Systems Planet I’m in the same boat. You’d think with all the resources online you’d be able to learn a lot, but I just get lost in it all and go in circles
Ha, I used to do that as well (until I watched this video actually). Beginning with taking a long look at the controls, then ever so sliighty randomly change one of them, make a "hmm"-sound and then just going completely haywire and fiddle with them incessantly. Stand back and inspect my work, and then perhaps tweak one of them randomly once again. Then I was ready to play!
Turning knobs does work, but more for synths, and less for guitars. How you turn knobs is different for guitars you need a zen touch meaning how you use your hands on your guitar has to be translated to how you turn the knobs which means if you go deeper....if you play a certain genre you have to bear that in mind then make small increments.
If the mids are fixed on your amp, you could try moving the highs and lows lower to accentuate the mids more, or boost the lows and high to scoop the mids and adjust the volume to compensate for whatever volume gain/loss comes with that
I’ve been playing with the same set up for 20 plus years and i always thought it sounded pretty good. These simple tweaks made a HUGE positive difference! WAY better tone in every range. I’m pretty psyched. Thanks, man!
Yup the mid control. In his jazz band I played a lab l5 amp. That band and amp taught me where the guitar sits and what people hear. Mid and treble...leave room for the piano bass and drums.
Darrell, you consistently provide the most interesting and informative videos of any guitar sites that I visit. Thanks for all you do. You have cost me a small fortune in new gear and guitars, and now I'm eyeing that Hughes/Kettner so watching you is like the old BOAT acronym; Break Out Another Thousand (or two, or Three)! Kevin O'Rourke
Thank you for this video!!! As a beginner, we have so many obstacles to overcome just learning the I instrument. It gets frustrating when you are finally getting all the notes right but the tone is terrible.
A picture in picture of your control panel on the screen while you play in these types of videos would be helpful for those who are more visual learners. Love the channel!
This is a simple technique I use to help me dial in the tones I'm looking for! While each amp (virtual or otherwise) will have their own sonic characteristics, give this a try and see if you can get some killer tones! Enjoy :) My Amp: imp.i114863.net/Na1gV
Darrell. I really get your point, and definitely can hear the different on cutting out the mids for clean tone and cranking up the mids for lead tones. However, let’s say while playing live performance, it song requires some clean and lead tones, due to the live performance it will be difficult to be doing those changes in the amp. What are your recommendations and thoughts in regards these circumstances? Please, it will be very helpful to get your advice on this. Thank you
Hi! I used pedals for each tone I needed before I got this amp. The GM40 saves all my settings, so each channel has its own EQ and gain saved; I am spoiled :)
Lol 😂 you are spoiled! I like that: I need to do that as well. Thank you so much for your respond. I really really appreciate it. Let me take a look at the GM40. Honestly I really care about the tone and sound quality during my performance. Even though I am not a great guitarist I do get a lot of compliments in regards my performance but honestly it is mostly for how it sounds the guitar. Although, I still not fully happy with my sound and I really appreciate this video because it gave me a better understanding. Thank you so much and I will look into the GM40
@@gharodc614 If your amp has a footswitch to channel-switch, and a per-channel EQ, that's the easiest way to do it with an amp. Otherwise, using drive pedals that have on-board EQ is probably the way to go (e.g. LPD eighty7, Keeley D&M Drive, J. Rockett Rockaway Archer, and similar).
I've been working on my own signature sound so this was very useful. I run a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 with a 2x12 cab and pedals. Mostly I'm scooping the mids heavily but it was interesting to see your other settings as well
@@Burnt_Gerbil If you listen to the isolated guitar tracks, you can plainly hear that one guitar track has boosted mids and less treble and bass whereas the other has scooped mids and boosted treble and bass. The guitar tracks are also hard-panned to the left and right. The result is not just a bigger sound from having two guitar tracks but a more balanced one that has the full sound spectrum balanced in the guitar settings. Of course, having high gain on those amplifiers will compress the sound but aside from that...
