Who has the MOST Recognizable Guitar Sound?
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- Опубліковано 31 сер 2020
- In this episode, we discuss who has the most recognizable guitar sound? Is it Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May, Pat Metheny, Neal Schon, David Gilmour? Rhett and I talk about the importance of finding your own unique sound, style, and tone when playing the guitar. We also touch on how amp sims/modelers can potentially take that uniqueness away.
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I will never understand why Mark Knopfler is ignored in discussions about guitarists, especially talking about recognizable guitar sound.
Agree, most people seem to solely focus on getting big tones with gain and completely overlooke the beauty that is a good clean tone. Knopfler and Jerry Garcia should be mentioned. These guys are so on a level of their own that you know who it is after playing a single note.
good point
Bill Friedman, that is why I commented about Mark. Fantastic player with his very own style of playing and his own sound.
Always liked Dire Straits, still like a lot of Mark’s solo records.
Totally agree. He has a sound that I don't think anyone does as an original, and even when a player here in Australia, the late, great Phil Emmanuel played some Dire Straits covers, as good as he was, having seen MK play live, it is so remarkably different. I have never heard anyone make the sounds Knopfler does.
Agree
And Rick Beato has the most recognizable air drums technique
And not to mention his tone, unbelievable
Just said this exact thing to my wife, came here to post it, and damnit if it's already here.
Goes with the Bobby De Niro facial expression ;)
Great comment!
I’ve always thought your air drums were second to none! Keep on Rick. You amaze me how much you know. Most of the time I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I enjoy watching you. You seem to be able to play any guitar player I know. Can you listen to most things and can pretty much get it without someone showing you how to do it?
Can't agree more on why Knopfler doesn't get talked about enough. He has an incredibly distinguished sound and will always be among my absolute favorites.
I can't agree more on that. If someone were to compile a list of the top 10 most underrated 🎸 players, Alvin would be on that list every time. And Ten Years After was an overlooked band who happened to be one of the most rockin' acts at Woodstock.
@@stevecowder4774 Peter Green too
@thehilligan
Absolutely ! Years ago, I finally got into early Fleetwood with Peter and I'm glad I did. He's definitely an overlooked player.
Then Play On with Danny Kermin playn off Peter is the best fletwood album of all in me humble non pie opinion. Carlos stole Peters black magic woman.
@garyssimo
Agreed ! " Rattlesnake Shake " is one of the coolest of hard core blues tunes I'd ever heard by FM. And also,
It's unreal how some cover songs become so immensely famous when the original is so often overlooked.
For me, Carlos Santana. 2 notes is all it takes and you know it's Carlos your're listening to. Doesn't matter what guitar he's playing or what amp he's using- and he's used a few through his career- it always sounds like Santana.
Yeah I totally agree. I was hoping to find this comment! I don't particularly love his music (I like it , but I'm not like a huge fan or anything), but in terms of distinctive guitar playing, I would put him right up there. Maybe Hendrix #2 and Brian May #3 and Eddie Vanhalen next...Something like that. But definitely Santana would be my #1.
My thoughts are the same, 2 notes for sure. Stevie Ray is second.
And he's been playing those notes for 50+ years. Boring and overrated.
I've been talking about Carlos Santana for eons.
@@margaretedwards1366 Thank you-he was the second best player in his own band when Neal Schon played with him
My wife calls me a "Hoarder".
"Tone Chaser" sounds definitely better.
Lol
Don't allow yourself to be gear shamed. You can tell your wife I said that. Boys will always have their toys
I tell my wife that it is cheaper than golf.
@The Doobie Sisters & Sack Blabbath Hoard Chaser
@@Jukkala some of us have to tell our husbands - lol - I play golf and am a tone hoarder
I’ll add Mark Knopfler on the list! His technique, his tone and his phrasing are something really unique.
I couldn’t agree more. He plays like no one else. I love it and never tire of it.
also Buckethead
Completely agree!! Mark is an icon in the subject!
Mark Knopfler is one of those rare guitarists who can bend 3 strings at a time. And not via the tremolo bar either.
Indeed. So much of his sound is in the hands he was given.
I heard Michael Jackson's "Beat It" for the first time riding in a car and thought "man, that sounds just like Eddie Van Halen". Well, that's because it *was* the one-and-only Eddie Van Halen.
The other standout for me is Carlos Santana, whose pure tones are instantly recognizable. When he hits a sustained note, my brain can't think of anything else, but can only listen. Mesmerizing.
I heard an intro guitar sounding like Jimi Hendrix on an Otis Reading album track made long before Jimi was well known ,,Then found out it was indeed Jimi ,
@@kevanbodsworth9868 Jimi and Otis both played Monterey in ‘67
Ahhh that's who it reminded me of when they talked about Brian May's sound, sounding like a half-cocked wah. The person who REALLY sounds like he's playing through a half-cocked wah is old-style Carlos Santana!
Santana for sure
I actually had a strong need to blast 'Smooth' after this video
SRV gets my vote. Incredible tone and chops that go well beyond what most guitarists are capable of. As good as people think he is, he's actually probably better...
Riviera Paridise by SRV is best Strat tone ever!
Peter Green - "He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats." - BB King.
Backing Peter Green My man!
Alex Lifeson has a lot to say about riding the guitar volume. Maybe some day I will 1) find that sound in my head, 2) master the guitar volume. 🎸🤓
Mr King also highly praised Jeff Healey.
I agree that Santana has an unmistakable sound. To that I'd add Jeff Beck.
100%, both very unique
Santana - yep - the most boring
And BB King if we're not just talking about rock
@@3rdtryproductions440 BB is cool - a legend
Respectfully, Santana is repetitive and boring.
