Does anyone else listen based on amp or guitar?

[Cassady]

I just responded to the 'What album are you currently "living with?"' thread and my recent listening has been focused on Gretsch guitars. Sometimes, I'll go through a Tele phase or a Strat phase; sometimes it's a Tweed Deluxe, Champ or Vox phase.

I frequently find myself focusing my listening on the particular type of guitar or amp used. Sometimes I even listen to music I'm not especially fond of just to expose myself to a certain type of sound/tone. I rationalize this by telling myself that I'm improving my ear for a particular type of tone as exemplified by a certain guitar or amp.

Does anyone else find themselves focusing on certain equipment themes in their musical tastes from time to time and, if so, do you have any good suggestions for "theme days"?

TIA

Cassady

[outbreak]

mmm not so much the guitar type for me but sometimes ill want to listen to stuff with a certain guitar tone

[jazztele]

not so much themed days, but i'll admit, i'll give anybody with a tele the benefit of the doubt before i form an opinion on whether i like 'em or not...i figure, if they're smart enough to play a tele, they're worth a listen...

[bowlfreshener]

I always like to check out bands that use Matamp, Green, or Electric amps cause most bands who use that stuff kick out some mad riffs usually...

[e-merlin]

No.

I do find myself hearing things and trying to find that tone, though.

Just this afternoon, my wife and I were watching TV and she asked if the music on a particular commercial was guitar. I said yes and after a few seconds I thought it sounded like a Tele neck pickup. So I plugged my Tele in and sure enough, even my wife recognized the tone. How about that?

[kp8]

Wow... I gotta say: never. That seems rather odd and arbitrary to me, like picking your food according to color.

[buddywayne]

Well, I gotta say. Yesterday while listening to my much loved Waylon albums I was thinking that if I really wanted to play bass I would do it with Waylons albums.

[beep.click]

I don't focus on equipment on purpose, but it does happen. I have a couple box sets of 50s music, which I bought because it's all new to me -- I was noticing amazing similarity in the guitar tone, from one artist to the next. I've definitely gone through phases where everything I'm listening to sounds like single-coil Fenders.

Here's some suggestions for theme days:

semi-hollow day
electric 12-string day
electric sitar day
Rickenbacker bass day

[Big John]

Errrrrr -- what ?

So, someone comes around my house and says "John you have to hear this CD" and i'm going to say "Sorry, i'm only listening to music that includes Ampeg bass amps today" -- i think NOT !!

This all rather hinges on how you rate your ability to recognise an actual make and model of amp and guitar doesn't it ?, if you really think you can then check this link

[Scotland]

Originally Posted by Big John

Errrrrr -- what ?

check this link

I've no hang ups with that experiment. Pretty amazing though, makes great car aeriels too.

[tcadam]

Heavens, no.

[Fatmanstratman]

Can't think why anyone would want to limit themselves so unnecessarily....



Personally, I like to keep an open mind on things, but.... whatever floats your boat. My kids used to play a game where they would only walk on certain coloured paving slabs when we went out shopping, but I think they stopped that game once they reached secondary school age and started rapidly expanding their knowledge of life......

[lunchbox]

Originally Posted by Cassady

I just responded to the 'What album are you currently "living with?"' thread and my recent listening has been focused on Gretsch guitars. Sometimes, I'll go through a Tele phase or a Strat phase; sometimes it's a Tweed Deluxe, Champ or Vox phase.

I frequently find myself focusing my listening on the particular type of guitar or amp used. Sometimes I even listen to music I'm not especially fond of just to expose myself to a certain type of sound/tone. I rationalize this by telling myself that I'm improving my ear for a particular type of tone as exemplified by a certain guitar or amp.

Does anyone else find themselves focusing on certain equipment themes in their musical tastes from time to time and, if so, do you have any good suggestions for "theme days"?

TIA

Cassady

I do it all the time it is quite normal for me.

[Cassady]

I seem to have left the impression that I only listen to music made with certain equipment and this is far from the case--I like to think that I have quite eclectic tastes, but sometimes I find myself interested in the possibilities of certain equipment and focus part of my listening accordingly.

For example, I find it interesting to note both Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and Folsom Prison Blues were recorded with Fender Champs and I might listen to both of them this morning. It's also interesting to me that both Buddy Holly and Stevie Ray Vaughan played Stratocasters, but were pretty different artists with very different sounds. One recent example that came up in a Gretsch thread is The Cult's She Sells Sanctuary. I hadn't really considered the fact that it was done with a Gretsch, but I like this song and added a best of The Cult collection to my Amazon wish list.

I like to think of it as sort of the opposite track to the "how do I get guitar player X's tone?" questions. Rather than asking what equipment is necessary to get a certain tone, I like to consider what sorts of sounds are possible with certain types of equipment.

I hope that I'm expanding my horizons not limiting them.

I certainly didn't mean to imply that I can infer the source guitar tones just by listening--I like to think that I'm about as big a skeptic of the golden ears audio claims as there is.

And yes, I do sometimes select my food by color

Cassady

[Durtdog]

Does anyone else listen based on amp or guitar?

Yes.

I currently only listen to albums with guitarists using Behringer V-Tone GMX212 2X60 Watt Stereo Guitar Combos and Epiphone Les Pauls.

If I detect a Keeley modded AD9 analog delay pedal being used, the cd immediately goes to the top of my play list.

[Big John]

Aaaaaha, sorry then Cassady, i got the wrong end of the curly cord !

Must admit i just enjoy listening regardless of instrument, amp genre or anything, if i find out interesting stuff afterwards then thats a bonus.

Though the whole 'Riverdance' thing moved me as much as a cold cup of tea i often listen to Davey Spillane just to refresh the old ears a bit - try it, it's something you probably didn't expect to hear today -- and thats got to be good.

There's a lick or two i have stolen from this piece.

[straightface]

Originally Posted by jazztele

not so much themed days, but i'll admit, i'll give anybody with a tele the benefit of the doubt before i form an opinion on whether i like 'em or not...i figure, if they're smart enough to play a tele, they're worth a listen...

+1

[stevieboy]

Sometimes, when I'm either contemplating a guitar purchase, or have recently made one, or have simply been for whatever reason thinking about a particular kind of guitar, I'll certainly pull out the stuff I know has a similar guitar on it. Why not, it seems pretty natural to me. I have a lot music, all of it I like, any reason to listen to different aspects of it is a good reason, to me. But I wouldn't say that I only want to hear that particular stuff at that time.

[surfoverb]

I do this all the time. It's a great way to learn about pickups, guitars amps, recording techniques and album production in general. There's some cd's I have that are just overplayed to enjoy casually but I'll still play them and just follow the bass for instance or listen to when the guitarist uses the vibrato the effect it has...I've been listening to The Yardbirds 'rave up' secifically to hear how JBs Esquire sounds with his fuzz, how he messes with the volume on the guitar and all the little things like that. Sometimes I'm in the mood for an p90 SG so I put 'Live at Leeds' on or maybe an SG through a jtm45 I'll play some AC/DC, or a Mosrite through a blonde showman ala Ventures in Japan '65, or a Mosrite through a Marshall ala Ramones or a Les Paul Jr through a Fender ala Johnny Thunders...I love guitar tones almost more than music.