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This is an essential manual for getting the best sounds from your
electric guitars, your amps, effect pedals, digital processors and
equipment. This book and the accompanied audio also features easy
to follow instructions with tons of photos, teaching the basics of guitar
tones, effects, amps and guitars.
The CD or the provided link for the download provides many audio
examples. Readers of this will learn all the different types of guitars,
what type of music they are best suited for, who plays them, what
different configurations of amps, what tones are best, rock or country.
In the other books, we’ve discussed how you can modify your effect
pedals for maximum tone without paying premium money as well as
what some hot pros are using. Just like those books, I’ll also put
everything in extreme detail for you.
Not only that, I’ll also show you some of the best ways to set your
effects, to achieve tonal bliss!
To learn how you can modify your effect pedals for maximum
tone, please click here: http://www.guitartone.net/liquid.htm
Effect Pedal Types and Tones
Most amps today have more sockets than the one labeled "input".
Chances are, your amp also has two- labeled "send" and "return" - the
effect loop.
The signal that "travels" through your amplifier normally takes the
following way: Input - Preamp (generally responsible for sound and - if
you want - overdrive) - Power amp (generally responsible for volume,
although with tube power amps the sound is also shaped).
Some effects (see the following Topics) work and sound better
if they come after any distortion or gain that is applied to your
guitar signal. Why? For example, it would not sound too good if you
put the reverb before the overdrive. You want a reverb on your
overdriven signal, not an overdriven reverb.
Basic rules:
1) If the effect modulates the signal (see following Topics), put it
behind any preamps or overdrive/distortion boxes.
2) It the effect boosts the signal, put it before overdrive.
3) There are no absolute rules! Break them, experiment!
Normally, you put all your stomp boxes between your guitar and the
input of the amp. But if you want to use your amp's overdrive channel,
you get the problems described above. This is where the effect loop
comes in.
The guitar signal comes from your amp's preamp and through "send"
goes into those effects that should be put behind any overdrive. The
signal comes back into your amp through the "return" socket.
Therefore, you should have all the stomp boxes that should come
before overdrive between your guitar and the amp's input and all the
boxes that should come after overdrive after your amp's preamp in the
effect loop. The following Topics will give you information on which
effects belong to which group.
Some amps have a series, and others have a parallel effect loop.
With a series effect loop, the guitar signal (your sound) comes from
the preamp of your amp, "leaves" your amp through the send jack,
runs through the inserted effect and comes back through the return
jack. 100% of your signal goes through the effect.
The solution was the parallel loop: with the control, you control how
much of your original signal leaves the amp and passes through the
effect.
So you can mix the dry (without effect) and the wet (with effects)
signals, but keep in mind that you won't hear much of the effects if
you only put a tiny part of your signal through the effect box.
The effects in the loop should be set so that they let out no original
signal but 100% effect signal. You decide with the parallel effect knob
how much effect you want.
A Bit About Bypass on Pedals
Many people have found that their sound suffers (great tube amps and
- perhaps cheaper that are ran through multiple buffered (non-true
bypassed) pedals may result in loss of full bodied tone. Even worse,
though is the pedalboard that is ALL true bypass – the long lengths of
cord NEED a buffer of some sort to push the signal through all of that
resistance.
You might call a compressor a variable gain device. It reduces its gain
when the signal level is too high - making louder passages softer. If
the signal becomes too soft, it tries to maintain a constant level of
output by amplifying the incoming signal to maintain that constant
level.
A little compression will keep the instrument's level from dropping too
radically after it's plucked, which is perceived as increased sustain. The
gain here is not perceived as "distortion"!!
Controls:
Threshold: Sets the level where the compressor kicks in to make the
signal softer.
Attack: The compressor takes a little time before the gain is adjusted
to the new input level. The amount of time the compressor takes to
decrease its gain when the input level rises above the threshold is
called attack time.
Release: When the input level exceeded the threshold, the compressor
kicked in. When the input level falls under the threshold, the
compressor again needs time to respond and increase the gain again.
This is the release time.
