
All hail the great Malcolm Young, one of my personal "tonal barometers" for great guitar sound.
Some easy tricks for coaxing primo timbres from your guitars, amps, and pedals.
Someone recently posted one of my pedal demos in a thread on a guitar forum and stated that he really liked the sound of the pedal in the demo. Another forum member chimed in and said that for some reason, everything I play through usually sounds good. Shortly after, forum member āSquank" replied, āIt's a talent. Most gear can be dialed in to sound at least decent."
I agree with Squank, and I appreciate the compliment! We live in a golden age of guitar gear and I'm in the lucky position of getting to play through quite a bit of it. It's rare that I come across an amp, pedal, or other piece of guitar hardware I truly dislike, and I can usually get a decent, useable tone out of most modern equipment. This month, I'll share some of my thoughts on dialing in great tone on amps, pedals, and guitars.
Guitars.
Having all your guitars set up properly is an obvious essential for dialing in good tone. I like low-ish action, and for low action to work, I need to set my guitar necks to have just a bit of relief so the strings won't buzz and rattle, and in turn choke the tone. I'm always checking the neck relief on my guitars and adjusting the truss rod accordingly.
Pickup adjustments are also very important, and I set the height of my pickups by ear. I typically like the bass side of each pickup to be a bit lower than the treble side, so the wound strings don't overpower the treble strings. Also, strings generate more energy and volume in the area closer to the neck, so I typically set neck pickups lower than bridge pickups.
It's best to perform pickup adjustments while playing through a clean amp. You can more accurately hear the true tone and volume of each pickup when the signal isn't being compressed or overdriven by a cranked amp or pedal. Listen to the tone of each pickup position, and try to balance the height of each pickup until the volume remains relatively the same when changing pickup settings.
Amps.
When I first plug into an unfamiliar amp, I'll start by setting all the tone controls to noon, and slowly raise the volume to a comfortable level. If the amp has a master volume, I set it for a good listening level and sweep the gain knob to explore the amp's overdrive capabilities. I then make small tone tweaks by sweeping each pot up and down and listen to the range they work in, and how they affect the sound from different points in front of the amp.
You want enough gain to get great sustain and an aggressive sound if desired, but you don't want to lose the punch, dynamics, and immediacy of a semi-dirty tone.
If an amp has a bright switchāand you decide to use itābe sure to check how your overdrive, fuzz, and distortion controls interact with it when engaged. A bright switch can make many drive pedals sound like a swarm of bees. Tip: Rolling the tone or treble dial way down on your overdrives and distortions can really help in this scenario.
Some amps have a bright cap on the volume pot. The purpose of this cap is to allow your amp to provide a bright, clear tone at lower settings on the volume pot. The more the pot is increased, the less effect the cap has. When the pot is turned all the way up, it should be completely out of the circuit. Like they do with a bright switch, drive pedals can interact with a bright cap and result in less-than-pleasant drive tones. If your amp has a bright cap and you don't like the way it responds to some pedals, or you find it excessively edgy at low volumes, consider having a competent amp tech change the bright-cap value or remove it altogether. This can be a worthwhile and easily reversible mod.
Speaking of overdrive and distortion, I come from the slightly less-is-more school. I recently heard Eddie Van Halen say he likes to crank things until they're ready to explode, and then backs them down just a hair. I dig that way of thinking, and it applies whether you get your distortion from a pedal, a cranked NMV (non-master-volume) amp, or an amp with a more modern preamp-gain circuit.
Excessive distortion homogenizes guitar tone. You want enough gain to get great sustain and an aggressive sound if desired, but you don't want to lose the punch, dynamics, and immediacy of a semi-dirty tone. Malcolm Young is my benchmarkāa perfect sonic barometer to go by when talking about incredible rock-guitar tone. His playing proves you don't need a ton of distortion to rock with total authority.
Pedals.
I have a basic rule when it comes to overdrives, distortions, and fuzzes: When I engage them, I want the volume to either stay the same or increase a bit, so I'm "pushing" the amp with the pedal. Because drives compress the sound, they can tend to seem louder overall when you turn them on, but actually they might be reducing the overall peak level. I don't want to diminish the natural output level coming out of my guitar, and I don't want my guitar tone to vanish in the mix when I hit a pedal. As I mentioned earlier, I often run the tone control quite low on drive pedals, which I feel keeps them sounding warm and natural.
Above all, have fun, and remember: Even though I've implied there are rules, there really are no rules.
[Updated 11/2/21]
- Tone Tips: Getting Heard, Not Buried - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Tone Tips: Decoding the PAF Humbucker - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Tone Tips: Dialing in Maximum Tone - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Two-Rock Vintage Deluxe Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
- The Quest for Perfect Guitar Tone āŗ
- Fender Tone Master Pro Modeling Amp Review āŗ
- 14 Hot Amp Plugins Evaluated āŗ
- Sunn Amps Return for Guitar and Bass - Premier Guitar āŗ
- The Pros and Cons of Signature Guitar Pedals - Premier Guitar āŗ
- ictory The Deputy Compact Head Review - Premier Guitar āŗ
- 6 Pedal Guitar Amps for Your Board - Premier Guitar āŗ
See and hear Taylorās Legacy Collection guitars played by his successor, Andy Powers.
Last year, Taylor Guitars capped its 50th Anniversary by introducing a new guitar collection celebrating the contributions of co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug to the guitar world. The Legacy Collection revives five of Bob Taylorās classic acoustic models, curated by the legendary luthier and innovator himself. āTo imagine that weāre doing guitars that harken to our past, our present and our future all at the same time,ā Bob says, āI really like that.ā
In developing the collection, Bob preserved the essence of his originals while integrating performance and playability upgrades introduced during his tenure as designer-in-chief. āItās an up-to-date version of what those guitars would be,ā Bob explains, ābut with the same sound.ā
Visually, these guitars feel classicāclean, understated and unmistakably Taylor. While Bobās original aesthetic preferences are showcased in his Legacy models, the nod to the past runs deeper than trade dress.
From his earliest builds, Bob favored slim-profile necks because he found them easier to play. That preference set a design precedent that established Taylorās reputation for smooth-playing, comfortable necks. Legacy models feature slim mahogany necks built with Taylor's patented New Technology (NT) design. āMy first neck was a bolted-on neck but not an NT neck,ā Bob says. āThese are NT necks because itās a better neck.ā Introduced in 1999, the NT neck allowed for unprecedented micro-adjustability while offering a consistent, hand-friendly Taylor playing experience.
What makes this collection unique within the Taylor line is Bobās use of his X-bracing architecture, favoring his time-tested internal voicing framework over more recent Taylor bracing innovations to evoke a distinctive tone profile. Since Andy PowersāTaylorās current Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEOādebuted his patented V-Class bracing in 2018, V-Class has become a staple in Taylorās premium-performance guitars. Still, Bobās X-bracing pattern produces a richly textured sound with pleasing volume, balance and clarity that long defined the Taylor voice. All Legacy models feature LR Baggs VTC Element electronics, which Bob says āharkens back to those days.ā
The team at Taylor thought the best way to demonstrate the sound of the Legacy guitars was to ask Andy Powers, Bobās successor, to play them. A world-class luthier and musician, Andy has spent the past 14 years leading Taylorās guitar innovation. In addition to V-Class bracing, his contributions include the Grand Pacific body style, the ultra-refined Builderās Edition Collection, and most recently, the stunning Gold Label Collection.
Below youāll find a series of videos that feature Powers playing each Legacy model along with information about the guitars.
Legacy 800 Series Models
First launched in 1975, the 800 Series was Taylorās first official guitar series. Today, it remains home to some of the brandās most acclaimed instruments, including the flagship 814ce, Builderās Edition 814ce and new Gold Label 814e.
The Legacy 800 Series features the 810e Dreadnought and two Jumbos: the 6-string 815e and 12-string 855e. Each model serves up a refined version of the Dreadnought and Jumbo body shapes Bob inherited from Sam Raddingāthe original owner of the American Dream music shop where Bob and Kurt first met. āI was making my guitars in the molds that Sam had made at American Dream,ā Bob recalls. āThere was a Jumbo and a Dreadnought. Thatās all we had.ā
All three Legacy 800 Series guitars feature one of Bobās favorite tonewood combos. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides are paired with a Sitka spruce top, yielding warm lows, clear trebles and a scooped midrange.
Aesthetic appointments include a three-ring abalone rosette, mother-of-pearl Large Diamond inlays, white binding around the body and fretboard, and Bobās āstraight-earā peghead design. Both Jumbo models also showcase a mustache-style ebony bridgeāa nod to Bobās early Jumbo builds.
Legacy 810e
The 810 Dreadnought holds a special place in Bob Taylorās heart. āMy first 810, the one I made for myself, was a thrilling guitar for me to make,ā he says. āItās the one and only guitar I played. It didnāt matter how many guitars we made at Taylor, thatās the one I took out and played.ā The Legacy 810e brings back that bold, room-filling Dreadnought voice along with the easy playability expected from a Taylor.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 810e | Playthrough DemoĀ
Legacy 855e
Taylorās first 12-strings found an audience in 1970s Los Angeles. āI was making guitars that would find their way to McCabeās in Santa Monica and Westwood Music,ā Bob says, āand these guitars were easy to play. Twelve-strings were a popular sound in that music. It was a modern country/folk/rock music genre that was accepting our guitars because they were easy to play. They also liked the sound of them because our guitars were easier to record.ā The Legacy 855e, with its resonant Jumbo body, slim neck and gorgeous octave sparkle, carries that tradition forward.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 855e | Playthrough DemoĀ
Legacy 815e
The Legacy 815e revives Taylorās original Jumbo 6-string, delivering a big, lush sound with beautifully blooming overtones.
Legacy Grand Auditoriums
In the early 1990s, Bob Taylor heard a consistent refrain from dealers: āNot everybody wants a dreadnought guitar anymore.ā Players were asking for something with comparable volume but different proportionsāsomething more comfortable, yet still powerful. This feedback inspired Bob to design a new body style with more elegant curves, more accommodating proportions and a balanced tonal response. The result was the Grand Auditorium, which Taylor introduced in 1994 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Thanks to its musical versatility and easy playability, Bobās Grand Auditorium attracted a wide variety of players. āWe came into our own with our Grand Auditorium,ā he says. āPeople were describing it as āall around.ā Itās a good strummer and good for fingerstyle, but itās not totally geared toward strumming or totally geared toward fingerstyle.ā Also referred to as the āSwiss-Army Knifeā of guitars or the āGoldilocksā guitar, the GA quickly became a favorite among guitarists across playing styles, musical genres and different playing applications including recording and live performance. āThat guitar made studio work successful,ā Bob says. It gained a wider fanbase with the debut of the āceā version, which introduced a Venetian cutaway and onboard electronics. āThat became one of our hallmarks,ā says Bob. āIf you want to plug in your guitar, buy a Taylor.ā
Today, the Grand Auditorium is Taylorās best-selling body shape.
The Legacy Collection features two cedar-top Grand Auditoriums inspired by past favorites: the mahogany/cedar 514ce and rosewood/cedar 714ce. Both models incorporate Bobās original X-bracing pattern for a tonal character reminiscent of their 1990s and 2000s counterparts. Shared aesthetic details include a green abalone three-ring rosette, ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots, a faux-tortoiseshell pickguard and Taylor gold tuning machines.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 815e | Playthrough DemoĀ
Legacy 514ce
The Legacy 514ce features solid mahogany back and sides paired with a Western Red cedar top, yielding a punchy midrange and dry, woody sonic personality that pairs beautifully with cedarās soft-touch sensitivity and warmth. Itās a standout choice for fingerstyle players and light strummers who crave nuance and depth. Distinct visual details include faux-tortoise body and fretboard binding, black-and-white top trim, and mother-of-pearl small diamond fretboard inlays.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 514ce | Playthrough DemoĀ
Legacy 714ce
The Legacy 714ce also features a cedar top, this time matched with solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The result is a richly textured sound with deep lows, clear trebles and a warm, mellow response. Inspiring as it is, this specific wood pairing isnāt currently offered in any other standard Taylor model. Additional aesthetic details include green abalone dot fretboard inlays, black body and fretboard binding, and black-and-white āpinstripeā body purfling.
While the Legacy Collection spotlights Taylorās past, newer models from the Gold Label, Builderās Edition and Somos Collections show the companyās legacy is always evolving. Explore the Legacy Collection at taylorguitars.com or visit your local authorized Taylor dealer.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 714ce | Playthrough DemoĀ
Detail of Tedās 1997 National resonator tricone.
What instruments should you bring to an acoustic performance? These days, with sonic innovations and the shifting definition of just what an acoustic performance is, anything goes.