Darrell i would like to thank you for getting me back into Guitar, i gave it up almost 20 years ago because i could never seem to find the sound that i was looking for and turned to singing i got myself into a Rock Band and never thought about the Guitar again i even swapped my Marshal 8040 combo for a Peavey Wedge Monitor and gave my Encore Strat Copy away to a friends Grandson who wanted to learn Guitar, but now i have hung up my Mike as i am getting to old to lug gear about doing gigs, then i found your Chanel and started thinking about getting another Guitar but when i saw your revue of your New Grand Meister 40 i wanted one strait away as that is the Amp i have been looking for for the last 40 years i received the 432 Mk3 Foot Pedal the other Day and my Squire Affinity Sunburst Strat with Rosewood fingerboard and Maple neck should arrive tomorrow and next week i will order the New Black Spirit 200 Amp Head, although i originally wanted the Deluxe 40 i will only be Recording and playing at Home and i do not really need a dedicated Tube Amp with all their foibles, i have never been so Exited about getting any thing more than i am now and i am looking forward to getting my love for the Guitar back again and making some Great if not always in tune music Thank you again for giving me back the Spark that i lost so long ago Thank You
@@justinak517 Thanks Justina on your input, i decided on the Squier after watching so many of Darrell's vids on how to look for a good one and how easy they where to set up so i found a nice Left Hander at a Decent price and Bought it,so now i am looking forward to some long Days and Sleepless nights getting to know it
@@graftongodofmemes I understand what you are saying mate but With being out of the Loop for so long i just wanted a Half Decent Guitar that i could work on and set up myself as i had made one myself in the early 80's because i am Left Handed so i know how to set one up and Strat parts are easy to come by so it will be a good way to get the feel and my speed back up to something decent then in a few month when i feel that i have progressed enough i will look around for a Nice probably Mexican Left Handed Strat
Hi Darryl, I bought a Hughes and Kettner Grandmeister 18 amp with a 12 inch single speaker many months ago. I absolutely hated it and could not get any of my guitars to work on it. It nearly ended up on ebay. But with your lesson here I followed it to the letter with one of my Stratocaster's and man WOW is all i can say. This amp is incredible. I had no idea how to set it up and now I get all the tones I want easily, clean, driven the lot, and it will now be my goto amp of choice and without any pedals. Thank you for sorting me out and enabling me to hear the sounds available. That MID is an incredible dial and really can make or break the sound. I have watched a lot of your videos, and love them all but this one for me was gold. Thanks
I have owned this amp for more than a year. Fantastic, more than I expected. Feature rich. Good to consider that if you save a profile of a tone to the amp, the amp remembers the positions of all the tuning knobs, so if you alter any setting of any tuning knob, the amp will indicate the original setting when you return the tuning knob to the original position. So the position of the tuning knob are relative to the profile, not the position of the tuning knob, say at 12 o'clock. This amp gets muddy if too much Gain is used.
I agree with everything you’ve pointed out. Regardless of skill level I believe one thing about good tone is that it’s inspiring. It inspires you to play. Play more often. And ultimately get better as a player. Thanks for another great video.
Haha, Like all the Fender Reverb amps smaller than a twin! Was just thinking the same thing. Those are already mid-scooped. I just use an EQ or an overdrive that boosts when it's necessary.
@@nehemiahzo_ I use 2 very cheap ones 5W, true they only have tone but some sound better. But the sound is perfect for amp sims and pedals like blue cat axiom. They also run of my power brick 500mA and 300mA so I can fit it all in my laptop bag including guitar interface.
Good topic. Ah tone, the sweet spots. As someone who’s been in a lot of cover bands, wedding bands specifically, over the years, you learn pretty quick that besides nailing the right tone, you also learn to master many different styles as well. Each song requires a specific sound, tone, style, volume, etc. For example, country tunes have a certain characteristic tone that is different from the tone required to play other genres like blues, jazz, funk, rock. The trick is knowing which settings you need to play each song and how to switch from one to another quickly. Having a guitar that is capable of delivering a versatile selection of sounds is important too, especially if you’re only using one guitar for the whole gig. Tone settings for Fly Me To The Moon, a tune that is usually played during the dinner set, would not be right for a tune like Margaritaville or Boot Scootin’ Boogie or Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag. Having a versatile guitar makes nailing the sound that’s right for each tune easier but beyond that the amp and pedals you use provide even more tools in your tool bag to deliver what each tune needs. An amp like a Henriksen Bud 10 has 4 separate EQ knobs plus a presence knob. But ultimately the settings you use for a certain tune at one gig may be different for the same tune on another gig. The venue might be different, the size of the room, the number of people in the audience, the weather that day, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, also effect the sound you get on any particular day. You have to be ready to judge each situation individually and make adjustments. You’re a warrior, think like a marine, adapt, innovate, overcome. You can’t let things beyond your control create showstopper conditions for what you’re trying to do. Finally, each person must decide using their own ears what the audience will hear. These are nuanced things and sometimes quite subtle. Charge!
Back before I knew anything about anything I got my Fender Champion 40. It has never once sounded good without pedals. I've suspected forever that it was because of the baffling omission of a mids knob but now you've vindicated me lol. But great video, thanks!
