Do you sometimes think you have a great tone..and then

[Robert Burns]

Screw around and find something 3 times more intense?? I was goofing
around with the Boss GT-8 and i went into a factory preset MechDS+Crunch... i then tweaked it, and boosted the bottom end with
the PitchTransposer down 2 octaves, but only about 12% of the effect.
Then i went into my EQ and boosted this to about 8DB on the low end
at 400MHZ, and finally boosted the overall EQ effect to +8 overall DB.
With of course a bit of delay (895ms but only 8% of the effect, with
20% feedback for 2 ghost repeats)
My chain is Charvel HRF, into GT-8 then out to the BBE Sonic Maximizer, then into the Marshall DSL 2000 50 wt "Classic Gain" A' Channel
with the volume to 4, and the gain at only 8 oclock! I guess im mostly
SS Distortion here? Im not sure, but i think at least the final say so, is
through the Marshalls Power Amp? Im not using the 4 cord methed, just
the input with Monster cables.
Suddenly i was into...(now dont laugh...UBER territory!!) What was
my best Zakk imitation patch, was now a thin bland POS! I have somehow lucked out, and really made the DSL 2000 just scream.
But have you guys had the same thing happen? Your fine with a tone,
and then suddenly just destroy it with a new found jem? Man, this
is so intense, i may abort my Mesa/Rivera quest? Or maybe with the
Rivera my tone would be 50% better? So laugh at the old guy, but
im really suddenly into Godsmack territory here!

[Inazone]

I think the "point of no return" with tone is when you put your favorite tone to the test in a full band situation. Even though I play in a death metal band, my favorite guitar tone is that of Slash or Jerry Cantrell, saturated just enough for my chosen style while retaining plenty of mids. With that tone dialed in, my bandmates almost immediately complain that I need to dial in more treble and LESS mids for my leads to cut through. That seems like blasphemy to me, but it's hard for me to judge good tone when playing with the band.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

it all changes when the band is playing together.

hey inazone, are your band mates wearing earplugs when yall play? and are they standing in front of their amps or are they out where an audience would be? it all makes a difference.

[Inazone]

All wearing earplugs. In our tiny little practice space, we are all in front of our own amps AND each other's. We're all effectively standing in front of everything, so I am hearing what they're hearing and vice versa. When we play shows, I walk out in front of the stage (wireless) during our sound check so I know what everything really sounds like where it matters.

[mantis]

I feel that way sometimes. Weather and moods can change if I like my tone or not.
Funny story...
I play my rig and love my tone. Next time same exact setup I hate my tone and need to adjust something to fix it, I adjust it then adjust it right back to where it was and love it again... my drummer pointed this out.

Dan

[Rupe]

Some good advice has already been given here...a tone is essentially worthless if it hasn't passed the "band test". I've dialed in what I thought were some pretty good tones at home (MP1/2:90 rack system) only to have them sound like crap with the band. More often than not, a lack of mids is the culprit. Midrange frequencies are what give a guitar its "cut" in a mix...NOT treble or bass. A "scooped" tone that sounds cool by itself will frequently get lost in a full band mix...the highs get swallowed up by cymbals and the lows get lost in the bass and drums. Mids are the most important frequecies to dial in properly, and this should be done while playing with your band (I typically dial in what I think will work ahead of time and then tweek it once I get to band practice).

[slayer]

Even playing just at home on the same settings, I like or dis-like the tone day to day. Quite odd really. Jack.

[Outlander]

I've noticed my tone is deader when there is higher humidity.I guess it makes the air denser.Of course this is not a problem at home with climate control (AC) but at rehearsal we have evap and sometimes it really affects the tone.

[toejam]

Even playing just at home on the same settings, I like or dis-like the tone day to day. Quite odd really. Jack.

The electrical current in your house may fluctuate and cause this phenomenon, too.

[Vlover]

My tone NEVER sounds the same twice! Some times it makes me grin like an idiot, I finish for the day, come back the next day, dont change a setting and its back to lifeless trash again. Maybe its just me :/

[Vlover]

Some good advice has already been given here...a tone is essentially worthless if it hasn't passed the "band test". I've dialed in what I thought were some pretty good tones at home (MP1/2:90 rack system) only to have them sound like crap with the band. More often than not, a lack of mids is the culprit. Midrange frequencies are what give a guitar its "cut" in a mix...NOT treble or bass. A "scooped" tone that sounds cool by itself will frequently get lost in a full band mix...the highs get swallowed up by cymbals and the lows get lost in the bass and drums. Mids are the most important frequecies to dial in properly, and this should be done while playing with your band (I typically dial in what I think will work ahead of time and then tweek it once I get to band practice).

Sooooooo true. I, like alot of guys reading guitar mag's see to get that Metallica/Metal sound is to scoop the mids out. Your right it does sound good in your room. Especially when the lows shake your walls and the highs scratch your ears. But as i started to really listen to guitars on albums especially when they do a long guitar riff its full of mids! And the scooped sound only sounds good at low volumes, playing along with a record.

[Inazone]

Just thought I'd mention that I had a bit of a personal victory at practice tonight. After dialing in my new "vintage" ART head over the weekend, I finally got a chance to use it with the band. The peanut gallery only asked for a very minimal tweak, not the usual starting over from scratch.

[jim777]

Even playing just at home on the same settings, I like or dis-like the tone day to day. Quite odd really. Jack.

Me too. Best thing for that is to have a lot of guitars, and just switch to one that sounds good on that day

[Cleveland Metal]

The electrical current in your house may fluctuate and cause this phenomenon, too.

Yep... +/- 5 volts will change the tone of a tube amp for sure. I've heard recordings of tube amps with variacs on them being slowly changed 5 volts at a time, and the difference is quite noticable. Moreso once it break <100 volts really, but it probably still affects it even at lesser differences I feel.

And mine fluctuates from 106-118 that I've noticed...

Always blamed tube gremlins... Hmm...

[slayer]

I agree on the Voltage factor as sometimes my amp is louder and more aggressive than other times. It is very aggrivating to say the least as I would like it to be more consistant as in consistant in the louder more aggressive department Some days I get annoyd quickly and quite playing. What is a good product for consistant Voltage regulation? Jack.