What's your favourite recorded guitar tone?

[Twinfan]

I was having a chat about this with 'Malcolm' from YC/DC? last night while listening to a early mix of Powerage.  He's more into the playing than the tone, so he didn't have an answer.  Shame on him  :lol:  For me, my all-time favourite tone is a 'DC one:

The opening chords to "Long Way To The Top" - just Malcolm, his Gretsch and a cranked JTM45/100  :D

Every time I hear it I'm amazed at the power, the clarity and the sheer width of the sound.  Vanda and Young were superb at capturing the 'live' tone of the Young brothers, and in that example you can really hear the subtle impact of the Gretsch and the early Marshall.  It's raw and meaty, and it makes my hair stand on end when I listen to it.

So what's your favourite recorded guitar tone, and why?

[_tom_]

Either Highway to Hell or Angry Son by Indian Summer :)

[Ratrod]

There's so many, I can't think of a 'best tone' because they're all so different but equally good.

I agree with Twinfan about the intro to 'It's a long way to the top'. That is awesome.

I'm still trying to replicate that tone. I'm getting close but not spot on. I think the only way to get that tone is by using a real early sixties Gretsch Firebird with heavy gauge strings and high action and a real seventies Marshall JCM stack. And then try to replicate Malcolm's playing. You really need to 'get into it' with that song.

[Twinfan]

I agree - it's hard to replicate that tone!  Malc would have used his JTM45/100 mid-sixties plexi for that track.  It's an early recording, and that was his favourite recording amp at the time.....

[Roobubba]

I have two front-runners:
Meshuggah, Combustion (1st track on Obzen), when the first heavy riff comes in.
Raised Fist, Message Beneath Contempt (on Dedication).

Both very much spine-tingling tracks for me :)

Roo

[indysmith]

A line in the sand by Q and Not U. Seriously give it a listen - PERFECT. (Especially the guitar panned to the left)

[Ted 'N' Leo]

Probably Duane Allman and Dickey Betts tones on live at Fillmore east. Just wow.

[hamfist]

I think my favourite must be Alex Lifeson's general tones on Rush's "A Farewell to Kings" album, but particularly the crunchy NMV Marshall on the track "Closer to the Heart" (comes in at about 1:05 on the studio version).

Good thread Davey boy !!

[AndyR]

I have two main ones, in this order:

1st Rory Gallagher's on Irish Tour 74
2nd Ritchie Blackmore's on Made In Japan

Those were my defining thingies in the late 70s, and I've never changed that much...

But a big +1 to:

Probably Duane Allman and Dickey Betts tones on live at Fillmore east. Just wow.

And while I'm thinking of it:

Paul Kossoff's on Free Live (not too keen on some of his studio tones)
Steve Gaines's strat sounds in Lynnyrd Skynnyrd

... actually most of my favourite tones are on live albums :roll:

[_tom_]

A line in the sand by Q and Not U. Seriously give it a listen - PERFECT. (Especially the guitar panned to the left)

yep thats a good one :)

[JDC]

I have two front-runners:
Meshuggah, Combustion (1st track on Obzen), when the first heavy riff comes in.
Raised Fist, Message Beneath Contempt (on Dedication).

Both very much spine-tingling tracks for me :)

Roo

hey roo, have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOR0hUIGb4Y

I love the meshuggah tone on the nothing re-release but it would literally would be nothing without that bass :)

one thing I never knew until I saw that video is the bassist doesn't down tune so he's playing in the same octave as the guitars

[MrBump]

Fave tone is probably Gary Moores tone on  his Wild Frontier album - by fave album, and the one that turned me onto distorted guitars...

[MDV]

Dont make me choose!!!

[phlip]

Favorite Due to it's influence on my playing am musical taste, not the best 'TONE'

http://www.mtv.com/videos/the-cult/58886/fire-woman.jhtml

[dave_mc]

Dont make me choose!!!

+1 :lol: