The secret of getting the best tone from your amp revealed!

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I guess I am a glutton for punishment, but here is what is on my mind today.
Hire the man in the picture below to play your amp and it will sound wonderful, or at least way better than most of us can make it sound.

It just seems to me we spend a lot of time looking for the Holy Grail of amps. Yet the great ones have played thru so many different amps and always sounded great.

If you practice technique and spend the time other great players have you will discover that most amps can yield a pretty good tone. The biggest problem we all have is our technique.

The relentless pursuit of the perfect tone is more than a great amp, a $500.00 volume pedal, a $350.00 seat and thousands of dollars more in other accessories. Sure, they help, but practice and improved technique are the best and cheapest way to a great sound.

Jow Wright once said in a seminar that he spent 8 hours a day practicing, sometimes until his fingers would be bleeding! He said he has million dollar hands and most of us have $5.00 hands. He said if you wanted it bad enough you had to to put your self on that seat and practice.

Best analogy, "There ain't no free lunch". You got to earn it, if you want it. No substitue for good hard work.

As long as musician's (all types) continue to believe equipment is the solution to their playing problems the equipment manufacturers will thrive.

Jim Pivarnik · From: Port Townsend WA, USA

WOW! Words to live by. Thanks Ken!! Very Happy

_________________
Sho-Bud Super Pro
Peavey N112
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Deluxe reverb
Gold Tone 8 string

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

You speak the truth.
The smartass in me points out that you waited til AFTER you stopped making equipment to tell us, though Winking

Too many folks want to learn WHAT to play, skipping over HOW to play it well: not developing the critical listening skills to recognize their bad habits til they have become ingrained.
But I have no answers to outlook deficiencies.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Well I still have a few amps left and build another last week. Not completely out of business yet!

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I have friend that seeks out old amps for harp. Always finds "the one" and then in about 2 weeks sells it off and starts looking again. I bet he has been through 100 amps since I opened my shop. I have become very proficient at repairing old Supro, National, Sears, and many other older amps due to his constant search for the "Holy Grail" of harp tone.
I gave up years ago and realized I sound like me through moast any good tube amp, no matter what I play through. After giving up that search my tone and tecnique on the Telecaster has greatly improved. I have tried about every kind of pedal steel and realize my right hand sucks! Got to get back to work on that for sure. I have plenty of good equipment, I just need to pay my dues there like I have on the 6 string.

Jerry Fleming · From: Roanoke, Virginia, USA

Hi Ken,

Man you hit the nail on the head. I have see guys play guitars and amps that were close to firewood and get the sweetest tone you could imagine. It's in the Hands! most of a players overall sound comes from his / her hands and technique. Yes, a good amp and signal chain will help anyone's overall sound but the amp can not replace the expression or finding the sweet spot to pick of a masters touch.

Kind like the best microphone in the world will not make a bad singer sound good.

Excellent post!

Kind regards to all,

Jerry

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

I'm sorry, but amps make a huge difference in tone. Paul Franklin just reiterated this. And, no, I have seen and heard some grand masters sound just aweful through some equipment. Both guitars and amps. A round front LDG through a Twin does not sound anywhere's near a modern all pull guitar through a Peavey (take your pick) with the same player. Just not going to happen.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

The amp, pickups, cables, foot volume, guitar all make a big difference. I have heard many of the big name players have what I would describe as having very good and also very horrible tone depending on the equipment they were using and the accoustics in the venue. You may or may not like the same tone as me, but these cases that I witnessed showed tremendous differences in tone.

I would say that equipment and technique are of roughly equal importance and either one can make or break you.

Greg

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Does this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB0occfBu_0

sound like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRmPsIhI1tw&feature=related

Two totally different tones from the same master player. Why? Different guitar and different amp. Same player.

I would agree that right hand technique is extremely important. Youtube is chocked full of guys with horrible right hand technique. A lot sound like they are playing a sitar because of it. By the way, I was sitting some where in the first five rows in the first video clip. It sounded even worse there.

Tim Marcus · From: San Francisco, CA

I would not have spent a year developing a pedal steel amplifier if it did not make a difference. It does.

that said, one needs to be at a certain skill level to make any equipment sound good. Its that thing about the 10,000 hours Smile

I am sure a formula 1 driver can drive the hell out of a ford fiesta - but he would probably rather have a formula 1 car Surprised

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Milkmansound.com

Jerry Fleming · From: Roanoke, Virginia, USA

Excellent point guys. I agree with you I have heard several of my heros have a bad day or have a sound man kill his tone.

