Tone comes from your fingers.

i know everyones always looking for pedals to better their sound(I know i do). but im finally beginning to realize that gear is great but true tone comes from your fingers!BUT good effects dont hurt in the tone searching process LOL.

OOPS wrong forum. sorry.

Fingerless = Toneless

It comes from your guttiwutts.

If you want to persue a given sound, cool. Use your fingers. For the rest of us who love sonic diversity and musical textures reaching waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond fingers and a decrepit old tube amp, I'll take my effects, picks, amps, guitars and whatever else gives me the diversity that helps keep my audiences entertained.

"Tone is in the fingers." No offense but, that statement is almost as boring as listening to that sound after about 5 songs into the set.

As you can tell, I'm just not a fan of limiting statements. A person subscribing to the "tone is in the fingers" statement may very well have found his one true sound. But it's very limiting.

We got stuff! Lets enjoy it and support those who may have a different approach also!

"One tone is in the fingers." "The rest of the tones are achieved through many different and exciting methods!"

True tone, touch and taste IS in the fingers.



Allthough, the guitar, amp and effects help just a little too.:cool:

Playing technique and gear both affect timbre.

tone is in the fingers, sure -- but more so when your fingers have responsive pickups and a sweet amp to help them out.

I agree with both sides.

How about saying “Tone starts with the fingers and can be enhanced with effects.”

From a bass player’s perspective, I agree 100% with one of the things Jack Casady tried to teach me. A thick, full, warm, tone definitely starts with the fleshy ends of the fingers and the proper technique of those fingers on the strings.

I realize that to some guitar players who believe "tone is in the fingers," others who spend much time tinkering and experimenting with gear seem lost and in need of help to see the error of their ways.

But this forum (Just Pickups) and most of the others here are oriented to gear. In fact the TDPRI itself is named for and centered around one particular type of guitar.

Don't be surprised if your sermon isn't well received in the brothel. :twisted:

How about saying “Tone starts with the fingers and can be enhanced with effects.”

I agree. Tone that starts in the fingers and goes straight into a "decrepit old tube amp" might not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you can learn to get a variety of great tones with such a simple setup, you are going to have a lot more versatility and depth when you add on to your signal chain.

Technology is great, and we should use effects, amps, guitars and whatever tickles your eardrums. But like FirstBassman said, start with great tone then enhance it. Don't expect to achieve great tone through enhancement alone.

I keep listening to my fingers but I don't hear anything.

John

Isn't tone really in the ears. Or at least that's where it ends up. :grin:

Isn't tone really in the ears. Or at least that's where it ends up. :grin:

Yup...Tone is in your earballs.

tone is in your fingers..

I despise that statement.

What comes from a player is Dynamics.
Playing style, where you fret, how hard you play, how soft you play, that 'lil bend here and there, where your pick/finger/fingernail attack the string..that
is
NOT TONE

it is dynamics/technique.

Tone is someting all together different. Consider a six string banjo, a Martin D18, a Stratocaster in position two and a Tele on the bridge pup. Now add your fave guitarist: he plays the exact same thing on all four instruments.
Same fingers.
Different "tones"...get it?

Try backing off the volume and tone control on your Tele's. Get it back to 6 or 7 and turn up your amp and or pedals to compensate. You'll be amazed at how many more dynamics are at your fingertips and how the sound breathes. It's Jeff Beck's recipe for tone and has given me an epiphany. I'll never play on "10" again.

I'll go so far as to say "a certain tone" is in your fingers. But not ALL tone.

The "tone is in your fingers" mantra is most often spouted by self righteous tube amp snobs who have arrived in place tonally where they want to be. That's awesome, great, fulfilling and something to indeed celebrate.

It only becomes a problem when this drivel is spouted as "the only way" and that everyone else has yet to hear what great tone really is.

That's when it becomes adversarial.

Yes, there is a great tone that is produced by the fingers. There is also an immense palette of wonderful tone that is achieved by techniques I can't even comprehend.

Can't we all just make great sounds and not have to regurgitate tired old cliches'?

Now add your fave guitarist: he plays the exact same thing on all four instruments. Same fingers. Different "tones"...get it?

On the other hand, get four of your favorite players to play the same guitar... four different tones.

As far as Im concerned, the best compliment I ever got on my playing was in a used guitar shop. I was playing on this funky old 60s off-brand budget guitar. It was really like a toy, almost...the pickups had so little output that I had to crank the amp just to hear it. But I was able to find a cool lo-fi, funky sound I liked and was having fun playing it. An employee of the shop said to me, "How come you're the only person who sounds good on that guitar?" The reason was that I was able to use my brain and my hands to create a nice sound.

Obviously different instruments will give different sounds, but I think that the player is the most important factor in the quality of the tone.

On the other hand, get four of your favorite players to play the same guitar... four different tones.



I disagree - it's the same basic tone highlighting four different playing styles, picking techniques, etc.

Tone comes from my butt too although I doubt you'd call it "good tone."

Tone comes from my butt too although I doubt you'd call it "good tone."

Brown sound?

Tone comes from my butt too although I doubt you'd call it "good tone."


LOL, now that right there was funny,I dont care whatcha say!!

I'm goin throw my nickels worth in here. Tone/sound? I will say this,I know this for a fact. I can take a guitar,electric or acoustic, play it,hand it to someone else, let him or her play the same chords,riff,whatever and it has a different sound,tone,dynamics or whatever way it may be defined.

Even a different thickness in picks will change the sound. Yea pups,strings,amps being in tune all create the sound,but somebody has to pluck them strings,and according to how you pluckem depends on how they sound!!!!! Right or Wrong?

