Tone Tip #342
Sorry to be absent from the blog for so long. Been really busy over the holiday doing actual things in life…as opposed to in the internet. Nothing wrong with the internet, but on occasion, I can get so engulfed in it that when I actually pick up my guitar to practice, I’m shocked to find that guitars exist in three dimensions. (Because…looking at pictures of them on Gear Page all day makes you think they are in two dimensions…because they’re pictures…and your computer screen is flat……Okay, enough of that. That was very lame. If you have to explain your jokes, something has gone wrong.) Anyway, all fantastic stuff…but leaving little time for here. But not too much time for a tone tip. This is serious.
Tone tip #342:
When in doubt, turn up.
(And this is after you’ve already turned on all your delay pedals, and there is still doubt.)
Splendid.
Karl.
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#2 written by Joel 3 years ago
I tried this once. I got hit in the head with drumsticks. Apparently when you have a very transparent amp, with transparent overdrive, and it’s turned toward the drummer, using a Tele bridge pickup is a painful thing for the poor soul (OK, thats a stretch, he’s just a drummer) your amp is aimed at. I just chuckled, figuring it was nearly enough revenge for his crash.
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#6 written by Joel 3 years ago
One thing I have learned in my church life: People hear visually. There are those that will complain about the volume of music, not because it is loud, but because it is being made by guitars and drums instead of organ pipes. Often, these people are the ones that have little hearing left to begin with, so the thought of it being too loud for them is preposterous. This world could use a bit more honesty. They are too afraid to say they don’t like it, because that makes them look the philistine, so instead they prattle on about the volume, as if that is some acceptable thing complain about. Drives me bonkers.
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Just a quick comment, this post is tongue-in-cheek…
I know I said ‘serious’, but that doesn’t mean much from me. heheSam–I like you pastor. That’s awesome! haha
Joel–did he really throw his sticks at you?
Sam–lol
Joel–yikes!
Don–haha They’d probably send me home after the conversation playing out of a POD! hehe Those older folks know what they want, and usually how to get it, too. And I mean that in the nicest way. And a very serious one. hehe
Joel–hehe That can be very true. We had another church renting out our building on Sunday nights for a while, and they brought in their own speakers…huge stacks of them. And I knew I had to hide them for our services, otherwise the power of suggestion would seriously be probably way too loud! Maybe the same as why I absolutely know that the JJ gold pin tubes sound better than the regular ones.
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#8 written by sal 3 years ago
Easy there with the POD and older folks talk!!!
Even in my older age I can pull some serious tone out of my X3l that would fool some of the most discerning of tone purist. Still nothing beats my tube amps and stomps but being in the “older” category I am also in the “smarter category and know what is easy to gig with.
Don’t make me call your Dad!!!
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#9 written by Joel 3 years ago
Yes, he really threw his sticks at me. Apparently, something about a Maple/Ash Tele on the bridge, with a 30 watt EL84 amp and bright speaker, playing a D chord, just didn’t seem comfy for him. Oh, and the amp was right next to him. Aimed at him. He always complained about not being able to hear me. And JJ gold pins MUST sound better, otherwise they wouldn’t have GOLD PINS! Its just pure common sense. And they cost more, which also means they sound better. Gold + higher price = nails-this-tone-for-days.
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Sal–haha Sorry, I didn’t mean it!
Honestly, I was being completely serious in that comment. If I were to talk to a couple ‘older people’, and try to explain to them ‘loudness’, they would tear me apart and I’d seriously end up very humbled…and a lot less of a rockstar. As for the POD, you know I’m not a fan.
However, there are people who get some great sounds out of them…and Sal, dare I say that you might be a little biased; because with your hands, you’ll make anything sound good. I’ve heard the proof!Joel–lol That gold pins comment was awesome! hehe And it sound like you hit your drummer with the beam of death. haha
Samuel–Unfortunately, I feel the same way. Not a huge fan. However, I must admit that I have heard people who dig ‘em, and are able to get tone and feel out of ‘em. So, more power to those people! Better hands than me. hehe
I need my tubes.Joel–I remember when I had my GT6. Spent days, weeks, months…dialing that thing in. For hours at a time. One day I plugged into a Top Hat. No dialing. Just beauty. hehe Changed me forever. But you’re right…with good hands and a good knowledge of tone and how to set it, it is possible to get decent sounds out of a…boy, it’s hard to say it…an amp modeler.
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Yea, I tried to set up something nice before hand but that’s the problem, spending so much time putting stuff together and I didn’t have my pedal board to do it, and then the avioms (sp) aren’t set up great, so it’s hard to get a good mix out of them when you have to max everything out to hear it… *sigh*
It sucks.
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#14 written by Joel 3 years ago
I used to play a POD. Actually two of them in stereo. But I was running them into two good tube amps, so I think that had more to do with my tone than the POD did. It worked, but I have moved away from it. I still miss the ability to hit one button and change my entire setup, and I keep debating the whole M9 thing, but the tone I get now is better than what idiotic me could get from the POD.
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I have an M13 and had the misfortune the other day of having to play it through a solid state amp. Yuck. It sounded so fizzy and horrible. I know that my champ provides most of my tone but I couldn’t believe how bad it sounded.
The M13 is a good compromise to be able to get lots of different sounds for relatively little money, but I’d way rather have Karl’s setup!
We actually have very few older people in our church, probably due to the volume. We hand out ear protectors for all the kids under ten at our service! -
Samuel–haha I’m totally with ya.
Joel–Exact same with me. I could never get what I get now out of modelers…but the functionality is quite nice.
Samuel–unfortunately…ya, those things do sound very decent. Not quite enough to my humble ears for me to buy one yet, but good enough for me to concede that they are real equipment to be reckoned with. As much as I hate saying it. hehe
Mark Colvin–great point. Everyone I know with M13′s, don’t use the direct outs. They run them into a tube amp, just like you.
And handing out ear protectors? Maybe we should think about that.
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Pod? Ok that’s my entry point (segue?). Speaking of Line 6, who do we know that uses that? Brewster. Check out his song Arms of My Savior — now there are some serious chords in there — it’s a 6/8 blues. One guy was trying to chart the chords, starting with: Key E
E5 7th fret, then G#5/C, then C#m11, to A majorI’ll probably have to buy sheet music to even consider this song.
Lincoln’s version of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXn-iwOHWMY
And here he is discussing the mechanics of the song:
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Rhoy–wikipedia is so awesome! haha So many times as I’m writing a post, I’m like, ‘Wait…was Gibson making 335′s in 1961, before I post that they were?’ And then it’s like, ‘Oh ya! Wikipedia!’ hehehe
Randy–I have no idea why wordpress is doing that. I checked, and all my settings are the same. Or maybe I hit something and just didn’t realize it. I’m lame when it comes to computers. hehe
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A pastor at a church I play at often says “If you make your mistakes loud enough, no one will hear them.”