This video was so helpful for me. I tried this today and was instantly getting better tones from my helix. I would normally just use the factory reccomended settings most of the time, but your simple rules improved my tones on clean, crunch, high gain and lead Thanks!
This was a really good, solid video with no nonsense info. I had just finished watching a "How to get the guitar tones guitarists chase" but the guy was using a Spark amplifier and 7 DIFFERENT guitars!
I dont really use clean, but my dirty tone that I highly recommend using (especially with a fat sounding les paul) is: Gain: 8 Bass: 8 Middle: 6 Treble: 6 Tone Nob on guitar also at 6
Makes a lot of sense. I was kind of doing this already. As I noticed when I would mess with my tone on my overdrive it seem like I was pushing the meds up and then dial it back on the clean. I would back them off, but I’m gonna try to scoop it on the clean now. Thanks for the tip. Trying to dial in tones on a line 6 pod pedal
Excellent demo especially for adjusting the mids. Since guitar pickups, volume & EQ settings play such a big role, please consider in future video. Thanks
I've learned that less gain is better, and Mids are the guitar's home. As I've gained experience through the years I've found I like the Clean channel when there's a little bit of grit. Season to taste with a little bit of gain from a boost or OD pedal. Make good use of the guitar's V&T controls. Try to keep the fewest amount of interruptions between the guitar & amp. From time to time it's good to strip everything down to the bare minimum and add one effect at a time. Try to get the most out of the least amount of things.
Best instruction ever, made simple to understand, and nicely demonstrated. Thank you! I have been struggling to understand these basics with the paradox of combinations (gear, electronics, amps, software, etc.). It seems to come down to good amps, since your other videos demonstrate "cheap" gear can be made to sound good (through good gear). And honestly, the way you play, you could nake a broomstick sound good :)
Once again thank you so much Darrell for doing this video it is big help for me, for so many years of saving money and playing for local gigs, it's my first time to buy a brand new guitar and i think your videos helped me a lot, thank you and more power.
I do completely agree, that the mid eq is the first eq to touch to change tone. However my 2nd touch is the presence. Maybe a warning, not on all amps the knobs should be turned as far as for H&K, where nearly full range is usefull. Even on H&K I do not turn the mids as far down for clean tones, but this of course also depends on PUs.
@@clfnole Maybe use gain first and presence will add more subtle touches to gain, then adjust over drive pedal and adjust presence again. What it does will depend on how you use it, answer a question with a different question, but not exactly. For when you looking for a tone you are asking a question, how do I get that tone, then translating that question to a more subtle answer. You are probably more confused.
Most important thing is to know what tone we want. I hook my Marshall mg10 up to a couple of 10" no name speakers, one's a woofer, and I've never looked back since. I'm simple in that I play two tones - clean n dirty with nothing much in between.
Totally agree with what you’re saying in the beginning. I can’t figure out how to get a good tone on my Pod HD Pro X and it’s definitely taking a toll on my motivation, which is why I need to make some new cool tones.
This is your most helpful video since the how to set your amp video way back when. How about a series on how to set up and/or combine different pedals?
thanks for the video have the same amp and sort of figured it out last night but this video just made everything way more clearer because there are somethings I wasn't just sure of.
Awesome! I've always struggled with tones. I'm on Pod HD Pro, so I have too many amp options and I still don't really know what amps are most useful for what styles. I never know what I really want and what I'm hearing, I can't put words to it. So this is very helpful, I will definitely try your basic settings ans experiment with them. Big thanks!
Thanks Darrell! That really helped me get an idea of how to set my amp....how do you set your amp for an acoustic electric sound - clean? What if you wanted a country rockabilly sound?
This helped me out of working to get in the place where I want my tone to be. I just go with what you said in another video that the amp is where the tone is at. Thanks!
So much depends on the other instruments/musicians one plays with. A great tone for solo guitar can either disappear in the mix or drown other instruments. It takes a fair bit of cooperation and sometimes self sacrifice to get a good sound, I tend to roll off the top end which leaves space for the hi hat and cut the bass a little which eases flub and to my ear gives a better midrange and gives space for the bass. Gives a tight fat midrange sound, good perceived volume and sits well in the mix. Change bands and all bets are off! Lol
Spot on DB! There may also be sweet spot guitar vol and tone settings for each pickup. Depending on your amp's tone circuits, there can be a lot or a little interaction with the guitar vol and tone setting. It can be worth the time to find those sweet spots!
Man, I have checked vids like this, but I was still stuck with my tone. Following your advice I made 4 Guitar Rig5 Gratifier presets; Clean-OD-HiGain riff-HiGain lead, and I am truly enjoying them - a good base to start from. Thanks Master Braun!
Luv ya, man! It's always a good day when one of your new vids show up on my list. And I hope you are having a fantastic day! The new rig is awesome and I mentioned it before but there is a difference between the 'Ol Blue and this new H&K setup. Have the best weekend possible everyone!
That was really interesting and informative, Darrell. I hardly ever use overdrive, and am not much interested in metal, but tweaking the midrange seems a really effective way to change my tone. Thanks!
So tone is in the fingers....the ones that tweak the knobs...😎🎸
If YOU sound bad... Then you will also sound bad....Even at at Mesa Boogie...!! 😉👍
r/guitarcirclejerk
Word
It's important to dial in with whatcha got my man
🤭 yes
Anyone else find that a great tone makes your playing better? Nailing a good tone is inspiring.
@@robertdimartino5794 Well obviously that too...
The better you sound the more inspired you are to play. The more inspired you are, the better you will play.
I always remember someone said “if the tone is right, you’re going to want to keep playing” and that’s everything right there!
The distortion in my left hand sucks...........pretty sure it’s the equipment lol
Ah. Lucky I've got tone pinky.
Fold up a little piece of paper and wedge it in beside the power button, works every time.
Systems Planet I’m in the same boat. You’d think with all the resources online you’d be able to learn a lot, but I just get lost in it all and go in circles
@@joseph_lacy I mean just look up songs and play them, easiest way to improve.
as someone who just fiddles with the knobs at random, this was a really helpful video :D
Ha, I used to do that as well (until I watched this video actually). Beginning with taking a long look at the controls, then ever so sliighty randomly change one of them, make a "hmm"-sound and then just going completely haywire and fiddle with them incessantly. Stand back and inspect my work, and then perhaps tweak one of them randomly once again. Then I was ready to play!
@@demoleramera Homie, too real.
@@demoleramera i just did that 20 minutes ago 🤣🤟🏻
Turning knobs does work, but more for synths, and less for guitars. How you turn knobs is different for guitars you need a zen touch meaning how you use your hands on your guitar has to be translated to how you turn the knobs which means if you go deeper....if you play a certain genre you have to bear that in mind then make small increments.
A looper pedal helps, too. Play a few chords and licks, let it loop, set your knobs as you like.
The looper is my bestie when finding a tone I enjoy but also having so much tone variety doesn't help me focus I just keep thinking I can do better 😂
Tip 1: Use your “Mid” knob!
*looks at Vox AC* ☹️
David Reynolds if u cut both bass and treble its effectively like boosting the mids
Matt Allen Yeah. I know. Takes a bit of getting used to. Just an “in” joke for Vox users 😉
David Reynolds hilarious
Matt Allen 😑
Paused this video at the start, got my guitar and amp out and was ready to go... then I realized my amp only has low and high. lol
If the mids are fixed on your amp, you could try moving the highs and lows lower to accentuate the mids more, or boost the lows and high to scoop the mids and adjust the volume to compensate for whatever volume gain/loss comes with that
My amp is just a phone with tonebridge installed on it, with a y-splitter cable whose headphone output is connected to a Bluetooth speaker lol
😂
Then your master is literally your mid knob, you have to cut treble and bass and increase master to get boosted mids
@@moki2093 lol. You could probably sell everything except the phone and use the money for a used Katana 50. 🤷♂️
I’ve been playing with the same set up for 20 plus years and i always thought it sounded pretty good. These simple tweaks made a HUGE positive difference! WAY better tone in every range. I’m pretty psyched. Thanks, man!
Yup the mid control. In his jazz band I played a lab l5 amp. That band and amp taught me where the guitar sits and what people hear. Mid and treble...leave room for the piano bass and drums.
Yesssss!!! That sick intro is back!!!!!!
👍
I love it
Finally
Thanks so much! I was often frustrated with my guitar and amp but your suggestions and associated explanations have made a world of difference for me.
Tone is what we all strive for! It's honestly the #1 incentive for me to keep playing!
Darrell, you consistently provide the most interesting and informative videos of any guitar sites that I visit. Thanks for all you do. You have cost me a small fortune in new gear and guitars, and now I'm eyeing that Hughes/Kettner so watching you is like the old BOAT acronym; Break Out Another Thousand (or two, or Three)!
Kevin O'Rourke
The sound of you tapping that pick, then sliding on the wood of your desk, right on the beat of the intro, always gives me the feels 🤤
Thank you for this video!!! As a beginner, we have so many obstacles to overcome just learning the I instrument. It gets frustrating when you are finally getting all the notes right but the tone is terrible.
