Leaderboard

Hi everyone, I've just filmed a cover of one of my favourite ballads, 'Always with me, Always with You' by the legend Joe Satriani. I recently came across some Kemper Tones which I thought where pretty good and had that sheen. we all try to get when dialling in a tone for this track. Let me know what you think! I've added more gain than usual just to make it pop a bit more , thanks everyone https://youtu.be/a0s1bhRkfSc

I’ve always been of the opinion that the biggest influences on tone are the transducers in the signal chain. These would be the components that turn mechanical energy into electrical impulses. In the case of the electric guitar these would be the pickups. Everything has a contributory effect, but they are all (mostly) subservient to the transducer.

There was a time (oh so long ago...) I, too, was 'new to all this'; some folks answered my questions, too. What goes around, comes around. S'all good.

Yes, it's the pick-ups (active or passive...), the choice of strings, the volume and tone control settings, the pick used, and, most important of all by far, the dexterity of the Player. Playing closer to the bridge or neck, harder or softer strokes, choosing to pick out harmonic 'nodes' on the strings, right- and left-hand damping, the use of one's ears (sadly, often neglected, in my view...)... These are what determine most of what goes into the amp, and a pedal-board has quite some impact, too. As a rule, though, the music comes from the Player, not the guitar.

'Know' would be a bit foolhardy; nay: pretentious. Opinions, that's what you'll get. No-one 'knows' stuff like that. Opinions..? Here's mine... The 'neck' of a guitar is the long arm stretching out from the body of the instrument, in order to have enough distance from the body to hang the strings. Sometimes just one piece, running from the headstock tip to the bottom of the body, but more commonly a separate piece, either glued to the body or bolted on. The 'fingerboard' (also called 'fretboard'...) is a long, thin piece of wood laid along the neck, into which the frets are fixed. Different essences of wood can be used, with ebony, maple and various rosewoods being typical, although there are many others. Impact on tone..? Hold on tight, because this is where the can of worms flies open. I'm of the persuasion that, for solid-body electric guitars, if there's a difference, it's so minor compared to so many other factors that it comes down to personal preferences, aesthetics, budget and credibility. There are woods that are pretty much excluded from luthery, such as light-weight balsa for model airplanes, but most woods have been used over the decades, giving fine instruments, with, for my money, no overall Winner nor tendance. I'd privilege the construction techniques and build quality over wood essence every time. Others will have different views and experience, I'm certain. 'HSS' indicates a 'H'umbucker pick-up in the bridge position, the middle and neck PU being 'S'ingle-coil, where 'SSS' indicates all PUs being Single coil. The sonic difference would be mostly apparent whe using the bridge PU alone, where, by its construction, the output would be stronger than the Single-coil. Is that 'better'..? It depends on what one wants from the guitar. The 'H' will not give the funky 'chuka-chuka' clarity of a bridge Single-coil, but the 'S' PU will lack the 'Oomph' of the 'H' PU. One takes one's choice. Finish..? Again, for solid-body guitars, just about negligible, I'd say. Wear and weathering would be affected, and choice of colours and/or decor, but that's about it. I doubt anyone could detect, audibly, a poly finish from a nitro finish from an oiled-wood natural finish. Hope this helps. Disclaimer: subject to completion, correction and/or contradiction from others.