I believe it was Shakespeare who wrote: āTo unplug, or not to unplug, that is the question. Whether ātis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of acoustic purists, or to take thy electric guitar in hand to navigate the sea of solo performing.ā
Four-hundred-and-twenty-four years later, many of us still sometimes face the dilemma of good William when it comes to playing solo gigs. In a stripped-down setting, where itās just us and our songs, do we opt to play an acoustic instrument, which might seem more fittingāor at least more common, in the folksinger/troubadour traditionāor do we bring a comfy electric for accompaniment?
For me, and likely many of you, it depends. If Iām playing one or two songs in a coffeehouse-like atmosphere, Iām likely to bring an acoustic. But if Iām doing a quick solo pop up, say, as a buffer between bands in a rock room, Iām bringing my electric. And when Iām doing a solo concert, where Iāll be stretching out for at least an hour, itās a hybrid rig. Iāll bring my battered old Guild D25C, a National tricone resonator, and my faithful Zuzu electric with coil-splitting, and likely my gig pedalboard, or at least a digital delay. And each guitar is in a different tuning. Be prepared, as the Boy Scouts motto states. (For the record, I never made it past Webelos.)
My point is, the definition of the āacousticā or ācoffeehouseā performance has changed. Sure, there are still a few Alan Lomax types out there who will complain that an electric guitar or band is too loud, but they are the last vestiges of the folk police. And, well, acoustic guitar amplification is so good these days that Iāve been at shows where each strum of a flattop box has threatened to take my head off. My band Coyote Motel even plays Nashvilleās hallowed songwriter room the Bluebird CafĆ© as a fully electric five-piece. Whatās key, besides a smart, flexible sound engineer, is controlling volume, and with a Cali76 compressor or an MXR Duke of Tone, I can get the drive and sustain I need at a low level.
āMy point is, the definition of the āacousticā or ācoffeehouseā performance has changed.ā
So, today I think the instruments that are right for āacousticā gigs are whatever makes you happiest. Left to my own devices, I like my Guild for songs that have a strong basis in folk or country writing, my National for blues and slide, and my electric for whenever I feel like adding a little sonic sauce or showing off a bit, since I have a fluid fingerpicking hand that can add some flash to accompaniment and solos. Itās really a matter of what instrument or instruments make you most comfortable because we should all be happy and comfortable onstageāwhether that stage is in an arena or theater, a club or coffeehouse, or a church basement.
At this point, with instruments like Fenderās Acoustasonic line, or piezo-equipped models from Godin, PRS, and others, and the innovative L.R. Baggs AEG-1, itās worth considering just what exactly makes a guitar acoustic. Is it sound? In which case thereās a wide-open playing field. Or is it a variation on the classic open-bodied instrument that uses a soundhole to move air? And if we arrive at the same end, do the means matter? There is excellent craftsmanship available today throughout the entire guitar spectrum, including foreign-built models, so maybe we can finally put the concerns of Shakespeare to rest and accept that āacousticā has simply come to mean ālow volume.ā
Another reason Iām thinking out loud about this is because this is our annual acoustic issue. And so weāre featuring Jason Isbell, on the heels of his solo acoustic album, a piece on how acoustic guitars do their work authored by none other than Lloyd Baggs, and Andy Fairweather Low, whose new solo albumāand illustrious careerāincludes exceptional acoustic performances. If youāre not familiar with his work, and you are, even if you donāt know it, he was the gent sitting next to Clapton for the historic 1992 Unplugged concertāand lots more. There are also reviews of new instruments from Taylor, Martin, and Godin that fit the classic acoustic profile, so dig in, and to heck with the slings and arrows!Ernie Ball, the worldās leading manufacturer of premium guitar strings and accessories, proudly announces the launch of the all-new Earthwood Bell Bronze acoustic guitar strings. Developed in close collaboration with Grammy Award-winning guitarist JohnMayer, Bell Bronze strings are engineered to meet Mayerās exacting performance standards, offering players a bold new voice for their acoustic guitars.Crafted using a proprietary alloy inspired by the metals traditionally found in bells and cymbals, Earthwood Bell Bronze strings deliver a uniquely rich, full-bodied tone with enhanced clarity, harmonic content, and projectionāmaking them the most sonically complex acoustic strings in the Ernie Ball lineup to date.
āEarthwood Bell Bronze strings are a giant leap forward in tone, playability, and durability. Theyāre great in any musical setting but really shine when played solo. Thereās an orchestral quality to them.ā -John Mayer
Product Features:
- Developed in collaboration with John Mayer
- Big, bold sound
- Inspired by alloys used for bells and cymbals
- Increased resonance with improved projection and sustain
- Patent-pending alloy unique to Ernie Ball stringsHow is Bell Bronze different?