David Gilmour and Rory Gallagher are very distinctive. They both can capture an ethereal sound with pinch harmonics, hand techniques that are beyond the gear.
True enough!
Never liked gilmour. Talented, but far from greatest.
@@captainp.2721 David is the GOAT! Ever hear the guitar solos on Comfortably Numb?
Rory and Johnny Winter were in the class off their own. It was in their guts.
I can’t believe no one mentioned Pete Townhends live at leed guitar tone. One of the most beautiful and difficult to reproduce unless you have a Hiwatt and an SG with p90’s.
Also Carlos Santana. Very unique tone and style. You can always tell it’s Carlos after just one note.
I have the most recognizable guitar sound... its awful.
😂
hahaha
😄😁
*puts down drumsticks after 20 years and picks up his guitar*
Hold my beer.
Hahaha!!
Brian May. Instantly recognisable. Built his own axe and made completely his own sound. Mark Knopfler, also, has a very recognisable sound.
No
To add to Bryan May's unique sounds was that in his early days he used an amp built by John Deacon (Queen Bass Player) called "the deacy" which is what have him that "symphony string" sound (in conjunction with using volume control and Harmony's) I liked that sound even better than his AC30
I believe he also played with a coin, adding to some of his sound as well
@@jacobsmith3019 ahh yes! excellent point Jacob, he used to use an English 5 pence which kind of had a serrated edge, I don't think he does any more but cant say for certain
@@richardhalferty3530
Last I heard he was still using them, there should be a rig rundown somewhere on youtube where his roadie talks about buying bags of them holding a hundred a bag, evidently they're not that hard to find.
Roy Buchanan is the guy that really mastered the volume and tone knobs to get his unique sound.
Danny Gatton too
People talk about Eddie's sound but I think his playing a lot more recognisable than the tone itself. That pick attack, rhythm and swing is unmistakable.
Plus, he really looked like he was having FUN!!!!
Jeff Beck's sound is so unique, when he's asked for identification at a routine traffic stop, he can just play his solo on Nadia, and drive on.
It’s SRV for me. I could recognize it’s him in a second just from him running the pick down the strings getting ready to play something
Nonone ever talks about that pick running up the strings he does! Thats a great point, it is SUCH an SRV move... between that and his reverb tone, you know its him right away
Could not agree more
oh yeah and that thick strat sound with his unique take on the pentatonic scale for sure for sure
I can listen this sound in mind ☺️
Should be SRV for EVERYONE but then I'm from Austin By God, Texas and we all hung out on the WRONG side of town because of the music he produced straight from his own soul to ours. In a time that Austin, TEXAS was actually segregated, hippies, whitiies, cowboys, blacks (colored in those days sadly) and Mexicans wre all brought together under one roof to hear the God given and unmistakably original style and sound of a legend gone much too soon 😢.
If you're a one of a kind musical 🎼 🎶 genius take a damn bus, hitchhike, walk, crawl, whatever just DON'T FLY cause for some reason somebody gets pissed and removes you from this life and the suffering begins to everyone you know as well as your own life. The magical times I refer to were long before Texas Flood. Disco was in style 😎 (somebody's not mine). Willie had just released "The Outlaws" if that tells you anything 😉
Stevie Ray Vaughn, to me had the overall BEST tone. Early days were "Super Reverbs with 15" speakers, and a Vibroverb with 10" speakers. Very little effects used. Pretty much plugged straight into the amps.
Agreed. When I think of ‘Strat tone’ his tone is what I think about. Big big fan.
Although nearly always underrated by many is Dave Evans otherwise known as 'Edge' from U2. I know its kind of trendy to hate on Bono these days however, its hard to deny that Evans has really achieved a distinctive sound with the delay, shimmer and especially in the early days of U2 often avoiding the thirds to allow for ambiguity. His haunting yet divine ring outs of notes to me show that he often serves the song with less is more.
Beautifully said! The Edge is a master of tone and atmosphere, truly beautiful sonics on so many U2 tunes.....undeniable ear candy!
The first time I watched The Princess Bride, I suddenly caught the unmistakable sound of Mark Knopfler in the soundtrack. That was before the internet days, so I watched the credits at the end of the film to confirm that it was indeed him.
He is unmistakable!
Just like Queen who did the soundtrack for Flash Gordon. If you had no idea they did the soundtrack and only listened to the tracks with no vocals, as Freddy Mercury would be instantly recognizable, you would know that it is Queen, or Brian May more specifically. The same would go for Highlander as well.
Yep, I heard the tone and said “Is that Knopfler?” Waited for the credits Nd sure enough. Very definitive.
Jelsick May is unmistakeable too. Was there any doubt 5 seconds into that movie? Wonderfully campy movie with a ridiculously awesome soundtrack.
Came here to comment about how Mark Knopfler invalidates their compression argument, and was delighted to see 2 of the top 3 comments are about MK 😂✊
Brian May has many, many sounds, but there is this one that is super saturated, singing, almost violin like but with serious bite and yet it is not distortion. For me, that is one of the most unique sounds.
Same. His guitar playing is so melodic and compliments piano beautifully. You always know when it's a Queen solo
His full chorus sound, or his 800/1600ms delay is just so iconic. Not to mention his screamy tones like on Bohemian Rhapsody or Save Me. Even his choral melodic lead tones like on Hammer to Fall, Spread Your Wings, or even Headlong.
Name a song it’s in?
@@cs292the You Don't Fool Me, solo
I remember the first time I ever heard "Smooth" on the radio. I'm not a guitar player nor do I have any special music knowledge but I immediately recognized Carlos Santana as the guitarist and mentioned it to a friend also listening.
