Yup ....tone is in the fingers

Fingers Mcginty

Check out riffguy's tone here. He is playing through arguably one of the worst line of amps ever. I don't think I've ever actually played through Marshall MG series amp but I hear it getting slated constantly in this forum.
Have a look and more imprtantly a listen ....Sounds good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP5qWh9Cqk0

Mark2229

When i first read the title Riffguy was the first thing tht popped into my head

Heres another great one and hes using a cheap practice amp :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAzZ9ZRW45E&feature=channel

NoQuarter

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Check out riffguy's tone here. He is playing through arguably one of the worst line of amps ever. I don't think I've ever actually played through Marshall MG series amp but I hear it getting slated constantly in this forum.
Have a look and more imprtantly a listen ....Sounds good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP5qWh9Cqk0

He is good but in fairness the tone is ****! The power chords sound rubbish and it just sounds pretty thin to me ( 0:55 ). Sounds just like my old MG, got a flextone and its so much better.

Johnny Storm

Nice car.

stephenshields2

Sound is cack to be honest.

He's not very impressive either.

Dord

I don't see the sense in going to an airfield to "crank" a Marshall MG powered by a Mustang. Now, if it was a tube amp that would make sense... and probably sound better.

stephenshields2

Dord wrote: »

I don't see the sense in going to an airfield to "crank" a Marshall MG powered by a Mustang. Now, if it was a tube amp that would make sense... and probably sound better.

What he said.

Paolo_M

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Check out riffguy's tone here. He is playing through arguably one of the worst line of amps ever. I don't think I've ever actually played through Marshall MG series amp but I hear it getting slated constantly in this forum.
Have a look and more imprtantly a listen ....Sounds good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP5qWh9Cqk0

I really wanted to like the tone because it too don't think you need real expensive gear to sound good, but the tone here is terrible. He's a good enough player but sounds like cack.

Fingers Mcginty

Damn...I think he sounds good. To my ears anyway...
Although they have taken a lot of punishment down through the years

stephenshields2

Paolo_M wrote: »

cack.

You stole my word. :mad:


Only joking!

Sandvich

Anyone who thinks the MGs are the worst amps ever are kidding themselves. The newer MGs especially sound a lot more like proper amps than a lot of the cheap SS amps. They're just hideously overpriced for what they are.

A lot of those cheaper amps can be made to sound good with some clever mixing etc.

No idea why someone would buy an MG over one of the Peavey Transtubes though, or a decent modeler. But it's good there's something that makes others a budget sound good.

And yes, that tone is awful. I hope this thread is a joke. There's no low end in that. Even for an MG it's badly done. Not to mention the fact that his playing is the same bluesy cock rock **** over and over again.

Johnny Storm

Sandvich wrote: »

...his playing is the same bluesy cock rock **** over and over again.

You're saying that like it's a bad thing?

novarock

Any amp that has a overdrive channel that doesnt sound like the clean channel but slightly heavier is a bad amp.

The MG has three channels or something that dont have the same tonal characteristics at all. Ive seen countless bands doing a clean verse, going for the big chorus, switch to the overdrive channel and all of a sudden the guitar doesnt cut through at all.

there are very few solid states that have matched that ability of a valve amp, but they are out there. The MG isnt one of them at all!

Sandvich

Johnny Storm wrote: »

You're saying that like it's a bad thing?

Yes, absolutely. Guitar demos online are so incredibly oversaturated with it, to the point where people even demo metal amps and crazy fuzzes with these kind of licks. And these are usually the TOAN IS IN THE FINGERS types.

It's depressing. I'd rather hear someone play some Andy Summers or something.

stephenshields2

Sandvich wrote: »

Yes, absolutely. Guitar demos online are so incredibly oversaturated with it, to the point where people even demo metal amps and crazy fuzzes with these kind of licks. And these are usually the TOAN IS IN THE FINGERS types.

It's depressing. I'd rather hear someone play some Andy Summers or something.

Could be worse. I seen a demo of Madison amps (i think. some "made in the USA" high gain amp anyway) and the fella who was testing it deicided to play a rendition of his favorite song, "Chased Through The Woods By a Rapist".

And yes, thats a real song, by a band called Awaking the Cadaver if Im not mistaken!!

rcaz

Sandvich wrote: »

Guitar demos online is so incredibly oversaturated with it

Fixed

The electric guitar is the most stale instrument in most music today. Guys that want to be as legendary as Hendrix or whoever, instead of thinking about it and realising they should try to be as innovative as Hendrix and find their own way of playing, they just jump to doing exactly what Hendrix did, without realising they're only helping to make the guitar a boring, out-dated instrument.

And I think a lot of people who demo gear online are upset they didn't 'make it', and keep themselves happy by using their demo videos to show off their well-practiced ability. And now we're talking about how boring and annoying their playing is, is it any wonder they didn't 'make it'?

I play guitar, and over the last few months I've been becoming more and more annoyed at guitarists for these very reasons.

The Pro Guitar Shop demos are usually pretty good. I like how they open each one by playing a famous riff associated with the piece of equipment being reviewed, like demoing the Digitech Whammy IV with My Iron Lung.

Sandvich

El Pr0n wrote: »

Fixed

The electric guitar is the most stale instrument in most music today. Guys that want to be as legendary as Hendrix or whoever, instead of thinking about it and realising they should try to be as innovative as Hendrix and find their own way of playing, they just jump to doing exactly what Hendrix did, without realising they're only helping to make the guitar a boring, out-dated instrument.

And I think a lot of people who demo gear online are upset they didn't 'make it', and keep themselves happy by using their demo videos to show off their well-practiced ability. And now we're talking about how boring and annoying their playing is, is it any wonder they didn't 'make it'?

I play guitar, and over the last few months I've been becoming more and more annoyed at guitarists for these very reasons.

The Pro Guitar Shop demos are usually pretty good. I like how they open each one by playing a famous riff associated with the piece of equipment being reviewed, like demoing the Digitech Whammy IV with My Iron Lung.

Yeah man. Guitarists really put me off. If you spend long enough on The Gear Page it'll drive you nuts.

Guitar has become too dominated by an american conservative attitude too.

The Tone King is probably one of the worst demo wise. I remember him trying out some new amp at Namm and he was playing some of the cheesiest ass blues **** ever, started to talk, then got "dragged" back into playing, making these faces like he was playing the most amazing amp ever.

There are some companies like EHX, and some of Line 6's stuff(Particle reverb on the M9 is insane) that try to mix stuff up. But it really makes me angry that a once rebellious and creative instrument that still has a lot of room for invention even using traditional tones is just so utterly stale.

I've wondered what to do about it. I've thougth about getting a Baritone guitar as that's a bit less common, or playing Bass altogether. I've been looking for an amp that sounds "different" but it's a nightmare. I like most lower gain, vintagey tones but obviously those are also some of the most abused(along with the Marshall and Mesa tones).

That said, most music nowadays is stale. Even synth based stuff is very similar, harkening back to vintage analogue sounds and stuff from the 80s.

stephenshields2

You guys are thinking about this too hard.

Play guitar because you love it, forget about anybody else. :pac:

rcaz

Sandvich wrote: »

I've wondered what to do about it. I've thougth about getting a Baritone guitar as that's a bit less common, or playing Bass altogether. I've been looking for an amp that sounds "different" but it's a nightmare. I like most lower gain, vintagey tones but obviously those are also some of the most abused(along with the Marshall and Mesa tones).

That said, most music nowadays is stale. Even synth based stuff is very similar, harkening back to vintage analogue sounds and stuff from the 80s.

I wondered what to do as well, so I got a few pedals and a laptop, and now I'm starting to sound more like I want to.

