TONE - A SUBJECTIVE ISSUE

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Tommy Bolin! Yeah thats another! Saw him the night he died in Miami, opened for Jeff Beck. Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" is my favorite TB record then "Gang Bang" by the James Gang. I saw a CD yesterday a compilation with TB playing a vintage Les Paul, never saw him play one. The Strat and Explorer were the ones I remember. Was not much of a fan of his solo stuff, he needed other great players to make him shine. I'm so old I saw him with his Colorado band Zepher and one time as Albert Kings second guitar player. And we are still on the topic of tone! Nice Thread! :wink: TG
 
Interesting

What about Tony Peluso's ground breaking fuzz solo on the Carpenters 'Goodbye to Love' and the similar fuzz tone solo that was used on 'Boogie Oogie Oogie' by A Taste of Honey (or was that a Bass). Incidently, that solo has a nice bum note near the end that I still include when we play the song just to make it sound more authentic :-? .

Speaking of which nobodys perfect, including my hero Mr. Lukather who perfectly demonstrates the art of playing a great bum note near the end of his 16 bar solo in the Bozz Scaggs song 'Break Down Dead Ahead'. Great TONE though and one of the mans best solos.
 
Speaking of Lukather, here in the states we have late night talk/entertainment shows and last night on the Jimmy Kimmel Show Lukather was the house bands special guest. Is he still married to one of the Currie sisters? If so he is a very lucky man! 8) TG
 
8) I got the new Allman Brothers CD this week and it's the best thing I have heard in a long time! The songs ,the playing ,production...Warren Haynes is a monster player, and has a great voice. He and Derick Trucks are an awsome combo! I burned a copy for Mrs.Tokaiguy and she said it's the best thing she's heard since Gary Moore's "After Hours". WE are still talkin bout Tone! :p TG
 
Another dodgy sound came from the solo in the middle of Lionel Richie's "Easy".

NG's solo in "Wonderwall" has a similar tizz to it.

Gary Moore's "G-Force" album was full of what sounded like DI straight into the mixing desk sounds. I kind of liked it at the time and in the long run his playing on the record certainly made up for it.
 
:eek: Ernie Isley's playing on "Who's that lady" makes my ears want to cough, but in a good way. Another favorite sound is the guitar solo and fills on the old Skylark song "Wild flower" I think these songs have to fall under the guilty pleasures catagorie! 8) TG
 
Time for me to add my two cents.
Any recording by Nile Rogers of Chic fame is an advanced tutorial in sheer funk genius, as far as I'm concerned. I listen to him as much if not more than Hendrix, Stevie Ray or other Strat daddies. Not crazy about that whole disco era thing, but am bonkers over Nile Rogers' playing. Another great Strat player I play (or try valiently) along with is the late Curtis Mayfield, who was a major influence on Hendrix himself. Beautiful clean Strat tones, both of them.
 
Rodgers has a stunning right hand technique too. I have the honour of playing the intro to Le Freak on most Saturday nights. It still sends a shiver down the old back bone and it ain't that easy to get the riff right neither. We get to do 'We are family' too so it's a double bonus for me.

There are so many great funk players out there with solid tones. EW&F's Al AMcKay also springs to mind. Wha Wha Watson, Paul Jackson Jnr, Dean Parks, Jay Graydon, Hiram Bullock, all top draw players with great tone and I'm only scratching the surface.

What an education
 
Back the 80's Nile Rogers was interviewed in Guitar World and talked about his Plexi Strat and went on and on about his Tokais! He said he used the Tok's as his main touring and recording tools! It was partly because of that article and the fact that IMC the Tokai distributor was here in the Dallas Ft.Worth area that I got into this Tokai madness!! And as far as the late Curtis Mayfield...after hearing Axis Bold as Love for the first time in 68' I started to detect Hendrix's influences, there would be no Little Wing or Castles made of Sand without The Mayfield Man! " I'm your Mama, I'm your Daddy" you know the rest! TG :lol:
 
:D While we are talking about Curtis and players with great tone, are you guy's familiar with Jon Butcher's album "Wishes"? That's a great guitar recording ! :wink: TG
 
:D Hey LB, If you are interested in the Jon Butcher stuff "Wishes" is his best effort followed by "Pictures from the front" There are some wild JB kind of instrumentals on that one. He went on to form a band called Barefoot Servants and he has a great website. Worst case if you can't find these recordings I can most likely burn a couple for ya! Did you get the Alan Hayes cd ? TG :eek:
 
There is a lot of praise for Eric Johnson's TONE. Now this guy is a superb player and I do like the smooth TONE that he generates although I'm not totally flipped by it.

He seems very actively involved in evolving his sound. I guess you could accuse him of disappearing up his own backside when it comes to his methodology on creating the perfect TONE. Squeezing that little bit extra out of his set up to satisfy his own ears perhaps?

I?m not complaining, I?m asking if he is a prime example of going completely over the top about TONE?

So:

Is there a limit to what you can achieve with TONE as a player?
Can it be said that the more you like the TONE, the better you play and the happier you feel?
Do you gain more respect from your peers?
Spend more money on kit?
Can you become obsessive about TONE (Eric)?
etc.

If you gave Eric Johnson a Top Twenty amp and guitar would he still make the solo in White Cliffs of Dover sound just as good?

I reckon he would because it?s him.
 
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