I too remember the first time I heard Smooth on the radio - on my drive to work one morning - 17th Avenue, Denver. I got so excited to hear Santana at it again!! I went home that day and told my husband about it. Within the week he came home with the CD for me! When the album and song won so many Grammys that year I asked my husband "Can I pick them or what?" lol But seriously that was/is such a fantastic song! Still get really excited when I play it or hear it!
How many guitar players can you identify by hearing only ONE note? Carlos Santana would fit into that category. Enough said.
I'm always amazed by how unique and gorgeous Brian May's sound is. But it's quite logical why is sound is so unique: he built his own guitar from scratch (when he was 17!), and added some unique features to it (like being able to subtract the signal from different pickups). He uses a very unique amp setup, including an amp hand-built by John Deacon. And for some reason he plays with a penny instead of a plectrum. And of course he's got his own style of playing. All of that stuff is going to be hard to emulate for anyone.
He played with a UK 6 pence coin
I would have to agree that Brian May has the most unique sound out of all these guitarists, Joe Satriani describes him as being a whole universe of sounds
The late, great Albert Collins! He's one guitarist that I don't think I've ever heard you mention. F-minor open tuning, finger-picking, always capo-ing. Nobody ever made a telecaster sound quite the way that he did.
If trouble was money.
Love what he did!
This is the correct answer.
Jeff Beck needs to mentioned as well. Cause We've Ended As Lovers is still the gold standard for me.
I love the way Jeff Beck picks leads with his thumb and fingers while working the vibrato bar and volume knob!
jperryfan Absolutely! What a gorgeous piece! I’ll never tire of it.
As well as Santana, Joe Pass Etc So many...
I think it should be noted that two of the most recognisable sounds mentioned here are EVH and Brian May. Both are also widely known (even by guitar idiots like me) to have built and/or massively tweaked their guitars like scientists.
Except in the case of Eddie his tone wasn't dictated by his guitar as much as Brian's tone.
Tom Scholz has one of the most instantly recognizable electric guitar sounds ever crafted
Malcolm Young plays one bar of an A open chord and you know its him in a heartbeat- incredible.
@Grieg Ragen Reminds me of an old saying. There's 2 types of guitarists, those who think they can play like Malcolm Young and those who've tried.
Glad to see Malcolm getting respect. He made the AC/DC sound as much as Angus did.
Looked for this
Malcolm does not get the appreciation he has earned. He is every bit of a Guitarist as Angus, if not better
Glad you talked about Brian May, he literally built his own guitar to create the tone he wanted. He also plays with a sixpence and he's always looking for the feedback, you can see it by how he walks around the stage when he plays. He built his Red Special in a semi-hollow way to let "her" react to the vibration which the strings crate, and he completely invented a new type of switch system that makes his pickups go on and out of phase, they can also be put together in all the possible ways. Not to talk about how he protected the body, the bridge and the tremolo to reduce the string's friction almost to 0. I mean, when he did all of this he was 17 and the guitar was built with materials found in his house and in his father workshop!!! I just think it's incredible the passion and the ability that this man has.
well it was actually taken from Rory Gallagher - Brian May was a huge fan of his and asked for his setup, there are interviews where he says as much
I would watch Brian May play anytime. I'm not technically knowledgeable about how he gets his sounds. Queen would delve into so many styles of music and he would adapt his part to match the genre. The first time hearing Killer Queen I was blown away by something old sounding brand new. Saw them twice and the first song was Tie Your Mother Down. Blew us away and then got even better.
He didn't initially build his own guitar because of a tone - it was because good guitars were so expensive back then when he was a teenager. He did make a bloody good job of it though - his dad helped him. It took around 15 months to complete.
True
And in his spare time earned a Phd in astronomy
Jimi Hendrix led one of the 1st 'Power Trio's in history, with chart topping songs and explosively eclectic performances, Jimi crafted his sound from a Fender Stratocaster, Vox Wah-Wah pedal, Univibe Phase pedal, a Fuzz Face pedal amplified by 100 watt Marshall stacks set to feed-back volumes. Jimi had to stand off to the side of his stacks or he couldn't control the feedback. Small stages were problematic. Jimi 'LOVED' surfing the feedback, pitch shifting with the tremolo bar. dive bombing. #1 MOST DISTINCTIVE SOUND.
Wes Montgomery. one touch with his thump, one octave slide, one pumping chord explotion.. and you instantly know, this can´t be any other guy, than Wes.
I agree but disagree))) Benson sometimes copies WM chops but does it another way
@@ildarrrr2 i think, Lee Ritenour did it quite well. But at least for my ears, i notice the difference very fast. There was some kind of magic in Wes precision, musicality, timing, physical strenght too, i think, nobody could copy till now, to my ears and as far as i know.
Also nobody can copy Bensons fluidity an lightness, but the tone is very-very different to Wes´.
@@Alexander-11.11. Yes I agree with every word.
Gotta be Tom Scholz from Boston for me, I mean he built his own equipment and studio from scratch for god sake, his guitar sang like no other, it gives off that outer space/ufo sound. Not to mention the fact he has all his contraptions he built from scratch, such as the hyper space pedal, he also studied how the human ear interpreters different sounds. And on top of that the way he would overlap multiple recordings of his guitar over each other, it’s just out of this world how melodic all the recordings would come out together, there aren’t too many bands that have a guitar sound/player that sings as another voice in the band.
And let us not forget that bone crunching, teeth gnashing gain..Love it. Guys like Nuno Bettencourt, who is like Brian May on steroids, reminds me of that gain..