I'll have to disagree with you about electronic music, I think it's one of the few areas of music where genuine innovation is going on relatively constantly. Aphex Twin, Autechre, DJ Shadow, Squarepusher...

-=al=-

gotta mix the new stuff with the old and be somewhat innovative if you want to try something new, thats what alot of the great folks did in the day using all the stuff that was available to them at the time

gota merge some of the great new technology with the old stuff to get something moderatly different or new

NoQuarter

Or you just need a new move! like hendrix's teeth thing or whatshisfaces windmill trick!

Sandvich

king-stew wrote: »

Or you just need a new move! like hendrix's teeth thing or whatshisfaces windmill trick!

Tone is in the phallus.

Fingers Mcginty

What a bunch of bleedin sheep....actually no...BLEATING would be a more apt word. BAAAAAAhhhhhhhhAAAAAA :p:p
****in unbelievable What I was trying to convey was that you don't need a whole wad of notes to sound good. I actually thought the vid was entertaining. Really Wasn't expecting this wave of hostility and a bunch of band wagon hoppers..
Line up indiviually and hold your hands out for a slap especially you shields....God your such a ball breaker. Bet you're a savage guitarist though.

stephenshields2

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

What a bunch of bleedin sheep....actually no...BLEATING would be a more apt word. BAAAAAAhhhhhhhhAAAAAA :p:p
****in unbelievable What I was trying to convey was that you don't need a whole wad of notes to sound good. I actually thought the vid was entertaining. Really Wasn't expecting this wave of hostility and a bunch of band wagon hoppers..
Line up indiviually and hold your hands out for a slap especially you shields....God your such a ball breaker. Bet you're a savage guitarist though.

What did I do on you?

-=al=-

don't you mind em fingers

Karl Hungus

Sandvich wrote: »

Tone is in the phallus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfpQR-c4JVQ

:pac:

stephenshields2

Love Dethklok...

Sandvich

Karl Hungus wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfpQR-c4JVQ

:pac:

I feel bad that I didn't immediately think of this.

Orando Broom

El Pr0n wrote: »

I wondered what to do as well, so I got a few pedals and a laptop, and now I'm starting to sound more like I want to.

Fire an oul Kaos pad on there horse and you'll fly it!!

Matt Bellemy's has a guitar with one, I'll be damned If I remember the name.

rcaz

Orando Broom wrote: »

Fire an oul Kaos pad on there horse and you'll fly it!!

Matt Bellemy's has a guitar with one, I'll be damned If I remember the name.

Bellamy has some guitars built by Manson guitars. IIRC, he doesn't have a Kaoss pad, but just a track pad controlling some effects. Also, he uses it for pretty aimless noise and not much else, which isn't my style. I think Bellamy's a pretty boring guitarist, I can't for the life of me understand why he's being touted as the guitarist of our generation, while guys like Nels Cline, Jonny Greenwood, Ronald Jones are being ignored. The Kaoss pads are pretty cool, and I'd love to have a go of the sampler and some of the delays, so maybe some day.

Also, if I got one of them and used it like he did, I'd be just as bad as those wah-using Hendrix worshippers.

darrenw5094

El Pr0n wrote: »

Also, if I got one of them and used it like he did, I'd be just as bad as those wah-using Hendrix worshippers.

Hendrix had talent. Hendrix clones have also got talent. Some guitarists that play rock, blues, jazz, etc have also got amazing talent. Others don't. But i don't understand why people on this thread bash the very talented guitarists.

Orando Broom

El Pr0n wrote: »

Bellamy has some guitars built by Manson guitars. IIRC, he doesn't have a Kaoss pad, but just a track pad controlling some effects. Also, he uses it for pretty aimless noise and not much else, which isn't my style. I think Bellamy's a pretty boring guitarist, I can't for the life of me understand why he's being touted as the guitarist of our generation, while guys like Nels Cline, Jonny Greenwood, Ronald Jones are being ignored. The Kaoss pads are pretty cool, and I'd love to have a go of the sampler and some of the delays, so maybe some day.