Another example, I use a pick between thumb and index finger and on certain things I use my middle finger to pick a string using the meat and corner of finger nail, as alot of others do, and there is a guy who plays with us sometimes, he does the same thing but somehow he also rolls his finger which gives it a totally different tone?sound? What do you call that?

I'll stay out of this debate now.
But here is one of my favorite quotes of all time:

Chet Atkins was playing guitar in a recording session and someone comments on how good the guitar sounds. So Chet puts the guitar down and says "How does it sound now?"

You guys are missing my point. what i originally meant was that tone comes from your fingers but effects and good pickups help!

I'll stay out of this debate now.
But here is one of my favorite quotes of all time:

Chet Atkins was playing guitar in a recording session and someone comments on how good the guitar sounds. So Chet puts the guitar down and says "How does it sound now?"

And how good do you reckon that "true tone" (from the fingers) was, while he wasn't holding a guitar? :razz:

im finally beginning to realize that gear is great but true tone comes from your fingers!

That's why I stick my fingers in my ears, but never, ever my phase shifter.

That's why I stick my fingers in my ears, but never, ever my phase shifter.

LOL

Fingerless = Toneless
I don't know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eTRs2bPN2Y&feature=related

what i mean is tone comes from YOU its just a metaphor. gosh you guys freak out as if im saying yall dont have tone. ive heard many of you and your awesome! i make one opinionated statement and everyone freaks out.

what i mean is tone comes from YOU its just a metaphor. gosh you guys freak out as if im saying yall dont have tone. ive heard many of you and your awesome! i make one opinionated statement and everyone freaks out.

Surely you understand that the responses in this discussion are not all directed at you and your original post. If you think someone is overreacting: don't make the gross generalization that "everyone is freaking out;" don't take it personal; and don't freak out yourself in response.

To add to all of the above..........

I agree that "tone is in your fingers" But, there are a few tone secrets / tricks as well, especially with Strats.

I find that with my 66 Deluxe Reverb (Tube snob I am and will never change) little tweeks make a big change in sound. I find that when I have things right I can get the tone I like from my fingers but when things aren't sounding right to me my fingers might as well be broken.

Test case, My latest guitar. Got it a little over a week ago. A 54 ri Strat, 40th anniversary #1916 of 1954 made in 94. Maple with Ash body and pretty fat neck. get it home and play it a bit and I like it, really rings nice. Great Bridge sound, nice neck P-up. For me the perfect Strat is a nice edgy bridge sound and then the SRV , Hendrix. Cray sound in the neck P-up. This guitar has it. after having it for a little over a week I noticed one odd thing with it. Bridge and middle P-up have nicely beveled poles but the neck isn't, odd I thought.......The neck P-up also seemed to need to be a bit lower than usual to balance with the others. So, while changing strings I took a look under the guard, noticed that the Neck P-up has darker wire than the others. So I take a reading, it's way high, like TX special Bridge and then some. (puzzled look on my face) What?!....Sigh.......The bridge sounds so right but what P-ups could these be in 1994 ??? nicely Beveled Magnets and all, ......OK I put my CS 69's in and all will be right. With the 69's in and new strings I give it a try. Bridge sounds really good, I like the middle too. But the neck P-up just ain't right, strange....I play my other Strat that I know so well to see if my amp is sounding right and Hmmm, amp is OK But ain't all that great. I pick a set JJ 6V6's that Ive been wanting to try, put them in and it's still not so great with my new 54...I play my other (60RI) and Ho Hum....Then I crank up the amp a little, I see what the Tubes do a bit and start to like them. Pick up the 54 and still not there. So...OK, strings are a bit low on it so I bring them up some, OK, Better ! then I go just a bit more, OK MUCH BETTER !!! (Strings low, DUH......) Now this thing (54) is really starting to sound AWESOME and I can see what the tubes add to the picture too. Now the guitar is sounding the best it ever has. Suddenly my fingers can do no wrong, where before they just couldn't make things sound right.....(in my little world anyway)

I know that sounds like such a stupid little thing. I know Strats are best with the strings a bit higher than other guitars, but it took a bit of tweeking to get it right. Sometimes it's the smallest things........

Some of the best fingers out there were and are the biggest tweekers ! (not my fingers) SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, EJ, the list goes on.............

My .02

Scott

I'll stay out of this debate now.
But here is one of my favorite quotes of all time:

Chet Atkins was playing guitar in a recording session and someone comments on how good the guitar sounds. So Chet puts the guitar down and says "How does it sound now?"

I remember Ricky Skaggs telling this story when he walked into Chet's office with Carl Perkins.

You guys are missing my point. what i originally meant was that tone comes from your fingers but effects and good pickups help!

I ran an experiment to test you theory. I picked up my Tele without plugging it in and played. I couldn't hear any tone.

Sometimes we confuse tone with those aspects of each individual player that constitute an audio signature. Regardless of which guitar or amp a great player uses, there is a consistent sound that we listeners can recognize.

For example, back in the 90's, David Grisman and Tony Rice did a couple of duet albums they called "Tone Poems". They each used a different vintage instrument on each track, but mic'd them the same way each time. Tony sounded like Tony on every track, regardless of instrument. Those of you who are familiar with his playing will understand; he's unmistakable. Sure, there were differences from instrument to instrument, but it would have been more different had a different guitarist played on each track, but had used the same instrument from track to track. Tony's touch and musical sensibility painted the picture. The different instrument merely changed the color somewhat (and believe me, it was subtle).

This was a situation where there are no pickups, no amp, no effects in the chain. Something to think about.