Guitarists with the WORST tone

[Partial @ Marshall]

Vai, Satch,Kotzen (first album worst of all time tone!). Tone is so subjective...We should all just agree to disagree.

[Endrik]

oh yeah, Kotzen's tone on the first album really sucked and the album was pretty crappy too... after that everything has been pure gold though

[stevoc]

This will probably be unpopular, but I can't stand Slash's tone on the 2nd G&R albums. November Rain makes my skin cringe.

[nateb]

About Satriani's Tone....

Back in the day of Surfin's days. I will agree with you, it was pretty much ass. I think his Live tone is just astounding and controlled. He has a great control over his gain and it isn't muddy. His early stuff... yeah... shit.

-Nate

[khabibissell]

Yeah, Satriani has some bad tone going on quite a bit. That cocked wah thing has to go.

Always with me Always with you was mentioned and I have to agree the tone sucks, but Satch's touch and control save the day and make it somewhat enjoyable.

[CharvelRocker]

Steve Vai is an amazing talent, but has some of the positively flattest tone in all of rockdom. I think his old boss - Frank Zappa - said it best when he told Vai that he had the tone of a "ham sandwich".

Mick Mars's early Motley Crue had horrible tone. Very high-pitched and nasal. His later stuff - pretty much after SATD - was killer, though.

As to Satch, I think his tone has mostly been killer. Admittedly, though, he has overused the wah in his set-ups at different points in his career. So, if they're a turn-off for you, I can understand why you might not like some of Satch's tones through the years.

Damn, you're reading my mind here I agree with Vai in some ways. I like his Roth era tone a lot, and his live tone is always killer. In general though, his studio tone is pretty boring. Bad Horsie sounds killer, but I think a lot of the is the sound of using a slide for those heavy, down tuned riffs. His tone in Get The Hell Out of Here seems a bit more textured than normal too.

Agree on Mick. Got to love the sound of the pick hitting the 3rd string on the opening riff of Too Fast For Love :ROTF:

Also agree on Satch. It can understand why some find it thin, and the leads can be a bit harsh. That said, his rhythm tones are killer. I prefer Surfin' With the Aliens main riff tone to Crushing Days; just feels brighter but still feels substantial

I never liked Dimebag's tone, but it worked very well in the setting of the band. On it's own... meh. I could never great what people found was so great about the dude from Muse's tone. Always a harsh wall of noise to me when one of their songs comes on. Same for Steph Carpenters tones on a fair amount of Deftones songs. Sometimes it seems pretty full and unique, while other times it's just a wall of harsh noise.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Wow surprising to see how many people dislike Satch's tone. I personally like it

I always thought George Lynch's tone sucked but then again I don't like his playing either..

Right I guess I am in the minority. I actually like his tone on Surfin'. I like most of the 70's era Fusion players tone as well.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Vernon Reid

This thread proves... well, something. I guuess I shouldn't have expected any agreement on good/bad tone.



...but there's one everybody can agree on. :ROTF:

You said that right!!!

[Jackson-Charvel]

Surprised no one mentioned the guys from System of a Down. I personally like their tone, but I know a lot of people rag on them.

After reading this thread I have come to realize I tend to like those that have a general consensus as having bad tone. I've never been labelled as having bad tone, and ironically I am striving for a Vernon Reid tone myself.

[axehunter]

+ 1 on Dimebag. I also don't particularily like Allan Holdsworth's tone, though he's a great player.

[akoch]

Yeah, Satriani has some bad tone going on quite a bit. That cocked wah thing has to go.

Always with me Always with you was mentioned and I have to agree the tone sucks, but Satch's touch and control save the day and make it somewhat enjoyable.

This really sums it up precisely.

[Axewielder]

Right I guess I am in the minority. I actually like his tone on Surfin'.

+1. If you were to attempt some of those tapping and legato runs on, say, Jeff Beck's rig (with all of it's "great tone"), it would sound like pop-farts percolating from a moist ass.

This really sums it up precisely.

Well, they say tone is mostly in the fingers, so...

[vondran]

BAD TONE:
George Lynch - way too bright
Randy Rhoads - too nasal
Robert Cray - too bright, lacking depth
Eric Johnson - distortion is too compressed, lacks dynamics
Yngwie Malmsteen - to thin and brittle (a strat bridge pickup can sound good).
Rage Against the Machine guy - too gimmiky (plus no phrasing ability)
Santana - too flute-y

To compare these are the benchmarks for good tone:
1. Blues - SRV
2. Clean - SRV Lenny
3. Raw Rock - AC/DC
4. Rock - EVH
5. Classic Les Paul / Marshall sound - Slash

Yes I listen to modern music, just it all gets benchmarked against the above. Also I'm fine with Vai and Satch tone - not the best, but not bad either.

[Spivonious]

This guy..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8sNoodIDk

Surprisingly the drummer and bassist are dead on the entire time.

[toejam]

This guy..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw8sNoodIDk

That singer and guitar player have issues!
My dead grandma sounds better than them. :ROTF: