Tone is in the fingers

BillDL

Kurtis said:

Tone's in yer arse. 

How's your tone?  Wide open and hollow / cavernous with lots of echo, or tight and dry? 

richardhomer

Kurtis said:

Tone's in yer arse. 

Sung to the tune of ‘Groove is in the Heart’ by Deee Lite…

EricTheWeary

richardhomer said:

Does anyone else question their masculinity when watching Tom Bukovac?

I always think he looks like a sweaty tramp with terrible beer breath. But the heart wants what the heart wants Richard. 

Kittyfrisk said:

thecolourbox said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Brian May often uses a 'wall' of AC30's to get his inimitable tone, and yet...

That's still modelled on the same thing though, if he was sounding like that through a Zoom 505 or a Line 6 Spider then maybe...

True, but I have seen Brian playing another guitar (think it was a Squier, but not certain) & still sounding like himself.
Wish I could find a clip, but no success as yet... 

In his lockdown videos he played different things through a practice amp and it's still distinctly Brian May (although watching him on screen obviously adds to that). I suspect he may have removed them by now. Here’s Brian on a strat:

https://youtu.be/xGMItC3PfV8?si=4pcHdxV__36IIntf

prowla

It's not an either/or; the playing, the expression, the strings, the wood, the pickups, the amp, and so-on all contribute to the tone.

Sporky

richardhomer said:

Kurtis said:

Tone's in yer arse. 

Sung to the tune of ‘Groove is in the Heart’ by Deee Lite…

Being reminded of Groove Is In The Heart is the musical equivalent of losing The Game.

guyinlyon

richardhomer said:

Does anyone else question their masculinity when watching Tom Bukovac?

No, but I question yours...

richardhomer

guyinlyon said:

richardhomer said:

Does anyone else question their masculinity when watching Tom Bukovac?

No, but I question yours...

And so you should. Nick Knowles has the same effect on me…

Catthan

I'd argue that tone is in the ears. 
A player's ears will dictate how to dial their gear, and different gear of the same family (e.g. high gain amps) will help achieve that easier. 

Then, ears will dictate dynamics, vibrato, phrasing, articulation, even technique bc you can't play it unless you can "hear" it and you can't phrase it unless you can "sing" it in your head. 

so, tone is in the ears. 

guitarjack66

Catthan said:

I'd argue that tone is in the ears. 
A player's ears will dictate how to dial their gear, and different gear of the same family (e.g. high gain amps) will help achieve that easier. 

Then, ears will dictate dynamics, vibrato, phrasing, articulation, even technique bc you can't play it unless you can "hear" it and you can't phrase it unless you can "sing" it in your head. 

so, tone is in the ears. 

Me singing anything removes all tone.

pintspiller

@Catthan @guitarjack66 wife says I can't whistle or sing for fudge, but I believe I can play original nice, though not overly finger-tying, licks and melodies.

fastonebaz

If I turn my guitar around and try to play it wrong handed through my rig,  it sounds awful. Even just single notes.   Played the right way around,  the tone is lovelier. 

I'd agree that tone is available through the fingers

Catthan

sing it in your head, not loudly unless you’re George Benson, Al Jarreau or Bobby Mcferrin. it’s why jazzers groan and make funny noises when they improv and also how you know  when you’ve played a bum note. you can use it the other way too as a creative tool for composition, improv and upping your chops 

Philly_Q

Didn't Carlos Santana say tone is in your legs?  Or your cojones?  Or possibly both?

Blueingreen

The problem only arises because people insist on a too literal interpretation of what is obviously meant as figurative language.   Proving that it's not literally true is a bit like slicing up a warrior to prove that he didn't actually have the heart of a lion. 

It's just a figurative way of saying the player is more important than the gear.

Voxman

Blueingreen said:

The problem only arises because people insist on a too literal interpretation of what is obviously meant as figurative language.   Proving that it's not literally true is a bit like slicing up a warrior to prove that he didn't actually have the heart of a lion. 

It's just a figurative way of saying the player is more important than the gear.

That's a great observation and I agree with you completely. 

guitars4you

I know that all the bum notes, that crop up far to often, is certainly from my fingers

Philly_Q

guitars4you said:

I know that all the bum notes, that crop up far to often, is certainly from my fingers

They're from your bum, surely?

Voxman

Philly_Q said:

guitars4you said:

I know that all the bum notes, that crop up far to often, is certainly from my fingers

They're from your bum, surely?

Is that why they're flat-ulent? 

Cols

Kittyfrisk said:

thecolourbox said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Brian May often uses a 'wall' of AC30's to get his inimitable tone, and yet...

That's still modelled on the same thing though, if he was sounding like that through a Zoom 505 or a Line 6 Spider then maybe...

True, but I have seen Brian playing another guitar (think it was a Squier, but not certain) & still sounding like himself.
Wish I could find a clip, but no success as yet... 

Here you go - skip to 16:30.

Playing an Epiphone SG into a shitty practice amp with no sixpence, and still sounding like Brian fucking May.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U-3jdtH26Hg&pp=ygUiQnJpYW4gbWF5IHJhZGlvIGludGVydmlldyBuZXcgeW9yaw%3D%3D 

mooncat

Cols said:

Kittyfrisk said:

thecolourbox said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Brian May often uses a 'wall' of AC30's to get his inimitable tone, and yet...

That's still modelled on the same thing though, if he was sounding like that through a Zoom 505 or a Line 6 Spider then maybe...

True, but I have seen Brian playing another guitar (think it was a Squier, but not certain) & still sounding like himself.
Wish I could find a clip, but no success as yet... 

Here you go - skip to 16:30.

Playing an Epiphone SG into a shitty practice amp with no sixpence, and still sounding like Brian fucking May.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U-3jdtH26Hg&pp=ygUiQnJpYW4gbWF5IHJhZGlvIGludGVydmlldyBuZXcgeW9yaw%3D%3D 

To me it sounds like Brian May playing through a shitty amp. 

So should it not be "phrasing is in the fingers" and not "tone is in the fingers"?