Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

[PowerTube]

Okay, we've been hearing the "fingers vs. equipment" debate for years now, so I want some honest opinions. Personally, I think your SOUND is a mixture of playing style, phrasing, equipment, etc.... There are just too many to list. Every element is of equal importance. The thing is, every time someone asks something like, "How can I get Eric Johnson's tone" or whatever, it never fails that someone else will come in with, "tone is in your fingers. Eric Johnson will sound like Eric Johnson no matter what he plays on." People who ask the equipment question are just wanting tips on how to get a sound.

Now, the challenge:

I'll hook you up with a $99.00 Squier Strat and the crappiest 10-watt solid-state amp you've ever seen, and we'll see what great TONE you get with just your fingers!
[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

No flame intended to anyone, it's all in fun! But seriously, what do you think?

[skidd]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I have a number of amps and a line six guitar port, plus a rack, and a boat load of pedals. I can only speak for me, but I sound pretty much the same no matter what. I toured a lot in the mid 80's to early 94 and would sit in with the house bands here and there and I almost always sounded the same(I always played my guitar). Who knows maybe its in my head. But I have to believe that a large part of your sound is in your hands. We were in town a day early one gig and the house asked if I would rent my rig (cabs/head no rack). To Al Dailmo (spelling?)He sounded the same to me as he did/dose on cd.

I'll hook you up with a $99.00 Squier Strat and the crappiest 10-watt solid-state amp you've ever seen, and we'll see what great TONE you get with just your fingers!

Can I at least use an overdrive pedal? [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[ December 26, 2002, 04:13 PM: Message edited by: skidd ]

[skidd]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"



[ December 26, 2002, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: skidd ]

[Gazman]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

man I reckon it is true that tone is in your fingers. The way you play is where the notes start, everything begins in your fingers. If I am sitting at home with a few friends who play guitar, and we are passing the guitar around playing the things for each other, my sister, my dad and my mum can pick out when they hear me playing as opposed to my friends. Part of this might be technical difficulty of what is played. But you could test it with a few people who play guitar, within the same friendship group who have heard these people playing before. Put the guitar players in a room, and get one of them to play, and get their friends outside to try and guess who it is playing. I'm pretty sure they will recognise little things that give away who the player is if they know the players and have listened to them play before.

I hope that made sense

Gareth [img]graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[Bababueee]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I do think your fingers make some difference in tone, but its a combination. A squire and 10watt amp? Anyone will sound crappy! [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img]

But, just what ive noticed from personal experience, is when i focus on the sounds my amp is making, im always disapointed to an extent. However, if i play more off of feeling, forgetting an amp is even there, im much happier with the sound. Band mates have even said i sound better on those nights.

Another case in point, look at slash. Hes got practically the most simple setup in the world (JCM 800 and a les paul) and he gets great tone. Now when i play through a setup like slash's I dont sound like slash.

I guess amps just put a different coloration to the natural tone of your fingers... or your soul... or... whatever. <---- [img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img]

[ColdVayne]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I agree with you tube , i have had loads of differnet amps , and i must say i sound different on every amp and guitar . Maybe its because i took musical tone classes when i was 6 all the way to 16 and can just hear everything tone wise and mental wise. But i still DO sound differnt on every amp. If it was ALL in your fingers , everyone would sound the same because theres alot of people who are similar in playing but play threw differnt equipment and sound different.

[Tetsuo]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

[QUOTE]Originally posted by skidd:
[We were in town a day early one gig and the house asked if I would rent my rig (cabs/head no rack). To Al Dailmo (spelling?)He sounded the same to me as he did/dose on cd.

[QUOTE]

Whuzza you rented your rig to Dimeola? Wow

[skidd]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

Yeah, but they made me pay to get in the club to watch.But it was worth it he was sick. Made me play nite and day for weeks after that.

[Gazman]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I don't disagree that the amp will change the way you sound, different distortions etc. change the sound completely. But underneath it all you still sound like you.

Gareth [img]graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[ColdVayne]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I agree Gazman. All amps sound different , but it is 70 or 80% in your fingers .But whos to say a special amp wont help you get alittle better tone [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[MetalChef]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

Well, from the physics standpoint, although we all have the same body structure, everyone's finger are not EXACTLY alike.(many fingertip sizes, slightly diff joint densities, etc) The way the strings vibrate and resonate under each person's fingers will not be the same, and that will cause a varation of tone.
That will also cause a certin level of that tone to carry over. I think a good portion of tone is in your fingers(along with pick attack, etc) but..having a guitar/amp that is what you want sonically never hurts!

[Tetsuo]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

Skidd that is so awesome!!!!!!!

I agree that tone is in your fingers more based on style than actual physical makeup.

That Live song Lakini's Juice is played on an overdriven Twin. Sounds heavy though and that is from his Style or Fingers

[Alexi7]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

well i havent read soem of the posts...But NO WAY....you sound the same because you're listening to yourself, and that in itself is almost completely subjective....i bet if you played for someone else with different equipement, they'd notice the difference straight away....

what i forgot to say in my other post about this is; if you had james play master of puppets on a mark IV, and then play it on a ****ty rage 158, would they sound the same tonally? **** NO!!!!
cheers

[skidd]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

I have on video tape somewhere of Steve Vai hosting Head bangers Ball,he was playing though some ****ty little practice amp, a boss delay pedal and a boss ds 1, and guess what it sound like Vai all the way, no big rack no stacks. I also have on mini disc a 20 minute jam from guitar world with Vai and Satch, Joe is playing though a small Vai rig and Steve is playing though the same rig and they sound very different. so I have to belive that some if not almost all tone comes from your hands, The rest just shapes it and fills it out.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Philosophical question.. "Tone is in your fingers"

Obviously, I'm going to sound different if I'm playing through a Fender Twin versus a Dual Rec., or on a Tele versus a Les Paul. But I think the deal is that my playing will still be recognizable as my own. And yes, I believe that your playing style goes a long way to determine your tone. All of these affect your tone:

--the way you hold the pick
--the place where you strike the strings
--how hard you strike the strings
--how much finger vibrato you use, if any
--the manner in which you do hammer-ons and pull-offs

and a zillion more. These factors together combine to produce probably 50% of your tone. In a sense, you could say that your 'tone' is what happens before the signal leaves the guitar. Anything after that is equipment-related, which is the same among anyone who uses that setup--with one caveat: Most people have a very personal idea of what guitar should sound like, and everyone sets their amp settings quite differently, in my experience. Personally, I have always liked to have a robust low-end in my lead tone, and I don't care for tinny or shrill-sounding leads, even though those sounds sometimes cut through the mix better.

I think some people obsess too much on what gear they are using, or the various settings, when their focus might be better directed at what and how they are playing. A great guitar part through a mediocre sound setup is still going to be a great guitar part. Plus, at heavy metal volumes, I'm not sure the audience can tell the difference, anyway... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]