Sustain: Sets the length of the period during which weak signals are
amplified.
If you are using a stompbox type compressor, you most likely have
one or more of these controls:
-Level (controls volume level)
-Tone (adds or removes high frequencies)
-Attack (adjusts how quick the compression kicks in)
-Sustain (adjusts amount of compression desired)
If attack and/or release time is too short, you get very quick changes
in gain, which is often perceived as "pumping" and generally not
desirable.
Examples of settings
It also can be used as a booster for solos or to give your guitar sound
more punch for playing rhythm.
http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/cs3-50.mp3
http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/cs3-full.mp3
http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/cs3-quarter.mp3
FUZZ - OVERDRIVE - DISTORTION
It all started in the 60s when the PA systems and amps weren't as
powerful as today. The only thing you could do was to turn your amp up
to 10. The high input signals overloaded the tube preamp and output
stage as well as the speakers, resulting in distortion. By accident,
guitarists discovered that the result didn't sound too bad.
Basically, there are three different types of effects for "distortion": fuzz,
overdrive and distortion. The names have been mixed up by
companies producing effects, so your effect may produce something
that's different from what its names says.
The fuzz was created very early. A characteristic of its sound is that it
radically emphasizes harmonics. Some people even say the sound
reminds them of a circular saw. Fact is, that Jimi Hendrix used a fuzz
(Fuzz Face) often.
Check out "Foxy Lady" or "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" or the Beatles'
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" or the Rolling Stones'
"Satisfaction" for examples.
Fuzz: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/big-muff-stock.mp3
Overdrive: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/od3_stock.mp3
Distortion: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/ds1_stock.mp3
CLEAN MILD
BOOST OVERDRIVE
AGGRESSIVE OVERDRIVE
Distortion: Produces harder, metallic distortion with many upper
harmonics. A guitar sound that really cuts through and screams is the
result. Boss DS1 (Distortion) or Boss HM3(Hyper Metal) are examples.
Controls:
Drive: Adjusts the distortion of the effect unit.
Level: Adjusts the output volume of the effect unit.
Tone: Adjusts the highs and lows (if you have a more comfortable unit,
you may even have controls for Bass, Middle and Treble).
If you listen to Rhythm guitars on CDs you'll very often notice that the
amount of distortion used is not that much. Very often, the rhythm guitar
was recorded twice or even more often to get that huge sound.
Another thing you perhaps have already experienced is this: You dial in a
distortion sound you really like and as soon as you play together with
other people, you seem to have not enough volume, even if your amp
volume is wide open.
If you want your guitar to cut through in a band context, try using
less distortion instead of turning up your amp and/or turning up
the mids on your amp/pedal/eq.
Controls
Depth: Maximum delay time added to the time you set with the Delay
control (see below).
Rate/Speed: Adjusts how quickly the notches move up and down the
frequency spectrum.
Feedback/Regeneration: Only some units have this control. With it, you
can take a portion of the flanger's output and route it to the input. In
some cases, you can also specify whether to add or subtract the feedback
signal. A large amount of feedback can create a very 'metallic' and
'intense' sound.
A Flanger is very similar to a Chorus, but the Chorus has longer delay
times (30 - 50 milliseconds) and no feedback.
If you listen to Van Halen's "Ain't talking 'bout love" you can hear a delay
(about 100ms) and a flanger (slow spead, moderate depth with
regeneration) in the intro riff.
Just like a chorus, a flanger belongs in the effect loop if you want
to use your amp's overdrive.
In the effect chain, a flanger comes after the
overdrive/distortion.
Flanger: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/bf2-stock.mp3
PHASER
A phaser combines an out-of-phase signal with the original signal to
produce a sound similar to the "spinning" sound of a rotary speaker.
The way the effect is produced differs a little bit from the flanger. The
notches in the frequency spectrum are created by passing the signal
through a special group of filters, called allpass filters. As the name
implies, all frequencies pass through the filter (i.e. none is "absorbed")
to the output. But the signal needs a certain time to pass through the
filters so it is "delayed" in comparison to the original signal.