To some degree, Tom Scholz the guitarist was hurt by the success of Tom Scholz the engineer. He made and sold so much gear that everyone sounded a lot like him for about four years.
More than a feeling!!!!
Love Tom
Mal-2 KSC It was also necessary for him to sell that gear he invented, it was the only way he could finance Third Stage because CBS had frozen all royalties from the 1st 2 albums.
Duane Allman had a beautiful tone and a very unique style, not to mention his slide playing.
I would say, out of all of the best known players, it’s Brian May who has the most distinctive tone! That tone is instantly recognisable by people who have no idea who May is, but would know it was Queen straight away!
Not sure if Rick mentions it later in the video but its got to be said, a MAJOR reason to why his guitar sounds so distinct from basically every other classic rock guitar is cause _he made it himself_
Yeah. He built it together with his dad back when he was young, you should look this story up... its so fascinating!
I agree that George Harrison had a instantaneously recognizable tone. I would like to learn more about how he developed that beautifully bright sound without the harsh highs.
Brian May is a fantastically talented dude
Peter Green was the best, BB King said so. Most recognisable was Brian May and Buckingham. Going back in time you could instantly recognise Django.
All the greats are easy to pick out within a few notes: EVH, SRV, C Santana, Gilmour, Hendrix, Page, Clapton, J Beck, Eric Johnson, BB King, George Harrison, Brian May, Mark Knoffler, The Edge,...geez their are so many great guitarists with their own identifiable tone.
I’ve always enjoyed listening to Donovan, and to this day, despite watching the video of them both performing it live at the Royal Albert Hall, I would never guess its Page on Sunshine Superman.
I'm sure this is blasphemy to most, but I don't think Clapton has a distinct sound. Maybe it's because he experimented in so many genres... hard rock with Cream, covering Bob Marley reggae, his unplugged album. I get that he's really good, but I can't pick out his style, and I don't think he ever pushed the limits of what was possible on the instrument, in the way that Hendrix, SRV, EVH, or Tom Morello did.
@Rob Mullins you have made an excellent point. The players you’ve mentioned and so many other guitarists who are considered "great" are unique. Astute observation, great comment...thank you.
@@erikjohnsen3135 I’m going to the same place as you, I just get bored with Ol' Slow-hand's post Blind Faith playing. All that booze, heroin and cocaine must’ve changed his wiring. He’s lucky to be alive...and still be able to play as well as he does.
You forgot Dimebag Darrell.
Im very pleased that Knopler is getting so many good comments, plays with so much soul.
Enticing...loved this program. Brought to light and amplified all the identifying details of what makes all the quite artists unique....
Another thing I like about Mark is he makes mistakes every now and then, and he plays right through them like the pro that he is
His last name is Knopfler.
George Lynch's sound on Back For The Attack with Dokken was always one of my favorites. Mr Scary, Dream Warriors, Heaven Sent, Burning Like A Flame, and especially Kiss Of Death - awesome sound on that track. (I still try to dial up that tone sometimes). I know that era often gets looked down on, but Lynch had a very distinctive TONE at that time.
Lynch’s tone is great. To this day I’m not sure how he does it, there’s always been Lynch clones that are **close** to sounding like him but not exactly like him. Because his note phrasings, techniques, and his **tenacity** in playing those notes play a huge huge factor to the tone and i have not seen one single person tackle those 3 checkmarks that can actually pinpoint Lynch.
Forgot Prisoner.
@@6stringhellion good point. It's not just about "dialing in" his tone. To sound like Lynch (or any other legend) you have to be able to play like him too.
Rick, please do a deep dive on The Fixx's Jamie West-Oram! He's SO unique! His guitar sounds like the strings are made of glass and tightened to the point of snapping. Just gorgeous. One of a kind.
The two immediately recognizable tones that come to mind for me are Brian May and Eddie Van Halen.
Are you familiar with the Starfleet project from the early eighties? Was a one off supergroup they both played in .
Clearly it's Brian May, no mistaking that guitar
His tone SUCKS!
@@richardcarden4161 before this guy starts a war:
Listening to multitrack tapes reveals his actual studio tone, much like Randy Rhoades, is crap... for a live tone.
Since its only studio, it cuts through the mix super cleanly, and his layering is clear.
His live tone is better, its closer to what you would hear
Says you. I say Gilmour because I've spent eons listening to PF, so it's pretty subjective.
As he made it himself, yeah, no-one like it.
@@richardcarden4161 So, how many records did you sell with your clearly superior sound?
Van Halen , Vaughn, Iommi and Blackmore stand out to me........ Gilmour 's sustain and vibrato are brilliant.
Very very very good mention, "Iommi." Very underrated and under the radar and distinct.
@@yaantsudnbesdai972 All high gain tone goes back to him. Judas Priest had less gain on Screaming for Vengeance than Iommi on the first record. That gorgeous "preamp about to detonate and ignite the power amp".
Randy Rhoads developed it into "amps about to detonate and destroy a city". One single note or slide down the neck and before he's past the 12th fret you just know it's Randy. And that's his (live) tone, style is just as recognizable.
Even some Metallica albums have less gain than Iommi.
Two of the absolute best to listen to analyze and explain sound and tone. Never a wasted minute listening to these two as they help us understand what is happening with equipment as we try to achieve a voice through a rig.
Santana's guitar tone and overall sound is something I learned, accidentally, to recognize as a child. Be it live or studio, when I hear his guitar I know it's him. And I'm not even a huge Santana fan haha.
