Hey Guitarists!
I wanted to write a little article about some of the things I've
learned about guitar tone from some of my friends and heroes over
the years... Every time we've gone on tour with another band,
or gone into the studio, I've had the opportunity to watch and
learn from the people around me, and I've adopted some habits
that I think have made a big difference in my tone.
Some of this information is really basic, and some is more advanced....
All of it is just a set of general guidelines. Remember, there
are no rules here! Some of the best guitarists are people that
have broken from traditional methods, so don't be afraid to experiment,
and see what you like!
Here it is...
1. Style and Gear Choice
This one is a little basic, but it
makes a HUGE impact, especially for beginners.
Before you even pick up a guitar, you should think about what
kind of music you're planning on playing. Zakk Wylde wouldn't
play a mellow hollow-body, and BB King wouldn't play a flying
V! There are several main factors to consider here. Guitars with
single-coil pickups (most Fender guitars) will have less output,
and end up sounding less aggressive. These might be better for
jazz, blues, some country and funk, some r&b, some pop, etc...
Guitars with humbuckers (most Gibsons and Paul Reed Smiths) will
generally have a higher output, and sound more aggressive. These
are generally more suited for aggressive music. A little rule
of thumb to tell the difference between humbuckers and single
coils: Single coils are usually skinnier, and a humbucker is basically
2 single coils stacked together.
Also think about an amplifier that suits you. This is a whole
other conversation, and there is so much I could say here, but
really just try a WHOLE BUNCH, and see what you like. Also, do
some research and find out what your guitar heroes play before
you buy.
There are a TON of other factors here... scale, pedals, cabinets,
speakers, etc.... the point is that your style and type of music
are big deciding factors in what kind of tone you should go for,
and what gear you need to get there.
2. String Gauges.
This is a bit of tough love for you
more experienced guitar players. When you pick up a guitar at Guitar
Center, or any other guitar shop, chances are it has very light
strings on it (and it's probably way out of tune, but we'll let
that go for now). It is probably strung with .09 - .46 strings.
This is a very thin, very light set of strings. Guitar manufacturers
and retailers do this because lighter strings are easier to play....
People are more like to buy a guitar that plays easily, and makes
the buyer feel comfortable on it. Unfortuately, once you're a
more experienced guitar player, light strings become a bit of
a cop out.
Because...here's the catch: light strings sound BAD. I know I
play mostly rock or pop/rock, so I think from that point of view,
but really... light strings are BAD BAD BAD. There is less tension
on the strings, so they feel floppier, and that's why they seem
more comfortable. Unfortunately, that's also the cause of some
of the problems. The lack of tension means the guitar will be
harder to keep in tune. It also means that when you strike a note,
it will be sharper when you first strike it, and flatter as the
note decays. This effect is unavoidable with any string, but it's
accentuated with light strings. Also, lighter strings tend to
sound smaller.
Heavier strings stay in tune better, sound fuller, and are way
more consistent. Now, moving to heavier strings takes some getting
used to. Your hands will have to get stronger, and you'll have
to work harder when you play... but it's GOOD FOR YOU! It will
force you to become a better player. Plus, you can do it gradually.
If you use light strings now (.09-.46 ish), then try medium for
a month or two (.10-.49 ish), and move up to heavier strings (.11-.50
or .12-.52, etc....) every few months. It will seem difficult
at first, but your tuning will get better, your tone will get
better, and your hands will get stronger.
It WILL make you a better player.
Incidentally, I use .12-.52 strings live, and often .13-.56 in
the studio (ouch). If you're looking for a particular brand, I
recommend GHS boomers, but as always, try and compare a few, and
see what you prefer.
3. Gain (Overdrive, Distortion)
This is some more tough love for
you experienced players.
I'll start this one out with an admission: Some styles of music
(metal, hard rock) often involve insane amounts of gain as a part
of that signature sound.