If you now mix the two signals, the delayed signal interferes with
frequencies of the original signal - just like the flanger (picture two sine
waves, one delayed for a short time).
But not all frequencies are delayed by the same amount, so only some
are eliminated (one sine wave is at its maximum, the other at its
minimum)and some are made weaker. This creates the "notches" in
frequency response.
By putting more allpass filters in line, more notches are created. The
MXR Phase 90 contains four stages for example.
Controls
Rate: Adjusts how often the notches move up and down the frequency
spectrum per second.
A phaser is very often used for clean rhythm guitars in pop and funk
music.
Lenny Kravitz' "Are you gonna go my way" is an example for a phaser
at work.
Soundclip:
http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/dano-pepperoni-mod.mp3
DELAY
A Delay samples the original signal and plays it back delayed to
simulate "echo".
SLAPBACK ECHO
Controls
Delay time: Sets the time between original signal and delayed signal.
Feedback: How many delayed signals do you want? This control sets
the number of repeats.
It's a very versatile, often used effect. Depending on the time between
original signal and delayed signal, the effect is quite different.
Doubling: Use a short delay time (50ms or less) and cut feedback so
only a single delay is produced. The result sounds similar to two
guitars playing in unison => fatter sound.
Keeping the direct sound and delayed sound separate for a stereo
effect makes it sound like recording left and right cannels separately.
Reverb: Use about five delays at 100-200ms and set a low volume
and you have a reverb-like sound.
"Cheat": Selecting a delay time that matches the song tempo (see
below), you can play notes at a constant speed and have a delayed
signal right between those notes, creating the impression that you are
playing twice as fast (for example: play constant eight notes and have
the delay set to repeat your eight note right between two of your
notes => sounds like sixteenth notes being played: your note - delay
repeats note - your note - delay repeats note ...).
Slapback: Use a short delay time (40 - 120 ms) and no feedback and
you have the sort of delay you hear on many rockabilly songs.
Generally, setting the delay so that it matches the speed of the song
produces a highly musical effect!
Ok, but how do I calculate the delay time needed to fit the speed of
the song, to "cheat" or to play harmony?
Examples: Generally, U2's the Edge uses a lot of delay to make his
sound fatter or to create the impression of playing twice as fast as he
actually is (for rhythm and lead guitar, check out "Pride (In the name
of love)". Brian May often used a delay to play harmony lines with
himself, listen to "Brighton Rock". The Stray Cat's "Rock this town"
provides an example for a slapback delay.
delay: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/dl5-hicut-mod.mp3
REVERB
A reverb adds the natural acoustic ambience present in rooms and
halls.
For a short period after the direct sound, there is a set of well-defined
and directional reflections that are directly related to the shape and
size of the room, as well as the position of the source and listener in
the room. These are the early reflections.
BUT: The materials the walls, floor, ceilings are made of also plays an
important role: concrete or brick are highly reflective, carpets, curtains
or people absorb a lot of the signal.
Controls
Pre-delay: Sets the amount of time before the first reverberations of a
signal are heard.
Reverb Time: Sets the duration for the reverb (see "reverberation
time" above).
Sometimes reverb units also contain controls like High Pass or Low
Pass Filter.
Also, I’d like to address the question in which order to put the effects.
On the previous Topics I've already given some "rules" - remember
that rules can be broken! - and on the first Topic you can find info on
the effect loop.
But let's assume that you want to put all your stomp boxes in line
between your guitar and your amp.
The following order is one that I feel results in useable sounds. This
does not mean it is the only one possible. There are some effects
mentioned that I haven't explained yet, but to have it all on one Topic
I include them here.
Notes: (1): If you put the Wah in front of the overdrive/distortion unit,
it influences the overdrive. It is also possible to put the Wah after the
overdrive/distortion effect.
Some companies offer EQs as stomp boxes and most multi-effect units
also contain extra EQ - besides the parameters for the preamp.
Having an additional EQ is nearly like having a second amp. With most
"extra" EQs you have an enormous influence on your sound. The result
is two sounds: one with the EQ turned off and - if you want - a
completely different one if the EQ is turned on.
