Worst guitar sound you have heard in person?
- Thread starter ScottJPatrick
- Start date
Mine's pretty awful from time to time.
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Bob Womack
Friend of Leo's
I jammed with a guy who had a pair of relic'd guitars, a Strat and a Les Paul and played both through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. As I recall the LP was an R9 thsat had been sent off to one of the specialty relic'ing places, doubling the initial investment. He started off with the Strat and it was just ice-pick central, pure jabby pain. I literally had to stand with my fingers in my ears whenever he took a solo. Then he switched over to the LP. Believe it or not, it was pure ice pick pain as well. How on earth do you do that?
Bob
Bob
HootOwlDude
Tele-Holic
Someone mentioned acoustics with under-saddle piezo pickups earlier, and I have to agree that, at least as far as seeing someone in a bar or something, this is the origin of a lion’s share of the less-than-pleasant guitar tones I have heard. Particularly, the culprits have been piezos that were ubiquitous in say the early 90s, when there was an acoustic boom of sorts, thanks maybe to MTV unplugged. Nowadays acoustic pickups really improved. It’s that up-close plasticky sound I hate. It’s almost okay, and a good player can make it work, but more often than not something is pointedly off.
Another more specific horrible tone experience I had is when I played through my friend’s digital Fender Mustang amp during a visit a few months ago. Every model I scrolled through sounded horrible to me. I mean really bad. The “Fender clean” even sounded Ali most entirely unusable. I think there’s some way to adjust the parameters for each preset, but if it’s not obvious—and, to me, it was not—it’s pointless IMO. I tried, but they all sounded like complete a**.
Another more specific horrible tone experience I had is when I played through my friend’s digital Fender Mustang amp during a visit a few months ago. Every model I scrolled through sounded horrible to me. I mean really bad. The “Fender clean” even sounded Ali most entirely unusable. I think there’s some way to adjust the parameters for each preset, but if it’s not obvious—and, to me, it was not—it’s pointless IMO. I tried, but they all sounded like complete a**.
tlsmack
Tele-Afflicted
Worst tone was me playing through a Rivera era twin reverb before I realized what a TBX tone pot was. I took spikey, ice pick to the next level.
wulfenganck
Tele-Afflicted
Sorry to say, but Roy Buchanan. I really tried to like him, because he was such a gifted player, but his ear-piercing tone was just awful.
It may be dangerous to write this on a telecaster forum, but I'm actually always suspicious when I see a guitarplayer with a Tele playing into a Vox AC30. I already witnessed some horrible moments of shriek and shrill from sessions with that combination....
It may be dangerous to write this on a telecaster forum, but I'm actually always suspicious when I see a guitarplayer with a Tele playing into a Vox AC30. I already witnessed some horrible moments of shriek and shrill from sessions with that combination....
A guy some time ago at a local social. Jackson pointy, Orange something or other, every song the same, metal, sound. Lay Down Sally was particularly interesting / nauseating at the same time!
But, tone is all in the fingers......................................................just saying!
But, tone is all in the fingers......................................................just saying!
radiocaster
Doctor of Teleocity
Live, I don't remember. I don't judge bands based on tones.
In demos, almost always strats. Not all people get bad sounds out of them, but most of the tones I hate have been achieved with strats.
Oh yeah, piezos are pretty gross too. The acts I've seen with them, I don't remember, but I'm sure I've seen a few.
In demos, almost always strats. Not all people get bad sounds out of them, but most of the tones I hate have been achieved with strats.
Oh yeah, piezos are pretty gross too. The acts I've seen with them, I don't remember, but I'm sure I've seen a few.
swervinbob
Friend of Leo's
The first band I was in. Digitech effects processors in front of 2x12 Crate amps. Right after I left the band I bought a JCM 900 half stack and just plugged straight in. It was like night and day.
radiocaster
Doctor of Teleocity
I've got 4 processors and I love them. Don't think I'd own a single one if you couldn't change the sounds.
They're pretty simple, but still without a manual would not be of much use.
I had a Carvin V3M amp that sounded like that. I ended up swapping all pre-amp tubes with 5751's. It was better but never great.I used one of these for probably 8 years back in the '80s - DOD American Metal pedal. Sounded like a high-pitched can of bees. Terrible sound.
sax4blues
Poster Extraordinaire
My best friend. He only knows cranked distortion, but he’s no EVH.
Tricone
Friend of Leo's
At a jam session once when the other guitarist's Stratocaster slipped the strap and hit the floor. Not a sound a guitar lover wants to hear.
Saw Steve Miller Band at Soldier Field opening for Grateful Dead. Miller sounded fine with his own band. He came out for the opening of Dead's 2nd set to sit in. They played Good Morning Little School Girl, and next to Garcia, Miller's tone was weak and anemic.
marc2211
Tele-Afflicted
Probably mine a few times!! When I was a teenager I had one of the first batch of Jimmy Vaughan Strats - it was *pure* icepick, nothing could cure it, it was genuinely painful. I used to play it live through a Fender HotRod DeVille 4x10 which could blow windows out at 200m when used beyond 3 on the volume dial...
Looking back, I pity the people who used to have to listen me when I cranked that amp with that guitar...
Looking back, I pity the people who used to have to listen me when I cranked that amp with that guitar...
39martind18
Friend of Leo's
Dang! Beat me to it! (Referring to my own, of course)
Line 6 pod 500xt in any context other than metal. Horrid.
I believe you. I happen to own an old Rocktron rack effect that Sheehan supposedly used to use. It's an exciter combined with distortion. Anything plugged into it will make the worst sound you ever heard.
tubedude
Tele-Afflicted
1990 or so. Tinsley Ellis in a small club maxing out a dreaded red knob Twin. Way loud and badly distorted. After one song I went outside, with several others. We had the same thought apparently. As the next song displayed the same crap tone, we simultaneously left for our cars.
TheCheapGuitarist
Tele-Afflicted
Joe Walsh. His band sounded great, his tone was shrill and ear-piercing (yep, tube amps and vintage guitars, and most likely alnico pickups...). His singing was awful and he was seriously drunk.
