The Pursuit Of Tone

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There are varying opinions of the best way to build a guitar rig to achieve that ultimate, but sometimes elusive tone. Nowadays with so many choices and options out there it’s easier to end up with a bad sound. Different playing environments can call for different setups, but, based on what has worked for us here at Hillsong, I would like to offer a few simple thoughts on some of the basics when it comes to picking out the gear and putting it together.

1. The Guitar

This is obviously the most important tool of which you will express your musical thoughts through. The better a guitar sounds and feels in your hands, then the better you will play. Many people make the mistake of trying to compensate for a cheap or bad sounding axe with more effects where clearly this is not the best approach. Obviously budget will be a factor, but if you’re not sure, stick to some of the more common brand names that have been around for a while. You generally won’t go wrong with them as they’re not out to put out products that will ultimately damage their reputation, whereas something cheap and nasty will sound bad and be hard to play, probably leaving you quite frustrated!

2. The Amplifier

Once again, budget will play a part in what you ultimately purchase, but do consider this: a bad amp can make a good guitar sound bad where as a good amp can make an average guitar sound good. There are several types of amplification available – Tube/valve, solid state, digital modeling and hybrids. For the sake of this article I will talk mostly about tube amplification as this is what is widely used by our players here.

Tube amplifiers have been around the longest and are still the preferred choice for many guitarists. Without going into too much technical detail, these amps have a fat, warm tone that tends to reproduce the guitar signal most naturally. Today, solid state (and amp modeling) technology is as good as it has ever been, and this amplification is often used in PA’s, keyboards, bass amps etc. Though these different types are now so readily available, guitarists still describe tube amps with attributes that are not yet found in the others. You may often hear common descriptions such as “warmth”, “richness”, “feel”, “organic”, “attack” and “sustain” from players using good tube amps.

Tube amps are generally louder than solid state amplifiers with a similar wattage, so do consider one that will be mostly conducive to your playing environment (try comparing a 50 watt solid state to a 50watt tube amp). If you’re just starting out then there’s no point getting a 100 watt stack for your bedroom (or is there?! Some will beg to differ…)

So when buying an amp, take your time and shop around. Take your guitar with you and get familiar with how different amps will sound and respond to your playing. Try different amps in different price ranges, and play them soft and loud…and if you’re not sure just take someone with you. A wise purchase will mean you’ll sound great and have a piece of equipment that should last a very long time.

3. The Effects

The first pedal I ever owned was the original RAT distortion pedal…I later sold it to ‘upgrade’ to a Boss ME-6 multi effects system. Hmmmm…
There are a million choices that have been presented to guitarists, and nowadays much of it is consistently good. Multi effects? Pedals? Here are my thoughts…

I’ve been playing for almost 20 years now and have been through most types of rigs available on the market. Solid state amps, valve, pedals, multi effects, racks, modeling amps etc…but when it comes to using effects I’ve always found myself going back to pedals. Besides its simplicity in working nature, I’ve often found them to least “colour” my sound than other setups. With most multi effects systems, your guitar signal goes through an analog to digital conversion, then through the effects processing, and finally converted back to analog, and it’s in this process that your pure guitar tone is affected. Don’t get me wrong, multi effects serve their purpose in having many sounds at your disposal, not to mention the ease of transport, and nowadays many have come close to not changing your tone at all. Maybe I’m a little more old school, but I do just love having pedals in front of me that I can easily turn on or off, and quickly fiddle with on the fly. And, with its simple internal design and more so now with true bypass capabilities, I find my guitar signal remains mostly unchanged, even with the effect off.

An important thing to consider when acquiring pedals: use pedals to enhance your sound rather than to fix it. If your tone sucks and you’re adding various EQ pedals, chorus, reverb, overdrives etc to compensate for a bad sound, then you’re going about it the wrong way. Start by plugging your guitar straight into your amp, pull a good sound, THEN start inserting effects into your signal chain. Take note of your guitar’s attack, volume and sparkle. When all your pedals are finally set up, turn them all off and your end sound should be no different at all if you unplugged from your board and went direct into your amp.

The Basics:

If you’re starting out and want to know a few must-haves, then let me offer my suggestions…

A good tuner will never go astray. An in-tune guitar is always a good place to start.
A couple of good overdrives to have at least 2 stages of gain…eg rhythm/lead.
A simple delay with a tap tempo function will enhance the ‘dryness’ of your sound. Perhaps a Boss DD-5 or a DD-7 are good options.

Volume pedals, compressors, modulation effects and other bells and whistles can be added later. With every new pedal added, always reference it back to your original tone starting point – a guitar plugged directly into your amp. If there is any loss of tone or level, then you know it’s time to simplify!

4. Peripherals

Never underestimate the importance of a reliable power supply and good quality cables. These are the make-or-break’s in many setups but are often so easily overlooked, and having the right gear will ensure many years of trouble-free operation.

When shopping around for a power supply, look for one that will amply power all your pedals with room for growth. A good quality supply should keep your rig quiet with no hum or buzz, and be flexible enough to power various pedal juice requirements. (eg 9/12v, +ive or –ive tip, ac/dc etc..) An underpowered supply will introduce hum to the rig and will eventually short out and die!

Cables are like the veins through your board, carrying the life of your tone to your amp. Cheap, inadequately shielded cables with poor connectors can suck the goodness out of your guitar signal, often resulting in loss of level and sparkle, and can introduce external artifacts like buzz and hum. Stay away from flimsy multicoloured patch cables between pedals…this is where most tone loss occurs. Many of the guys here use the .155 George L’s for patching as they are extremely flexible, are easlily cut to length and maintain your high frequency sparkle which is so critical in a guitarist’s tone.

Finally, take the time to practice hard, and train your ear in hearing what is good and what is not. A good sound ultimately comes from your fingers. You can have the best gear in the world but if you don’t know how to get the most out of it then it will be a tragic waste. Your ear will be your biggest asset in helping you on your journey to becoming an excellent musician.

Have fun!! Life is too short for bad tone…

// Droff