tone training and resources
guitar pickup sound samples
In these video demonstrations, I play some dry, uneffected stuff, and then I play in a style that is more what you’re here for: delay, reverb, drive, etc. I play the same things in every video. I use the same amp model, the same effects and use the same settings on everything, in hopes to offer the most fair comparison from pickup to pickup. Each pickup demonstration is roughly 15 minutes. The current list of pickup demonstrations includes:
LAMBERTONES LAMBER’TRONS
TV JONES CLASSIC AND TV JONES CLASSIC+
GRETSCH HS FILTERTRON
CURTIS NOVAK JM-V NECK AND JM-FAT BRIDGE
LAMBERTONES CREMA NECK AND CREMA BRIDGE
LAMBERTONES CREMA NECK AND GRINDER BRIDGE
LAMBERTONES CREMAS FOR JM (JAZZMASTER)
LAMBERTONES RED EYE NECK AND BRIDGE
LAMBERTONES CREMA BRIDGE VS GRINDER BRIDGE
LAMBERTONES CREMAS VS VERITAS BEARCATS
get your tone "mix ready"
This section includes a few downloadable backing tracks you can use for this exercise. Isolated or even boosted guitar tones (i.e., when you’re listening to yourself in your in-ear monitors or near field monitors at home) can be deceiving. This is because we are boosting our guitar volume relative to the song volume (or not even using a song—just playing guitar only). When we do this, we do not hear an accurate representation of how our guitar tone translates in a mix. Whether our tone translates well in a mix is the sum of everything we’ve done to that point; it’s the most important thing.
Since most of us play at churches with volunteers running the soundboard, do everything you can to get an appropriately EQ’d tone to the board for them to work with. This will help them focus less on EQ’ing your tone and more on worshiping our risen Savior. That’s our goal for ourselves, and it should be our goal for them as well.
great amp tones on hx stomp, helix and axe-fx
Properly dialing in these devices is harder than I initially thought. I’ve landed on a three part system that simplifies the approach and achieves great results!
the best approach to compressor, boost and overdrives
The number of approaches to the dry section (compressor, boosts, overdrives) of our pedalboards is nearly endless. After years of messing with combinations and methods, I’ve landed on a method that works very well for me, and has for a number of years now. In this section, I walk you through this method and the WHY behind it, with sound samples along the way. I also provide a written explanation and a one page diagram to aid you in your learning.
The 3 Amp Tones You Should Be Using
As you watch this video, I hope you hear the vast difference when using the amp tone that’s more appropriate for the song. These are the inches most of us are searching for when it comes to tone. Maybe you’re perfectly happy with your tone, but there’s that one song that keeps hanging you up, or that one tone you struggle to apprehend. Maybe it’s time to put this method into practice to help you get over the hump!
For those of us who use devices such as the HX Stomp, AXE-FX, Kemper and so on as our amplifier (or even as all-on-one units, but this is especially applicable to those who use those devices to plug their pedalboard into), it makes complete sense to utilize them to their full potential. One way I try to move in this direction is to use more than one amp tone during a set if it gets me closer to the sound I hear in my head. In this video I demonstrate the three main amp tones and teach you how to create them.
Solid body vs semi-hollow body
Two Gretsch guitars with similar pickups, one is a solid body; one is a semi-hollow body.
In this video, I attempt to answer the question: is the difference so great that one can’t be made to sound like the other?
Through the video, I compare the two back to back in real-time. I also play through a song, to compare the two in that context. This was really fun! I hope it is helpful to you if you find yourself asking this question.
an approach to the jhs kilt and jhs superbolt
Two of the most popular drives ever released. How and when do I use them? If you have these pedals and struggle to assign them roles and responsibilities in your rig, this video will help!