(TV show recap voice) This week on Chasing Tone….
Tips for making your rig sound better: Eric Swanson writes, “3 tips from everyone ‘even Max’ on how to make your rig sound better.” Travis takes the lead on this one and quotes a great slogan from Brian, “Less eBay or more Mel Bay”. Practice up! Nothing will make your rig sound as good as practice will. So study a style, a genre, your favorite artist, knowledge is power – and your tone and ability will reflect that.
My 2 cents on this subject was on gear. If I was trying to achieve an S.R.V. type tone – after I practiced the licks and got those down – I would start doing research on what type of gear he used – or what kind of gear can get me in the ballpark of those tones. Not everyone can afford a Dumble – but a Strat, tube screamer style pedal, and an amp that is 6L6 based will get you in the ballpark. Do some homework before you start buying gear and have an idea of the tone direction you want to go in – and you won’t be disappointed. Brian made an excellent addition that – if you are thinking about buying a pedal, from any manufacturer, give them a shout first. Explain your rig, and the tones you are after, and ask their opinion on if their pedal, or some other pedal – will help you achieve the tones you are after.
Picks: So the pick craze. Is some of it hype/ good marketing? Or is it part of the building block of good tone? Either way – pick materials can have a big effect on your tone. You can read a more in depth article about it here: https://www.wamplerpedals.com/blog/how-to-pick-your-pick/ Let us know what your favorite picks are and how they influence your tone!
Until Thursday Tone Chasers.
– Max