Consultation, Production and Development
Guitar Tone.
I'm a tone snob, and seeing as this is a site to help develop our chops in all areas of the music business, i'll start a topic off with guitar tone. Usually, I'm very picky with my tone, but as of late I've been experimenting with more aspects of the guitar than I normally would've 6 months ago.
The electric guitar is a very, very beautiful thing. We can make the guitar talk, sing, scream, and everything in between. Lately I've been messing around with my Ibanez a lot more than my ESP. Why? I'm already well aware of what my ESP can do, it's loaded with active pickups, push-pull coil tapping abilities, not to mention has the sweetest neck in the world. Yes, I'm in LOVE with my guitar..I try to explore as much as I can.
The reason I've been messing with my Ibanez lately is because I just got it fixed up to my liking. It was sort of a project guitar for me, I gut the pickups, mounting rings, tuners, bridge, and everything you can imagine and pretty much made this guitar MINE. I usually use passive pickups when recording with my POD because the signal isn't as hot as opposed to my active pickups. I can shape my tone easier with my pedalboard and I get less interference as opposed to EMG's. Now..I'm not knocking EMG's (because I love those shits too!) but when it comes to recording (especially when your funds and recording choices are limited to) directly into any sort of mixer, interface, it's always been in my best interest to just go passive until showtime. Of course, this is debateable and is really up to person's preference, but based on my personal experiences I've always found it easier to just record dry and then EQ later.
Now, back to my Ibanez. I've been messing with my tone knob more than ever, and getting those REALLY thick, full, rich, blues/jazz tones. With fresh strings, my settings have almost an acoustic quality to it. Point in case: You don't need a Vox AC15/30 to do your vintage work. A lot of people pride themselves on the fact that they have these obscure Fender, Orange, and Matchless amps. Those are cool too, however, if you're on a budget and you need a real raw, blues and jazz tone. Just roll back your tone knob!!
Listening to a lot of metal, I've never experimented much with my tonal possibilities other than just switching back and forth between my bridge for rhythm and my neck for lead (which, back in the day, it was the other way around). I guess what I'm trying to say is...lately I've been finding myself musically and it's a very calm and rewarding journey. If you're in a metal band and you want sick tone and don't know how to achieve it...then ask yourself these questions and BE HONEST. Because sometimes the truth hurts, and we don't want to realize it. But try this on for size:
1) What kind of guitar am I using? Was it a well invested choice, or is it suitable for just jamming with my friends on my spare time?
-Remember, being a serious musician means investing time and the cash into the equipment that will make you sound and look pro. Endorsements don't come easy, and even with endorsements I'm sure you'll still be shelling out close to 800 dollars for that 1500 dollar amp that you've had your eye on for a loonngg time.
2) Have I been practicing? Need I say more? Tone is a battlefield fought on many fronts. Don't leave it up to your amp to do all of the work. The way you bend, hold your frets can be a very definitive factor in how your guitar sounds. Don't play just to nail beatdowns and drive kids crazy. Make that shit sing!
3) Is my guitar set-up properly?
-I know you Jackson and Ibanez shredders out there love your MEGAFUCKINGLOW action, but to be honest your notes have no space to breathe. You can shred, but make sure you have soul in it. Otherwise you're just a robot who can play 32nds with ease. Impressive? Yes. Meaningful? Hell fucking no. Can I play 32nd notes? Hell yeah. But I'd rather just play a bend or have a mean vibrato. Expression is hella important.
These are just a few questions that I can lend to my fellow musicians from experience and time on the road. I'm sure a lot of you seasoned guys know this, but for anyone who is starting out or who has been playing and is puzzled as to why their tone isn't what it's supposed to be...use these questions as a reference on how to make your shit sing.
Anyone else have anything to add, please feel free. This is a discussion, god damnit!
The electric guitar is a very, very beautiful thing. We can make the guitar talk, sing, scream, and everything in between. Lately I've been messing around with my Ibanez a lot more than my ESP. Why? I'm already well aware of what my ESP can do, it's loaded with active pickups, push-pull coil tapping abilities, not to mention has the sweetest neck in the world. Yes, I'm in LOVE with my guitar..I try to explore as much as I can.
The reason I've been messing with my Ibanez lately is because I just got it fixed up to my liking. It was sort of a project guitar for me, I gut the pickups, mounting rings, tuners, bridge, and everything you can imagine and pretty much made this guitar MINE. I usually use passive pickups when recording with my POD because the signal isn't as hot as opposed to my active pickups. I can shape my tone easier with my pedalboard and I get less interference as opposed to EMG's. Now..I'm not knocking EMG's (because I love those shits too!) but when it comes to recording (especially when your funds and recording choices are limited to) directly into any sort of mixer, interface, it's always been in my best interest to just go passive until showtime. Of course, this is debateable and is really up to person's preference, but based on my personal experiences I've always found it easier to just record dry and then EQ later.
Now, back to my Ibanez. I've been messing with my tone knob more than ever, and getting those REALLY thick, full, rich, blues/jazz tones. With fresh strings, my settings have almost an acoustic quality to it. Point in case: You don't need a Vox AC15/30 to do your vintage work. A lot of people pride themselves on the fact that they have these obscure Fender, Orange, and Matchless amps. Those are cool too, however, if you're on a budget and you need a real raw, blues and jazz tone. Just roll back your tone knob!!
Listening to a lot of metal, I've never experimented much with my tonal possibilities other than just switching back and forth between my bridge for rhythm and my neck for lead (which, back in the day, it was the other way around). I guess what I'm trying to say is...lately I've been finding myself musically and it's a very calm and rewarding journey. If you're in a metal band and you want sick tone and don't know how to achieve it...then ask yourself these questions and BE HONEST. Because sometimes the truth hurts, and we don't want to realize it. But try this on for size:
1) What kind of guitar am I using? Was it a well invested choice, or is it suitable for just jamming with my friends on my spare time?
-Remember, being a serious musician means investing time and the cash into the equipment that will make you sound and look pro. Endorsements don't come easy, and even with endorsements I'm sure you'll still be shelling out close to 800 dollars for that 1500 dollar amp that you've had your eye on for a loonngg time.
2) Have I been practicing? Need I say more? Tone is a battlefield fought on many fronts. Don't leave it up to your amp to do all of the work. The way you bend, hold your frets can be a very definitive factor in how your guitar sounds. Don't play just to nail beatdowns and drive kids crazy. Make that shit sing!
3) Is my guitar set-up properly?
-I know you Jackson and Ibanez shredders out there love your MEGAFUCKINGLOW action, but to be honest your notes have no space to breathe. You can shred, but make sure you have soul in it. Otherwise you're just a robot who can play 32nds with ease. Impressive? Yes. Meaningful? Hell fucking no. Can I play 32nd notes? Hell yeah. But I'd rather just play a bend or have a mean vibrato. Expression is hella important.
These are just a few questions that I can lend to my fellow musicians from experience and time on the road. I'm sure a lot of you seasoned guys know this, but for anyone who is starting out or who has been playing and is puzzled as to why their tone isn't what it's supposed to be...use these questions as a reference on how to make your shit sing.
Anyone else have anything to add, please feel free. This is a discussion, god damnit!
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