Don't need to list out my experience but I've been at this music/tone thing for a long time. Here is my formula for good tone* with the hopes that it helps at least one person sort through the nonsense and marketing that we gearheads get subjected to constantly.
1. Play your instruments often, keep good strings on, keep them clean.
2. Use all the knobs on your gear, instrument vol/tone included. For example, wild things can happen when you crank your amp and turn your instrument volume way down.
3. Figure out your 5ish bread and butter tones - low gain, medium gain, high gain, modulation, time-based - and use those for 90% of your playing.
4. Have a digital MFX/modeler so you can roll through models and FX and IRs when the tone-shaping/signal-chain-nerding urge arises.
5. Get your instruments professionally set up, and then maintain those setups yourself monthly to quarterly. Keep instrument tools handy - truss rod wrenches, small screwdrivers, pliers.
6. Find inspiration within. You probably sound pretty good already, so that third $400 compressor with limited edition art may improve your sound but only because it's inspired you to play well.
7. If you need help diagnosing a problem with your instrument, go to a professional. Better ROI to give $100 to a pro than to give 4 hours to the forum in 5-minute segments and then order $70 worth of parts but find out that you ordered the wrong ones/eat the return shipping/the forum advice was bad.
8. Chase the sound, not the description of the sound. Terminology like vintage & modern & overwound PAF have too many interpretations to be useful.
9. Gain staging and multi-band EQ (as in, more than three bands) are the best ways to make a single instrument act like a bunch of different instruments.
10. The right string set and the right technique is more powerful than finding the right amplifier.
11. Define what you're doing with music. Making a living? Unwinding in your free time? Channeling a muse? Entertaining people? Your playing - and tone - can elevate when you free yourself from trying to do things that you aren't actually trying to do.
12. Identify which instruments you sound your best on. You can be pretty good on twenty instruments, but you cannot be your best on all twenty nor can you keep all twenty in tip top playing shape unless you have lots of free time. Also, identify what your instruments bring to the table tone-wise & playing-wise.
13. If you're fighting a losing battle with your sound, plug into a different cabinet. 2-4 cabinets is a good number to have around.
14. Play different styles, often. This may seem like a duh but if you're having trouble with your jazz lines then a few minutes of rocking out can help reset your mind and hands so you can go back to your jazz lines with a fresh look.
15. Have some freakin' fun already! Many musicians take it so seriously they forget that music is art, art is messy, messy is okay, nobody expects you to sound like (your choice of famous musician) except for you, and nothing really matters (anyone can see).
16. Every few practice sessions, spend 5 minutes on a single note. Attack it every way you can think of and listen for all the subtleties within the note. Then move to a single chord and do the same exercise.
17. Record and listen back. Repeat. What it sounds like to you while you play may be pretty different than what it actually sounds like.
18. You're going to sound like you pretty much regardless of what your signal chain is like. Embrace your unique voice!
19. Whenever you think you need to buy something, go practice for a while and see if you can mimic what your potential gear would do with your existing gear and technique. A lot of times you think you need to buy something when what you really need is to dedicate time towards getting those sounds from what you already have.
20. Keep a tone journal with settings, goals, tricks.
That's all for now! Feel free to share your tips!
*Disclaimer: My tips from decades of trial-and-error with the goal of getting good tone and making good use of gear dollars. Some of the tips go against forum gospel which I am completely okay with.
1. Play your instruments often, keep good strings on, keep them clean.
2. Use all the knobs on your gear, instrument vol/tone included. For example, wild things can happen when you crank your amp and turn your instrument volume way down.
3. Figure out your 5ish bread and butter tones - low gain, medium gain, high gain, modulation, time-based - and use those for 90% of your playing.
4. Have a digital MFX/modeler so you can roll through models and FX and IRs when the tone-shaping/signal-chain-nerding urge arises.
5. Get your instruments professionally set up, and then maintain those setups yourself monthly to quarterly. Keep instrument tools handy - truss rod wrenches, small screwdrivers, pliers.
6. Find inspiration within. You probably sound pretty good already, so that third $400 compressor with limited edition art may improve your sound but only because it's inspired you to play well.
7. If you need help diagnosing a problem with your instrument, go to a professional. Better ROI to give $100 to a pro than to give 4 hours to the forum in 5-minute segments and then order $70 worth of parts but find out that you ordered the wrong ones/eat the return shipping/the forum advice was bad.
8. Chase the sound, not the description of the sound. Terminology like vintage & modern & overwound PAF have too many interpretations to be useful.
9. Gain staging and multi-band EQ (as in, more than three bands) are the best ways to make a single instrument act like a bunch of different instruments.
10. The right string set and the right technique is more powerful than finding the right amplifier.
11. Define what you're doing with music. Making a living? Unwinding in your free time? Channeling a muse? Entertaining people? Your playing - and tone - can elevate when you free yourself from trying to do things that you aren't actually trying to do.
12. Identify which instruments you sound your best on. You can be pretty good on twenty instruments, but you cannot be your best on all twenty nor can you keep all twenty in tip top playing shape unless you have lots of free time. Also, identify what your instruments bring to the table tone-wise & playing-wise.
13. If you're fighting a losing battle with your sound, plug into a different cabinet. 2-4 cabinets is a good number to have around.
14. Play different styles, often. This may seem like a duh but if you're having trouble with your jazz lines then a few minutes of rocking out can help reset your mind and hands so you can go back to your jazz lines with a fresh look.
15. Have some freakin' fun already! Many musicians take it so seriously they forget that music is art, art is messy, messy is okay, nobody expects you to sound like (your choice of famous musician) except for you, and nothing really matters (anyone can see).
16. Every few practice sessions, spend 5 minutes on a single note. Attack it every way you can think of and listen for all the subtleties within the note. Then move to a single chord and do the same exercise.
17. Record and listen back. Repeat. What it sounds like to you while you play may be pretty different than what it actually sounds like.
18. You're going to sound like you pretty much regardless of what your signal chain is like. Embrace your unique voice!
19. Whenever you think you need to buy something, go practice for a while and see if you can mimic what your potential gear would do with your existing gear and technique. A lot of times you think you need to buy something when what you really need is to dedicate time towards getting those sounds from what you already have.
20. Keep a tone journal with settings, goals, tricks.
That's all for now! Feel free to share your tips!
*Disclaimer: My tips from decades of trial-and-error with the goal of getting good tone and making good use of gear dollars. Some of the tips go against forum gospel which I am completely okay with.
