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Thread: Tone Baby!

  1. #1
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    Default Tone Baby!

    I have been working on my “Tone”. Trying this … trying that. I think I maybe braking ice here. I have a question on using both the guitar’s volume(s) and tone(s) controls.

    I am trying to get a nice clean Fender sound using the Black Face and Tweed modelers. I am following Marnold’s suggestion. Just dial in a preset and don’t adjust anything. Ok maybe a little volume.

    So the sound is a little sparkeling I use both the neck and bridge humbuckers. The bridge is set one number lower than the neck pickup. I do understand that the volume can control the tone to the amp.

    The question is: Where does everybody generally keep their volume and tone controls to be able to adjust for different songs? I am thinking around 6 would be half way. Anything above would introduce a distortion. Anything below would clean up the sound. I guess the tone my be kept a little higher since it keeps the sparkling sound.
    Guitars:

    Electric: Washburn HB-30, Squier Tele Custom Deluxe, Jay Turser Strat.
    Acoustic: Seagull S6.

    AMPs: VOX AD30VT, Peavey Envoy 110.

    Modelers: V-AMP 2, Digitech RP-100A.

    Pedals: Boss RC-2 Loop Station, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, Digitech Bad Monkey, Ibanez DE7 Delay/Echo, DOD VFX40B 7-Band Graphic EQ, Ibanez CS-5 Super Chorus.

  2. #2
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    Tim heres a good rule of thumb.. with your guitar volume set at about 60%-70% turn your amp up so you just start to get some breakup, leave the amps volume right there , then u back off the guitar volume a little to get clean and turn it up to get crunch and breakup.. i control my overall sound using the volume and tone controls on the guitar rather than my amp , its closer when you are playing after all , also another tip would be to identify a guitar player or a song that has a tone that you really like and concentrate on aproximating that sound or tonality , you need to have a target tone master it and move on to another ...hope this helps..6S9L

  3. #3
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    I tend to leave the volume on the guitar cranked... Tone, too. Right now, I have about 5 different presets on the Digitech that I started from scratch and made on my own.

    1) Crunchy rock rhythm: lots of distortion and not a lot of reverb...
    2) boosted rock lead: Same as #1, but louder, with a touch more reverb and more treble dialed in.
    3) Chorus Clean: Sparkly clean with plenty of chorus and reverb... Great for mimicing keyboard parts using volume swells.
    4) Overdriven rhythm: Dialed back on the distortion, added some mids, good for rock, southern rock, blues...
    5) Clean: Just eq and reverb on this one... Great for country... the harder I dig in, the more aggressive it sounds...

    I've found over the years that I just don't have the fine motor skills necessary to find and operate a volume knob while playing. The Digitech has a volume pedal, and that works great for swells. I also mute alot and get a lower volume by changing my pick attack on the strings...
    Guitars:
    Fender 2006 MIM Fender Stratocaster HSS in 3TS
    Ibanez RG 570 with a bridge Invader
    ESP M II Deluxe with a Tune-o-Matic bridge
    Eleanor, the magical, mystical Road Worn wonder Tele
    Blackstar HT Club 40

  4. #4
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    I use my volume to clean up too providing the rest of the guys will come down as well. If they don't I glare at them until everyone lightens up and sounds clean and purdy. Then I crank it open and rock like mad. I think dynamics are very important. If you can get your band to follow your lead and turn down a tad then your cleans will come across as clean. Otherwise you are pi..ing in the wind.

    The next important factor is play hard and play light. A heavy forcefull pick attack can push the amp and then a light touch willl clean up and you don't even have to touch the volume. You can still be loud but clean by not attacking the strings so hard.

    Lots of different ways to get different sounds.

    Mostly I set the amp to just break up. Then I clean up depending on how I touch the strings with the pick and also use the volume on the guitar. Solos explode with distortions or overdrives pushing the front of the amp past the initial light crunch that I started with. I get a few extra db's this way so the solos come out better.

    "No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi

    Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.

  5. #5
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    Excellent post, Spudman. That last point about setting the amp right on the break up is something I'm going to try the next time I play live. Great tip!

  6. #6
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    Nelskie
    Unfortunately...I get told to turn down a lot too.
    BTW One of the guys that works at one of my accounts in Twin Falls Idaho is from, you guessed it, Fargo.

    "No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi

    Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.

  7. #7
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    I also play live with my volume pretty much always set to 10. I use 3 different pedals for distortion depending on what type of song we’re playing. One of my 3 pedals is a bit lower in volume compared to the others. To remedy this, I use by Boss EQ as a volume booster. I play normally with it turned off. If I notice in a song my volume is too low, stomp on the pedal and viola! Instant volume!

    Just my 2¢
    "It's funny the way most people love the dead. Once you are dead, you are made for life." - Jimi Hendrix

  8. #8
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    Being asked to turn down is certainly better than people not hearing you. At least in my book it is. And by the way - us Fargoans are everywhere!

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