Another Eternal Question. Amp or Guitar?

[László]

The contributions of the amp to the overall tone FAR outweigh the contributions which are provided by the guitar or any of the individual ingredients which went into building of the guitar.

Here's the rule... (which I suspect you already know)

You can take a great guitar and plug it into a crappy amp which will result in a crappy sounding guitar.
Then you can take a crappy guitar and plug it into a great amp which will result in a great sounding guitar.

On the macro level, this is all true, hence my initial post that you quoted. On the micro level, things become more nuanced, and the 'rule' becomes something of an oversimplification.

Sure, amp has a bigger impact than the guitar, but beyond that, the guitar still matters a great deal. The truth is:

1. A great guitar into a crappy amp is crap unless you're playing very quietly and super clean, in which case, the great guitar still sounds better than the crappy guitar.

2. A crappy guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a crappy amp, but a great guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a great amp.

This, of course, is why we spend lots of time seeking out the right nuance in the tone of a guitar, its pickups, its cable, and so on, when choosing one to play. It's why a single coil bridge pickup still sounds different into any amp than a humbucker into the same amp, or a hollowbody sounds different from a solid body.

In other words, if you want the best tone, don't compromise anything.

Now, of course, the operative question becomes, what's the best tone?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

On the macro level, this is all true, hence my initial post that you quoted. On the micro level, things become more nuanced, and the 'rule' becomes something of an oversimplification.

Sure, amp has a bigger impact than the guitar, but beyond that, the guitar still matters a great deal. The truth is:

1. A great guitar into a crappy amp is crap unless you're playing very quietly and super clean, in which case, the great guitar still sounds better than the crappy guitar.

2. A crappy guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a crappy amp, but a great guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a great amp.

This, of course, is why we spend lots of time seeking out the right nuance in the tone of a guitar, its pickups, its cable, and so on, when choosing one to play. It's why a single coil bridge pickup still sounds different into any amp than a humbucker into the same amp, or a hollowbody sounds different from a solid body.

In other words, if you want the best tone, don't compromise anything.

Now, of course, the operative question becomes, what's the best tone?

But what about tone wood?!

 

[Warmart]

On the macro level, this is all true, hence my initial post that you quoted. On the micro level, things become more nuanced, and the 'rule' becomes something of an oversimplification.

Sure, amp has a bigger impact than the guitar, but beyond that, the guitar still matters a great deal. The truth is:

1. A great guitar into a crappy amp is crap unless you're playing very quietly and super clean, in which case, the great guitar still sounds better than the crappy guitar.

2. A crappy guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a crappy amp, but a great guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a great amp.

This, of course, is why we spend lots of time seeking out the right nuance in the tone of a guitar, its pickups, its cable, and so on, when choosing one to play. It's why a single coil bridge pickup still sounds different into any amp than a humbucker into the same amp, or a hollowbody sounds different from a solid body.

In other words, if you want the best tone, don't compromise anything.

Now, of course, the operative question becomes, what's the best tone?

Simple, consult @Tag - he knows tone and, frankly (not to be confused with Anne Frank) has posted enough proof on TGP to convince me that he knows tone!

 

[SinSir]

Simple, consult @Tag - he knows tone and, frankly (not to be confused with Anne Frank) has posted enough proof on TGP to convince me that he knows tone!

It's the dancing bananas

 

[Warmart]

It's the dancing bananas

That is indeed a huge part of it! I just can't wait to see what he posts next, tbh!

 

[Tucson Thump]

On the macro level, this is all true, hence my initial post that you quoted. On the micro level, things become more nuanced, and the 'rule' becomes something of an oversimplification.

Sure, amp has a bigger impact than the guitar, but beyond that, the guitar still matters a great deal. The truth is:

1. A great guitar into a crappy amp is crap unless you're playing very quietly and super clean, in which case, the great guitar still sounds better than the crappy guitar.

2. A crappy guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a crappy amp, but a great guitar into a great amp sounds better than a crappy guitar into a great amp.

This, of course, is why we spend lots of time seeking out the right nuance in the tone of a guitar, its pickups, its cable, and so on, when choosing one to play. It's why a single coil bridge pickup still sounds different into any amp than a humbucker into the same amp, or a hollowbody sounds different from a solid body.

In other words, if you want the best tone, don't compromise anything.

Now, of course, the operative question becomes, what's the best tone?

Ever thought about throwing your hat in the ring to host "Jeopardy"?

 

[Deleted member 5962]

It's the dancing bananas

TWSS

 

[László]

Ever thought about throwing your hat in the ring to host "Jeopardy"?

Hell. No!

The only time I ever watched 'Jeopardy' was accidentally when I was in the hospital a few years ago. The guy in the next bed wouldn't turn the damn show off and kept humming the frickin' theme song ALL DAY! Fortunately. I checked out the next morning. Geez!

I don't know how anyone could stand to be the host of that show. It'd drive me BONKERS!!!

