One of the areas I find that itās difficult to find resources all in one place is general info on how to use amp/pedal settings to get well known guitar sounds. I wonder if Justin could do one or more videos on this outlining approximately how to get the guitar to sound somewhat like, for example, Hendrix, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Dave Gilmour, and other such artists that have a distinctive sound. When I try to do this using a combination of pedal board and amp settings itās very much trial and error and I think there has to be others out there that struggle with this aspect too.
Just a suggestionā¦
Happy New Year to all here
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The reason these thing are hard to find is you would need the same equipment to get the same sound. Modeling amps are as close as your going to get. Angus Young uses very few peddles and a Marshall stack Edge uses upwards of a hundred peddles so giving a lesson on how to get that sound is almost impossible. The best you can do is learn you setup.
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I get that, and Iām not suggesting Justin demonstrates how to get the exact sound, but an approximation by modulating effects such as reverb, phase, overdrive, chorus, compression etc.
Yup, Rick said it well. Equipment varies greatly not even just amps and peddles but individual guitars. What pickups the guitar is using even if they are humbuckers, some sounds different. And then which pick up is the guitarist using to get that sound? Bridge, Neck, something in between depending on the guitar. New revstars for example do something interesting and unique with the 5 way switch where 2 and 4 I think delay one of the pickups. Itās wild, but if the guitarist is using that itāll sound different than anything else. Stuff like that is commonplace so youāre best bet it to really get to know your set up and maybe watch justinās videos on different effect that he put in the grade 3 section.
Yeah, approximating someoneās sound has just as much to do with the way they actually play (grips, chord voicings, licks, etc.) as with knowing what equipment and what settings they used. And if itās really a distinctive sound, these may not be all that is at play.
Keith Richards said that he can make any guitar sound the same in 5 minutes, and heās not one to rely on effect heavily. Yet you know itās him when you hear him.
A favourite example of mine is Miles Davis. He recorded the soundtrack to a film called Ascenseur pour lāĆ©chafaud, back in 1957 when distortion wasnāt used on brass instruments so it was all about the instrument and the embouchure. Once I saw a trailer on TV5 (a French TV channel) for an old French movie and a trumpet was playing. I heard only 3 or 4 notes and I said to myself Iād be damned if it wouldnāt be Miles. So I waited until the title was announced and it was indeed that film with Miles playing. How did I know it was him without knowing the music? I still donāt know. It could have been played by anybody, but something still made it unique and recognizable.
I think itās sort of the same situation with any musician with a distinctive sound. You might be able to track down all the technical details of their equipment, yet what you would end up playing may not sound like them at all.
Have you seen this ?
Thanks Toby, Iāve not seen all of those and will work through them. However, knowing the facts about a particular effect still doesnāt necessarily connect directly back to a particular sound of an artist. Out of interest, whatās everyoneās opinion of the importance of the amplifier in the sound. Iāve never been that focussed on the quality of the amp I use on the (possibly mistaken) basis that I can frame the sound I want using effects. The fact that I canāt really get the end result I usually want perhaps is because of the amp Iām using?
Would help if you told us what you have for equipment. What guitars do you have, What amp do you have, What peddles if any. How long have you been playing. Did you know most of the sound comes from the player and how they play not just the equipment.
Jeff Beck sounds like Jeff beck because he uses his fingers.
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Or because of the way you use your amp. Try these courses:
But really, without having the exact same thing, you can only approximate someoneās sound. For example, to get the Hendrix sound, youād need stacks of Marshall/Sunn amps with the volume turned up to 11 and above. Who could afford that nowadays, notwithstanding the annoyance caused to your neighbours? In order to play something like EXP (from Axis: Bold As Love), you would need to be very loud. And thatās just one aspect of the Hendrix sound.
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There are many quality resources on the net for dialing in approximate sounds for particular bands/songs. Chasing exact reproduction is a waste of time, and for no real benefit. Human hearing isnt that great after all.
As @stitch said, bands like ACDC are pretty straight forward. Some others, not so much.
Chasing tones with trial and error is a good thing. Makes you more familiar with your setup, and you can discover some cool tones of your own aling the way.
Cheers, Shane
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Actually, thatās the exact kind of knowledge you need in order to start experimenting with your own gear in order to produce an approximation of the tone you are seeking. If you recognise the sound of a flanger, phaser, distortion, etc then you know where to start, donāt you?
That knowledge is infinitely more useful than a video showing the exact settings of ten pedals, two amps, a cab, and a multi-mic setup that a particular artist uses which you donāt even own and could never hope to exactly replicate.
Hence why people like Justin donāt offer such videos. Not only would they need to own everything the artist is using, but each artistā¦ and perhaps each song theyāve ever playedā¦ would require itās own video. There are YouTube channels for that kind of thing, but itās not something a guitar teacher is going to bother with.
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Trying to sound like someone else can be everything from fun to challenging to downright boring. Iām probably closer to the latter. Iām happier finding my own tone for a given project. Ultimately you need to do some homework and begin tinkering with tone. So yeah, there is some trial and error. Copying licks and tone is easier than applying a playing style in a new context (which is what I have tried to do on occasion and found to be more rewarding).
There are tons of resources on the net for this and a specific lesson isnāt needed. Just google guitar tone or setup and generally youāll find an article or video discussing their guitar, amp, pedalboard setup. Once you know that you can have a play with what youāve got to get something closer to that sound. All three components - guitar, amp and pedalboard - make a big difference.
Andersons YT channel even has a āhow to sound likeā¦on a budgetā. Just loads of videos on different artists.
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Search for Gilmorish for pink Floyd tone, thereās a chap with a website and YouTube channel dedicated to thisā¦ā¦
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Whereās my sharp knife?
Bring me the fatted calf- the prodigal son has returned! 
Having heard a number of your productions in the old house, Iām guessing your concept of tone is not as basic as it appears 
I agree with much of the above that trying to reproduce exact tone by copying a setup is a foolās errand, but understand where youāre coming from and think itās a valid question.
For example there have been a number of AVOYPs shared āin the style ofā David Gilmour. Iāve been impressed with how close they sometimes get to the tone as well as style. For lazy non-tone-chasers like me, it would be a bonus to know things like single coil bridge pickup with some delay, reduced highs etc.
As Jason says, Iām sure all this is easily accessible out on tāweb (as well as experimenting ourselves), but sometimes shortcuts/signposts are handy.
(edit: just seen Daveās in before me 
)
Thanks Rossco01, that sounds like what Iām looking for, Iāll check it out.
Hi Brian and HNY, Not sure I would call you a ālazy non-tone chaserā; more of a simple minstrel with no need for the aural decoration effects bring. I would, however, call myself a ālazy tone chaserā and want to go straight to the right sound (though without the ultimate in laziness - using a sampler!). Itās not that I want to sound like a particular artist itās more that there are certain guitar sounds that get my attention and that Iād like to embed in my playing - the Rickenbacker jangle for example - canāt quite get my Ricky to jangle; or the sort of psychedelic swirl youād hear in many 60s (and 90s) songs - I wouldnāt really know where to start.
One additional thing worth doing is to watch live performances of songs rather than recorded. There is a whole host of wizardry goes on in production and mastering to get ātheā sound. A live performance will give you a much better idea of how a band tackles it, how many guitarists theyāve got etc.
I think youāre absolutely right with this Rossco, problem is I invariably prefer the polished studio versionā¦
Yeah youāll be chasing your tailā¦you canāt underestimate the difference 2-3 guitars will have in a bandā¦at least two will be playing rhythm in some shape or formā¦probably with slightly different effects.