Guitar Tones - 3 Ways To Get A Better Guitar Sound

How many times have you been to see a band play at a local club and you've been blown away by not only the guitarist's skillful playing but also the clarity and quality of their guitar sound? Or maybe you've been less than impressed with the sound coming from the guitarist's rig? A good guitar sound is a vital component of a great-sounding live performance, or any great recording. Think about the signature guitar tones of the great players such as Mark Knopfler in Dire Straits, or David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. Would their albums be half as memorable if it wasn't for not only their great guitar playing but also their distinctly individual guitar sounds?

I've been playing guitar as a hobby for 20 years, and professionally for the past 5 years. In this time I've picked up a lot of experience that have helped me to get a guitar tone I'm happy with - it's taken many years, but by bearing the following tips in mind, I'm almost completely happy with my sound(us guitarists are rarely entirely happy!) - and I hope there's some useful info in here for you too.

1. Less Is More

The truth is that we all love to buy the latest gadgets and toys for our guitar rigs. Whether it's a new wah pedal, distortion box or multi-effects unit, it's a lot of fun to explore and experiment with the different sonic textures these add (or subtract!) from your guitar tone. The trouble is, you might find that the more pedals and signal processors you put between your guitar and your amplifier, the weaker your guitar signal gets...

One thing many of us guitar players forget is that the most important factor in determining your sound is your fingers. What you PLAY is what counts. Try using a cleaner signal path with as few digital boxes as possible, and let your amp do the talking.

2. Less Gain, Less Pain

Using excessive amounts of gain on your amplifier can have disastrous results that not only annoy your fellow band members, but also (and most importantly), your audience. Lots of gain can mean your guitar produces a horrific feedback squeal during the the gaps in your playing, which can cause hearing damage, as well as audience members leaving the gig early.

Excessive gain means your signal becomes distorted, which is great for musical styles such as rock and metal. But take the example of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC... Those guys use minimal amounts of gain and let the sheer volume of their amps do the distorting. This means their sound cuts through in the mix very clear, as their sound is more solid and less broken up by distortion. Of course, you have have to work a little harder to sustain your notes (by using vibrato), but the difference in clarity to your sound is the reward.

3. Learn to really use your multieffects unit

If you're using a multi effects unit, for example a Line 6 or a Boss GT-8 or similar, you'll know just how amazing these boxes can sound. There are so many great amp simulations available, the possibilities are virtually endless. However there are so many variables, you could go mad with option anxiety before you finally find your dream guitar tone!

I think the trick here is to ignore the factory presets and design your own tones from scratch. It helps to listen to your favourite albums and try to emulate the same guitar tones you hear. The factory preset tones are usually designed to wow you in the store to make you buy it, however they're not really suitable for live use or recording. Take the time to read the manual and really understand and get to grips with the operation of the unit, and you'll be more confident in shaping your own unique guitar sound.
If you want a tip on how to really get the very best from your multi effects unit, take a look at http://www.onelouderguitars.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_B_Black

Guitar Fuzz Sounds - 5 Great Big Muff Inspired Fuzz Pedals

The Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi Fuzz Pedal is one of the most popular and recognizable tones in rock and roll. The Big Muff was introduced in the early 1970s by Electro-Harmonix and soon after, many of the top artists in rock adopted this effect pedal and appropriated it's thick, rich sound as part of their own.

Among other artists, David Gilmour famously used the Big Muff on many classic Pink Floyd albums. Pink Floyd Animals, from 1977, features numerous lead guitar runs, accentuated by the Big Muff. Also in the 1970s, many classic Carlos Santana signature leads were recorded with the Big Muff. General characteristics of the pedal include increased distortion and sustain of the guitar tone, a smooth and fuzzy characteristic to the tone that separates it from clean guitar tone as well as the other instruments in a rock and roll band.

Electro-Harmonix was forced out of business in 1982 and for a period of a few years, the Big Muff was out of production. Because of this, original Big Muff effect pedals have become desirable and collectible while a handful of smaller boutique pedal manufacturers began developing their own versions of the Big Muff. In fact, many of these small pedal manufacturers became well known in their own right, and are in business today producing great guitar fuzz pedals. Here is a list of five great BM inspired boutique guitar effect pedals:

1. Blackout Effectors Musket Fuzz -- The Musket Fuzz, by Blackout Effectors is a versatile fuzz pedal that takes its inspiration from the early Big Muff sound. The Musket adds a lot to the party, with additional tone EQ knobs which allow the guitarist to further tweak their sound, especially controlling the amount of midrange that finds it's way to the amplifier. The result is a rich full sound which can be both vintage sounding as well as modern sounding, and can cut through the loudest rock band.

2. BMF Effects Aries Fuzz -- The Aries Fuzz, by BMF Effects is a virtual clone of the classic Big Muff. Less tweakable than the Musket Fuzz but still highly musical, the Aries sports very rich tone with wide frequency response. The result is a smooth sound with huge sustain and can be very desirable for lead guitar tone. In my opinion, this really comes close to David Gilmour lead tone.

3. MJM Guitar FX Foxey Fuzz -- The Foxey Fuzz is a silicon transistor powered fuzz pedal by MJM Guitar FX out of Montreal. The Foxey has a musical, distorted fuzz tone but isn't noisy like many early silicon fuzz boxes. The Foxey Fuzz has also improved upon the original Big Muff circuit by adding true bypass. This pedal is great for chunky rhythm tones as well as lead tones.

4. Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz -- The Earthquaker Devices Hoof Fuzz pedal is modeled after the Russian made Big Muff but offers a tighter, cleaner fuzz tone than that pedal. Armed with a silicon/germanium transistor, the Hoof Fuzz allows you to tweak the tone knob, basically adjusting the amount of mid-range for each tone setting. The Hoof is also a very tweakable fuzz pedal.

5. Way Huge Swollen Pickle Fuzz -- Way Huge Electronics, part of Dunlop, has reissued the Swollen Pickle and this fuzz provides a full, BM style sound. Also, tweakable, the Swollen Pickle can add mids for a vintage sound or scoop them for a more modern sound. The Swollen Pickle sounds great on both chords or single note runs.

Fuzz pedals were some of the original guitar effect tones and are still highly popular. When you think of great guitar rock and roll, most likely a fuzz was used in getting that loud distorted rock tone.
Phil Vickman
Fat Tone Guitars
http://www.fattoneguitars.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Vickman

Classic Effects - The RAT

To quote Proco the manufacturers:

“History

From the very beginning, the RAT was destined to define "The Sound of the Underground." It was, after all, born underground in the cavernous basement of the Pro Co Sound factory in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. From these humble origins, the RAT has evolved from a single, hand built prototype into a family of the most versatile and most recorded distortion pedals in the world.

Do you want to see how the RAT has evolved? The RAT Family Timeline details the expansion of the RAT product line throughout the years. Also, since there is no accurate way of dating a RAT pedal by its serial number alone, this timeline can help you determine the general age your pedal.”

If you like your distortion sleazy with maybe a nod towards a fuzz well this is for you.

As with all pedals it’s a matter of personal taste. I love it set with distortion at 3 o’clock, filter at 8 o’clock and volume….depends on the amp. There is nothing like it!

However don’t overlook the other possibilities I’ve used it as an overdrive with light distortion and it performs excellently. Personally it really comes in to it’s own through my Fender HOT ROD, but gets a tad heavy on the treble side through my Marshall…..but some will prefer that!

In short it’s a classic, like a lot of pedals and pedals/effects in general you love them or loathe them.

I will let you decide

George Putland