Also, if I got one of them and used it like he did, I'd be just as bad as those wah-using Hendrix worshippers.

But would you though? I mean anyone who does anything with a guitar nowadays can be accused of being derivitive. I think at the end of the day it is what you do with it as opposed to what it is. I mean Jonny Greenwood plays a guitar too! Though he stopped after Ok Computer and started to jerk furiously in my opinion.

I am not sure what your style is and by what I read about a lot of you this board I am in the ha'penny place (and smaller denominations if they exist) in terms of guitar, so I am no one to start lecturing on about style but I do listen to a vast amount of music and guitarists and I think there are innovative musicians currently doing the rounds.

I like what bands like the Mars Volta and Dillinger Escape Plan do with music though it's essentially forms of jazz being laminated onto hard rock. I accept that the guitar is just a part of the process as opposed the front or the nexus of any innovation.

I think Bellemy has espoused the virtues of guitar and the lead guitarist maybe a bit further with Muse than Cline has with Wilco from the standpoint of the ordinary man on the street. That is not saying Cline is inferior to Bellamy, just one has a higer profile than the other.

stephenshields2

El Pr0n wrote: »

Bellamy has some guitars built by Manson guitars. IIRC, he doesn't have a Kaoss pad, but just a track pad controlling some effects. Also, he uses it for pretty aimless noise and not much else, which isn't my style. I think Bellamy's a pretty boring guitarist, I can't for the life of me understand why he's being touted as the guitarist of our generation, while guys like Nels Cline, Jonny Greenwood, Ronald Jones are being ignored. The Kaoss pads are pretty cool, and I'd love to have a go of the sampler and some of the delays, so maybe some day.

Also, if I got one of them and used it like he did, I'd be just as bad as those wah-using Hendrix worshippers.

I agree with you when it comes to Matt Bellamy, boring.

But I do not agree with the Kaoss pad being compared to the mighty Wah pedal. Wah can help guitarists put emphasis on a certain phrase or lick, make some funky percussive noises and completely change a guitar tone if its left on in single position (ala Slash, Dimebag, Van Halen etc) to name but a few of its uses.

The Kaoss pad... Well its makes noises that Im not sure anyone ever wanted to hear! :rolleyes:

Orando Broom

stephenshields2 wrote: »

I agree with you when it comes to Matt Bellamy, boring.

But I do not agree with the Kaoss pad being compared to the mighty Wah pedal. Wah can help guitarists put emphasis on a certain phrase or lick, make some funky percussive noises and completely change a guitar tone if its left on in single position (ala Slash, Dimebag, Van Halen etc) to name but a few of its uses.

The Kaoss pad... Well its makes noises that Im not sure anyone ever wanted to hear! :rolleyes:

So do guitars!

stephenshields2

Orando Broom wrote: »

So do guitars!

Haha, dont know what way you play your guitar mate!

Orando Broom

stephenshields2 wrote: »

Haha, dont know what way you play your guitar mate!

Jesus, erm..... the grade above three chord. If this was a World of Warcraft parody I'd be Pub Guitarist Level 3!

I am playing a few years but never got stuck into it much. I can acquit myself. I am in a band with two mate's we play popular stuff (though I like to try and keep away from the lowest common denominator stuff) acoustically and in the simplest 4 chords we can find. One of the lads is genuinely class the other is a beginner bass player with talent. I have good rhythm.

I'd love to be able to learn the solos and lead stuff but I struggle to give 20 minutes a night. I play a good bit of sport and that saps up loads of time in the evenings.

By the way any advise on where to start with the solos and stuff would be appreciated.

rcaz

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Hendrix had talent. Hendrix clones have also got talent. Some guitarists that play rock, blues, jazz, etc have also got amazing talent. Others don't. But i don't understand why people on this thread bash the very talented guitarists.