My point is a master like Jerry Byrd or Kayton Roberts or Buddy Emmons or ... can make a 2x4 with a telephone ear piece for a pickup sound good. They know how to get the best sound using emotion, phrasing and finess from their technique you will hear more of how and what they are playing than the purest tone. IMHO If a player does not have a good touch or technique nothing will make him sound better even a lot of delay & reverb.

this is not a fact just my .02 worth.

Best, Jerry

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I agree. That just emphasizes my point that a good player can sound good thru many different amps. Bad technique can make any amp sound bad. There are certainly more than one good brand of steel amps out there to be used. Again a matter of taste. However there is still no substitute for hard work and developing technique. All the reverb, delay and wonderful amps ain' gonna get you there without paying your dues.

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

Just yesterday, I was chatting with my neighboor Ms. Lyden. She is in her 90's, grew up in Hawiaii, and has played the ukulele since childhood. I was asking her about the slack key players from when she was young and if they used metal or gut strings. She said they used gut strings, they didn't have electricity yet so of course, no electric guitars or amps.
Ours is an electrical musical instrument so an amp is part of the package.
It's up to you to take the pieces, amp, guitar, steel, ears, heart, maybe feet if you use pedals, and make that thing sing.

Richard Tipple · From: Ohio, USA

I cant tell you how many hours I have spent watching U tube video clips of the big dogs, Emmons,Lloyd,Franklin Etc. & how much I have learned just watching thier right hands. Each has a right hand technique that seems to never change through out thier playing.

I used to be a knob twister, constantly trying to dial in that elusive sweet tone. Im sure we have all seen this,,play a little then twist a knob Sad

I am breaking myself of this & it is hard after years of doing it. Once I set up & dial in the best I can,,I use my hands to tweak the tone.

Dont take this the wrong way though,,good equipment makes a world of difference, but I have found that the hands are the million dollar baby here.

I remember Jeff Newman giving me pointers on the right hand position. Jeff always told me ,its all in the hands,,,,he was right.

Darryl Logue · From: Raytown, Missouri, USA

Nothing takes the place of practice. Scales arpeggioes intervals right hand left hand ears etc..
Tone is everything. The right amp. with the right guitar the notes jump out. The combination of both is inspiring. Thats why we are musicions.Thanks Ken

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Rick Contino · From: Brattleboro, Vermont

Donny,

Could very well be the same amp. My guess would be different hand technique. Different production style/quality too.
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Shobud "The Professional" D-10, Stage One S-10, National "New Yorker," NV400

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

... and so the endless debate goes on... and on... and on... (are we having fun yet?)
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

This is how we fill the gap til the next JI v. ET v. Meantone argument.
I'm just glad pick-blockers and palm-blockers have learned to get along
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

It's kind of like the singer/microphone issue. No microphone in the world will make a bad singer sound great. But if the singer has a good voice, then the mic DOES matter because the right mic will best capture and deliver that voice and present it in the most flattering and enhanced way possible.

Our picking, the actual tone created by how well we get the strings vibrating is where the rubber meets the road. That's where it happens, that's the raw voice. After that point, we do still want to capture that and turn that into sound waves in the most beautiful and ear-friendly way possible. So gear matters, sure, but it's all in the hands. I agree Ken. Fun thread.

B

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

Now we are having fun! Sure appreciate all the positive input!

I spent the last 3 hours practicing my right hand technique. Lord, I need a lot of work. I just left the amps alone after a bit and worked on getting a better tone with my pick attack. That seems to be helping.

Amps used today:

A 5E5A (Tweed Super) clone I build many years ago with a 12" speaker. Also a new one I just finished. It is a Twin Reverb chassis (Weber), 1970's Basssman power and output transformers, 2x6l6GC power. The preamp is basically a Twin (same as in Pro reverb and others). Built it with a Neo Black Widow Speaker and a Rick Johnson cabinet. Lots of fun, great amp, my technique still sucks!! Working on it.

Brad, you hit it on the head for sure! I apppreciate all the input.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Sorry, but you are not going to get the rig in the first clip to sound like the rig in the second clip. Not going to happen. Guitar design and construction differences. You cannot make a Peavey sound like a Twin Reverb. Different chassis designs.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

I learned my right hand from Doc Watson, back in about 1960. Firm, aggressive approach. When I started playing steel around 1970, I didn't even have to think about my right hand. Pick blocking? Palm blocking? Already knew all that via Doc. My right hand is completely automatic, thanks to Doc.
Please say a prayer for Doc! He's just gone through about 8 hours of surgery. His condition is; "Critical, but improved." God bless him! An American treasure!

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

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