That being said, turning the gain up too high on your amp is a
very very common practice. People do it all the time. I've toured
with "professional" bands that do it. Here's a little background
information on what happens to your guitar's sound as the gain
is turned up:
When your amp is set to a "clean" tone, the sound from your guitar
is most accurately reproduced. As you turn the gain up, a few
things are happenning. First, the initial attack or transient
(the "pick" or "strum" sound) is being obscured. The more you
turn up the gain, the less you'll hear that initial percussive
attack sound. Second, notes start to blend into each other. The
more you turn up the gain, the less you hear individual notes
in a chord, and the more you just hear.... a chord. Third, and
most important, the entire sound is being compressed. The more
you turn up the gain, the less dynamic control you have. Every
note is LOUD, and there isn't much difference between hitting
a chord softly or hard.
This last one is really a big deal, because compressing the guitar
also has the effect of making it sound smaller. Oh sure, stand
in front of your amp when it's cranked and it'll sound LOUD, but
if you put a mic in front of it, and listen to how it sounds in
headphones, or through a PA system, it will sound smaller and
thinner. That's because more gain compresses your tone more.
The other reason people crank their gain is that it hides mistakes.
Just like light strings, it's easier to play when there's tons
of gain. Notes sustain forever, and it takes less WORK to make
chords sound like they're formed cleanly. Once again, for experienced
players, I think this is a cop-out. If you want to become a better
guitar player, then don't make things easier for yourself... challenge
yourself! You don't have to go all-the-way clean, either.... Just
like the strings, work your way to gradually. Try dialing back
your gain 10%, and playing like that for a month... then dial
it back a bit more until you find a happy medium.
Less gain means clearer chords, more attack and a "bigger" tone.
Even HEAVY music can benefit from this approach. Some of the heaviest
sounding guitars on records are cleaner than you think. A good
studio trick for heavy guitars is to dial up the guitar a little
cleaner, and layer multiple takes onto each other. Listen to "Words
You Speak" on our last Hawk record.... at 2:30, the outro starts,
and that's some heavy guitar... but you can hear every note, because
the guitar is really fairly clean... it's just layered with some
more guitars with varying levels of gain.
So, tweak that gain knob back a bit. It will seem harder to play
well at first, but it will make you a better player.
4. Drop-Tunings
This is a dangerous topic. It seems
like Drop-D has become the new "standard" for guitar tuning. For
those that don't know, Drop-D is tuning your low E down to a D.
Sometimes people will take this idea further, and also tune the
entire guitar down a half-step (Drop-C#), a whole-step (Drop-C),
or more (a "baritone" is often tuned to Drop-B, and Korn plays
7-string guitars in Drop-A - insane). Now, I know that this tuning
is necessary for certain styles of music, and that's totally fine.
Hawk Nelson has plenty of songs in this type of tuning, and I
keep a guitar set up in Drop-C# all the time for these older Hawk
Songs.
That being said, some people choose to keep their guitars in drop-tuning
all the time. Unneccessarily. They transpose other songs into
their drop-tuning, and play every song in drop-tuning. I have
a whole bunch of beefs with this... here's why.
The guitar was designed with standard tuning in mind. There's
a reason that a perfectly in-tune huge E chord strummed in standard
tuning sounds like the heavens are opening. Every string is getting
it's share of the glory... and as long as you don't have too much
GAIN you should be able to hear each one clearly.
Barre chords are really the problem here. Any time you're using
1 finger to hold down 2 or more strings, you're going to have
to accept the fact that those strings aren't being pressed as
firmly or consistently as they would be if they were getting the
undivided attention of one of your fingers. With drop tunings,
this is a chronic problem. You can just barre the bottom 3 strings
with one finger, and get a chord! Seems too good to be true? It
is. While some songs really do require this tuning, it is not
ideal. Barring across those 3 strings means that the D string
and A string aren't being pressed properly. They may sound out
of tune, and they will definitely not sound firm. A G-chord played
in a power-chord formation in standard on those three strings
will sound so much better than a G-chord played in a barre formation
in drop tuning.
Plus, you have the added problems of a sloppy floppy low string.
This is another situation in which you should really have heavier
strings.
This doesn't mean drop-tuning is bad or evil or anything... It
opens a whole new world of possibilities for heavy guitar tones...
just don't get too trapped in this world.
5. Tuning, Intonation,
& Setup
Tuning is a huge huge deal. If a
guitar is out of tune, that's all you can hear. You don't even
HEAR the tone if the guitar is out of tune. The best tone can
be ruined by bad tuning. Conversely, mediocre tone can be sound
somewhat better with dead-on tuning.
