Are you totally satisfied with your tone?

[WEDGE]

When I was in my twenties.......a long time ago it seems now........I had a rig I was totally and completely satisfied with. A Charvel with a single Seymour Duncan Invader into a 1976 Marshall JMP non-master volume 50 watt head into a silver anniversary Marshall slant front 4x12. Just a cable from the guitar to the amp, no funny business. Ran the amp on 10 through a Scholz Power Soak to tame the level. To my ears this was a god-like tone full of saturated chunky goodness that you felt as much as heard.

Life happened and I had to sell off my gear, I am sure some of you can appreciate this.

Fast forward a quarter of a century later and I am now running a PRS 408 and ME into a PRS Blistertone through a paisley PRS 2x12 with a EP booster and various changing other pedals. I love the sounds i get from this set up. Fact is though that as good as I think this sounds now, in my head I hear the tone I used to get and wish for it.

Am I just never satisfied with gear as my wife says, or does this happen to others......did you ever have a tone you were totally happy with and still chase it now through never ending gear purchases, or are you fortunate enough to have your ultimate rig now? Love to hear your thoughts.

 

[Harker1440]

With the Sig ltd and the Shiva Ive finally duplicated the tone I "Hear" in my head. For me its been a 20 year chase to get to the point Im at now but For Now !!! Im Happy

 

[László]

I've posted many times here how happy I am with my current setup: 100% delighted.

For nearly 22 years, PRS guitars have been the key component in achieving my sound. Now with a PRS amp, things are even better. What separates the HX/DA from any other amp I've had is how warm, rich and buttery the tones are, and how easily it sustains at any gain setting. It's a beautiful sounding amp - I really mean that.

I've had wonderful rigs that I've absolutely loved, and was very happy with my tone - but I've stumbled on real synergy with this rig.

It's as though the heavens parted and the angels sang.

 

[veinbuster]

Some days my ears don't like what I'm hearing - less able to pick up the highs, but I'm pretty happy with what I have.
I play the brazilians and single cuts mostly through a Boogie Mark III slightly dirty.
Brighter guitars through a Boogie Mark V or an MDT.
Acoustics either a super clean channel 1 of the Mark V or straight into a Fishman SA220.

 

[Rango]

I've been happy as long as I EVER have with my P22 into the Top Boost channel of my 2x12 Mesa TA-30.

I've had some "magic" tones before - LP into a '59 Bassman Reissue was pretty dam good - but but to get the magic you had to turn it up so freeken loud I could only use it at HOME....to loud to play out with in the venues we were playing at the time... But it sure was FUN

I think it's a journey... with stops along the way.

 

[Twinfan]

I love my tone right now, to me it's the "sound in my head". Like Craig, it's taken me a long time to get here but the journey has been fantastic (if expensive). Finding the right amp has been much more difficult than finding the right guitar (once I discovered PRS guitars), but the 65 Amps Empire does it for me.

One thing I do miss however, is being Angus in an AC/DC tribute band. There I used a '65 SG through a vintage Marshall clone half-stack nicely cranked up. A totally different tone to the one in my head, but the emotional feeling I got playing through that powerful rig was highly addictive.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

When I'm playing by myself, no. When I listen back to what has been recorded a few weeks later, totally.

 

[mad monk]

Nope. I believe that a lot of it has to do with the fact that I'm not happy with my playing, either. If you've reached the point where you have a style that identifies "you" as the player, you'll be happy. If you try to sound like your favorite player, unless you play as well as they do, you'll be disappointed.

 

[jfb]

Yep. A couple of PRS into a Bogner Uberschall Twin Jet. The cosmic wrap and metal faceplate on the Bogner help the tone immensely. Don't forget the PRS instrument cable. I run a 25" silent plug with right angle. Oh and a variety of PRS straps which are my super secret tone weapon! Well, these and a TC Electronic PolyTune.

I did have an Orange RockerVerb MKII 100 Watt that I loved dearly. Just something about the gain on that thing. So rich. The Bogner is a bit more me though. And I've finally admitted to myself that I prefer my PRS with a mahogany or maple neck to rosewood. Hard to do after buying a few ME I's and ME II's, but all is well.

 

[bluefade]

The only constant in our universe is change, thus Gear Aquisition syndrome = the search for tone !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[crgtr]

I'm pretty happy with my tone. No real GAS kickin' in right now. I do find less is more now. It was in the beginning for me & I find it to be so now too.

 

[Rango]

I'm pretty happy with my tone. No real GAS kickin' in right now. I do find less is more now. It was in the beginning for me & I find it to be so now too.

I'd think Abby and that 25th Ann. Amp would cure most GAS.