a bit before I arrived - I was their 1st bassist. The "Producer/engineer" liked my bass line and left it UP in the mix - I've tried to bury it with some EQ.
I know, for certain, that everyone in Rebel territory could engineer and mix better than the staff in the studios I've been in - with the possible exception of drums...

[JD01]

OK, was just playing on my tele through the crunch channel of my H&K and thought it sounded good so I recorded it.

There's a hint of verb on this from a HoF in the loop - no overdrive, or any EQ in the DAW.

Tele Crunch.mp3

Just the cheapest Mexican tele I could find on eBay. Its about 10 years old but I've recently had it properly set up (not by me) and it plays great.

[Greg_L]

I've been in bands that did sessions in "proper" recording studios as well as a couple of "demo" studios.
The BIGGEST difference was a drum isolation room in the more expensive "proper" studio and a good band room in the cheaper "proper" studio.
The demo places were just small rooms - egg carton style treatment - and, usually, 4 track tape machines.
What I found most interesting was that the mixes done in all were poor at best.
This is a track recorded in Wirra Willa Studio - one of the "proper" ones.
TeutonicsAndre done.mp3
It was just a quick mono mix of the session, (vocal, sax, bass, guitar, keyboard and drum machine from that same keyboard - it was about 79 or 80). I quit the band before they had the sessions mixed properly - we did go back a 2nd time with a proper drummer and that made a huge difference but I don't have a handy MP3 of any from that session.
The sound is poor due to it being dumped to a cheap cassette in mono with no NR etc.
The song is very much the band's sound and style - they'd been going for a bit before I arrived - I was their 1st bassist. The "Producer/engineer" liked my bass line and left it UP in the mix - I've tried to bury it with some EQ.
I know, for certain, that everyone in Rebel territory could engineer and mix better than the staff in the studios I've been in - with the possible exception of drums...

Lol. How did I miss this? That's very new wave crazy right there. Very typical of that time period. Not much to that song though. It's long and repetitive. You could cut it in half and not miss anything.

[Greg_L]

OK, was just playing on my tele through the crunch channel of my H&K and thought it sounded good so I recorded it.

There's a hint of verb on this from a HoF in the loop - no overdrive, or any EQ in the DAW.

Tele Crunch.mp3

Just the cheapest Mexican tele I could find on eBay. Its about 10 years old but I've recently had it properly set up (not by me) and it plays great.

To me that sounds better than your usual more compressed gainy tone. This one has some openness and depth and life in it. Use that more often!

[JD01]

OK, was just playing on my tele through the crunch channel of my H&K and thought it sounded good so I recorded it.

There's a hint of verb on this from a HoF in the loop - no overdrive, or any EQ in the DAW.

Tele Crunch.mp3

Just the cheapest Mexican tele I could find on eBay. Its about 10 years old but I've recently had it properly set up (not by me) and it plays great.

To me that sounds better than your usual more compressed gainy tone. This one has some openness and depth and life in it. Use that more often!

Yeah, I will do if I write/record something more open and strummy than my usual music. I don't think this tone really suits my 90s style grungy punk but it work for other stuff.

I just posted it cos I plugged in today and it immediately sounded good to my ears. You know sometimes you just plug in and you have a good sound and you just want to smash away for a while.

[Minerman]

OK, was just playing on my tele through the crunch channel of my H&K and thought it sounded good so I recorded it.

There's a hint of verb on this from a HoF in the loop - no overdrive, or any EQ in the DAW.

Tele Crunch.mp3

Just the cheapest Mexican tele I could find on eBay. Its about 10 years old but I've recently had it properly set up (not by me) and it plays great.

Sounds great Jdude, I swear the H&K amp, along with your 2x12 has transformed all your tones into keepers man...I know you've had that amp & cab for quite a while now, but they're such a good fit to you/your style I'm still impressed when I hear your guitar tracks...

And, every time I hear your 2x12, it gives me GAS for one...Well done...


What's wrong with using this tone in one of your "usual" punk/grunge style??? Couldn't you play the tele on some rhythm tracks to give a little contrast from the other guitars??? I think this is a killer tone myself, & should just "work" in about any kind of tune...

