What is the sound you can absolutely nail with your Mesa???

[Mountain Fever]

I admit right up front that even after many years of playing I do not (and have never had) my own sound. So, I have been happily getting close to the signature sounds of others, which is about the best I can hope for.

Whose sound do you cover the best and which amp and guitar are you using to get that sound?

 

[mcsdude]

Heheh - you notice most of the people with "signature tones" strated carving their tones in the 60s and 70s? These days it seems its all been done unless you want to go so funky that its hard to listen to. Andy Timmons may be one exception to that. His modern day is semi-unique and just incredible.

With my road king I can nail a lot of tones ranging from that warm and bold hendrix tone to a pretty good brown sound and VH1 tone to of course the modern day recto growl. I'm using pedals to achieve some too but most of it's just amp and pre-amp EQ.

 

[gooberizer]

From day one when I started playing 25 years ago on a little Ampeg 1x12 combo with a Boss distortion pedal, up to now on my Trem-o-verb full stack, I have always been able to nail MY tone. I'm not saying that the various Marshalls, Mesas, Fenders, Carvins, etc. I've owned sound the same, just that I actually can't seem to escape sounding like me. My guitar playing buddies have even told me it's a mystery to them! I somehow get the same dynamic response and touch whether I'm playing my Mesa or my old Marshalls or Carvin. And EVERYONE says I sound like Michael Schenker. I wasn't going for his tone, it's just what comes out of me. :roll:

 

[RocksOff]

Hmmmm... I think I have my own sound, though sometimes I WISH I could emulate or incorporate others tone into my own. Guess we have the opposite issues, eh?

 

[ToneAddictJon]

Like others have said, it's easy for me to get my tone out of any amp I play through, I just have a different style of playing and use different voicings and different techniques than most guitarists I've heard. I've never really had a hard time nailing other peoples tones, but it only works in a band setting, your guitar is not gonna sound the same by itself as it will in a band setting.

 

[konstantine3]

Its kinda hard to nail down a signature tone, it all depends on how strong your striking hand is on your strings and how well you can use the vibration of the strings to your fret hand. I play 2 les pauls and a gothic explorer, all have 500t/496R pickups, but the wood, the strings all have their own sound.
I dont use any distortion pedals just a delay, chorus, wah and whammy for special FX here and there.

The roadking helps with the output selection, but I think it is your playing that dictates the tone IMO

 

[clutch71]

I'm a Hobbyist and not serious player so I like hanging out in the garage with a couple of beers and playing along with my favorite CD's.

I find my 2ch DR guitar>Wah>amp does older Tool Very well. Think Opiate and Aenima. I also like it for SOAD, RATM, and Soundgarden; mostly Bad Motor Finger stuff. Slipknot I don't really get the harmonic squeal from Duality that I'm looking for. Don't really have anything set up for Drop B though.

 

[Mountain Fever]

Yes it is interesting to be able to copy someone's sound better than generate one of my own. I guess there is mostly good in that, as there are more famous and recongizeable artists that I can copy and be happy with than what my own might have been.

Sadly, I really don't have enough time to really put in the practice that I should to get better...only about 20-30 minutes a day and not even all the days. Same problem that has my golf game stalled.

Oh well...

 

[Rocky]

I can nail my sound with my Mesas. That is all that matters to me.

 

[mcsdude]

I have a line 6 vetta II as well and caught hell for months from other players about being too focused on other people's tones - but honestly I really enjoy nailing other's tones. I also play in a cover band and unfortuantely 99% of our audience appreciates my sounding like the songs we're covering more than they would if I just had "my signature tone". And - some days I feel like a nut, some days I don't. One day I enjoy the hell out of a smooth warm tone on the verge of dirty, other days I feel like busting out windows with a sick recto growl.

If I had more time to just work on my own material I'd definately spend mroe time on "my tone" - but with soo many amazing tones out there, I'm cool with anything that sounds great. If that makes any sense.

 

[phyrexia]

The one in my head, thank god