General guidelines:
For sharp rhythm sounds cut the middle frequency bands around
800Hz and boost at around 1.6kHz.
For overdriven solos boost the middle frequency bands slightly - make
sure you put the EQ after the overdrive.
For a metal sound cut the middle bands around 800Hz and boost the
lower and higher frequency bands.
Some folks some like to use EQ before the preamp, some folks like to
use EQ after the pre-amp. Now I say ‘pre-amp’ generically here what
I mean is it could be a distortion pedal, an overdrive pedal or a fuzz
pedal. I’m just using the term ‘pre-amp’ generically. Its going to give
you different tones. You put it before, its going to boost the
frequencies, more or less basically adding distortion. It won’t boost
the frequencies like bass, treble or mids like it will behind it. So, if you
want to add bass, mids or treble, you need to put it behind the pre-
amp or even better in the effects loop.
Soundclip: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/ge7-stock.mp3
Tremolo/Wah
A tremolo will basically raise the volume in your signal, and then turn
it down in steady patterns to create an effect. This is probably one of
the first effects ever for guitar. It can also give a very cool ‘staccato’
effect.
Soundclip: http://www.indyguitarist.com/soundclips/tr2_stock.mp3
A wah pedal changes the eq range of the pedal as you step on it, and
move your foot. A good example of wah use is jimi Hendrix- voodoo
chile, or alice in chains’ ‘man in the box’.
Tuners
Some guys like to use their tuner in their effects chain. I don’t like to
and I recommend you don’t, it will take some high end off. You are
not going to have a pure guitar signal.
If you really have to have a tuner in your chain, I suggest you have an
AB box, running ‘a’ signal to your amp, and the ‘b ‘signal straight to
your tuner or just put it in a true bypass box.
If you have a wah pedal, you basically want to do the same thing. I
suggest that unless you true bypass your wah, you do not want that
thing in your chain!! I suggest you use a true bypass box. You will
destroy your clean signal to your amp. You’ll take off some high end if
you don’t have it true bypassed.
True Bypass
While on the subject of true bypass, is it hype or is it real?
Too many buffers or too many buffered pedals you are back to losing
some high end off your tone. You do not want that. Contrarily,
however, by using ALL true bypass pedals, your guitar cable will
actually suck even MORE tone from your guitar signal, which is why
one or two buffered pedals work wonders – they help keep this from
happening.
With a regular metal amp stand, you are actually going to lose bass
because it is not resonating through the floor plus the speaker is
pointing directly at you so its going to sound kind of thin if you have
the speaker facing you.
For the same reason folks buy a tube amp instead of a solid state
amp, or the same reason folks buy a Les Paul instead of a rogue,
The same reason Folks prefer a ferarri to a hyundai...
Seriously, its sort of like 'hot-rodding' your car. Some folks like their
car just fine, but other ‘car enthusiasts’ like to fix them up, put nice
stereo systems in them, nice wheels, etc.
It’s not for everyone, but if you approach it open-mindedly, you just
might dig it!
Which one?
Listen to the mods, probably the top ones you hear the most about is
Robert Keeley, Analog Man, Tone Jam, and Indy Guitarist.
Keeley and Analog Man are probably the most well known. Keeley’s
mods are more geared like the original pedal, but a bit clearer. He’s
very well known for his original compressor designs. Analog Man is
very well known as well. His mods are more subtle. Kind of made to
sound more like a vintage type of tone.
Tone Jam and Indy Guitarist are kind of the new breed of modders
out. They mod almost anything and they do custom mods-turning
your wimpy overdrive pedal into a beast!! So, basically you can tell
them you want a Boss DS1 with nothing but more mid range and
they’ll do it.
From what I’m told, Keeley and Analog Man only offer certain mods,
they don’t do custom mods. If you like to work on your own
equipment, or just want to save money, you can always go to
http://www.guitartone.net/liquid.htm and do your own mods.
There’s an easy to follow guide there that teaches you how to mod
your own.
