July 2009 \ Gigging & Recording \ Hey, You Can't Do That \ Creating Your Signature Guitar Sound

Creating Your Signature Guitar Sound

Steve Ouimette

How to put everything together for a sound that's uniquely you
Premier Guitar July 2009
Throughout the history of guitar playing there have been a lot of amazing and inspiring tones created. Signature sounds that are can be picked out from a lineup with your eyes closed. As a rock guy I particularly gravitate to tones from Ace Frehley’s “ALIVE!” era to Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced” to Van Halen’s “Fair Warning.” No doubt all of these sounds were created first by the player’s style and songs but clearly were carved out by the combination of guitar, amp and FX choices. Some may have been happy accidents while others were the culmination of many experiments and careful choices that led to the final result. Nearly all of these tones continued to evolve over time, and in some cases devolve with changes that may have sounded like a good idea at the time but actually took them a step backward. The question is, without copying somebody else’s sound how do you create a signature tone of your own? Let’s explore and see if we can’t just assemble the next classic tone…yours.

My assumption is that most of us have been playing long enough to know what we like and already have been through various guitars, amps and FX over the years. But does that mean you’re 100% happy with your tone? Again, like most of us you probably would always welcome a little tweak here or there. Lets go way back to basics and ask a few questions that might help get you in the right frame of mind.

1. What style do you play? If you play more than one just pick one of them and go with it. Certainly each style has a distinctive tone to it.

2. Are you the only guitarist in the band? How many players make up your band?

3. What are the main components you want your tone to cover? Do you need clarity and sustain? Thick and chunky power chords? Searing gain drenched in delays and modulation FX?

4. Does portability matter in your setup? Where will you use it? Can it be recreated in any sized venue or are you planning to carry full stacks cranked to 10?

Once you’ve gotten into the frame of mind of what you really want to accomplish you can start putting together your sound from there. The classic example of Les Paul into a Marshall is a good starting point for a heavy rock tone. But amazingly there are many players with this combination yet they all sound different. Again, aside from their playing style what separated them from each other? For instance Zakk Wylde plays Les Paul’s and Marshall’s just like Jimmy Page but Zakk’s Les Paul has EMG humbuckers in it while Page has stock PAF’s. Page also used a non-master 1959 model Marshall while Zakk uses JCM800’s (among others no doubt). Similar on the outside but very different on the inside.

Making small changes from similar setups makes a world of difference to your sound, but making bold changes can help launch you into another universe. These days there is such a surplus of manufacturers of great amps, guitars and FX that you could easily spend the rest of your life experimenting…fun, but probably not the best way to get your sound solidified. I recommend finding a guitar that is comfortable and is equipped with what you need for your style and spending a good amount of energy on the amp and speaker choice. While the guitar will absolutely have a big effect on the overall sound, the amp and speaker(s) will probably have the most significant sonic imprint. Before getting too crazy with the FX side try to establish the core of your sound and finding the sweet spot of the two. Effects play a big part of classic tones from The Edge to David Gilmore and Hendrix, and with the thousands of pedals both new and old available it would be easy enough to create your own sound if you chose to go that route.

After covering 75 different songs for various video games in the past couple of years I’ve had the luxury of recreating some great sounds. To be able to study the tones of so many players really opened me up to the idea that with an open mind and a clear idea of what you want to achieve anyone can create their own personal signature sound. Now, all you have to do is write that hit song and you’ll have a place in history along with the greats!

     

Related Articles

5 Questions to Answer Before Buying Your Next Guitar
5 Rutbusters That Will Change The Way You Play
Hey, You Can't Do That: Know Thy Fretboard
Playing Outside the Box: Banjo Tuning on Guitar
Top 10 Tips for Buying an Amp