Also, picked up The Beato Book (and a mug!) this past weekend. After following your channel for a year or so, I decided that not only did I want to support what you're doing, but that you might be the only person to teach this lowly drummer some music theory as he branches out into guitar and bass.
Keep doing what you're doing and thanks for doing it so well!
Tom Verlaine
Dr Deuteron LOL
Santa is a genius. kudos
Yeah, I always recognize Santana too....always bends his notes sharp.
Santana (imho) lost his sound in the 80's .
0:20 "This guitar, for example, is really cool looking!" That made me laugh because a lot of the time, that really is a big factor in my purchase decisions, although I'll deny it if anyone asks!
Ugh, LP Customs are so fucking sexy but the ebony(or faux ebony) are really not my thing but maybe one day I'll throw a few mortgage payments to the wind and custom order a natural one with a rosewood board.
Heh, funny enough, when I bought my PRS it was NOT the color I wanted, but being left handed I don't often get much of a choice that way and it just played so sweetly. :)
I have a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a Standard. Oh yes....they are sexy.
@@isaiahmarquez9717 The more binding a Les Paul has, the sexier it looks to me. I *love* guitars bound on the front and back like a custom.
I went a slightly different route and got an ES-139 and an ES-335 figured top, but I'm a shameless ripoff of the 70s LP heroes and I like feedback so I went all semi🤣
Carlos Santana, Robert Smith of The Cure, Alvin Lee... just a few more. Frank Marino of Mahogany Rush, Leon Redbone (not a rocker, but instantly recognizable.) I appreciate your videos and get a lot of information from you. I just like music in all it's forms, and really enjoy the music history you show. Great channel and great video!! Hope you enjoy it too, keep up the good work!!
Love your discussions! I’m addicted to your shows 👏.
At 50 I just got back into playing guitar after about 10 year hiatus. These episodes are very helpful.
I have been chasing tones for more then a few months now and bought a nice Fender Stratocaster MIM player plus. Using a Boss ME 80 too.
However, I just bought a Positive Grid Spark amp (40 watts) and I just fell in love! Crazy! Neck pickup, a simple delay and reverb sound with a scoop EQ setting (from the amp).
I just load backing tracks and UA-cam videos through the app for the amp and I’m off and running! Using it for jam nights and parties too!
I felt bad that I am not using my ME80 and searching. I found a simple tone that I love. Crazy but, wow! (I heard Rhett mention this kind of thing in the video; simple setting and easy to just play through)!
Keep up the good work Rick and Rhett! I’m about 100 hours into your episodes and still going! ❤️
Tom Morello was my first thought when I saw the video title... You can hear him a mile away. In the film Dodgeball there is this little section of guitar played by him, I picked it out immediately... If that doesn't mean recognizable I don't know what does!
Extremely distinctive. Absolutely.
...agreed. Evidenced by the fact that when playing with any band, any style it’s still definitively him. I think if you pioneer a style, as he did, it’s a no-brainer.
Yep, every thing he guests on he stands out like a sore thumb.
SRV...there's no mistaking his style, his tone. On acoustic, James Taylor.
Add Doc Watson to acoustic guitar players. One note from him, and you know who it is.
And Neil Young
Joni Mitchell's acoustic guitar is a good counterpoint to it because it's her unique compositions, not gear, that makes her so recognizable.
Um, sorry...WRONG! On acoustic it's Michael Hedges! 😉🤣
@@ClusterFugue - LOL...do you have any idea how few people have even HEARD of Michael Hedges versus James Taylor?
What a wonderful video. The tone chasers. Thank you Rick
I love watching your stuff, man! I learn a lot and you make it relatable. Excellent work. Thank You.
I always remember the example from David Gilmour who was playing a memorial show and Mark Knopfler was also playing. David has brought his rig, but Mark had just brought a guitar. He asked to borrow David’s rig. He and his tech agreed thinking he’s gonna sound like me, as soon as Mark plugged in and played he sounded exactly like himself. Truly a player where the tone is all in his hands.
Tom and The Outlaws i would’ve loved to hear that
Who's "me" in this story?
There's a lot of variations of this story. Artist X tries Artist Y's rig but in the end, X does not sound like Y. Then concludes with "tone is in the fingers" or something like that.
@Eric Byrd I think that PF (with other writers than just Gilmour of course) is excellent. I have their box set. But Knopfler has written some amazing stuff both in DS and out. That's a personal taste issue. Like all of the videos that Beato says, "20 Best ", that is just his opinion. And this thread is about guitar tone, not Bests.
You could definitely say the same about SRV or Jimmy Page. When you hear them play you know it’s them even if you’ve never heard the song
Gilmour is the man. His tone is icy cutting growling creamy goodness. The cool thing about him is he plays a lot of lower notes instead of just noodling up high on the fretboard. He also gets the most soul out of every note instead of trying to impress people with speed. Everybody is familiar with Comfortably Numb solo but try Fletcher Memorial Home solo, which many have not heard for another example of his killer tone.
The low bending in 'On the Turning Away" just after the drums pick up tempo again.. gets me every time.
Playing fast is cool to though. It’s all about what serves the song best
Gilmour*
Lol. Rick actually has a video about exactly what you just said, I think is called the Gilmour effect or something like that.
David **GILMOUR**
I just wish that more people would be able to realize the BRILLIANCE of Both Brian May & Carlos Santana, in how they are able to play….not just play but make their guitars basically SING 🎸 Because their guitar playing is so unique. It feels so good, being able to listen to & amazing to see, if you are fortunate enough to be able to see them live!
I'd say that Van Halen is one. Because I've heard his son and it sounds like his dad. Its very distictive.
