Grateful Dead Music Forum

Im sure youve all seen this clip but this might be the filthiest Strat tone Ive heard anybody get as of late....JM's really got a great understanding of tone and its all in the hands boys....Strat and a Twin!!!

Jeff Mattson's tone,

I saw Jeff with the Donna Jean Band at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.

Looked like Jeff was playing a stockish strat into a tube amp that I did not recognize.

Needless to say, Jeff got awesome tones, apparently no pedals, no buffer, no Super IIs, no twins and possibly no JBLs either! Yet despite all of this lack of gear, Jeff emulates Jerry as well as, if not better than pretty much anyone. GO figure! Go Jeff.

Of course we joke that Jerry played Sugeree maybe 3000 times, while Jeff has played it 10,000 times!

For sure Jeff is boosting his signal in this jam to get that fat tone. Could be a number of different pedals. Twins do not OD like that with some help. He's got a killer tone and given the lack of effects and simple rig I'm going to say 98% of his tone is in his hands and how he has both his amp and guitar dialed in.

Looking forward to seeing DSO when they come to Seattle this spring.

Wow, he's my type of player.

Peace,

James

Here's a recent one where he is playing a Tele. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gMykUzUlm4

Volume does wonders with tube amps.

There's something missing in Mattson's tone I think. Not enough sustain or something. Or maybe it sounds "boxy". I guess this is a strange thread to have this input but anyone else agree?

There's something missing in Mattson's tone I think.

I don't think it's 'boxy' to my ears, but lacking... It's entirely possible it's just the recording, but I think the blaster adds a necessary ingredient...

Saw him the other night in NJ w/Donna Godchaux and his tone was butter. He was using his Strat through a little 1x12", looked like a Victoria or something Boutique-like...had a Distortion+ and a Phase 100 in his chain, and tone all night was flexible and very sweet. Did a blistering take on Darkness, Darkness and dusted off the old Garcia/Saunders version of Every Word You Say...

Are his strat and amp modified? Can anyone verify for sure? Lovely tone.

Not sure what mods exactly, he normally plays what's called a Mattsoncaster, but looks like a standard start there.