Guitar Tone

  1. Guitar Picks And Their Effect On Tone

    Guitar Picks And Their Effect On Tone
    A player's tone consists of several important parts, with nearly every piece of their chain playing a role in the end result. While certain pieces such as pickups, amp choice, guitar type and effects (if used) are prime components, picks can also make a difference, although to a much lesser degree. Picks come in a variety of configurations. Depending on your choice of material, thickness and shape, a pick can affect tone is subtle ways, mainly by determining how percussive a string sound will be.   Continue reading →
  2. Breaking Down Tone Terms

    Breaking Down Tone Terms
    Unlike a physical object with distinctive features and measurable qualities that we can all agree on, describing a sound or tone is a whole different beast. Sure, it’s easy to tell if something is loud or quiet, clean or distorted, but when you start getting into the deeper, more intricate subtleties of sound, things get start to get complicated. Luckily over the years, there have been plenty of terms that are now commonly used for describing certain tone traits. Even then, it should be noted that describing music in general can be a very subjective thing; what sounds pleasant to one listener might not to another. Continue reading →
  3. Demystifying The Amp Presence Control

    Demystifying The Amp Presence Control
    Like the Strat quack or the fat humbucker sound, there are numerous examples of imaginative descriptions when it comes to music. But players aren't the only ones that use lively language to describe tones in the world of music gear. Take Fender's amps for example: along with the standard volume, gain and EQ knobs, a few of their amps also feature a setting labeled "Presence." Much like the "Attack" control, the presence knob isn't named for what it technically does to your tone but for what it sounds like it's doing. In this article, we discuss what this knob actually controls, how it works and how it differs from other amp settings.   Continue reading →
  4. The New Fishman Blackstack Passive Humbucker Pickup

    The first product to be introduced from the new “Larry’s Garage” series, the Blackstack passive soundhole pickup offers the vintage sound of a humbucking magnetic pickup in a modern, battery-free design. A departure from the warm, transparent tone of Fishman's Rare Earth soundhole pickups, Blackstack has its own voice... a more vintage roadhouse sound perfect for high volume band situations...
  5. DADGAD Tuning: From Folk To Zeppelin and Beyond

    For most guitarists, alternate tunings are associated with the blues – the open G, open E and open D tunings that can be the perfect set-up for slide playing. While most of these tunings have been popularised by electric and acoustic players over many years, DADGAD tuning is somewhat different. The origins of DADGAD – say it as a single...

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