strumminsix wrote:mkaufman wrote:My feeling is that if your guitar and amp without effects can't get you close, then adding effect won't help much.
+1
Sadly, too many folks say, well if I just had this pedal I'd have "my sound".
IMO 90% of tone comes from hands+guitar+cable+amp
+1.1 Million!!1
Lets break it down. I think we can all agree, that Bob Weir kicked ass in 1973-1974
His rig back then (not 100% of the time, but for the most part):
Gibson 335 (or 345)> Guitar Cable> Twin Reverb
For all the aspiring "Weirdo's" out there, I would recommend Woodshedding this time period, not only for tone but for technique because in my opinion 71-74 is the period where Weir really found his instrumental voice and blossomed into becoming the totally unique player that he was/is. If you cant get in that ballpark to begin with, no amount of later year gear is going to get you there. By trying to mimic Weirs tone and chops from this time period will get any player well on their way because you will be starting from his starting point. Tone is like a blank canvas for painting. Effects are the colors. You can strip all the paint away and be right at that blank canvas again.If you are putting effects (even if they are "weir" effects) over a blank tone canvas that is not near Weir's original ballpark, you just cant get there.
I have been playing Bobby parts in the same band for 22 years. I dont always try to cop Bobbys tone and as the years go by I do it less and less, (after 22 years We have found our own voice as a band even though we play the Dead, we really dont all try to totally cop all the tones anymore) but I can when I want to.
Another good example is I have 3 very different guitar rigs and I use all 3.
One is an early 68 Twin Reverb (blackface AB763 specs)
one is a November 1978 Mesa boogie Mark 2a 60/100 watt, No EQ (my favorite amp that I have even owned)
and the 3rd is a Solid State Rack With a Yamaha PG-1 pre amp and a QSC power amp
The Boogie has a K-120 in it.
I have a Hard Trucker style cab with E-120's in it.
I have another Hard Trucker style Cab with Eminence Cannabis Rex's in it (I really like these speakers at a GREAT price)
I have Celestion G12-75's in the Twin (which are usually unplugged in favor of the HT E-120 cab)
..............................But you know what? I can use any of the amps above, mixed and matched with ANY of the speakers listed and still get the Weir tone I am after.Even the Celestions. Depending on the room size (and how lazy I am) dictates the rig I bring out. We frequently play Toads place in New Haven (Big stage holds 1000 people) so you think I would bring out the HT Cab and big Rack or Twin? Nope, Last Friday, I was lazy so all that came out was the single Boogie 1-12 combo and my sound didnt suffer (actually Toads sound man says it is his favorite rig of mine).....It is funny There are 5 years of You tube videos from the same venu (Toads place), and in every video I have a different rig or guitar! Talk about G.A.S
.......................................................have you heard the one about the yellow dog?
