5 Favorite guitar tones:

[LTE]

In no order:

John Petrucci- Entire Metropolis Pt. 2 SFAM Album. (I could name so much more dream theater, but ill keep it to one per guitarist)

Allan Holdsworth's lead tone

Eric Johnson's lead tone. Best way I've heard it described is every note sounds like you could just reach out and touch it.

Alex Lifeson's dirty chorused rhythm

John Scofield's overdriven lead tone


Post Yours!

 

[Carpdawg]

Van Halen - Unchained intro, And the Cradle Will Rock
Rush - La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, 2112, Red Barchetta
Metallica - Orion, Blackened, Shortest Straw
Clapton - late 80's early 90's live tone....I think he used Soldanos then...
Worst tone ever - Paul Gilbert....I've never heard him play anything that didn't sound like over trebled fingernails on chalkboard. maybe I'm missing something...

 

[LTE]

Worst tone ever - Paul Gilbert..

haha i kinda have to agree with you, i wouldnt call it the worst but even paul doesn't like his own tone. Although i have to say his tone with the new single coils he uses sounds prett cool.

 

[Carpdawg]

I wish Paul Gilbert's tone would match his skill...then he would have it really cooking.

 

[dmcguitar]

i like pauls tone on "lean into it" with Mr. Big.. other than that its rather thin... and yeah if its all in the fingers and finesse.. then what went wrong there? hahhaha the man can out play most anyone.. but usually doesnt tonally sound good... oh he sounds good on the Mike portnoy Tribute dvd's, where he did rush / zep/ beatles and the who i think.

oh but anyway..

Van Halen - WACF (specifically fools, and loss of control)
Andy TImmons - Deliver us (resolution cd is great)
Petrucci - SFAM
Metallica MOP / AJFA (i cant decide which i like more)
Megadeth - Ashes in your mouth (and the whole countdown to extinction cd)

at least thats the list as of 654pm est on 7/15 , check back with me tomr after i listen to some other guitar sounds...
i love vai's lead tone too

 

[LTE]

I like AJFA a bit more. I actually like how AJFA sounds more concrete, icy and stale compared to MOP. But the best thing about AJFA imo is the bass drum. I guess alot hate it haha but it's so f**cking heavy.

 

[DudewithFr0]

Petrucci-SFAM
Vai-For the love of god
Satriani-Surfing with the alien (i love that tubey sound)
Eric johnson-Come on the guys a tone freak
Eddie Van Halen-If its not brown he`ll go down

 

[DudewithFr0]

Van Halen - Unchained intro, And the Cradle Will Rock
Rush - La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, 2112, Red Barchetta
Metallica - Orion, Blackened, Shortest Straw
Clapton - late 80's early 90's live tone....I think he used Soldanos then...
Worst tone ever - Paul Gilbert....I've never heard him play anything that didn't sound like over trebled fingernails on chalkboard. maybe I'm missing something...

So true about PG. But he has some killer chops though.
I would have to say Yngwie has the worst tone...it sounds like he shoved some Bach up a cats @ss

 

[kekam35]

yngwie malmsteen-"on the run again"
sir edward-"ain't talkin' bout love"
james hetfield-"orion"
loudness-"ashes to the sky"
jimi hendrix-"voo-doo chile (slight return)

 

[masque]

in no particular order;

john petrucci- scenes from a memory (in particular)

eddie van halen- first six VH records

david gimour- pretty much his entire career

eric johnson- from tones pretty much until now

ty tabor- first 6 king's x records

alex lifeson- from hemispheres through grace under pressure

andy summers- during his police heyday

andy timmons- resolution cd

george lynch- under lock and key cd

warren haynes- govt mule stuff

nuno bettencourt- 3 sides to every story

joe bonamassa- blues deluxe cd

tommy shaw and james young- pieces of eight cd

robben ford- anything he has ever done!

SRV- enough said


way more than five i know but it could not be helped!

