What is your tone philosophy?

[Fikealox]

Hey guys,

I'm just wondering what your tone philosophy is. That is:

What style do you play?
Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
Any other general thoughts?

(This is partly inspired by some posts on the Duncan forum by people decrying high-output pickups as a thing of the past now that there're high-gain amps. Their posts irritated me, but rather than starting a fight by voicing my opinions over there, I thought I'd get the opinions of people who actually know tone ;))

Oh, and my answers are:
Doomy prog metal
High output ceramic pickups
If I used a two channel amp I'd boost the clean channel for leads
I use the bridge for rhythm and sweeps, the neck for melodic leads, the middle position for cleans

[indysmith]

What style do you play?
Lots of different styles... mainly a sort of jagged punk/doom/blues kind of sound i suppose :lol:

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
I like both high and low output pickups - all depends on the flavour of the sound I want out of the guitar. Got to say I prefer AlNiCo magnets though.

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
Sometimes... other times I'll take the pedal off for leads. Depends.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
Both for both, depending on the choon and sound.

Any other general thoughts?
High-gain pickups and low gain pickups will be around forever. Both are great and have their own applications and sounds. No need to argue about tone; it's subjective! Guitarists suck.

[Jonny]

What style do you play?

I play a variety from metal, like melodic death metal. Blues, mainly for improvising and rock when I just want to well.. rock out. I do like play classical pieces too.

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?

I use both alnico and ceramic and I usually go for contemporary but mainly because I don't have enough guitars to go into the lower range - YET

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?

Nope. I don't use any physically pedals in my 'tone' but I have a Tubescreamer thing in my Toneport, two Tubescreamers :P But for my Pitbull I use the two channels and straight to the guitar.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?

Rhythm, C-Warpig. Smooth Lead, Miracle Man. Sort of Crunchy type stuff lead, C-Warpig

Any other general thoughts?

No, not really lol.. I'm not a Tone Junkie really.
[/quote]

[shaman]

(This is partly inspired by some posts on the Duncan forum by people decrying high-output pickups as a thing of the past now that there're high-gain amps. Their posts irritated me, but rather than starting a fight by voicing my opinions over there, I thought I'd get the opinions of people who actually know tone

my tone is sort of dominated by my amps-I choose pickups that match up with them-I have found that I like AV low to mid output best-I have tried some of the hotter pups, but its overkill for my style-I am NOT a modern metal cat,I am more of blues rock/fusion cat in terms of tone,but I do pull out the Rhoads-isms whenever possible :)

[TheIronBeast]

What style do you play?
Blues, Blues-Rock, Classic Rock, Rock

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
I quite like both. I use high ouput pickups for the rock stuff that I play, for slower blues numbers I'll use low output pickups. I prefer alnico magnets.

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
When I record I usually just run some effects through my Line 6 Toneport. When I play live I use various different effects: Ibanez Vintage TS-9 Tubescreamer, Vox Wah, Boss Chorus, Boss Blues Driver, Boss DS-1

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
For rhythm I almost exclusevly use the bridge pickup (unless it's funky bluesy stuff). When I play overdriven fast rock leads I'll use the bridge pickup, for when I play bluesy leads I'll use the neck pickup.

[LP_LOVER]

Hey guys,

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?

(This is partly inspired by some posts on the Duncan forum by people decrying high-output pickups as a thing of the past now that there're high-gain amps. Their posts irritated me, but rather than starting a fight by voicing my opinions over there, I thought I'd get the opinions of people who actually know tone ;))

It irritates me too.

I like both low-output and high-output pickups, depending on the guitar. Some guitars need higher output pickups to sound at their best, some need lower output pickups. My old Gibson Les Paul Custom doesn't like very low output pickups; my chambered Les Paul Standard does.

It's the trick to listen to your guitar and to keep it realistic: what character does it have? If it has a natural woody, bluesy vibe to it, then go for low output pickups to maintain that character. If the guitar is begging for hardrock or metal, then go for higher output pups. This is the way I see it; DON'T IGNORE THE NATURE OF THE BEAST. I'm serious. If you listen to the guitar carefully, then you'll know what kind of pickups it needs. My simple rule: Lower-output for a less compressed tone, higher-output for more compression.

I don't base a pickup choice on one single amp. I base it on the individual guitar. If the pickups sound balanced in the guitar, then it should sound great through ANY amp, even through a cr@ppy solid state amp (if the guitar is great). I personally like the versatility you get from higher output pickups...it's easier to drive the amp harder + you're able to play vintage, classic rock with one single turn of the guitars volume knobs (especially when you're using the right caps, pots).

