i tried to search for this topic and couldn't find one so here we go:
i find that my playability determines my tone as much as the pursuit of the sound in my head/heart. it starts with the basics, volume, and how it affects the tone. (it does, volume is not consistent throughout the bandwidth, ie. as the volume increases so does overall brightness). so i would avoid setting the EQ at lower volumes as the sound may not be what I expected or stay consistent when the volume is cranked. then comes the EQ section, i have a MIA JB DLX so its 3 band (theres more eq's on pedals and amps obviously). so if the lows are too boomy or muddy, my playing is stifled. the same happens if the mids are too harsh or in your face or if the treble is too brittle and reflective in nature, it screws around with the attack of the notes and makes things un-slick, clanky and sloppy sounding. pedals like drive and fuzz behave similarly. i have to set them to maximum playability apart from the tone or effect i want from them. if chords are involved, the colour of the chords should not change drastically by the harmonic content being pushed by such pedals.. compressors if too squashed or given very slow attacks make me play differently and i don't get a "free" feeling when playing. it has to be a blend of the 2 factors (at least for me). playability can be compromised when a song or any other instance requires it, but not to the point that the feeling is uncomfortable.
thought i'd share,
adi
i find that my playability determines my tone as much as the pursuit of the sound in my head/heart. it starts with the basics, volume, and how it affects the tone. (it does, volume is not consistent throughout the bandwidth, ie. as the volume increases so does overall brightness). so i would avoid setting the EQ at lower volumes as the sound may not be what I expected or stay consistent when the volume is cranked. then comes the EQ section, i have a MIA JB DLX so its 3 band (theres more eq's on pedals and amps obviously). so if the lows are too boomy or muddy, my playing is stifled. the same happens if the mids are too harsh or in your face or if the treble is too brittle and reflective in nature, it screws around with the attack of the notes and makes things un-slick, clanky and sloppy sounding. pedals like drive and fuzz behave similarly. i have to set them to maximum playability apart from the tone or effect i want from them. if chords are involved, the colour of the chords should not change drastically by the harmonic content being pushed by such pedals.. compressors if too squashed or given very slow attacks make me play differently and i don't get a "free" feeling when playing. it has to be a blend of the 2 factors (at least for me). playability can be compromised when a song or any other instance requires it, but not to the point that the feeling is uncomfortable.
thought i'd share,
adi
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