A picture in picture of your control panel on the screen while you play in these types of videos would be helpful for those who are more visual learners. Love the channel!
SO happy to see/hear the “Pick Slide Intro” again! Don’t know why I love it, I just DO!! 🤩😎
That's really weird because I was thinking the same thing watching the intro and then I find your comment....
I'll think "james" every time I see it now...
I always look for his videos. Him mentioning "growing up listening to Gilmour" made clear the connection! Thank you Mr. Braun!
This is a simple technique I use to help me dial in the tones I'm looking for!
While each amp (virtual or otherwise) will have their own sonic characteristics, give this a try and see if you can get some killer tones!
Enjoy :)
My Amp: imp.i114863.net/Na1gV
Darrell. I really get your point, and definitely can hear the different on cutting out the mids for clean tone and cranking up the mids for lead tones. However, let’s say while playing live performance, it song requires some clean and lead tones, due to the live performance it will be difficult to be doing those changes in the amp. What are your recommendations and thoughts in regards these circumstances? Please, it will be very helpful to get your advice on this. Thank you
Hi!
I used pedals for each tone I needed before I got this amp.
The GM40 saves all my settings, so each channel has its own EQ and gain saved; I am spoiled :)
Lol 😂 you are spoiled! I like that: I need to do that as well. Thank you so much for your respond. I really really appreciate it. Let me take a look at the GM40. Honestly I really care about the tone and sound quality during my performance. Even though I am not a great guitarist I do get a lot of compliments in regards my performance but honestly it is mostly for how it sounds the guitar. Although, I still not fully happy with my sound and I really appreciate this video because it gave me a better understanding. Thank you so much and I will look into the GM40
Darrell please stick with this old intro. It's so unique and catchy.
@@gharodc614 If your amp has a footswitch to channel-switch, and a per-channel EQ, that's the easiest way to do it with an amp. Otherwise, using drive pedals that have on-board EQ is probably the way to go (e.g. LPD eighty7, Keeley D&M Drive, J. Rockett Rockaway Archer, and similar).
I've been working on my own signature sound so this was very useful. I run a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 with a 2x12 cab and pedals. Mostly I'm scooping the mids heavily but it was interesting to see your other settings as well
Dude your new intro is awesome I love it
These techniques work extremely well on my tube Vox and my solid state Marshall! Thanks DBG!!!
Scoop the mids and turn everything else on 10 bro.....SLAYERRRRRR!!!!
Ryan Haydon - All the gain. No mids. 🤘😆
Or pantera lol dimebag did the same thing
Tober - True, he boosts the mids. It sounds better and fits better in a mix.
*ALL THE GAAAIN!*
@@Burnt_Gerbil If you listen to the isolated guitar tracks, you can plainly hear that one guitar track has boosted mids and less treble and bass whereas the other has scooped mids and boosted treble and bass. The guitar tracks are also hard-panned to the left and right. The result is not just a bigger sound from having two guitar tracks but a more balanced one that has the full sound spectrum balanced in the guitar settings. Of course, having high gain on those amplifiers will compress the sound but aside from that...
Darrell i would like to thank you for getting me back into Guitar, i gave it up almost 20 years ago because i could never seem to find the sound that i was looking for and turned to singing i got myself into a Rock Band and never thought about the Guitar again i even swapped my Marshal 8040 combo for a Peavey Wedge Monitor and gave my Encore Strat Copy away to a friends Grandson who wanted to learn Guitar, but now i have hung up my Mike as i am getting to old to lug gear about doing gigs, then i found your Chanel and started thinking about getting another Guitar but when i saw your revue of your New Grand Meister 40 i wanted one strait away as that is the Amp i have been looking for for the last 40 years i received the 432 Mk3 Foot Pedal the other Day and my Squire Affinity Sunburst Strat with Rosewood fingerboard and Maple neck should arrive tomorrow and next week i will order the New Black Spirit 200 Amp Head, although i originally wanted the Deluxe 40 i will only be Recording and playing at Home and i do not really need a dedicated Tube Amp with all their foibles, i have never been so Exited about getting any thing more than i am now and i am looking forward to getting my love for the Guitar back again and making some Great if not always in tune music Thank you again for giving me back the Spark that i lost so long ago Thank You
Buy a decent guitar brother,something that isnt made in china...
Squier guitars are so good these days, welcome back!