[Fourth Feline]

Hiya Fikealox,  :)

What style do you play?  :

 Jazz ;  mostly chord melody / solo pieces just now. I love Blues too, but am  putting that style / those techniques on the back burner and deliberately starting again as a novice in Jazz.

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)? : 

 To use myself / play , low output pickups : but to listen to - the whole spectrum .  As for magnets, alnico III, IV and V have served me well, AII is really nice too, but sometimes has come across as being a bit unfocused in the bass strings in some guitars I own .   I would listen to much beefier music than I play.  For example - I was working on a Nat King Cole arrangement for guitar the other week - but put the Black Label Society on the MP3 later for the weightlifting and grocery shopping .   So considering my eclectic tastes,  all Pickups / magnet types seem equally valid in context.

Do you boost with a pedal for leads ? :

For Blues I did , yes - but either clean boost or something low gain. I prefered to use the amp's boost if possible to keep it nice and simple.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead? :

I am a sucker for that middle toggle position most of the time, so for me - playing lead is the same pickup combination, but played a bit louder or clean boosted.

Any other general thoughts? :

Keep it simple.  Learn to get as much of your dynamics,  volume / tonal variation, and  'special effects' from the guitar itself - then add a clean amp and optimise that for the same qualities. After that, add only what you absolutely need in the way of pedals e.tc. - don't get to lean on them to get your 'sonic signature'. 

This may sound a bit puritanical / narrow minded, but this way ( as was alluded to a lot  by 'LP_Lover' ) you optimise / enjoy "The nature of the beast" from the start -  then you can feel happy to just turn up with your guitar / cable at a gig /jam / rehearsal  and make the best of whatever you get to plug into. 

Use the rig to convey the song , not use the song to convey the rig.

As it says under my Avatar " Play the music because you love it " ( Joe Pass ) - which for me means three  things :

1) Be a conduit for the music, not use the music as a chance to show yourself off.

2) Be as good ( if not better ) a listener than you are a player - go for the 'bigger picture' in a group context.

3) ENJOY !  :D

[Ratrod]

What style do you play?

The best way of describing it would be rock n' roll.

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?

Back when I played metal it was all high output for me. No it's all relitavely low output. I always seem to end up with pickups with AV magnets. I really like well balanced pickups.

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?

Rarely. I try to use picking dynamics as much as possible.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?

Totally depends on the song.

Any other general thoughts?

Get good quality gear. Keep your setup as simple as possible. Play with your heart and soul.

[Philly Q]

What style do you play?

Using the term "play" loosely, blues-rock, "classic" rock.. and what we used to call metal in the '70s/'80s but is nothing like what they call Metal nowadays.

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?

Low-to-medium.  Let's say vintage hot.  And mostly alnico magnets, though I love the Cold Sweat bridge pickup.  If it sounds good, I don't care what the specs on paper are, or whether it's a 100% accurate reproduction of something built in 1957.

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?

Hardly ever play through a proper amp!  But I like really simple amps, so yes I'd probably boost with pedals.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?

Bridge for rhythm, either for lead - but I especially love the smooth, singing sound of a neck humbucker for leads.

Any other general thoughts?

The most important component in your tone chain is you.  In my case, that's me.  Unfortunately.   :|

[gwEm]

This is realky a lot down to personal preference :) high gain pickups with a mid gain amp (eg jcm800) give that classic metal tone, although something like a mule through an engl or 5150 will give you metal, it does sound different - no question :)

[Rock Pig]

What style do you play?
80s rock and what was in the early 80s considered metal. Some classic rock.
Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
Depends on the pickup. Having push is good but personally my pickups are strictly alnico. Never ever enjoyed ceramics, not even the ones that are generally agreed to sound good. Hot pickups to me are used in less woody guitars; they get a little overpowering in, say, a Les Paul.
Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
My tone is usually boosted with a pedal, leads or not. At the minute I'm in a one guitar band so I don't really need a boost.
Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
The only constant is that if I'm using high gain then rhythms are strictly the bridge pickup. And I occasionally switch to the neck pickup simply for the purpose of masking sloppy picking on an off-night (or day, in fact...)
Any other general thoughts?
Rarely use pedals for distortion.

[AndyR]

What style do you play?
Anything I can :lol:
I seem to be rooted in 60s/70s pop and classic rock. Also blues and blues/rock.


Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
I seem to go for vintage or vintage hot, all alnico.