As I said before, heavier strings help in this area quite a bit,
but I'll try to stop beating that dead horse. When it comes to
tuning, you can't be TOO obsessive. Tune every chance you get.
Learn to listen to each individual string during a song, so if
a string is out of tune, you can sense which one it is without
stopping to check. That means that if you get to a moment in a
song where you have 5 seconds to tune, you can go immediately
to that string and correct the problem quickly.
Also, when tuning a string, ALWAYS TUNE UP. If the string is flat,
then tune up to the proper pitch. If the string is sharp, then
tune the string down below your target pitch, and then tune back
up to the pitch you're looking for. When you tune UP, not down,
the string is more likely to stay in tune, and not slip later
on. In addition, make note of what kind of song you're playing.
Strings bend sharp when they're first strummed, and go flat as
they decay. If you're playing an aggressive song, then tune the
guitar so it's in tune as soon as its strummed (pick repeatedly
while you're tuning, don't let the note decay). If you're playing
a song with long strummed chords, then maybe tune so the string
is in tune as it decays... so the long decays are in tune. You
can find your own balance, but keep in mind that all notes start
sharper than they end up at the end.
Having your guitar properly set up and intonated helps with tuning
a lot. If you've ever noticed your guitar sounds in tune when
you play one chord, and out of tune when you play another, you
probably need a setup. A professionally done set-up looks at the
action (the height of the strings off the fretboard), the bow
of the neck, the position of the saddles, the condition of the
nut, and many other things.
The position of the saddles is of particular importance. If the
saddle is moved forward the string is shortened. If the saddle
is moved back the string is lengthened. Adjusting the saddles
can ensure that the string plays in tune at every fret.
Find a guitar tech near you to get a professional setup done,
and don't be afraid to ask questions. The more you talk with your
tech, the better you will understand the work being done, and
the better your tech will understand what you like in a setup.
Also, if you want to learn to do setups yourself (I generally
do most of my own setup work), there are TONS of resources online.
You'll need a few small screwdrivers, hex key sets, a good tuner,
and a good ear.
6. Watch that G-String
This ties into the tuning issue...
The G-string is a particular problem on a guitar. Maybe you've
noticed this already. It seems to be the most likely to be out
of tune. It might sound right when you play an E chord, and then
out of tune when you play a G, or vice versa. This is not just
you! All guitars have this problem to some degree. The 12-note
western scale is actually somewhat flawed, and it creates little
quirks in tuning a guitar. The G-string is where these flaws are
most prominent on the guitar. The reasons for this would take
forever to get into, but due to this fact, choosing what string
to use as a G-string can make a big difference in how you play.
Electric guitar sets sometimes have a wound G, and sometimes a
plain G (most acoustic sets have wound G's) . For lighter string
sets (remember, these are cop-outs!), a plain G is generally included.
For heavier string sets, a wound G is often included. This is
where your style comes into play. If you play a lot of octave
formations on your A and G strings, and don't usually bend your
G string very much, then a wound G may work for you. Personally,
I do a lot of double stops (bending the G string a whole step
and playing it along with the B string 2 frets lower, making a
double note). I don't want to have to bend a wound G a whole step.
That would just take incredible strength. I've found that a plain
G at around .20 works best for me. Once again, this something
you need to experiment with for yourself. Just keep in mind the
differences between wound and plain.
Also, when you're tuning the G string, keep in mind what chords
you are about to be playing. If you are playing power chords as
part of an aggressive song, then you're going to want to tune
the G fairly normally... but if you're going to be playing a lot
of chords with an open G, you may want to consider tuning the
G slightly sharp. Just like we talked about in the tuning section,
this allows the G to decay in tune.
7. Clean Signal Path
Pedals are fun. There are so many
out there as well.... Neary never ending options of distortions,
overdrives, phasers, delays, and so many more. While pedals are
fun, they bring a whole new element to your tone. The more pedals
you add, the more your tone can get sucked up by all the pedals
and cables. Here are a few thoughts to help minimize the signal
loss through your pedals or pedalboard.
When a pedal is on, it does it's thing, and that's fine, but what
happens when you turn it off? The effect that a pedal has on your
signal while its off is definitely something to consider, and
pedals deal with this in 2 different ways. They are either buffered
pedals, or true bypass pedals. Buffered pedals basically keep
your guitar's tone from degrading as it goes through the pedal,
but the tone isn't always preserved exactly as it was when it
went in. True bypass pedals, which are often considered superior,
bypass all electronics when they're turned off. It's like the
pedal is not even in the chain.
There are many different opinions as to which one of these is
better. My rule of thumb is that I'd like most of my pedals to
be true bypass, to preserve my guitar's tone as much as possible.
However, think about how much cable is in the path between my
guitar and my amp. If I've got a 30 ft cable to my pedalboard,
8 1-ft cables between pedals, and another 30 ft cable to my amp...
then there are 68 feet of cable between my guitar and amp. That's
a lot of cable for your pickups to push through on their own.
That's why I like to have at least 1 buffered pedal in my chain...
so that buffer can help push the tone through that much cable.
To find out if your pedals are buffered or true bypass, go online
and do some research. As a rule of thumb, all BOSS pedals are
buffered. Most inexpensive pedals are buffered. Generally boutique
and high-end pedals are true-bypass, but there are exceptions.
Another thing to think about is what order to put your pedals.
Again, there are no rules, but placing pedals in a specific order
does "sound best". Generally, this is the order that most people
recommend you follow.
Tuner
Volume
Compressor
Wah/Phase/Flange
Tremolo
Overdrive/Distortion*
Boosts / EQ
Delays
*Anything placed after the overdrive or distortion will be colored
by that overdrive or distortion. Keep this in mind when placing
effects. Try putting effects both before or after the overdrive,
and see how you like it. I actually like to put my phaser after
my overdrives, because it smooths it out a bit, but that's my
personal preference. Moving pedals around changes the way they
interact with each other, so experiment and see what you enjoy!
Do your best to make sure that all
your cables are of good quality, and that they aren't any longer
than necessary. You don't need 50 feet of cable to your pedals,
and another 50 feet of cable to your amp, if you're on a 20x30
stage. Test your smaller cables between your pedals regularly.
Don't go too cheap with these cables. I know the cost is going
to hurt, but those cheap molded cables purchased in packs seem
to fail quite regularly.
8. Keep It Simple Stupid
Once again, this is some tough love
for the more experienced guitar player. As you get better at guitar,
you will learn some really fun stuff. You'll learn interesting
new chords, fun riffs, and some great leads and solos. Many guitar
players fall so in love with these things that they tend to over-use
them at times when they're not called for.
If you're playing in a band with 2 or 3 guitars, you don't want
to play parts with too much complexity. You want to keep it simple,
and make sure that what you're playing compliments what the other
guitarists are doing, and most importantly, the song. The more
people on stage, the more you need to simplify what you're doing.
NEVER EVER EVER consider yourself two good for a dumbed-down power
chord. The best guitarists in the world ARE the best because they
understand context. Sure, they can play solos that part the Red
Sea, but they also know how to play simply when the situation
calls for it.
Also keep in mind that a 3-string chord will ring out more clearly
than a 4 or 5 string chord. Complicated and complex quite often
comes across as sloppy and overworked to the listener. Do your
best to mentally step away from the guitar, and listen to the
song as a whole. THE SONG IS KING. Listen to where the lyrics
fall, and try to place your tasty licks in the spaces between
them. So much of a skilled guitarist's talent lies in his ears
in addition to his fingers.
9. Mr. Speaker
So you've got your killer guitar
(maybe a Paul Reed Smith Singlecut or Mira?!) and great amp, and
some cool pedals, all arranged properly.... but your guitar still
sounds thin... or maybe muddy? You play with the EQ but it never
really sounds the way you want it to sound. Your speakers might
be the missing link. For many guitar players, the speakers in
your amp are the last thing you'd ever think to change, but they
make a massive difference in your tone.
Each speaker has a power rating.... measured in watts. They usually
measure somewhere between 15 watts and 75 watts. As a rule of
thumb, the higher a speaker's rating, the more "headroom" it has.
That means they can be pushed louder without starting to "break
up". A certain amount of break-up is desirable, and it's up to
you to decide how much you enjoy. I'll look at 4 different common
speaker types here.