@@justinak517 Thanks Justina on your input, i decided on the Squier after watching so many of Darrell's vids on how to look for a good one and how easy they where to set up so i found a nice Left Hander at a Decent price and Bought it,so now i am looking forward to some long Days and Sleepless nights getting to know it
@@graftongodofmemes
I understand what you are saying mate but With being out of the Loop for so long i just wanted a Half Decent Guitar that i could work on and set up myself as i had made one myself in the early 80's because i am Left Handed so i know how to set one up and Strat parts are easy to come by so it will be a good way to get the feel and my speed back up to something decent then in a few month when i feel that i have progressed enough i will look around for a Nice probably Mexican Left Handed Strat
storm9154 He really does that for people 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hi Darryl, I bought a Hughes and Kettner Grandmeister 18 amp with a 12 inch single speaker many months ago. I absolutely hated it and could not get any of my guitars to work on it. It nearly ended up on ebay. But with your lesson here I followed it to the letter with one of my Stratocaster's and man WOW is all i can say. This amp is incredible. I had no idea how to set it up and now I get all the tones I want easily, clean, driven the lot, and it will now be my goto amp of choice and without any pedals. Thank you for sorting me out and enabling me to hear the sounds available. That MID is an incredible dial and really can make or break the sound. I have watched a lot of your videos, and love them all but this one for me was gold. Thanks
I have owned this amp for more than a year. Fantastic, more than I expected. Feature rich. Good to consider that if you save a profile of a tone to the amp, the amp remembers the positions of all the tuning knobs, so if you alter any setting of any tuning knob, the amp will indicate the original setting when you return the tuning knob to the original position. So the position of the tuning knob are relative to the profile, not the position of the tuning knob, say at 12 o'clock. This amp gets muddy if too much Gain is used.
So that f hole sticker doesn't help the tone?
And I was about to replace the duct tape on my headstock with one
I agree with everything you’ve pointed out. Regardless of skill level I believe one thing about good tone is that it’s inspiring. It inspires you to play. Play more often. And ultimately get better as a player. Thanks for another great video.
Darrel: Use the mid knob!
Me looking at my amp which has only bass and treble: ?
Maybe a Haunting Mids pedal from JHS would help?
Haha, Like all the Fender Reverb amps smaller than a twin! Was just thinking the same thing. Those are already mid-scooped. I just use an EQ or an overdrive that boosts when it's necessary.
Aren Sedrakyan You can probably boost or cut the bass and treble to get a similar effect, since the kids can't be altered.
Do you have a 10w? 10w, cheap ones, they tend not to have mids.
@@nehemiahzo_ I use 2 very cheap ones 5W, true they only have tone but some sound better. But the sound is perfect for amp sims and pedals like blue cat axiom. They also run of my power brick 500mA and 300mA so I can fit it all in my laptop bag including guitar interface.
Good topic. Ah tone, the sweet spots. As someone who’s been in a lot of cover bands, wedding bands specifically, over the years, you learn pretty quick that besides nailing the right tone, you also learn to master many different styles as well.
Each song requires a specific sound, tone, style, volume, etc.
For example, country tunes have a certain characteristic tone that is different from the tone required to play other genres like blues, jazz, funk, rock. The trick is knowing which settings you need to play each song and how to switch from one to another quickly.
Having a guitar that is capable of delivering a versatile selection of sounds is important too, especially if you’re only using one guitar for the whole gig.
Tone settings for Fly Me To The Moon, a tune that is usually played during the dinner set, would not be right for a tune like Margaritaville or Boot Scootin’ Boogie or Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag.
Having a versatile guitar makes nailing the sound that’s right for each tune easier but beyond that the amp and pedals you use provide even more tools in your tool bag to deliver what each tune needs.
An amp like a Henriksen Bud 10 has 4 separate EQ knobs plus a presence knob.
But ultimately the settings you use for a certain tune at one gig may be different for the same tune on another gig.
The venue might be different, the size of the room, the number of people in the audience, the weather that day, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, also effect the sound you get on any particular day.
You have to be ready to judge each situation individually and make adjustments. You’re a warrior, think like a marine, adapt, innovate, overcome.
You can’t let things beyond your control create showstopper conditions for what you’re trying to do.
Finally, each person must decide using their own ears what the audience will hear.
These are nuanced things and sometimes quite subtle.
Charge!
I tend to set my tone to the room. Also, I use a DS1 (lack of mids) and an MXR multi band EQ with the sliders set to a smiley face.
So useful concepts specially how mids affects the final result, same as presence in amps as the Fender Hotrod
Back before I knew anything about anything I got my Fender Champion 40. It has never once sounded good without pedals. I've suspected forever that it was because of the baffling omission of a mids knob but now you've vindicated me lol. But great video, thanks!