I do have a set of Gibson's ceramic ones that came in my Explorer, and I did quite like those - they seemed to do their job whatever guitar they were in (they've been in 3 or 4 now, currently the one they're in is in the attic). It makes me think that one day I might go for some hotter BKPs, possibly even ceramic...

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
Not anymore. I use modellors almost exclusively, and I very rarely use the pedal models in front of the amp model.

When I was gigging with a valve amp (an old Laney 50W master volume combo), I used a little DOD graphic EQ as a boost for leads. Then when that gave up the ghost I bought one of the original Marshall Guvnor pedals. With a bit of fiddling I managed to get that to give me a very nice lead boost and, if I turned the guitar volume down, a different type of "crunch" sound than the amp was kicking out on its own.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
Depends on the amp model and the song... AND the guitar and pickups.

If I want crunchy rhythm on a humbucking guitar, it's nearly always bridge now, sometimes bridge and middle. When I was playing live, I used to sit on the middle position and use the two volumes (and the tones) to vary the sound.

On a strat it was always middle or middle/bridge for (crunch) rhythm work.

For leads, anything goes :D

Any other general thoughts?
I used to set my amps (and I still do with amp models to some extent) the "Rory Gallagher" way: bass way down, more treble than you need, mids to taste, as much gain as required for "lead sound". Then use the volume and tone controls on the guitar. The boost pedal was always just to add a bit more "kick".

[38thBeatle]

What style do you play?

I consider myself to be blues based (though I play in a covers band and have to try to emulate the original version of whatever song we are playing).

Do you like low output or hight output pickups?

Ideally I prefer low output.In my case that is either Apaches or Country Boys. It is easier(for me) to start from the premise that gain can be added rather than starting with high gain where it is harder to take it off- that sound b*llocks probably but as Richard Nixon once said "I know what I meant".
Do you boost with pedals for leads?

Yes I use a DHA Purist pedal-I have it set to give a volume boost and it also tends to thicken the tone.

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?

All of them though probably most the bridge. I do like the Strat neck pickup sound a lot and if I were playing blues I should think I would use it a bit more.

Any other general thoughts?

I don't get too precious about it. I do know what I like and at some venues it isn't quite there and sometimes there isn't a lot I can do because I am doing a job and it is more important that the band overall sounds great than me as an individual-that is not to say I don't think it important but I think for me, concentrating on the overall performance is more important than me getting cheesed off because I don't quite have the tone. I play better when I am enjoying the tone I know but I have been doing it long enough now to keep my mind on the task in hand.

[_tom_]

What style do you play?
I play loads of different stuff, blues/rock stuff up to doom/stoner metal with a bit of thrash metal and punk thrown in. I really wish I could make up things like Fugazi and Q and Not U kinda stuff, but my playing style is just way too "generic" and derivative.

Do you like high-output or low-output pickups (and which magnets)?
I think I prefer low output for most things, I dont find high output as expressive or clear and dynamic, if those are the words to use. Then again I suppose thats the point, for a more modern/high gain tone you dont need all that clarity. I'm finding that my Pig 90 is a lot more fun (read: easier) to play than the bridge Mule as theres a bit more saturation. Although it may just be that the laney is allready quite "stiff" feeling, so the p90 adds a bit of softness which humbuckers dont really have..

Do you boost with a pedal for leads?
I use an EQ in the fx loop just to raise the volume and add some more mids/thickness and more treble/upper mid to cut

Which pickup (bridge or neck) do you use for rhythm/lead?
Depends, I spend most of my time on the bridge though I think. Neck is reserved for lead or clean only though I think, I dont really like using it for chordy things (unless they're clean or low gain). I hate bridge pickups for cleans so I never use that for clean rhythm.

Any other general thoughts?
I think I sound basically the same with both of my guitars, its more of a case of feel and saturation. The general tonality isnt vastly different. Pig 90 one just sounds a little more modern but its the same sort of "voicing". So I guess tone is in the fingers :lol: I probably think too much about my tone when it doesnt really matter that much.

[MDV]

I have none.

If it sounds good, it is good.

I dont care how I get something to sound good.

Trends in my gear would include, metal style most of the time, high output pickups (whod have guessed?), and tend toward ceramic bridges and A5 necks, metal amps for their voicing, but I use much less gain than you'd think for the clarity. Those are pretty much the only constants. Oh, and I try to keep my signal chain as simple and short as possible.

I dont adhere religiously to any of the above, and if something totally different pleased my ears, I'd do that.