Multi effects vs. pedals
Pedals are ideal when you want to ‘flavor’ your original signal. Also, for
some, you can’t beat a couple of premier or modded single effects,
and run them into a tube amp. This issue, however, is debated daily!
With a multi FX you can preset all your sounds into patches. With
stomp boxes you have to do a tap dance turning on/off several FX-if
say changing from a 80's style clean tone with
Compression>Reverb>Chorus>Delay>EQ. If you wanted to go from
this clean sound to a dry high gain lead sound or a rhythm crunch then
you have to do the tap dance.
To sum it up, use your ears-play on both and see what feels right and
sounds right to YOU.
Finding YOUR Tone
There is no perfect tone. The "ultimate" tone (The Tone) does not
exist. "Tone" is a shifting object that varies depending upon song,
emotional context, venue, audience, genre, physical environment, etc.
Some of the "best" guitar sounds are rather lop-sided when analyzed
in isolation. I hear players all the time say they finally found the
perfect tone or they're still searching for the Holy Grail of tone. Most of
these people are sitting in their bedrooms or are gear collectors
perpetually in search of excuses to buy more stuff. The real discovery
comes when they play with a band or try recording.
In short, you can take any guitar and amp in good working order and
get plenty of useful sounds.
I've gotten what I thought were perfect sounds from my guitar only to
find that they didn't work at all when you take your sound out of your
garage or bedroom. Instead of looking for "The Tone" you need to
think about finding your place within the frequency spectrum.
Think about it this way, you've got your drummer pounding away,
another guitarist, vocals, bass, plus whoever else is in your band. Say
you join a band where the other guitarist plays a Strat and a Fender
Twin. With the addition of another vocalist, a lot of the spectrum is
taken by instruments and voices that would compete with another
guitar.
Are you going to shove another bright Strat into the mix?
So, in your band or when you record, the vocals and drums are going
to be the least flexible elements. Start there, let the bassist take the
bottom, and then divide the relatively small portion of space left over
between the guitars. And when the vocalists are singing select a sound
that will compliment. When there is a vocal-free space you can go for
something with more substance to it you might find that in any given
song, you'll need two or three different sounds for different areas of
the piece.
Your tone will sound differently at practice, at sound check, and every
venue, even if you use the exact same equipment and settings. Be
prepared to alter it based on the room, temperature, humidity, and
the amount of people and sound absorbing objects in the room.
You are the guitar player. Unless you are also the singer or you are a
featured guitar god, you will be pretty much ignored. Find a cool
groove to get into with the drummer and the bassist. That's how to be
a musician, and not just a guitarist.
For Example, please realize that just because you own a 1954 Strat,
two Fender Deluxe Reverbs and a vintage 50 Watt Marshall, you
probably won’t sound exactly like Eric Johnson… Don't get me wrong,
that would be a good starting point. But great tone comes from the
heart, soul and fingers of the person playing. Equipment, in and of
itself, is only part of the battle. The remainder, literally, rests in your
hands and fingers.
Amp/Effects Debates
Don't get caught up in the tube vs. solid state vs. digital debate. That
is a never-ending argument that will probably never be won. Great
tones can be coaxed out of any kind of amp as long as it is well
designed and in good working order.
If Mike Stern and B. B. King can get their sounds out of, in Stern's
case an ancient Yamaha G100, and in King's case an old Gibson Lab
Series amp, then the matter is really pointless.
I've seen many tube purists who couldn't tell the difference between
solid state and tube when they had to rely solely on their ears.
So, trust YOUR ears and don't get something merely because it has
tubes -- there are many of those amps that sound plenty bad.
Do get an amp that will be reliable, durable, and versatile, and inspires
you to play it!
Don't worry so much about the power or wattage an amp has. Tube
amps are going to sound better cranked, so lower wattage amps tend
to be favored. When playing within the context of a band, your going
to mic the amps anyways, so loudness shouldn’t be so much a factor
as some folks think.
If you are using a tube amp be sure that the tubes are in good shape.
