No tone is an island.
I think we can all agree, there are a lot of variables that go into making a “tone” that we like. I would argue that context is by far the most important variable to consider. I say that for many reasons, but mostly because I believe that context encompasses all the other variables in a nice, tight little package (arrangement, gear, etc.).
I started learning about the importance of context relatively early in my musical journey. I became interested in recording soon after picking up a guitar. Learning about EQ-ing in a mix is something that really emphasizes this point. More specifically, I started noticing that when I’d EQ a track while mixing, it would sometimes sound bad in isolation, and this was not necessarily something that was intuitive to me. I was learning these lessons in my makeshift home studio, but unfortunately, I didn’t make those same connections initially when I started playing live.
Some years later, I became an avid follower of YouTube demoer and musical thinker Nick Jaffe, who is commonly known in our industry as “Just Nick.” He released a video on his channel entitled “Tone is a LIE — A calm, reasoned discussion with just Nick.” His argument was that “good tone” is very much coupled with the context it’s in. He used powerful examples, too. One was an unplugged Telecaster recorded with a computer mic devoid of arrangement, which Nick described as “atrocious.” Moments later, it was in a funk song and sat in the arrangement well. Shockingly well, to my ears. There was also the “epic” guitar tone/solo in isolation that was suddenly thin when used in an accompaniment.
I think another great example of this phenomenon is with the legendary Vox AC30. Many people have had the experience of playing that amp (particularly in a bedroom setting) where it’s just a little too clean, immediate, and bright. However, when played louder—just at the point of break-up and with a drummer, sitting in a band arrangement, where those high frequencies fit better and make more sense—it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.
So how does this relate to pedals? We’re in an age where there are many ways to listen to a pedal, and many of these are on YouTube. It definitely puts a bee in my bonnet when I see blunt, short, online comments (trust me, I spend waaaaaaay too much time on online forums) about how (fill in the blank) pedal is bad. (Although usually that’s accompanied with more colorful language.) But the message remains the same: just straight-up bad. It drives me nuts because it seems there’s never any interesting, positive, or useful sound suggestions for a pedal or piece of gear in a comments section. It just presents a narrow-minded approach to gear. I’m okay with negative criticism, but it’d just be nice to have some more information as to why or how a certain piece of gear doesn’t work for somebody. I can speak confidently about the way that my playing or rig interacts with certain things, but I’m always very hesitant to make blanket generalizations based on my experiences. This philosophy expands far beyond gear as well. It turns out context is vitally important to essentially all things, all subjects.
This was all driven home for me further this last weekend, when I saw one of my favorite bands, Radiohead, perform. I’ve been to dozens of arena shows, and Radiohead’s live sound is just immaculate. They incorporate such a variety of sounds, including some very weird sounds, and it all works so incredibly well. I have to imagine that everyone in the band is keenly aware of context, and how different things interact with each other in the arrangements.
When I was younger, I was so intimidated by amps that had more than three controls (I sort of still am), but at some point, it occurred to me that I get to decide what I sound like. I’m in charge of my tone and—while I’m certainly not opposed to feedback, making adjustments, or looking at a few sample settings to get me started—I know what I like. At some point, I started believing that my opinion, my taste, had merit. In addition to that, we as musicians are the ultimate judges as to what is good in the context we’re in. Pages of sample settings are great, but they cannot prepare you for the perfect recipe for tone. The manual does not know how hard your drummer hits, what kind of rig the other guitarist uses, or what kind of pedals you’re going to put in front of your amp.
J Mascis is well known for his legendary feats of volume.
J Mascis is well known for his legendary feats of volume. Just check out a photo of his rig to see an intimidating wall of amps pointed directly at the Dinosaur Jr. leader’s head. And though his loudness permeates all that he does and has helped cement his reputation, there’s a lot more to his playing.
On this episode of 100 Guitarists, we’re looking at each phase of the trio’s long career. How many pedals does J use to get his sound? What’s his best documented use of a flanger? How does his version of “Maggot Brain” (recorded with bassist Mike Watt) compare to Eddie Hazel’s? And were you as surprised as we were when Fender released a J Mascis signature Tele?
Columnist Janek Gwizdala with heroes Dennis Chambers (left) and Mike Stern (right).
Keeping your gigging commitments can be tough, especially when faced with a call from a hero. But it’s always the right choice.
Saying “yes!” to everything early on has put me in a place now where I can say no to almost everything and still be okay. That wasn’t without its challenges. I’d like to share a story about a “yes” that would haunt me for years.
As bass players, we can, if we choose, quite easily find ourselves in a wide variety of situations without having to change much about our sound or our playing. If your time is good and you’re able to help those around you feel good and sound better, the telephone will pretty much always ring.
Playing jazz as an electric-bass player living in New York City from 2000 to 2010 was somewhat of a fool’s errand in terms of getting work. No one wanted electric bass, and bandleaders would go to the bottom of a list of 100 upright players before they would even think about calling you. Not only that, but I wasn’t even at the top of the electric list when I first moved there. Not even close. Anthony Jackson, Richard Bona, Will Lee, Tim Lefebvre, James Genus, Lincoln Goines, Mike Pope, John Benitez, Matthew Garrison—that’s a who’s who of the instrument when I first moved to town, and I was very much a freshman with almost no experience. Almost…
I’d been lucky enough to play extensively with Kenwood Dennard (Jaco’s drummer), and a little with Hiram Bullock (Jaco’s guitarist) before moving to NYC which helped create a little momentum, but only a VERY little.