 

[ryjan]

James Hetfield-Bleeding Me (I like the thickness of this whole album)
Jeff Lebar-Gypsy Road
Malcom Young-Everything he has ever played.
?-Bark at the Moon
Alvin Lee-I'm Going Home, Live at Woodstock
This isn't my end all list of tone, just the first ones I thought of.

 

[Carpdawg]

Another good one is Black Crowes - Southern Harmony & Musical Companion - Particularly the short, but sweet lead solo in Sometimes Salvation... and they're from ATL!

 

[LTE]

way more than five i know but it could not be helped!

Oh i know, i had trouble limiting myself to five.

More i can think of of the top of my head.

Al Di Meola, specially his live lead tone recently on the RTF returns tour, great sounding Fuchs tone.
Satch of course, specifically on the song Flying in a Blue Dream (i think he used a c+), and imo his best tone is on the album Crystal Planet.
Vai is another no brainer i didn't mention. I didn't really like the evos when they were in my rg, but his tone really commands the stage live.
Andy Timmons, great raw boogie tone.
David Gilmour as well, i had the hardest time deciding if he would be on the list in my first post.
Brian May
SRV without a doubt.

 

[MesaGod666]

My personal guitar tone
Metallica - Master of Puppets/..And Justice For All album
John Petrucci Live in New York Tone
Exodus - Iconoclasm off of the Atrocity Exhibition album
Threat Signal - Both Under Reprisal and their new album Vigilance

 

[Lesgoldy]

Some not mentioned yet;

Michael Schenker; UFO Strangers in the Night, and various studio albums
Audley Freed; Cry of Love
Frank Marino; Mahogany Rush Live

I'll have to second some previously mentioned players;

SRV
David Gilmour
EVH; especially the Mean Streets intro

 

[masque]

dear God in heaven..... i cannot believe i left off

brian may
audley freed
angus and malcolm young

 

[dmcguitar]

ryjan - bark at the moon was recorded by Jake E. Lee, not randy rhoads... randy only did the first two ozzy solo albums

you know... maybe we need the thread top 5 worst guitar tones.... it might be easier to narrow that down than pick the tones we love.

 

[DudewithFr0]

ryjan - bark at the moon was recorded by Jake E. Lee, not randy rhoads... randy only did the first two ozzy solo albums

you know... maybe we need the thread top 5 worst guitar tones.... it might be easier to narrow that down than pick the tones we love.

I was about to say something until i read your post. :lol:

 

[Carpdawg]

What about D Mustaine's tones? Peace Sells, Countdown to Extinction, etc...Are we all too Metalli-heads to admit that Megadeth had some good tones?

For him to be able to sing, remember the words, and pull off those riffs at the same time is pretty impressive...no matter what you think of him personally...

 

[Tfunk Ian]

I was never a fan of Mustaine's tone, the earlier stuff at least. It always seemed to lack something. It started to get better with "Cryptic Writings" though. Countdown's tone is really thin. Come to think of it, the whole record is kinda thin sounding. Maybe that's the problem.

As far as favorite tones go, I would have to say (in no particular order)

Petrucci: "In the Name of God" - thick, sludgey, and brutal sounding
Hetfield: "Outlaw Torn" - Same as above
SOAD: "Aerials" - Something about the tone on this whole record was great. It had good balance and crunch and "clipped" in an appealing way to me.
Gilmore: "Comfortably Numb" and "Division Bell" - Smooth, silky, and soulful. Nuff said
Cantrell: "We Die Young" - great riff, great tone (especially the demo version found on their greatest hits)
SRV: "Pride and Joy" - Best blues tone ever! Followed closely by Buddy Guy.
White Zombie: "Blood, Milk, and Sky" - Big, sludgey, and thick in a different way than Hetfield or Petrucci.

That about sums it up. I guess you could throw Dimebag's tone on RTS in there for good measure as it was the only Pantera record that had a good guitar tone, although GSTK wasn't too bad either...