Don't settle for the cheapest you can find; you'd be better off shelling
out the bucks for some good ones.
Be aware that different speaker sizes can radically affect your sound.
Some people swear that a 4X10 cabinet loaded with Jensen speakers
is the only way to go (i.e., the Fender Bassman sound) while others
will only play through a 2X12 cabinet loaded with Celestion speakers.
Try them all out and decide for yourself. Great sounds can be obtained
from all of them. A cab with 4X10s typically sounds punchier and more
immediate while a cab loaded with 12s will sound looser and will allow
for a more compressed sound. Also, a closed-back cab like a big 4X12
will generally sound much darker than one with an open back
configuration.
Never base your amp purchase decisions on the reviews you find in
guitar magazines.
The current crop of periodicals has, over the last few years, become
nothing but propaganda machines for manufacturers (who,
incidentally, are paying their bills through advertising dollars). In
short, you simply can't trust them.
Go to online resources for the reviews that real owners have posted.
But, you must be careful here as well. Most of these reviews are
posted by well-meaning folks just like you and me but most of them
have been posted by people after just a few days of owning a piece of
gear. You can’t accurately know the in’s/out’s, and shortcomings of an
amp that quickly.
Look for reviews from people who have owned and used the amp, or
guitar, for at least six months or more. And every now and then you'll
find people making second reviews of the same piece after some use.
But for most folks, the general rule is the fewer the better.
Effects can become a crutch for sloppy playing and a general lack of
skill. Try cutting back on what you use if you are practicing, and trying
to get better. Use the effects when you perform…you’ll get much
better in a shorter period of time.
Try and keep fresh batteries in your effects, or use a power source.
Some people claim that weak batteries will get that 'vintage sound.' I
can't tell the difference. Maybe you can-I can’t, and most tests won’t
show an audible difference, but when you perform, no one will ever
know the difference. In this instance, better safe than sorry-use fresh
power.
General information
There are some simple, physical things that you can do to help achieve
a good guitar tone.
Make sure that your guitar is capable of being tuned and staying in
tune.
Make sure that your guitar has been intonated properly. You might
want to have this done down at your local guitar shop or, if you own a
really good tuner, you can do it yourself.
Try using larger strings. Heavier string gauges will help your guitar
sound bigger and fuller. Jazz guitarists routinely play with 13s or 14s;
I think Pat Martino actually uses 15s or 16s! Ouch! Fusion players
often use 11s or 12s, while rock guitarists typically use 9's or 10s.
Experiment with using larger gauges until you reach a happy balance
between gauge, playability and comfort.
Keep your action up high enough that your strings don’t buzz while
bending.
Try fretting the string different ways utilizing different finger angles
and portions of the fingertip.
If you are looking for speedy speed, play with the tips of your fingers.
This will diminish the amount of finger contact on the fretboard itself.
Also, try using your other fingers to pluck strings. Or, combine pick
and fingers for a different sound.
Spend the extra money to get a good instrument-you’ll never regret it.
Buy a guitar that is versatile, stays in tune, and is made with quality
components and woods. Versatility in the electronics area might mean
a Humbucker, Single coil, Humbucker scheme (H-S-H) with coil-
splitting ability for the humbuckers.
Great tones can be had from almost any kind of amp and guitar
combination. Don't get too wrapped up in the gear thing. Know the
gear that you own. If you don't take the time to figure it out then you
might be missing the perfect tone that is already in your amp.
Guitar playing and getting "The Tone" is not about things but people,
knowledge, and skill.
In closing…
People, Knowledge, and Skill…SO HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR
TONE?
The key to finding your tone is simple: stop looking for it.
YOUR TONE IS INSIDE YOU- in your touch, in your mastery, skill, and
knowledge get yourself some adequate tools like a dependable amp
and guitar that work and stop worrying about searching day and night
for the equipment that is finally going to set you free. Free your mind
and your tone will follow!
In closing, please be sure you check out the soundclips included with
this ebook, and listen to examples of what we’re discussing here.
Brian@indyguitarist.com
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