Celestion 75W (G12T-75)
This is the standard speaker in a Marshall 4x12 cabinet. It's
high power rating means it doesn't break-up very easily.... so
clean tones from the amp stay quite clean, and overdriven tones
aren't further overdriven by the speakers. This creates a fairly
bright, sometimes brittle tone. They have a pretty big and tight
bottom end as well. They can break up at higher volume levels,
and generally this helps them sound a bit warmer and fuller. This
is why most guitarists who use Marshall cabinets play so darn
loud!
Celestion "Vintage 30"
This is my favorite speaker, and it's fairly common with rock
guitarists. It's designed after a speaker that was originally
30 watts, so it breaks up a little more easily. It's warmer and
fuller than the 75W, and has more of an emphasis on the midrange.
It's a fairly balanced all-around speaker, and at 60 watts, it
can handle most guitar amps fairly easily.
Celestion "Greenback" (G12M-25)
This is another common speaker. It comes standard in some Vox
AC30's, and some older Marshall 4x12 cabinets. It's also very
popular with boutique amp makers. This speaker will be quite warm
and full... with a definite EMPHASIS on the midrange. The bottom
end is a bit flubbier, and not quite as tight. It's rated at 25
watts, so you have to be careful not to overpower it. Because
of this low power rating, this speaker breaks up very easily,
so the warmth of it is sometimes at the expense of clarity and
tightness.
Celestion "Bluebell" Alnico
For low-powered british amps like the Vox AC30, this is the holy
grail. Rated at only 15 watts, this speaker breaks up VERY easily.
As a result, it's quite easy to get full, warm, saturated tones
at relatively low volumes. They're often described as chimey.
Because of the low power rating, you have to be very careful not
to over-power these speakers. If you blow one, you're gonna be
out about $250 (the other 3 speakers above are around $100 each).
These are just 4 of the common speakers out there. There are many
other speaker companies that make speakers similar to these, and
so many other sizes as well (i've only dealt with 12 inch speakers,
the most common for guitar amps). Once again.... figure out what
speakers are in your amp, and what are in your friends' amps!
Go online and find out what speakers your guitar heroes use. It
can be a fun thing to learn!
10. The Understated Kings of
Rock
Finally.... after you've got all
your gear sorted out.... and you've practiced... and tuned, intonated,
and set up. After all that, you're ready to rock. What is left
to think about?
Well, the truth is, a HUGE amount of your tone is in your fingers.
It's in the way you play. An amazing guitar player can sit down
with the cheapest Samick guitar and Roland Micro-cube practice
amp, and it will still sound great.
The best players play with confidence. They've played these chords
a thousand times... done these solos thousands more.... and that
confidence only comes with time. That confidence allows you to
play chords powerfully. When you play with confidence, there is
no hesitation. Your mind is 2 bars ahead of your fingers, or not
connected to your fingers at all. Muscle memory is your best friend.
You need to practice until you can literally play your parts blindfolded
(I actually used to rehearse Hawk songs this way before shows...
back when I first joined).
The truth is, there is always room for improvement. Every guitar
player can learn from the other players around him. Never become
so arrogant that you become blind to the lessons in front of you,
and never assume that you can't learn something from a less experienced
player. There are hundreds of tricks and tips floating around
out there.... if you're humble, and you pay attention. If you
play shows with other bands, watch their sets. Study their playing.
Take notice of the good things, and ask yourself if you can incorporate
those things into your playing over time. Note their gear, their
playing style, the way they interact with the other members of
their band. It all matters.
The best tone cannot be bought at guitar center. It's earned in
your practice room, and in rehearsal, and on stage. It's earned
over time, and you cannot be impatient for it.
So, I hope these thoughts have given you some new ideas and perspectives.
Playing the guitar can be a ton of fun, but sometimes we get kind
of stuck in a rut... when we want to try some new things, but
we don't know what. I hope my thoughts have inspired you to try
some new things. If anyone has any questions or comments about
this article, feel free to email me at jonathansteingard@gmail.com!
1. Paul Reed Smith SE Singlecut
2. Paul Reed Smith SE Soapbar
3. Paul Reed Smith SE Semi-Hollow
