Tone comes from your fingers.

[telerocker5150]

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.

[telerocker5150]

OOPS wrong forum. sorry.

[GuitarJonz]

Fingerless = Toneless

[surfoverb]

It comes from your guttiwutts.

[Telenator]

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!"

[teleman77]

True tone, touch and taste IS in the fingers.



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

[yegbert]

Playing technique and gear both affect timbre.

[woodman]

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

[FirstBassman]

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.

[yegbert]

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.

[davie blue]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

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.

[2ndstringer]

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

John

[Tele Fan]

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

[surfoverb]

Originally Posted by Tele Fan

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

Yup...Tone is in your earballs.

[Mojohand40]

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?

[BillyG]

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.

[Telenator]

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'?

[davidge1]

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.

[jclark]

Originally Posted by davidge1

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.

[Telenator]

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