This is where the story begins:
I’d sent Mike Stern a demo back in late ’97. He’d not only taken the time to listen to it but had called my parents’ house right after I moved to the U.S. to tell me he loved it and wanted to hang. I missed the call but eventually met him at a clinic he gave at Berklee.
Of course, I was buzzing about all of this. It helped me stay laser-focused on practice and on moving to NYC as soon as possible. I got the typical “look me up when you get to town” invitation from Stern and basically counted the seconds through the three semesters I stayed at Berklee until I could split town.
I arrived with a ton of confidence but zero gigs. And nothing happened overnight. It really took saying yes to literally everything I was offered just to keep a roof over my head. Through that process, I felt like I was getting further away from playing with my jazz heroes.
The early gigs were far from glamorous—long hours, terrible pay, and sometimes, after travel expenses, they cost me money to play.
“Whenever I have a single moment of doubt, I think about the time I had to say no to my heroes—the reasons I moved to America, the reason I do what I do.”
When Stern finally called, a few years into living in NYC, things started to move pretty quickly. I began playing a lot of gigs at the 55 Bar with him, and short road trips became a thing—a four-night stint at Arturo Sandoval’s new club in Miami, gigs in Chicago, Cleveland, and upstate New York, and then some international work, including a tour of Mexico and a trip to Brazil, if I remember right.
But the hardest phone call of my career came from Mike not long into my time touring with him. It went something like this:
“Hey man, what’s your scene in April? Lincoln can’t make a trip to the West Coast. It’s just one gig. Trio… with DENNIS CHAMBERS.”
Mike didn’t shout Dennis’ name, but that’s how I heard it. My all-time hero. Someone I’d been dreaming about playing with for over 15 years. And here’s the kicker: I had to say no.
I’d just committed to six weeks with Jojo Mayer’s band Nerve in Asia and Europe, and there was no way I could bail on him. And there was no way I could afford to ditch six weeks of work for a single gig with Mike. To say that haunted me for years is an understatement. I was destroyed that I had to turn it down.
The tour with Jojo was amazing—the posters hang in my studio as a reminder of those times to this day. And thankfully, I was able to go on some years later and play dozens of shows with Mike and Dennis all over the world—truly some of the highlights of my career.
I still think about that phone call, though. Whenever I have a single moment of doubt, I think about the time I had to say no to my heroes—the reasons I moved to America, the reason I do what I do. I get emotional writing and thinking about it even now. But I've learned to never have regrets and understand you just have to believe in the process and maintain the willpower to continue—no matter what.
On our season two finale, the country legend details his lead-guitar tricks on one of his biggest hits.
Get out the Kleenex, hankies, or whatever you use to wipe away your tears: It’s the last episode of this season of Shred With Shifty, a media event more consequential and profound than the finales of White Lotus and Severance combined. But there’ll be some tears of joy, too, because on this season two closer, Chris Shiflett talks with one of country music’s greatest players: Vince Gill.
Gill’s illustrious solo career speaks for itself, and he’s played with everyone from Reba McEntire and Patty Loveless to Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton. He even replaced Glenn Frey in the Eagles after Frey’s death in 2017. His singing prowess is matched by his grace and precision on the fretboard, skills which are on display on the melodic solo for “One More Last Chance.” He used the same blackguard 1953 Fender Telecaster that you see in this interview to record the lead, although he might not play the solo the exact way he did back in 1992.
Tune in to learn how Gill dialed his clean tone with a tip from Roy Nichols, why he loves early blackguard Telecasters and doesn’t love shredders, and why you never want to be the best player during a studio session.
If you’re able to help, here are some charities aimed at assisting musicians affected by the fires in L.A:
https://guitarcenterfoundation.org
https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html
https://www.musiciansfoundation.org
https://fireaidla.org
https://www.musicares.org
https://www.sweetrelief.org
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
Grez Guitars has introduced the Grez GrandTour Bass, a short scale semi-hollow carve-top instrument available in 4-string format.
The Grez Grand Tour Bass, designed in collaboration with bass powerhouse Ian MartinAllison is, like all Grez instruments, a modern sleek interpretation of the classic instruments from the 50’s and 60’s.
The instruments feature a carved Spruce top, Honduran Mahogany body and neck. The 30" scale construction includes a Macassar ebony fretboard, 12” radius with 21 jumbofrets. Each bass comes equipped with a Halon bridge, Grez string anchor and LaBellaDeep Talkin’ long scale 45-105 flatwound strings. Electronics include Curtis Novak Bisonic/Darkstar pickups with coil tap.
The Grand Tour bass features a nitro finish and is available in a variety of colors(pictured here in custom Toasted Marshmallow).
Grez Grand Tour Bass with Ian Martin Allison
Barry Grzebik explains: “I love process of design instruments, marrying acoustical,electrical, visual and ergonomic engineering with industrial and artistic design. In this case creating something that artfully balances the desire for a robust acoustic voice with the need to hold up to professional touring and stadium stage volumes. One small notable detail is that although this is a short scale instrument, because of the after-length of string past the bridge, it uses standard long scale strings which dramatically increases sting options and availability.”
Ian Marin Allison shares, “I’m inspired by the unique character of vintage hollow andsemi-hollow basses, but they don’t always live up to our modern expectation of stability, playability, versatility and QUALITY. I’m proud to have helped create something that does”.
The Grez Grand Tour Bass, is available now from Grez Guitars and their dealers with astreet price starting at $5,999. Light customization is welcome with delivery times aslittle as 8 weeks.