- Richer and fuller sound than 80/20 and Phosphor Bronze without sounding dark
- Similar top end to 80/20 Bronze with richer low end than Phosphor Bronze
The Irish post-punk bandās three guitarists go for Fairlane, Fenders, and a fake on their spring American tour.
We caught up with guitarists Carlos OāConnell and Conor Curley from red-hot Dublin indie rock outfit Fontaines D.C. for a Rig Rundown in 2023, but we felt bad missing bassist Conor āDeegoā Deegan III, so weāve been waiting for the lads to make their way back.
This time, riding the success of their fourth LP, 2024ās Romance, we caught up with all three of them at Nashvilleās Marathon Music Works ahead of their April 30 gig to see what they brought across the pond.
Brought to you by DāAddario
Allās Fairlane
Curleyās go-to is this Fairlane Zephyr, loaded with Montyās P-90s and a Mastery bridge. It mostly stays in standard tuning and, like his other axes, has Ernie Ball Burly Slinky strings.
Blue Boy
Fender sent Curley this Jazzmaster a couple of years ago, and since then, heās turned to it for heavier, more driven sounds. Itās tuned to E flat, but Curley also tunes it to a unique shoegaze-y tuning for their tune āSundowner.ā
You can also catch Curley playing a Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar.
Twin Win
Fender Twin Reverbs are where Conor Curley feels most comfortable, so theyāre his go-to backline. The amps are EQād fairly flat to operate as pedal platforms.
Conor Curleyās Pedalboard
Curleyās pedalboard for this tour includes a TC Electronic PolyTune3 Noir, Strymon Timeline, Boss RV-6, Boss PN-2, Boss BF-3, Keeley Loomer, Death by Audio Echo Dream, Fairfield Circuitry Hors d'Ouevre?, Strymon Sunset, Strymon Deco, DigiTech Hardwire RV-7, Electro-Harmonix Nano POG, and Lehle Little Dual.
Fake Out
Connor Deegan didnāt own a bass when Fontaines D.C. began, and his first purchase was the black Fender Jazz bass (right)āor so he thought. He later discovered it was a total knock-off, with a China-made body, Mexico-made neck, and a serial number that belongs to a Jaguar. But he fell in love with it, and its soundānasal on the high strings, with cheap high-output pickupsāis all over the bandās first record, Dogrel. Deego plays with orange Dunlop .60 mm picks, and uses Rotosound Swing Bass 66 strings.
Deegan picked up the Squier Bass VI (left) for its āsurfy vibes,ā and upgraded the pickups and bridge.
Also in his arsenal is this 1972 Fender P-bass (middle). (Heās a bit nervous to check the serial number.)
V-4 You Go
Deego plays through an Ampeg V-4B head into a Fender 6x10 cabinet.
Conor Deeganās Pedalboard
Deeganās board includes a Boss TU-3, Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger, Boss TR-2, modded Ibanez Analog Delay, Death by Audio Reverberation Machine, Boss CE-2w, Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, Darkglass Electronics Alpha Omega Ultra, and Dunlop Volume (X) Mini pedal. A GigRig QuarterMaster helps him switch sounds.
Mustang Muscle
Carlos OāConnell favors this 1964 Fender Mustang, which has been upgraded with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup since Romance. Itās set up so that the single-coil pickup is always on, and heāll add in the Hot Rails signal for particular moments.
Ghost of Gallagher
After getting to play a number of Rory Gallagherās guitars thanks to a private invitation from the guitaristās estate, OāConnell picked up this Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster. The jangly, direct tone of this one is all over tunes like āBoys in the Better Land.ā
More Fender Friends
OāConnell runs his guitars, including a vintage Martin acoustic which he picked up in Nashville, through a Fender Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb.
Carlos OāConnellās Pedalboard
The gem of OāConnellās board is this Soundgas 636p, an imitation of the infamous Grampian 636 mic preampās breakup. Alongside it are a TC Electronic PolyTune, Ceriatone Centura, Strymon Volante, Eventide H9, Orchid Electronics Audio 1:1 Isolator, Vein-Tap Murder One, MXR Micro Amp, Moog MF Flange, MXR Smart Gate, and Freqscene Koldwave Analog Chorus. A Radial BigShot ABY navigates between the Twin and Deluxe Reverb.