Comments

 (16 comments) display by
UsernameComment
Doug B.
on 07/24/2009 		Steve, some good advice for less advanced players. There is so much more info available today online that saves the new generation of players LOTS of time and money. I am a married 47 year old with no kids and some money wrapped up in nice stuff. Early in my playing I got a lot of people pissed off by asking them about how some things work..'do your own homework kid'.. but as time went on and numerous guitars and amps and effects came and went I started figuring it out. I pride myself on getting a good sound for what a particular style calls for, while still retaining my individuality. By that I mean by MY touch. Some guys can play heavy strings, I always played light guage strings. Took some time to get certain sounds going on, but settled on what worked for me and ultimately INSPIRED ME TO PLAY MORE!! That to me is key, if your gear is bringing you down, don't eat out every meal-spend your money on gear. In the long run you won't be sorry. By the way, loved the JTM45 roundup you did, one of my all time fave amps.
English
on 07/13/2009 		Very touchy subject. lots of factors involved here including your hands which have a huge impact. Too much emphisis on gear I feel even though gear plays a part. I feel usually a sound finds you. It's hard to explain and different for everybody. i feel everyone on here has a valid comment though.
Tom Rodriguez
on 07/11/2009 		Today's guitarists pay more attention to their pedal boards than the audience this makes for a really boring performance. Approach the electric guitar should be like an acoustic in that you have to make the sound. A guitar is capable of so many sounds the problem is it takes a lot of work. Jimi Hendrix used effects but he didn't need to or rely on them. I think his best live show was at Monterey were he used no effects and relied on his ability to play. How do you sound like that? Turn your amp to 10 and learn to play. Jimi Hendrix, Angus Young, Johnny Ramone, Eddie Van Halen (early years) and Jimi Page all use pretty much the same setup live and let their playing create the signature sound.
Simon
on 07/04/2009 		I can't believe that any article on finding your tone would misspell David Gilmour's name. I actually set out to recreate the tone of my favorite guitarist and arrived at a tone I'm very happy with and people complimented me on a lot. I figured it was the same as Mr Gimours, but when I heard his most recent album and then went back and listened to his other records I found that the sound that I had imagined was actually a little thicker and more sustainy than David's. So whilst his sound was certainly the inspiration, my ideal sound became my own
Jerry K.
on 07/03/2009 		I agree the article is a little thin. And Dave L. is right the first ingredient is the player holding the pick.
Ed
on 07/02/2009 		Why don't they ask real world players that are working on the circuit how we achieve our tones rather than some generic canned article explaining nothing that we didn't already know? It's not rocket science. I got more out of the comments section than I did in the article.
Larry
on 07/02/2009 		I don't undertand the comments about the lack of "meat" in this article. If Steve had explained exactly how to create a signature sound you guys might end up with a signature sound but it would be his rather than yours. I'm wondering if too much hasn't been made of this subject anyway. For most guitarists I know, and that includes me, it seems to be more of a process of finding a sound than creating it. First came a guitar I liked, then an amp I liked and finally effects that I liked. I spent a lot of time tweeking all three until I was pleased witht he result. I didn't start with the idea that I wanted things to sound a certain way. I knew that the end of the road to my sound would come when I was satisfied. And that was my sole criteria. So at the end of all the tweeking I said, "Oh yeah . . . this is what I sound like". Am I "underthinking" this?
Steve Ouimette
on 07/02/2009 		To Mike and Dave, it all depends on where you're at within finding your own sound as to if this is helpful or not. One mans floor is another mans ceiling. In the past I've written about the impact ones hands have on tone (it's not the hands really, it's the brain...give me Hendrix's brain and I'd play like him). It is a great suggestion that this be one of multiple parts because there is no end to the amount of components that a signature tone is based upon and this is just a part. Stay tuned.
Tim
on 07/02/2009 		I just stumbled on to the impact of speakers on a given amp's sound. I have two Line 6 Vetta amps, one for rehearsal/gigging and one for studio. I replaced the stock Celestions with some older JBLs and WOW!! what a difference! It makes the other Vetta sound like it's playing through a two foot thick cotton wall!!
Cees Bergmans
on 07/02/2009 		My advice! Get Langcaster pickups and you start with a clean sound that no other pickups can produce and you do not need to spent a fortune on extra gear to clean up most of the muddy humbucker sounds



Your Comment:  

All comments are subject to editing or deletion by the Premier Guitar staff.

Your Name:  


Please enter the text you see in the image:  
10

7D2AA4EF-FB02-4FAD-906B-EF9DDA65F304