Favorite guitar tone in a song

[Eric]

Hey good people,

I remember some thread on another forum I saw once about your favorite guitar tone in any song. I was wondering what all of you would list as your faves.

I was listening to some Oasis recently, and I realized that I really love the guitar in Don't Look Back in Anger, particularly the first two little blurbs of guitar (first 12 seconds):



What is that tone, anyway?

So...how about it? What's your fave?

 

[Ch0jin]

Haha no love for Eric's post huh

OK off the top of my head, one I've always loved is the sound of the guitar solo in "Love Removal Machine" by the Cult. Go to 2:19....




That tone at the start of the Oasis song could be fuzz with the guitar tone rolled back?

 

[oldguy]

Don't know as I have a fave, but this one I like.
The first 2 minutes or so are the best part, IMO.

 

[Lev]

U2 The Fly

 

[Commodore 64]

Right now I'm really diggin' Robbie Robertson on It Makes No Difference. All you gotta do is listen to the intro here:


Also should mention that I really love Rick Danko's vocals in general and especially on this song.

 

[R_of_G]

C64, excellent choice. :thumbsup

One of my favorite song-specific tones...

Marc Ribot on Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon"
It was how he first got my attention.



ps. Good thread Eric.

 

[wingsdad]

Being a Strat enthusiast, early Skynrd's Ed King's original 'Sweet Home Alabama' work...captured live in Germany here in '74. Of course, you prolly hate it, Eric, since you don't care much for Strats, especially pup positions 2 or 4. but I've tended to use them about 90-95% % of the time:
<

Long before Skynrd, King got my attention in the mid 60's as a kid with this cool fuzz tone that prolly sold a ton of early fuzz boxes...that's the younger but as burly King in the upper left of this decent but out-of-sync audio, crappy quality video clip of a tv appearance:

 

[Commodore 64]

Well, I hope Eric will remember...Ed King don't need him around anyhow.

 

[wingsdad]

Well, I hope Eric will remember...Ed King don't need him around anyhow.

Maybe if his conscience bothers him, and he tells it true...

 

[marnold]

This video makes it sound buzzier than it actually is.

 

[Tig]

Edit: I just remembered my most favorite tone of all...
Pretty much every note Hendrix plays here.

 

[Monkus]

john Mayer Vultures



starts from about 0:21...solo from 2:04

 

[pictoratus]

I always liked the guitar tone in this song. Starts in at about 00:40

 

[deeaa]

I would have to say my favorite tones...are mostly on my own recordings. Of course, because I made them the way I like 'em. I pick any of my old tunes, I like the sounds really well. Let's put up this one for instance:Ashes and Bones

That said, I do love for instance the Cult Electric tones by and large; ACDC's *remastered* Powerage is superb, as most of ACDC is especially via a boombox rather than HiFi systems; some of Angus Young's tones really can make my hair stand up on my hands. Black Sabbath Mob Rules has insanely good sounding guitars. Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind etc. never fail to please.

BUT if I'm pressed for one song, well, really hard to say. On the latest Spookbox demo I got pretty much exactly what I strive for in the first song intro. One really old recording of mine from the 90's where a buddy of mine plays leads has probably the best lead sounds I've heard; despite the rather lo-fi recording quality they always make them small hairs stand up. But, one single song...impossible. It depends so much on the mood. Some day it could be the rhythm guitar on Faster Pussycat's 'Where There Is A Whip' and the other day Skid Row's Monkey Business gives me the chills. Or Pearl Jam's entire 'Vitalogy' album. Oh yeah Metallica pretty much perfected the metal guitar sound on 'Garage Days'...that one has sounds to die for. But sometimes Tool's industrial buzz sounds superb too, like on 'The Pot'. Acoustics can sound nice too; I once recorded and produced a folk artist's entire CD release for whose guitar I got a terrific, wooden and natural sound I really liked. Just impossible to point out one song I'd like.

 

[kidsmoke]

solo at 3:10

 

[kidsmoke]

Right now I'm really diggin' Robbie Robertson on It Makes No Difference. All you gotta do is listen to the intro here:


Also should mention that I really love Rick Danko's vocals in general and especially on this song.

:applause

 

[t_ross33]

 

[Jimi75]

Almost all of the last 3 albums Andy Timmons recorded have that perfect sound. Woody, clear, sparkling tones, overdriven but articulated. That's what SRV and Hendrix initiated soundwise and Timmons carries on that torch, although he's not the most well known player. I picked a live clip, because it shows best what I mean

 

[guitarhack]

Santana's playing always takes me to another place.

 

[Eric]

Almost all of the last 3 albums Andy Timmons recorded have that perfect sound. Woody, clear, sparkling tones, overdriven but articulated. That's what SRV and Hendrix initiated soundwise and Timmons carries on that torch, although he's not the most well known player. I picked a live clip, because it shows best what I mean

I only discovered him maybe a year ago from the Mesa Boogie website, but yeah I agree -- I love that tone. Makes me want to go buy a Mesa.

 

[Eric]

Santana's playing always takes me to another place.

I think this should help.

 

[deeaa]

I think thread goes to show very well how diverse people's tastes are. There are some sounds I also find really good here, but some I pretty much loathe too and it's hard for me to believe someone likes that kind of sound. But then again, my wife for instance just hates any guitar sound wailing.

Matters of taste, for sure.

 

[Eric]

I think thread goes to show very well how diverse people's tastes are. There are some sounds I also find really good here, but some I pretty much loathe too and it's hard for me to believe someone likes that kind of sound. But then again, my wife for instance just hates any guitar sound wailing.

Matters of taste, for sure.

Yeah, I totally agree.

 

[kidsmoke]

Almost all of the last 3 albums Andy Timmons recorded have that perfect sound. Woody, clear, sparkling tones, overdriven but articulated. That's what SRV and Hendrix initiated soundwise and Timmons carries on that torch, although he's not the most well known player. I picked a live clip, because it shows best what I mean

I dig this. Lots of sonic flash, without the sonic showboating, if that makes sense. Thanks for sharing,
Nice thread, Eric

 

[NWBasser]

My favorite guitar tone ever is the acoustic Little Martha.

For electric, I'd say pretty much any song by Warren Haynes.

 

[Retro Hound]

Wow, a lot of variety here. It's pretty hard for me to decide, there's so many I like.

In high school it was Van Halen,


And I've always loved fuzz with wah pedals. There's band called The Oxford Circle that had one album of covers. I LOVE the sound, but couldn't find a youtube vid of what I wanted. Starting at about 32 seconds.



I like reverb drenched stuff like Chris Issak's Wicked Games,
Here's Ashley Cleavland with guitarist Kenny Greenberg


I also love resonator (Dobro-style) and almost anything with a slide. Music starts at 45 seconds


Acoustic guitar gets to me also. I'm sure I could keep going.

 

[Ch0jin]

+1 on the Black Keys Tio. I LOVE those guys. That guitar sound is 100% brilliant.

 

[Blaze]

 

[Rockermann]

 

[Tig]

Blaze, thanks for reminding me how good that song is. "Diamond Dust" is one of those rare, perfect songs. Outa' this world tone, too.

I haven't listened to Blow By Blow in awhile. I think this album was the biggest single musical influence for me growing up.