You're not getting me at all. When Hendrix plugged into a fuzz pedal and a wah pedal, it was revolutionary, nobody had heard the guitar played like the way he was doing it before. Now guys think they can be that amazing by doing the same thing, but it doesn't have anywhere near the same effect.

stephenshields2 wrote: »

I agree with you when it comes to Matt Bellamy, boring.

But I do not agree with the Kaoss pad being compared to the mighty Wah pedal. Wah can help guitarists put emphasis on a certain phrase or lick, make some funky percussive noises and completely change a guitar tone if its left on in single position (ala Slash, Dimebag, Van Halen etc) to name but a few of its uses.

The Kaoss pad... Well its makes noises that Im not sure anyone ever wanted to hear! :rolleyes:

A wah pedal is a VERY basic filter, hardly mighty at all. If you got a proper filter and put your guitar into that, the results would be endlessly better. The Kaoss pad is a very interesting way of controlling a multi effect unit. Think of it like two knobs, one on the X axis and one on the Y. Now apply that to controlling maybe the feedback and repeat rate of a delay, or the playback of a sample, or any two controls that have an interesting relationship (or don't for that matter).

Matt Bellamy doesn't use it well at all, but in the right hands, I think it could be amazing. One use of it I know of that I like is the live version of Everything In Its Right Place when Jonny Greenwood uses it to sample Thom Yorke's voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSpJEuNZxIk

stephenshields2

Orando Broom wrote: »

Jesus, erm..... the grade above three chord. If this was a World of Warcraft parody I'd be Pub Guitarist Level 3!

I am playing a few years but never got stuck into it much. I can acquit myself. I am in a band with two mate's we play popular stuff (though I like to try and keep away from the lowest common denominator stuff) acoustically and in the simplest 4 chords we can find. One of the lads is genuinely class the other is a beginner bass player with talent. I have good rhythm.

I'd love to be able to learn the solos and lead stuff but I struggle to give 20 minutes a night. I play a good bit of sport and that saps up loads of time in the evenings.

By the way

Ive been playing about 6 years. Im in 2 bands at the mo, one is just a cover band, the other is original music, melodic death metal would be the best phrase to sum it up. Its very technical, but I like it, cos it keeps my chops up. (I also play plenty of rock and blues, metal and even a few tunes on the auld resonator!)

You should go for it, and start working on your leads!! Sport is no excuse, I play indoor football and ice hockey, and I still manage at least 2 hours of guitar a day. At least.


Edit: Orando Broom, Just seen you asked for help with starting leads. In my opinion, the two first things you should look at are chromatics, and the pentatonic scales. (Presuming you already knw your major and minor scales. If not, learn them now, they are ESSENTIAL!!)

Orando Broom

stephenshields2 wrote: »

Ive been playing about 6 years. Im in 2 bands at the mo, one is just a cover band, the other is original music, melodic death metal would be the best phrase to sum it up. Its very technical, but I like it, cos it keeps my chops up. (I also play plenty of rock and blues, metal and even a few tunes on the auld resonator!)

You should go for it, and start working on your leads!! Sport is no excuse, I play indoor football and ice hockey, and I still manage at least 2 hours of guitar a day. At least.


Edit: Orando Broom, Just seen you asked for help with starting leads. In my opinion, the two first things you should look at are chromatics, and the pentatonic scales. (Presuming you already knw your major and minor scales. If not, learn them now, they are ESSENTIAL!!)

Cheers, for the record Monday Friday I was doing 400 miles a week to train, gym the other three.

Cheers for the tips, I will have to start working on that stuff. Would I need to give it two hours a night?

For the record I would LOVE to be in a band like Explosions in the Sky.

rcaz

Orando Broom wrote: »

I think Bellemy has espoused the virtues of guitar and the lead guitarist maybe a bit further with Muse than Cline has with Wilco from the standpoint of the ordinary man on the street. That is not saying Cline is inferior to Bellamy, just one has a higer profile than the other.