[JD01]

OK, was just playing on my tele through the crunch channel of my H&K and thought it sounded good so I recorded it.

There's a hint of verb on this from a HoF in the loop - no overdrive, or any EQ in the DAW.

Tele Crunch.mp3

Just the cheapest Mexican tele I could find on eBay. Its about 10 years old but I've recently had it properly set up (not by me) and it plays great.

Sounds great Jdude, I swear the H&K amp, along with your 2x12 has transformed all your tones into keepers man...I know you've had that amp & cab for quite a while now, but they're such a good fit to you/your style I'm still impressed when I hear your guitar tracks...

And, every time I hear your 2x12, it gives me GAS for one...Well done...


What's wrong with using this tone in one of your "usual" punk/grunge style??? Couldn't you play the tele on some rhythm tracks to give a little contrast from the other guitars??? I think this is a killer tone myself, & should just "work" in about any kind of tune...

You should just order one of them 2x12s from Thomann, mate. Would probably only be 300 dollars delivered.

I'm not working on much new music at the moment. I'm finishing older stuff. But I've started writing again already and I will use this style more.

[Greg_L]

What's wrong with using this tone in one of your "usual" punk/grunge style??? Couldn't you play the tele on some rhythm tracks to give a little contrast from the other guitars??? I think this is a killer tone myself, & should just "work" in about any kind of tune...

I agree. That's what I was saying. IMO this tone would work better for chugga chugga riffs. It'll sound tighter and punchier.

[JD01]

[mention]rayc[/mention] totally missed your tones mate, will have a look later.

More general point. I do like the sound of that tone with a hint of reverb added from the HoF in the loop. I think most of us, myself included, record guitars as dry as possible and add a touch of verb in the mix to make the guitars sit right.

Anyone come up against any problems when adding the verb into the tone itself and leaving it alone in the mix?

[Greg_L]

I record guitars with reverb when I want guitars with reverb. Like the surfy stuff. You gotta have reverb. And you're stuck with it once you record it.

[JD01]

Yeah, I think it will take a few experiments to get the amount of HoF reverb to sit nicely with the reverb impulse in my mix.

[Greg_L]

Yeah, I think it will take a few experiments to get the amount of HoF reverb to sit nicely with the reverb impulse in my mix.

Why? Just use one or the other.

[JD01]

Just mean that my drums and vocals with have the impulse on them and ill have to dial the HoF in right if I want to use it on a recording

[Greg_L]

I don't ever record guitar reverb unless it's necessary for the effect....like a big spring sound or something. I do like to record other guitar effects on the track though. I like committing to something and living with it.

But reverb, only one of my Marshalls has reverb, and it sucks, so I record guitars dry or will use a room track occasionally.

[JD01]

Yeah, I record with all my effects on. Don't add anything in the DAW except a hint of reverb normally. The HK doesn't have verb either.

[JD01]

I've been in bands that did sessions in "proper" recording studios as well as a couple of "demo" studios.
The BIGGEST difference was a drum isolation room in the more expensive "proper" studio and a good band room in the cheaper "proper" studio.
The demo places were just small rooms - egg carton style treatment - and, usually, 4 track tape machines.
What I found most interesting was that the mixes done in all were poor at best.
This is a track recorded in Wirra Willa Studio - one of the "proper" ones.
TeutonicsAndre done.mp3
It was just a quick mono mix of the session, (vocal, sax, bass, guitar, keyboard and drum machine from that same keyboard - it was about 79 or 80). I quit the band before they had the sessions mixed properly - we did go back a 2nd time with a proper drummer and that made a huge difference but I don't have a handy MP3 of any from that session.
The sound is poor due to it being dumped to a cheap cassette in mono with no NR etc.
The song is very much the band's sound and style - they'd been going for a bit before I arrived - I was their 1st bassist. The "Producer/engineer" liked my bass line and left it UP in the mix - I've tried to bury it with some EQ.
I know, for certain, that everyone in Rebel territory could engineer and mix better than the staff in the studios I've been in - with the possible exception of drums...

I think that sounds pretty cool, Ray.
You considered doing a new tidy version of it?

