Guitar/PU's Or Amp/Effects- Which Gets You Closer To A Desired Tone?

[TSJMajesty]

Just watched a recent version of Porcupine Tree's Anesthetize, and the 2nd guitarist used Tele in the heavy 2nd part of the song, where the previous guitarist used a PRS, and to my ears, the tone sounded the same.

So which do you think is more important? Or does it just depend on the combinations in use?

While I can't get twangy Strat tones out of my Majesty no matter what I do, it gets a lot of tones I would've never thought possible, if I use amps/effects in the Axe I don't normally go for.

Now Steven is using a Tele for the final part, where he used to use a PRS, and in that I can hear a slight difference. It looks like he's still using a Bad Cat though.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Amp and effects. And whatever technique I can muster and bring to the table.

 

[Gearzilla]

Varies. I think it depends on what the key contributor(s) was/were for a tone.

 

[BahamaDada]

Amp/effects. And to channel my inner Jim Lill: The cab and the microphone. "Send me your best non-microphone captured sound!".

The guitar/pickup can alter the sound. E.g. I wouldn't play Sultans of Swing on an EMG superstrat instead of a classic Strat, but it gets even more wrong when you play it on a Diezel VH4 Lead Channel (just to pull an example out of my ass) instead of a twangy clean Fensee

 

[TSJMajesty]

"Send me your best non-microphone captured sound!"

 

[Gearzilla]

If we’re going to go the deconstructionist route then I’m going with strings today.

Not much happening without those.

 

[BahamaDada]

You know which video I mean? He talks about the single most important thing to ever be on any record ever: The mic.

 

[DrewJD82]

After using the same guitar for years and milking every tone out of it I could, definitely going with amps/effects here.

I can’t play a Tele with single coils into the input of a Twin and get a Gojira sound out of. I can plug a single coil Tele into a 5153 and get a hell of a lot closer to a Gojira tone.

 

[James Freeman]

You know which video I mean? He talks about the single most important thing to ever be on any record ever: The mic.

Ye, this video had its moment here too.

 

[BahamaDada]

Ye, this video had its moment here too.

Yeah, I saw the Forbidden Woods down at the bottom of this site...

 

[TSJMajesty]

You know which video I mean? He talks about the single most important thing to ever be on any record ever: The mic.

Yes.

 

[Gearzilla]

If the part is a cleanish twangy t-style tone as the predominant element then it will be the guitar. Of course there are substitutions that could be approximations. Same thing is going to hold true with pedals if the sound relied on a UniVibe. Some one could use a workaround with other modulation as a close enough for rock and roll approach. In other circumstances it might be the amp. It’s no surprise that a lot of guitars can do an approximation of other guitars given the effort. Same with the other aspects. To me these things usually depend on how picky someone wants to be about close enough.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I just realized I meant to list Guitar/PU's as the 2nd choice, but can't seem to edit it. Oh well...

 

[Gearzilla]

I just realized I meant to list Guitar/PU's as the 2nd choice, but can't seem to edit it. Oh well...

 

[la szum]

Both.

 

[norminal]

Cabinets/IRs.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Pickles/knobs

 

[Coalface1971]

Tricky one. Not sure there's a definitve answer.

Is it about changing things around a constant? Keep the guitar the same, and change the amp? Guitars I don't reckon matter as much, but an LP is certainly different sounding to strat.

Seems to be this thing about speakers and cabs, though I've spent considerable time of late testing a few of my different amps into a 2-amp Headswitcher, into one cab. Can really hear the variation in the tone of the amps, even with the same intent (say gain level, EQ, channel vs master volume). The different topologies seem to sound different and react differently to changes. But is that because of the cab?

As for cabs/speakers, I've a few variations. Ages ago picked up a MIDI-controlled Kahayan 8x4 8amp/4cab switcher s/h. Don't know if I trust the thing enough to go berserk switching cab/amp combos supersonically, but via front panel operation has some potential to nail down some combos of amp and/or cab either way.

 

[laxu]

Cab/amp/effects for sure. While all my guitars sound different, just any of my humbucker guitars will do just fine for the higher gain stuff and any of my single coil guitars will do for the clean/lower gain stuff. Any differences are for my own enjoyment.

I'd still say the cab is the biggest factor. You could run a Marshall through a 1x12 with a Jensen and it wouldn't sound like a Fender...but it would sound more similar than the Marshall through a 4x12 Greenback cab vs Fender through a 1x12 Jensen cab.

 

[la szum]

Watching all those guys with Les Pauls going for John Mayer and SRV tones. Yup, you can do it!!