Ah, but Cline has only been with Wilco for a little while! He's been playing music, a lot of it jazz or some form of improvised music, for around 30 years, and he's allegedly been recorded on over 150 albums. He's taken the instrument and his music a lot further than Bellamy.

stephenshields2

Orando Broom wrote: »

Cheers, for the record Monday Friday I was doing 400 miles a week to train, gym the other three.

Cheers for the tips, I will have to start working on that stuff. Would I need to give it two hours a night?

For the record I would LOVE to be in a band like Explosions in the Sky.

More.

Well this is all from my own personal experience, but you can never practice enough. But when you start out, or play very little, after 4-5 hours, your fingers may start to bleed around the edges of your nails... :rolleyes: But, after a few months, the tops of your fingers will be so tough, you wont even feel it!!

darrenw5094

El Pr0n wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSpJEuNZxIk

Er......Greenwood does NOT touch a guitar in that whole clip.

rcaz

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Er......Greenwood does NOT touch a guitar in that whole clip.

El Pr0n wrote:

Jonny Greenwood uses it to sample Thom Yorke's voice.

I was talking about uses of the Kaoss pad, not guitar playing.

darrenw5094

El Pr0n wrote: »

I was talking about uses of the Kaoss pad, not guitar playing.

Sorry dude. I thought that was funny. The thread is called, 'Tone is in the fingers'

Sandvich

El Pr0n; you should get an M9.

On the M9, you can assign the expression pedal to ANYTHING and interpolate between any two positions(or even settings). You can do this for as many values as you like across the 3 pedals. You could blend between 2 entirely different settings. If you hooked that up to a photoeye sensor on your guitar or similar you could make some absolutely crazy sounds.

The only thing it doesn't have sadly is a Flanger depth you can manipulate with the expression pedal, at least that I've found. Very few flangers do this, the Morley Pro Flanger being one of them. In theory if it had an Electric Mistress model; you could do it pretty easily. But it doesn't.

stephenshields2

Sandvich wrote: »

El Pr0n; you should get an M9.

Thought you were on about something different there for a sec!!

Orando Broom

Sandvich wrote: »

El Pr0n; you should get an M9.

On the M9, you can assign the expression pedal to ANYTHING and interpolate between any two positions(or even settings). You can do this for as many values as you like across the 3 pedals. You could blend between 2 entirely different settings. If you hooked that up to a photoeye sensor on your guitar or similar you could make some absolutely crazy sounds.

The only thing it doesn't have sadly is a Flanger depth you can manipulate with the expression pedal, at least that I've found. Very few flangers do this, the Morley Pro Flanger being one of them. In theory if it had an Electric Mistress model; you could do it pretty easily. But it doesn't.

Do any of ye ever drop a line to the manufacturers? I am sure they would tell you to stick it where the monkey hides his nuts but if it was commercially viable they might look into it.

Guitareaxe

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Check out riffguy's tone here. He is playing through arguably one of the worst line of amps ever. I don't think I've ever actually played through Marshall MG series amp but I hear it getting slated constantly in this forum.
Have a look and more imprtantly a listen ....Sounds good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP5qWh9Cqk0

Your absolutely 100% spot on.

Tone is in the fingers! I can take a piece of junk and make it sound like heaven

rcaz

Guitareaxe wrote: »

I can take a piece of junk and make it sound like heaven

That's brilliant.

Sandvich

Guitareaxe wrote: »

Your absolutely 100% spot on.

Tone is in the fingers! I can take a piece of junk and make it sound like heaven

But that clip sounds ****...

Paolo_M

Guitareaxe wrote: »

Your absolutely 100% spot on.

Tone is in the fingers! I can take a piece of junk and make it sound like heaven

Well tone is definitely not in the correct use of your and you're!!