The other is Stevie Ray Vaughn. You can tell Stevie at the drop of the hat and he was a god. One of the best ever. I am find lately he is being overlooked and sadly forgotten by many who talk about guitarists of rock.
Stevie should never be forgotten.
SRV, I feel like he reached the highest pinnacle of supreme tone that you could possibly get out of an electric guitar and amplifier. Just absolute sweet perfection.
I love Stevie. He was truly touched.
His extremely uncommon use of Gauge 13 strings and strong af fingers really make that tone special.🔥
SRV PURE SPECIAL !!!!!
Many different things sounds !!!!
Such a wide range ‘m
RIP FELLOW TeXaN !!!👍🏼👍🏼🎼🎼🎸🎸
@@miko1975guitar No way. They were two different incarnations of guitar genius, and there is no comparison between the two. They are just different supernovas.
@@queenredspecial Wah pedal. Strat. Overloaded tube amp. Talents passed on from the Gods themselves, for the amusement of the common man. Feels similar to me.
Oh, my gosh - Andy Summers, too! Incredibly distinctive player. Adrian Belew! ... so many.
Glad you mentioned Andy Summers.
NIce additions!
Just an afterthought. How can we forget about Les Paul ? We all know his guitar , but what a great a recognizable tone he had from back in the 50's ? His technique and use of the echo repeats was phenomenal !
I don't even play but I feel mesmerized by your technical talk even though I dont know what your actually talking about! You have that effect on a lot of us Rick! keep it rocking!
BB King - He plays the first note or two and you always know who it is.
If we're looking at more than just rock players. Also throw Django Reinhardt and Tony Rice in there.
the same note over and over
David Priest Yeah. That’s true. Practically one note by BB King and you can tell it’s him. Although it’s mostly in his fingers and his vibrato.
Tyrone Jeff O'Reilly Ramirez and he’s great at making the most out of those notes
@@gogpoydiyes, the most redundancy
I swear to god, the first time I heard that Radio edit version of Let's Dance, the first guitar "solo" between verses might be like, what, a single note? AND STILL, you know It's SRV. LEGEND ! Only one note, you know it's him!
Nick Drake had a very particular and distinct way of playing the guitar. Very unique indeed. You go and listen the song "Road" from Nick Drake just as a short example.
A great tone chaser, often overlooked, is Alex Lifeson. He always had "his" tone, no matter what gear ge was using. Tones that are impossible to nail without his hands, ears and brain
Ritchie Blackmore. His tone, phrasing, and melodic style are unmistakable.
Thank you sir! Blackmore is god
Yes Ritchie is the man. My favorite guitarist since I was 9 and heard my older sister's boyfriend's In Rock Album.
@Kurt Sherrick God I know people say this album is underrated or whatver. In Rock to me is a top 3 rock album and maybe the best rock album all considering it has all the perfect elements. Its amazing how such a popular band doesnt get barely any recognition for it instead people like Machine Head which I think sucks. In Rock is the best guitar work maybe Iv'e ever heard along with the best organ work, and some of the best drumming by Paice. Every song blows me away because it either has some cool riff or a cool breakdown. It doesnt have great melody or songwriting just a perfect rock album. Well, child in time is great songwriting and melody imo
@@connorclarke1218 Oh I agree about In Rock. It was a incredible album. It is my Top Studio Album. Ritchie really paved the way with Iommi a new direction of guitar. What made Machine Head kinda of weak compared to In Rock was the same songs on Made In Japan live blew away the studio versions of Smoke On The Water, Highway Star and Space Truckin just didn't kick your ass like the Live Recordings which I my humble opinion on Made In Japan are just fantastic. But Machine Head had When A Blind Man Cries which kinda hits my Soul.
Ritchie has some of the smoothest legato runs and his tone is always rich yet piercing. One of the greatest rock guitar players, for sure.
For me, David Gilmour and Eddie Van Halen has the most recognizble tone. Unbeliavable musicans. RIP EVH
Agreed on Eddie… unmistakable!
Eddie, Alex, and Dave essentially defined the sound of the 80s.
I agree, David Gilmour with that long deep whining sound that just makes you think deep, signature David Gilmour
Agree on Eddie. His “brown sound” was pretty well pioneering. Bridge HB without a tone control (which sounds different than a LP), compressor, just a touch of phaser directly into an overdriven amp.
But I think we recognize Gilmour’s tone within the context of Pink Floyd repertoire. It isn’t a particularly unique tone. It’s more his style that’s unique to his genre.
Brian May, on the other hand, plays a homemade guitar with integrated onboard effects, (such as switchable out of phase pickups), through a homemade practice size amplifier, and was always recorded from a distance in the studio. He could play Mary Had A Little Lamb and we would instantly know that tone.
IMO, take them out of their well known repertoire and those two are the most unmistakeable.
@@ArmchairDeity don’t forget Micheal Anthony he was key to their harmonies which was a huge factor to the Van Halen sound
@@tannertuner how would you recommend getting a Gilmour tone? Bridge single coil with a TS, reverb and compressor?
Great class, thank you.
I wish next time more sounds of what you talk about
This is so instructive... a great teaching video. I am learning about these distinct sounds from all the varied guitarists with an open and amazed mind!
Santana. You immediately know Carlos is playing as soon as he strums a note
True, altough his modern tone has too much bass ..... the classic days of Caravanserai are long gone.
When you play music
Lots of possibilities here... I'll nominate the Joe Walsh sound as "very distinctive"!
He is blane. He has a signature shity songs with the same solo over. Over .over
Def, super warm
SRV playing with that heavy gauge cords and having the power to bend and just make that unique tones. He was a powerful guitarist
@pencil whip I agree.....the best. I like Rory Gallagher too, raw asf!
