m y . g u i t a r . t o n e

My ramblings and experience with the electric guitar. It's quite the adventure. Join me! var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-11228979-3']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

[myguitartone]

Overdrive chain - (1) Zvex Super Duper 2-in-1 (always on), used to boost and overdrive the amp (2) EHX Sparkle Drive, used for light overdrive (3) Ibanez TS808HW, used for med-high overdrive (4) 90's Proco Rat, used for big distortion. 

[myguitartone]

Electric Guitar Swells (w. 3rds) - TENSION!!

Update: I didn't mention this before but if you have a Compression pedal, it's a good idea to increase the sustain to 1-3 o'clock. Your tone should be thicker and more transparent. 

[myguitartone]

60's Reliced Fender Stratocaster - So, I've never been much of a strat fan, though their sound and tone are truly unmistakable, this little thang makes me want one so bad. (Though some may call me a John Mayer cop-out...you can't deny the beauty of this guitar.) 

[myguitartone]

MY FIRST VIDEO! - A unique rhythmic delay setting using the Boss DD-20 Giga Delay (Tape delay with dual head repeats) + a wah pedal. (Apologies on the poor sound quality, but you get the idea!)

Update - forgot to mention that the delay is to eighth notes!

[myguitartone]

2 Essential Items on My Pedalboard

There are 2 pedals that I can absolutely NOT do without. They are: the BBE Sonic Stomp and the Boss Compression Sustainer CS-3. Why you might ask??? So glad you asked. Plainly put, they make my tone warmer and well-rounded (EQ wise).

The BBE Sonic Stomp provides the warmth by allowing me to control and boost the low and mid ranges of my guitar tone. 

The Boss Compression Sustainer CS-3 does 3 very important things, other than the compression and attack/sustain it provides: 1) it allows me to EQ the high-end frequency, 2) homogenizes the volume of my strumming (I tend to be a heavy strummer and hit the strings unevenly), and lastly, 3) it provides a volume boost...which helps overdrive the tubes in the VOX AC15. 

Why is all this so important? Well, if you tend to play live with a loud drummer, then you probably have the volume knob of your amp set high so that you can heard. For me, the knob is usually set to 11 or 12 o'clock. This is good and bad for the following reasons: Good because it naturally pushes the tubes in your amp, which gives you that nice warm sound. Bad because higher volume usually means imbalanced frequencies (a.k.a. more distortion and brighter high-end frequencies). 

Whether your playing soft or loud, you don't want your guitar tone to fluctuate with the volume of your amp. Consistency is key! Hope this helps!

[myguitartone]

Ambient Swells

You'll need: a volume pedal, delay pedal and a reverb pedal. Octave pedal and/or a Wah pedal are optional but highly encouraged!

How to:  Set your delay to the tempo of the song with 4-5 repeats (preferably with quarter notes). Turn on your reverb and set you volume pedal all the way down (heel-side down). If you have a Wah pedal, you have the option of setting it heel-side down, which will produce a low organ sound. If you set the Wah toe-side down, you will produce a high frequency synthesizer like sound. The use of an octave pedal will just enhance the low or high end sound. 

I recommend experimenting with the Wah pedal to see what kind of sound you like. Check out the video below for an awesome example!

[myguitartone]

The Wonderful World of Delay Pedals

I've always been fascinated by the use of the delay effect. It has the ability to take a simple riff/song to the next level, fill empty space or create a wall of magical sound! Because of it's epic nature, I've decided to dedicate a post to it. 

It's very common to hear guitarists use a standard quarter note or eighth note delay. These are great settings especially for simple riffs or solos but there are times when they can become...well, boring or predictable. And lets be honest, who wants that?

The dotted eighth note is an amazing delay setting that is very much associated with U2's, The Edge. It provides a percussive/rhythmic effect which can be clearly heard on the single, Where The Streets Have No Name. This setting can be found on the Boss DD-6, DD-7 and the DD-20 but NOT on the Line 6 DL4. It's actually possible to tap in dotted eighth notes into the DL4, but in a live setting, who has the time or the patience? Check it out below!

Another cool setting is the galloping delay effect. It's simply amazing and adds that extra character to guitar parts, especially when you're playing arpeggios or small riffs. You can get the effect by running two delays on top of each other: one set to a dotted eighth note and the other to a quarter note delay. If you want a faster galloping effect, set the second delay pedal to an eighth note. Check em out! N'Joy!

[myguitartone]

I Heart OVERDRIVE - Coldplay's lead guitarist, Jonny Buckland, achieves some epic overdriven tone in Yellow. Sounds like a single coil Telecaster, no? Anywho...TURN UP THOSE SPEAKERS!!

[myguitartone]

EHX’s Micro POG - say what?? Micro who?? This little contraption is a polyphonic octave generator. Once again, say WHAT? In simpler terms, this thing generates 1 octave below or above the note you play. In essence it doubles or triples your sound so that the tone you produce is a full/thick one. 

I’ve noticed that when playing solo’s, my tone sounds very weak especially when playing solos on the high E string. I’m always left feeling that it needs to be BEEFIER! So, if you’re looking for that little extra something, consider adding this to your set-up.

[myguitartone]

Who needs a boost? I DO!

My first post! If it isn't a good one, just lie to me and tell me it is. "Thanks in advance," (don't you hate when people say that?)

The Dilema: My lead guitar parts are getting drowned out by the rest of the band, especially during instrumental sections & solos. What to do?! After spending so much time on trying to find superb tone, one certainly doesn't want it to be lost in a sea of sound. After all, one of the things that make an electric guitarist rememberable is their TONE. (Stay tuned for more on tone in the future.) Although the search for warm & gooey guitar tone will be an ongoing effort, you might be happy with the tone you've achieved and want to keep it intact and audible! 

My Answer: BUY ANOTHER PEDAL! (Insert a "muahahaha" here. Perfect.) Some might say, by adding another pedal you'll degrade your tone. The purists might add, less is more, bro. But in the words of a good friend, "I'LL DO WHAT I WANT!" :P

Anyway, back to business. My resolve would be to add a BOOST PEDAL. What is a boost pedal, you might ask. Good question. It is simply an electronic device that amplifies your guitar sound. It should have little to NO effect on your pre-existing tone, whether wet or dry. For those who don't know what wet/dry mean: Wet = guitar + effect pedals. Dry = Guitar & Amp only (no effect pedals in between.) The most important thing for me is finding something that doesn't add more gain. By gain, I specifically mean distortion. I love the natural overdriven sound of the AC15 and just want to push the tubes the max to 

The Options: Xotic RC Booster or the MXR Micro Amp. RC Booster offers Volume, Gain, Treble and Bass controls while the Micro Amp only offers a Gain control. EQ options are always a great feature over the long haul simply because one might use multiple guitars/amps that will all sound different. BUT a single gain control is great simply because of...simplicity, what could be easier than adjusting one knob? nuffin. Proguitarshop.com does a great review of both of these pedals on youtube. Check it!

It's also important to add that these two options don't take up too much pedalboard real-estate. If you're an NYC musician like me, a board needs to be small and portable...6 floor walk up's can be killer! Thus, it will need to fit on the my board pictured here:

Current set-up: '72 Telecaster Deluxe Reissue or Supro Airline Coronado DLX > Ernie Ball Volume + Boss Tuner > VOX V847A Wah > Boss Compression Sustainer CS-3 > Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive > 80's Proco Rat > Holy Grail Reverb > Boss Tremolo TS-2 > Boss DD-5 > Boss Giga Delay DD-20 > BBE Sonic Stomp