This video was so helpful for me. I tried this today and was instantly getting better tones from my helix. I would normally just use the factory reccomended settings most of the time, but your simple rules improved my tones on clean, crunch, high gain and lead
Thanks!
This was a really good, solid video with no nonsense info. I had just finished watching a "How to get the guitar tones guitarists chase" but the guy was using a Spark amplifier and 7 DIFFERENT guitars!
Super helpful info, Darrell. Thanks for walking us through it.
I dont really use clean, but my dirty tone that I highly recommend using (especially with a fat sounding les paul) is:
Gain: 8
Bass: 8
Middle: 6
Treble: 6
Tone Nob on guitar also at 6
Dude you're rad that one song you played with the delay awesome thanks for the tips you got the best videos out there
Makes a lot of sense. I was kind of doing this already. As I noticed when I would mess with my tone on my overdrive it seem like I was pushing the meds up and then dial it back on the clean.
I would back them off, but I’m gonna try to scoop it on the clean now. Thanks for the tip.
Trying to dial in tones on a line 6 pod pedal
Excellent demo especially for adjusting the mids. Since guitar pickups, volume & EQ settings play such a big role, please consider in future video. Thanks
I've learned that less gain is better, and Mids are the guitar's home.
As I've gained experience through the years I've found I like the Clean channel when there's a little bit of grit. Season to taste with a little bit of gain from a boost or OD pedal. Make good use of the guitar's V&T controls. Try to keep the fewest amount of interruptions between the guitar & amp.
From time to time it's good to strip everything down to the bare minimum and add one effect at a time. Try to get the most out of the least amount of things.
Best instruction ever, made simple to understand, and nicely demonstrated. Thank you! I have been struggling to understand these basics with the paradox of combinations (gear, electronics, amps, software, etc.). It seems to come down to good amps, since your other videos demonstrate "cheap" gear can be made to sound good (through good gear). And honestly, the way you play, you could nake a broomstick sound good :)
Great video. Im a beginner who got lost how to use those knobs. This video helps me a lot. Thanks.
MID BUTTON TIP ONE OF THE MOST HELPFUL TIPS I EVER GOT. THANKS!
Once again thank you so much Darrell for doing this video it is big help for me, for so many years of saving money and playing for local gigs, it's my first time to buy a brand new guitar and i think your videos helped me a lot, thank you and more power.
Thanks for this video! Im chasing 80's lead tone and I got here. You help me a lot in your simple explanation
This definitely is helping me, I've tried everything from this video and saved it in my watch later stuff. Definitely will use this method a lot more.
I do completely agree, that the mid eq is the first eq to touch to change tone. However my 2nd touch is the presence.
Maybe a warning, not on all amps the knobs should be turned as far as for H&K, where nearly full range is usefull. Even on H&K I do not turn the mids as far down for clean tones, but this of course also depends on PUs.
What exactly does Presence do?
@@clfnole Maybe use gain first and presence will add more subtle touches to gain, then adjust over drive pedal and adjust presence again. What it does will depend on how you use it, answer a question with a different question, but not exactly. For when you looking for a tone you are asking a question, how do I get that tone, then translating that question to a more subtle answer.
You are probably more confused.
You really do show a lot of stuff. Thanks
whaAaAaaaa yeah. this video helped me, now i got a really full body solo sound, thaaaaank u soo much!!!
Most important thing is to know what tone we want.
I hook my Marshall mg10 up to a couple of 10" no name speakers, one's a woofer, and I've never looked back since.
I'm simple in that I play two tones - clean n dirty with nothing much in between.
what amp can i use for my ML dean from hell ?
Totally agree with what you’re saying in the beginning. I can’t figure out how to get a good tone on my Pod HD Pro X and it’s definitely taking a toll on my motivation, which is why I need to make some new cool tones.
Great video thanks Darrell. I forget sometimes how it's about the sound cutting through a mix, not just about turning knobs higher !
Thanks you! A lot of the lead playing I've enjoyed listening to has similar tone to what you suggested. Very much appreciate it as I wondered how. 🙂
Darrell, I could clearly hear the difference on my laptop speakers! Thank you for that great tip and illustration!
Very useful. Thanks. When you added delay on your lead tone I thought my cell phone was ringing in the other room and ran to check it.
Thanks! You've given me a better understanding of the tone controls on my amp and the effect they have on my sound. Dig
Yeah, I am appreciative of where the fixation must land upon once it is time to get serious and reduce the plularity of emotive expressions.
This is your most helpful video since the how to set your amp video way back when. How about a series on how to set up and/or combine different pedals?