I don't think anyone hit the strings harder.
His last guitar at the rock museum has 10s on it and low action ...turned to Eb they feel like 9s ...heavy strings is a myth
@@rickspyder6159 He used heavy strings for most of his professional career. After he got clean he found he couldn't ignore the pain caused by the damage the heavy strings did to his fingers. Late in his career he decided longevity was more important than being macho and keeping the heavy strings, so he started using lighter gauge strings. You can really hear the lighter strings when he plays Voodoo Chile on Austin City Limits. A completely different tone from earlier recordings.
Let's not forget Johnny Marr- influenced by the jangly 60s guitar sounds of the likes of the Byrds, still fused various styles to fashion his own
Another song came to my mind from David Gilmour 's On an Island, Red Sky At Night. When I first heard I thought David uses a guitar synthesizer to produce sax sound with a guitar. I never thought that a sax player could play as David plays the guitar. Then I learned David played a real sax. Amazing !
Eddie Van Halen’s tone seemed bright and warm all at the same time. Each note in his solos had sort of a bell like quality to them.
the same can be said of the great Chuck Berry except Berry had that blues, country thing going on in his playing.
Bell like?
I bet you also say you taste tobacco and leather in wine.
Eddie RIP
It's got to be Billy Gibbons: the perfect blend of blues and hard rock, with his immaculate pinch harmonics. Some say his beard touches the strings and plays better than most other guitarists...
Lot of hookers sound in there.
Billy is definitely unique
This is true, he did play the first beard harmonic as he was riffing through Burn the witch by QOTSA according to Josh Homme and his beard floated down and played a harmonic
Sounds very Gibson ish......
It's May 15th 2022 and I just spent 20 minutes reading these comments saying to myself "no love for Billy Gibbons?!"
of the guitarists shown (all good choices) Eric Johnson gets my vote. He literally spent years just developing a recognizable tone. He spends hours before a performance just meditating on how he will sound. Style is one thing, but if the query is "guitar sound" he is the clear winner.
creativity with your guitar & gear was always the coolest part to me
RIP Eddie Van Halen!! He was my moms favorite rockstar & she’s the one who made me fall in love with rock & start playing guitar as a kid. One of my biggest regrets is bailing on a chance to see Van Halen live with her a few years ago. EVH a legend!!
I’m ur moms fav rockstar
Alex Lifeson has a very unique style and sound. One of my favorite guitarists.
He is massively underrated.
What makes Lifeson so special is that he had several signature tones. New Wave Lifeson is as recognizable as Prog Rock Lifeson.
I agree. Lifeson had an ever changing tone through the 90's-00's etc though. It kept Rush cutting edge in my opinion.
Without Alex filling in the space he does Rush would be a talented but very average sounding power trio.
@@toneloc223 I think he's got an "ever changing tone" throughout almost his whole career, specially from 80's on.
I've been using an EVH 5150 with only 3 Pedals: Maxon OD808, ISP Decimator in front on the amp and my Neunaber Immerse in the FX loop section, That's Practically all I need. Thanx for the great discussion Rick
Brian May's sound is probably in my opinion the most easily recognizable and unmistakable for anyone else.
Carlos Santana, brother. Sometimes literally a single note and you're like "that's Santana."
Yes، Santana is synonym to uniqueness
I hope my opinion is not too weird. Buddy place on a deeply spiritual level. That may be why is sound is like no other.
Oops... Voice texting! What I meant is.... He plays on a spiritual level.. .
Agreed. One note is all you need.
When I about 20 years old, I had finally got fed up with the 15 watt Peavey Rage amp that I had since I was 15 because I couldn't play in a band setting. So, I saved up $500, walked into my favorite music store and said, "What'll this get me?". They had been unsuccessfully carrying KMD amplifiers for a couple of years and were having a close out sale(I think this is about the time that KMD were also being discontinued). I ended up walking out of there with a 130watt head and cabinet. I honestly didn't care that it wasn't a Marshall or Fender. It was LOUD, and that's all that mattered to me. 25+ years on I still have it... because it's MY amp. I've tried others, but they just don't sound right to me. I guess it's become part of me.
George Harrison.
Especially his delicate slide work, but his attack, chord use, and rhythmic style are instantly recognizable,
George Harrison was the first name that came to my mind (along with Allan Holdsworth). I have never been wrong when I've heard any of their recordings for the first time and thought, "That must be George Harrison (or Allan Holdsworth)."
If we're really talking about a uniquely identifiable sound, those two top the list.
Mark Knopler is also in the frame.
YES.
@@bronwynbeistle8317 NO
I didn't like Harrison much in the Beatles' early days, '63-'64. It sounded to me primitive, extremely basic, and amateurish; unworthy of a worldwide phenomenon band.
But by the time songs like Ticket to Ride and I Need You came out, he seemed to have grown tremendously. And he really came into his own when he started playing with that Ric 360/12. Some music critic or other is reported to have said that it was "the Beatles' secret weapon". George got one of the first ones made.
George's choice of first (expensive/pro) guitar - that Gretsch - was indicative of his very early American C&W influence, and you could hear it in his playing style, and hyper-bright, C&W/Gretsch guitar sound. His early C&W influence was pretty clear. But he caught on fast to different guitars as his style evolved and broadened. It wasn't long until he was playing out with a Rickenbacker, and recording with Fenders and Gibsons, etc.
Having come of age with the very first Beatles singles, and still rather a fanatical proselytizer to my friends' kids, I watched George's evolutions of playing styles, guitar choices, sounds, and writing with amazement. He might be the single hardest very-famous guitarist I can think of to pin down to a particular sound or style, he evolved so much, and became so diverse in what he wanted to do, when, where, and on what song, using which guitar, and what tone he was looking for.
Some guitarists' sounds - as said here - are "instantly recognizable." George Harrison never struck me as such. He never had one sound, or one style, that would've inevitably dragged the Beatles' down into repetition - and they never were.
It's hard to ignore the tempo and drive of air drums. Effortless yet so impactful.
Brian May. He’s not really my favourite, but I think his sound is unique.
My thoughts too.
tazmon122 As far as I know he uses sixpence coins which are invalid since 1973.
Not to mention his guitar is one of a kind
David Gilmour is most recognizable to me...the tones and notes change sound so good. Tom Morello as well.
I agree it's David Gilmour.. For me he is the greatest living guitar player ever.
Absolutely. The greatest and most recognizable tone. My favourite guitar player.
+1 Gilmour truly made his guitar sing!
I'm waiting until Rick is making videos about Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin and Robert Fr💥(drone strike by Discipline Global Mobile)
Amén.
Ty Tabor in the 90's. Every time I heard his tone I immediately knew it was him! An honorable mention might have to go to Eric Johnson?
Nothing snaps my head around faster than SRV. Unmistakeable.
Brian May is probably worthy of a segment by himself. Consider that he built his guitar 🎸 from salvaged wood, is an accomplished guitar player and holds a PhD in astrophysics - each of these alone are meritorious achievements in anyone’s lifetime.
He is also one of thew few players who wires his pickup for series, parallel, phase and pickup switch combinations, big part of his sound as well as multiple delays.
Brian May is the one guitarist that comes immediately to mind when someone says “unique guitar sound”. There are many other guitarists who have a signature sound, but for some reason, May is first to mind. His unique sound came so early on, back in the early 70s, when everyone else was trying to sound like Page. May wanted to sound completely different and he had such a fat sound to his single notes during solos, a sound so thick, I just had to learn how he achieved it. It was quite complicated the way he got that sound, so he put so much experimentation into his sound, it’s insane.
Let’s not forget Tom Sholtz
@@kennethchartrand4251 great call.
@@kennethchartrand4251 Indeed. And his tone was a combinations of meat on metal, his electronic wizardry, and close attention in the studio.
“Who has the most recognizable guitar sound?” Mr. Guitar, Chet Atkins! Every guitar he plays, he always has that distinctive finger picking sound. JMO
Anyone who's heard Chet Atkins will always put him on his own separate mount Olympus, with cottages near the top for Steve Howe and Tommy Emmanuel🤣
Shawn McVey - I think Jerry Reed may have a cottage there somewhere too...
Brian May is instantly recognizable to me as is Eddie Van Halen. I think a couple that get overlooked are Brian Setzer and Billy Gibbons. Both great players.
Omg the vfx in this video are off the charts! It looks like he's holding real guitars, and that green screen matches the lighting and tone perfectly. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was actually in that room. Amazing.
David Gilmour is a tone chaser for sure- none of his stuff sounds the same in terms of tone, BUT his emotion is unmistakable. Nobody adds emotion to songs with their guitar like David does.
Exactly....
It's all in his phrasing. It's unmistakable
@@goatfromhell666 it's also in his bending and double bending. He expands your mind up to one plateau then he bends it up further.
I agree
I love the way David never took the guitar solo as time for him to noodle around. His solo would always fit so well with the rest of the song. Never a wasted note, and the phrasing always reflected the mood of the tune.
I got into using the Positive Grid JamUp, Bias, and Bias FX mobile apps primarily because of the $$$, but I also enjoy them a lot. I sometimes go wild with some crazy setups, but minimalist is usually where I go. I recently purchased a Randall RVC 5 combo and that in addition to just a few of the pedal sims from my PG apps has really been a fun journey for me creatively.
Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues comes to mind, as a guitarist that developed a sound on the guitar that is very recognizable. He isn’t as sophisticated, or as technically advanced as most of the guitarist’s on your list, but I have always enjoyed their music and Justin’s guitar work.
One of my favorite songs is The End by The Beatles because of the solos, including the different distinct guitar sounds from John, Paul and George.
Nobody talking about Tony Iommi, he wasn’t able to press the strings down hard enough so the extra light strings that sound amazing.
Django and Tony - pure genius
@@Heatfarmer Bless the lefties
Also his Strat broke before the recording of their first album so he had to use an SG that he’s been playing ever since
It's interesting because it can have an effect on some songs, like Iron Man that sounds like he's pressing some strings too hard, so they're bent up a semitone or so
For gigs, I now use a Headrush and a FRFR or a Powerstage if I plan to connect to a cab. This allows me to carry less equipment. Additionally, I use a Drop Tuner pedal to avoid bringing multiple guitars with different tunings. I leave my tube amps at home for occasional recording. The Headrush sounds great in the studio as well. I used it on my last few recordings. I'm planning on experimenting with compression and EQ at the end of my chain to see how it affects the sound.
Nice discussion with Rhett.
Rory Gallagher had an amazing tone and he was so underrated.... Brian May asked him how he got his to tone...in the early days Rory used a Vox AC 30 with a Rangemaster treble booster but a lot of his effects were done with his left hand.
I don't really dig his sound. It just seems so sharp and biting.
Rory!!
Rory Gallagher = Guitar God.
@@kevinobrien9626 I understand you. I can recommend you to check out some of his later stuff. It doesn't sound so sharp as the early stuff. The album "Fresh Evidence" from 1990 has a really great sound and his playing is top notch :)