Comments on: It’s About What You Play

By: Pribek

Pribek — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:29:39 +0000

Dude-that Dude didn’t steal nuthin from me he’s breathing his own stylized air.

I like Gang of Four, thought they were on to something. I was big in to the Clash (and Keef goes without saying) and all of that talk brings something to mind. Bands built on good rhythm guitar have a better shot at sounding unique. And that’s some sort of Hindu/Zen/Scriptural magic going on because, think about it; how many different ways to play rhythm guitar are there? I mean it’s a pretty well defined set of parameters as far as musical thinking goes. Rhythm guitar players just dial in the tone that’s going to work-they aren’t trying to stand out and when you got a cat that’s solid, the rest of the stuff often falls in place and pretty soon you got a unique thing going without all the suffering.

By: Sans Direction

Sans Direction — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:49:30 +0000

Funny you mentioned rhythm tone. I hit a song on my playlist, “Natural’s Not In It” by Gang of Four, and while I didn’t particularly like the song, the guitar, hitting a staccato Joe Strummer-meets-Keef tone, is just great, and I sent it to a friends saying “Great rhythm tone!”

By: Pat Darnell and Friends

Pat Darnell and Friends — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:05:17 +0000

Hey Jack someone has stolen your little “pick scrapes…” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DINshgL8vkk

young whippersnappers… okay anytime to visit… your fan club awaits in Old San Antone.

By: Pribek

Pribek — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:24:22 +0000

Golly-thanks for the positive vibes everyone.
Sans-I got to agree with everything you said as well and I love the idea of a banjo killer.
Ovidiu-Wow man, glad you came back and thanks for the mention.
PD=That first video there has almost got me convinced that I got to come visit.
Col-I’ve said this before; the world needs more riddem’ guys so, keep fighting the good fight.
Stratoblogster!-glad you stopped by and feel free add anything anytime, nothing more appreciated around here than bunches of opinions, wisdom, thoughts….

By: Stratoblogster

Stratoblogster — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:10:08 +0000

Twoo! Twoo! It’s all Twoo!!!

There’s nothing I can add here– good thing, huh!

By: Col

Col — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:23:26 +0000

Yes, I got riddem’ tone. Nothing else will do!!!

By: Pat Darnell and Friends

Pat Darnell and Friends — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:29:53 +0000

So, down on the River Walk in Old San Antone, how do the Mariachi bands do it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POZEBFdTNJ8

Is it the ponchos? Or maybe the hats — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU ??

or fervor? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvKf6-fSM08

or practice? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TncXqhR95jQ

By the Way, IMHO — Very outstanding post and comments from a lovin’ spoonful bunch of expanded brain performers, you guys…

By: Sans Direction

Sans Direction — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:24:13 +0000

Also ….

It’s to the point now where tone seems to be more important than the notes you choose to play.

I can get a sunburst Strat, just like Stevie. I can get big thick strings, just like Stevie. I can get a Tube Screamer and a Vox wah, just like Stevie. I can scrape off the sunburst finish and put letter decals from the hardware store on it, just like Stevie. I can get replacement overwound pickups that are supposed to sound just like Stevie. I can get a left-handed tremolo bridge and put that up in there, just like Stevie. I can get a Fender Vibratone amp, just like Stevie. All it takes is a credit card.

Playing the notes Stevie played, then turning it around and maybe maybe maybe making the notes that Sans plays even remotely as identifiable? You can’t buy it. You have to spend the time in the woodshed, which makes it really priceless. Which makes it hard to put in a page in a guitar mag.

By: Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com

Ovidiu - GuitarFlame.com — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:54:22 +0000

Man, what a great post! I must say that I rushed into writing a post on my blog right in the middle of your article, I am guilty of not having the patience to wait until the end. I came back to your post and finished it after writing mine.
You are so damn right, you need to work with the rest of the guys, to sound good as a whole, to have space for each and every instrument there, otherwise it won’t sound good no matter ho much you spend on gear for your guitar.

By: Sans Direction

Sans Direction — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:24:50 +0000

A key problem is term overloading. “Tone” means the sound of the instrument. “Tone” means how the fingers control the fretting. “Tone” means how much high-end is rolled off by the potentiometer. “Tone” means the amp, the cables between the amp, the effects between the them, and the settings on each. “Tone” can also mean the type of mic, the placement of the mic, the room it’s placed in, the type of mixing board, the knobs of that, the medium (the warmth of tape vs the crispness of digital) and all that, as you say. One word meaning everything, it’s very Malcovich, and until we start using other terms, people are just gonna be confused.

Part of the problem is, of course, how we play. When we go to the music store, much of the time we’re testing the instruments without other instruments around. Then, when we play, if we’re not just hanging around at home, we’re next to drums and bass and singers, like you said, or if you’re an acoustic guy, fiddles and mandolins and banjos. Grassers talk about how their dreadnaught is a banjo-killer, but very few can even compare. When my Ibanez acoustic had a functional neck, I knew the Fender dread was a better instrument and all, but the simple fact is that the Ibanez had the high end. It cut through for lead. It’s the same when you plug in. The tone that you loved, that was warm and full and happy in your bedroom sounds like poo-gas with others because, as you said, you’re competing for range. Back in the bedroom, the tone that works sounds high and shrill.

But you know all this, so I’ll just say “I agree with my friend Jack Pribek on the problems of tone”. Sounds like a How To Not Suck post is needed.