I finally got a decent amp for Christmas and this helps, thanks.
thanks for the video have the same amp and sort of figured it out last night but this video just made everything way more clearer because there are somethings I wasn't just sure of.
Wasn’t looking for a video like this but i sure as hell needed it,thanks Darrell
you have no idea how helpful this video is...too good. thank you.
Ya know I’ve been watchin you for so looong and you put out the best guitar content on UA-cam!!!
UA-camr: "You don't need an expensive guitar"
Also UA-camr: *pulls out a guitar I can't even hope to afford on my polish potato salary*
D'Angelicos aren't that expensive
Yamaha pacifica... Will do all the tones £75 second-hand
@@patricksommer3971 *Laughs in devastatingly broke*
@@steffanbull4671 True. I have the 112VMX but I got it from my uncle so I didn't even pay for it
@@dakkadakka9047 amazing guitars for the price, I recomend second hand ac15 will sound amazing with it ...but not as cheap
Can't wait to try these out later, thanks Darrell!
Thank you for this,i tried it and it worked great.Helped me get the sound i was imagining in my head.
Awesome! I've always struggled with tones. I'm on Pod HD Pro, so I have too many amp options and I still don't really know what amps are most useful for what styles. I never know what I really want and what I'm hearing, I can't put words to it. So this is very helpful, I will definitely try your basic settings ans experiment with them. Big thanks!
That lead tone, and metal tones AH, I love it.
Thank you darell, this is really helpful for me who just started playing guitar recently and don't know how to dial a good tone
Thanks Darrell! That really helped me get an idea of how to set my amp....how do you set your amp for an acoustic electric sound - clean? What if you wanted a country rockabilly sound?
Thanks.... that does help me understand better on how to get the tones I want.
This helped me out of working to get in the place where I want my tone to be. I just go with what you said in another video that the amp is where the tone is at. Thanks!
So much depends on the other instruments/musicians one plays with. A great tone for solo guitar can either disappear in the mix or drown other instruments. It takes a fair bit of cooperation and sometimes self sacrifice to get a good sound, I tend to roll off the top end which leaves space for the hi hat and cut the bass a little which eases flub and to my ear gives a better midrange and gives space for the bass. Gives a tight fat midrange sound, good perceived volume and sits well in the mix. Change bands and all bets are off! Lol
Really cool video. Thanks for the new impression!
Im so happy your are now using the HK GM40 deluxe, great amp!
Very valuable for this old player
That's some really useful information Darrell. I can't wait to try that out!
Cheers Darrell! Great piece of practical advice, explained simply and clearly. Have a great day.
Spot on DB! There may also be sweet spot guitar vol and tone settings for each pickup. Depending on your amp's tone circuits, there can be a lot or a little interaction with the guitar vol and tone setting. It can be worth the time to find those sweet spots!
Man, I have checked vids like this, but I was still stuck with my tone. Following your advice I made 4 Guitar Rig5 Gratifier presets; Clean-OD-HiGain riff-HiGain lead, and I am truly enjoying them - a good base to start from. Thanks Master Braun!
Luv ya, man! It's always a good day when one of your new vids show up on my list.
And I hope you are having a fantastic day!
The new rig is awesome and I mentioned it before but there is a difference between the 'Ol Blue and this new H&K setup.
Have the best weekend possible everyone!
Yay! My favorite intro is back!
incredible helpful thanks Darrell
How about a video on how other amp knobs affect tone? For example, a contour knob and a presence knob.
Great tips, thanks Darrel! I feel more comfortable with the settings of my amp & pedals now!
Wow!! Look at THAT old-school guitar doing some proper METAL tones
Great video Darrell!!! Awesome information!!
Great video Darrell, gonna try it on my amplifier
Awesome! We need more tone tutorials like this :D
Thanks for making this video. I’ve wanted yours opinion on dialing in for a while now. Have an awesome day my friend.
For my sound, I agree with everything you said, except I prefer mid-cut or flat for lead tones. Just my preference. Your tones all sounded great!
My secret for great tones - an I iRig, the UG tonebridge app and a clean amp!
really great tutorial Darrell
very useful. Be interested if you did more stuff on EQ and FX and maybe how to get towards some some well known "tones" with the basics. cheers
Great video, I understand a little bit more how it works 🤩.
This is sooo helpful, exactly what I needed as a newbie. Thanks!
Good, basic Tone Tips...
And the playing?
Always a highlight.
This was great! Very helpful! Thanks Darrell!
That was really interesting and informative, Darrell. I hardly ever use overdrive, and am not much interested in metal, but tweaking the midrange seems a really effective way to change my tone. Thanks!