Power chord guitar tone you like the most?

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #1 10-06-2005, 12:08 PM

Hi everybody.

I just came up with this question because somebody said in another thread that Alex Lifeson's guitar tone in "Working man" may be the best all-time guitar tone. I'm just curious about your opinion on this guitar tone topic, but I don't want to focus this on the typical idea of a great guitar soloist with trademark licks and tone. I'm just thinking of pure, plain power chords as an accompaniment part for a hard rock tune (or maybe in a melody like "Smoke On The Water"), because there are lots of aspects that can define a great guitarist when soloing, but IMO, the main thing that differentiates a great guitarist from another when just playing power chords is his/her choice of distortion/overdrive tone. Of course there are lots of great examples, but when this statement about Lifeson came up, one name came instantly to my mind: Tom Scholz. His guitar tone on all of the Boston albums when playing this role is simply perfect to me. This is one of the reasons why "More Than A Feeling" is the power rock ballad I undoubtfully like the most (aside from its chord progression, Brad Delp's voice, etc, etc...). So that's the question: Who plays the power chords you enjoy the most tonewise? Thank you in advance for your input!

**Adam Barkley** · #2 10-06-2005, 12:36 PM

Tim Sult.

BassJunkie730 · #3 10-06-2005, 01:28 PM

Hmmm... I learned to play guitar because of all the power chords Billie Joe Armstrong would play - so I definitely put up green Day as one of the best power chord rock bands.

AC/DC - C'mon guy's who hasn't rocked out to dirty Deeds?

But to me the best power chord tone comes from a tube head with a stiff power section and a cleanish front end with the whole rig pushed. Let's condiser the formula (oh and don't forget the high inductance guitar pickups

)
Hiwatt + townsend = massive wall of sound - power chord chunk
Marshall Plexi + Angus or Malcom young = power chords
Marshall JCM 800 MK2 + Zakk Wylde = grinding power chords

finally a topic on TB that was my entire philosophy when playing guitar.

Now to get that god like power chord presence on bass.

~Michael

Lyle Caldwell · #4 10-06-2005, 01:37 PM

I've always hated Scholtz's tiny nasal boxy sound.

DemoEtc · #5 10-06-2005, 01:44 PM

Feel Like Making Love - Bad Company

Shape of Things - Gary Moore version

It's All Too Much - George Harrison

Summertime Blues - The Who, Live at Leeds

Mitchell Royce · #6 10-06-2005, 01:54 PM

My old guitarist(who I'm now several thousand miles away from) had a great power chord tone. Crisp and cutting with just the right amount of chunk. The guy I jam with on occasion now is a decent player but he always wants more bass in his tone and this can quickly lead to sonic mud. I have a feeling that he is a bassist at heart somewhere but I'm not gonna wait for him to come out of that closet.

Matt Till · #7 10-08-2005, 10:14 AM

Working Man

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #8 10-08-2005, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Till

Working Man

Oh yes, you were the one!

But speaking of Lifeson's power chords, I think his best tone is in the "Moving Pictures" album. "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" are simply sublime.

bryan bailey · #9 10-08-2005, 10:36 AM

Candiria

mwm70 · #10 10-08-2005, 11:02 AM

An overdriven JCM 800.

**SoComSurfing** · #11 10-08-2005, 11:31 AM

A pair of Fender Super Reverbs, one with 4x10"s, the other with 1x15", both fed by a Gibson SG with aLindy Fralin "Duane Allman" neck pickup, and an early Gibson patent # in the bridge.

edit: whoops, I got lost a few posts down, and thought we were talking about favorite personal rigs.

On-topic favorite:
Mike Ness pushing Fender Bassmans and Bandmasters through Marshall cabs with a Les Paul with P-90s. Teppei and Riley from Thrice both use Mesa Dual Recs, which I'm usually not that fond of, but I love the tones they get.

bill h · #12 10-08-2005, 11:41 AM

Marshall and a les paul

nicoli · #13 10-08-2005, 11:46 AM

Since the first time I heard it, I've always been in love with the guitar tone on Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak'. Of course all my guitarist friends hate that tone, so it's pretty personal I guess. 'Working Man' would definitely be high on my list as well.

AC/DC obviously deserves a mention... as does my early '60s Plexi which is pretty much Angus Young in a box.

Mike N · #14 10-08-2005, 12:23 PM

I dig the tone Criss Oliva got on Savatage's "Power of the Night" record.

Tbirdbassist · #15 10-08-2005, 12:35 PM

Adam Jones.

Marshall + Deizel + Les Paul = Great Tone.

dancehallclasher · #16 10-08-2005, 05:33 PM

Pete Townshend, Live at Leeds era. SG w/p90s.

and Weezer, Blue Album. Mainly Les Paul Jrs... also with p90s.

The Mock Turtle Regulator · #17 10-09-2005, 12:07 PM

Angus + Malcolm Young with AC/DC.

Billy Duffy with The Cult, esp. the Electric album.

I-Love-Ratm · #18 10-09-2005, 02:36 PM

Josh Homme of QOTSA
Hetfields tone on the Black album.Esp + Mesa?
Wes Borland's tone on Significant other is gorgeous too.
Dave Davies on "You really got me" I think is quite ahead of it's time.

page · #19 10-09-2005, 03:04 PM

Pete Townshend for sure, those power chords are like a punch in the balls.

Then maybe Mick Jones (clash), yeah a little thin but they got alot of kick

jenderfazz · #20 10-09-2005, 08:24 PM

I love the guitarist of Dredg's guitar tone on their latest CD, Catch Without Arms. Although I know that he doesn't often play straight power chords his tone is fantastic. That's my unusual pick of the day.

I'd actually say I don't really like Lifeson's tone on Working Man. It's not bad, but in general it's nothing special. He sounds great on the guitar solo, though, that's for sure.