[Greg_L]

My very first tone clips with the Mosrite. I didn't even try to dial anything in. I just stuck a mic on a speaker without even looking and turned the amp on. So....

Mosrite Ventures - all pickups
Deluxe Reverb kit - Vibrato channel - input 1 - bright switch off
Volume - 5
Treble - 5.5
Bass - 3
Reverb - 4
Tremolo Speed - 2
Intensity - 6
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion Vintage 30
Senn MD421 on axis, about 3 inches off grill, about halfway across the cone
No FX or EQ in DAW

Neck pickup

Mosrite neck.mp3

Neck + bridge - I'm pretty sure this is wired out of phase for a pluckier kind of sound. Non hum canceling.

Mosrite bridge+neck.mp3

And this is what I'm here for...the bridge pickup. To me, this is THE sound.

Mosrite bridge.mp3

And for my sweet little two-legged dog Nessie. She loves this song. A bastardization of "Lonesome Town". Any time I play it she howls and sings along. Or maybe she actually hates it.

All pickups with some amp tremolo.

Mosrite all pickups with tremolo.mp3

So this is my first clips with the Mosrite. See what you think. Much more to come if you aren't sick of it already. I'm not.

[Minerman]

My very first tone clips with the Mosrite. I didn't even try to dial anything in. I just stuck a mic on a speaker without even looking and turned the amp on. So....

Mosrite Ventures - all pickups
Deluxe Reverb kit - Vibrato channel - input 1 - bright switch off
Volume - 5
Treble - 5.5
Bass - 3
Reverb - 4
Tremolo Speed - 2
Intensity - 6
Marshall 1960B 4x12 - Celestion Vintage 30
Senn MD421 on axis, about 3 inches off grill, about halfway across the cone
No FX or EQ in DAW


And for my sweet little two-legged dog Nessie. She loves this song. A bastardization of "Lonesome Town". Any time I play it she howls and sings along. Or maybe she actually hates it.

So this is my first clips with the Mosrite. See what you think. Much more to come if you aren't sick of it already. I'm not.

I'm actually surprised by these clips man, to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect, but I gotta say these are some good sounding clips...Very vintage-y sounding to me, especially with the reverb & little trem bar things thrown in...

I wouldn't even worry about those p'ups man, they sound good just like they are, a bit more gain/volume may present a challenge, but I'm gonna bet that won't be anywhere near what you were expecting...Congrats & well done!!!

My Mom had a little dog that would howl like that when I was a kid...It was funny how just certain songs/sounds would trigger her to do that...Elvis & Johnny Cash were her favorites...

[Greg_L]

I'm actually surprised by these clips man, to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect, but I gotta say these are some good sounding clips...Very vintage-y sounding to me, especially with the reverb & little trem bar things thrown in...

I wouldn't even worry about those p'ups man, they sound good just like they are, a bit more gain/volume may present a challenge, but I'm gonna bet that won't be anywhere near what you were expecting...Congrats & well done!!!

My Mom had a little dog that would howl like that when I was a kid...It was funny how just certain songs/sounds would trigger her to do that...Elvis & Johnny Cash were her favorites...

Thanks man. Yeah these pickups are really hot single coils. We'll see how they do with some crunch and loudness tomorrow!

I'll probably shoot it out against the Hallmark too.

[Lt. Bob]

lol ..... I was listening to the amp more than the guitar ...... sounds good man ..... the git sounds like I would expect a Mosrite to sound ............. that's a way cool score ...... I've always loved the way they look ......... you've gotta still be just taking it out to marvel at owning it!

As for the pickups ...... I dunno man ..... seems to me that part of wanting an original Mosrite is to have an original Mosrite ..... warts and all.
I mean if you change too much don't you just have a Mosrite-looking guitar?
I really think I would fight those bastards and figure out how to use them on their own merits ..... maybe that's the guitar that sounds almost out of control ...... on the verge of assaulting everyone .... ....... that could be cool in and of itself.


The amp man ..... sounds good .... that's a 6V6 jobbie right?
The 'verb sounds great!
I'm liking the sound of those two together.