So obviously, I'd be a complete disaster as the host, because I'd be telling them the show is stupid, constantly.

"But you'd make a lot of money."

"You couldn't pay me a million dollars a week."

"How about a day?"

"I'd work a couple of days, and then call it quits."

 

[Alnus Rubra]

It's the dancing bananas

TWSS

Banana Wood?! (Ooer missus!)

 

[HANGAR18]

Now, of course, the operative question becomes, what's the best tone?

That (of course) is purely subjective. For example, at some point after reading countless hours of commentary on the glorious praises of "Original PAF" tone pickups (Throbak, Fralin, [insert your favorite brand here]) I came to the realization that I personally do not like "clean and articulate" PAF style pickups, or even "hot" pickups that everyone raves about. Instead, I prefer the lower resistance (8 ohms or less), Alnico 2 wax potted pickups. The point being, there is no such thing as "best tone" or else we would all have the exact same model guitar with the exact same wood, pickups, frets, strings, nuts, bridges, etc. in order to have "the best" tone. There is no point in discussing the "best tone" because the answer is different for everyone.

Besides, I know tone too and all of MY guitars have THE BEST tone! hahahaha

 

[László]

That (of course) is purely subjective. For example, at some point after reading countless hours of commentary on the glorious praises of "Original PAF" tone pickups (Throbak, Fralin, [insert your favorite brand here]) I came to the realization that I personally do not like "clean and articulate" PAF style pickups, or even "hot" pickups that everyone raves about. Instead, I prefer the lower resistance (8 ohms or less), Alnico 2 wax potted pickups. The point being, there is no such thing as "best tone" or else we would all have the exact same model guitar with the exact same wood, pickups, frets, strings, nuts, bridges, etc. in order to have "the best" tone. There is no point in discussing the "best tone" because the answer is different for everyone.

Besides, I know tone too and all of MY guitars have THE BEST tone! hahahaha

100% agree. And who knows, you might indeed have The World's Best Tone!

And while that does vary for everyone (and properly so IMHO), nonetheless I think it'd be fun to have a PRS Forum Tone Contest, with various categories, complete with trophies...

"...and finally, though he didn't win any of the tone awards, the winner of the Most Bizarre Rant On The Forum Award goes to...LSchefman!"

[presenter touches her earpiece, listening]

"LSchefman couldn't be here today, because he's on the "I Really Should Be Playing Piano Or Something Tour'. Accepting the award on his behalf is Ye."

 

[Davey]

So many things to think about here.

I think Amp/speaker, then Guitar/pickups

 

[veinbuster]

I feel the guitar has to come first. If you don’t have a guitar that feels like it belongs in your hands, you won’t play at all, so the rest is irrelevant.

Once you have a guitar that you have to play, a good amp will help you create the sound in your head. Five spare guitars won’t.

 

[Warmart]

I feel the guitar has to come first. If you don’t have a guitar that feels like it belongs in your hands, you won’t play at all, so the rest is irrelevant.

Once you have a guitar that you have to play, a good amp will help you create the sound in your head. Five spare guitars won’t.

I think 1st you have to have the will to actually get anywhere with guitar. I am one that suffered badly from this failing, as I tried in the 80's, again around 2004, again around 2012 until I finally hunkered down 2.5 years ago! Ok wait, first you have to be born. No wait, first you have to be conceived, born, then have the will to play guitar. Then like VB said, you have to have the guitar that makes you happy and works for you. Then you go back to those that conceived you, and determine if you're t00b or modeler. Then you have to decide the cab/monitor/frfr thing. Did I mention pickups?? Picks? Strings? It all matters

 

[László]

I think 1st you have to have the will to actually get anywhere with guitar. I am one that suffered badly from this failing, as I tried in the 80's, again around 2004, again around 2012 until I finally hunkered down 2.5 years ago! Ok wait, first you have to be born. No wait, first you have to be conceived, born, then have the will to play guitar. Then like VB said, you have to have the guitar that makes you happy and works for you. Then you go back to those that conceived you, and determine if you're t00b or modeler. Then you have to decide the cab/monitor/frfr thing. Did I mention pickups?? Picks? Strings? It all matters

I was an egg before I was a chicken. Just sayin'.

 

[Warmart]

I was an egg before I was a chicken. Just sayin'.

And both of you are very special eggs indeed!

 

[László]

And both of you are very special eggs indeed!

That made me cluck happily.

 

[Warmart]

That made me cluck happily.

if only we had dancing chickens on this forum! Add that to the list containing the bus-tcha and the lack of imbedded images!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

if only we had dancing chickens on this forum! Add that to the list containing the bus-tcha and the lack of imbedded images!

Don’t tempt me! I have video evidence!

 

[Warmart]

Don’t tempt me! I have video evidence!

there's a purple nurple waiting if you don't show the evidence Plus, it appears I can't speel embedded very well