Legendary tones

[Polar Bear]

I want a go!

No surprises that I think Brian May is top of the tree, having since heard him live, my opinion hasn't changed. As a side note, I do have a Burns Brian May, a Brian May Treble Booster, a Rangemaster and an AC30TB, and I can get pretty close to the sound. It's the nuances that are in the fingers, but with a coin and the AC30 dimed, it gets pretty close.

After that, in no order:

Eddie Van Halen
Dan Hawkins (the darkness)
Josh Homme
Chris Cheney
Gaz Coombes (Supergrass)
Pete Townshend

It'd be fair to say that my favourite guitarists after Mr May, don't necessarily have my favourite tones. Blackmore and Iommi are two that come to mind, I love their playing, and what they do, but tone wise, I think there's better out there. That being said Blackmore when using his Es335 into an AC30 is pretty high up the list, but it's not the tone he's known for.

Also, much like Hamo, I was absolutely blown away by how good Whitesnake sounded at Rock2Wgtn, the tone was unreal, they absolutely blew Ozzy and Zakk off the stage.

[bender]

I think the title of the thread should be legendary styles not tone. To me tone is sound and certain things have certain sounds, like a les paul has a certain sound that most of them have. A marshall has a certain sound etc

This is kind of the point that Les_Paul86 was making in the first instance, only to him it's the opposite. To him, tone is what you mention next.

By naming players you are talking more about their sound, which I call their style. Brian May doesn't sound like he does because of his gear (yes it does "adds" to his sound but doesn't define it) he sounds like him because of his style.

Its the reason people who know their own style can make just about any gear sound like their normal gear

YMMV

Semantics aside, that's exactly what we're talking about. I'm only trying to say that the same is as true in the context of high gain as it is with the typical classic rock listers.

Personally, I don't really care what your definition of 'tone' is, because it's used equally to mean both of the above things. You can't say that tone/style/whatever is relevant in one genre and not another though.

[bender]

I don't really know why I'm talking about this though... I don't like any of the tones/styles (ie players) or sounds (ie Les Paul into Marshall, EMGs into Dual Rec or whatever) mentioned on either side of the discussion.

[bender]

I don't especially love this dude either (Cousin Harley) but I love the tones he gets.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGIwaRAWQuE[/youtube]

[Darth Sabbathi]

I want a go!

No surprises that I think Brian May is top of the tree, having since heard him live, my opinion hasn't changed. As a side note, I do have a Burns Brian May, a Brian May Treble Booster, a Rangemaster and an AC30TB, and I can get pretty close to the sound. It's the nuances that are in the fingers, but with a coin and the AC30 dimed, it gets pretty close.

After that, in no order:

Eddie Van Halen
Dan Hawkins (the darkness)
Josh Homme
Chris Cheney
Gaz Coombes (Supergrass)
Pete Townshend

It'd be fair to say that my favourite guitarists after Mr May, don't necessarily have my favourite tones. Blackmore and Iommi are two that come to mind, I love their playing, and what they do, but tone wise, I think there's better out there. That being said Blackmore when using his Es335 into an AC30 is pretty high up the list, but it's not the tone he's known for.

Also, much like Hamo, I was absolutely blown away by how good Whitesnake sounded at Rock2Wgtn, the tone was unreal, they absolutely blew Ozzy and Zakk off the stage.

Gaz Coombes - nice call PB! Richard III, I'll say no more. And Josh Homme is another one I could have put on my list. First QOTSA album is way up there for me.

Blackmore's tone/sound/style thing is growing on me like fur. I really dig it now actually. I guess when you're trying to copy someone it's easy to get sucked into it.

[Polar Bear]

See, blacknore's playing and his sound, I totally dig, it's just that Jon Lord has the most insane tone ever and I love that so much more. However, it wouldn't have worked if Blackmore had a thicker tone. I do still really like it, especially before he moved to the Engls.

As for Gaz, in it for the money is easily one of my all time favourite albums, sublime tone. Later on in his career he started using a 335 into an AD30, pretty much tonal perfection for me!

[Polar Bear]

I don't really know why I'm talking about this though... I don't like any of the tones/styles (ie players) or sounds (ie Les Paul into Marshall, EMGs into Dual Rec or whatever) mentioned on either side of the discussion.

You've got to be passionate about something, right?

[Les_Paul86]

I don't really know why I'm talking about this though... I don't like any of the tones/styles (ie players) or sounds (ie Les Paul into Marshall, EMGs into Dual Rec or whatever) mentioned on either side of the discussion.

I don't even remember the start... I got lost in the middle... Is this the end?
Must do it again sometime!

I really like Willow's comment.

I respect your views Ben

[Les_Paul86]

I want a go!

No surprises that I think Brian May is top of the tree, having since heard him live, my opinion hasn't changed. As a side note, I do have a Burns Brian May, a Brian May Treble Booster, a Rangemaster and an AC30TB, and I can get pretty close to the sound. It's the nuances that are in the fingers, but with a coin and the AC30 dimed, it gets pretty close.

After that, in no order:

Eddie Van Halen
Dan Hawkins (the darkness)
Josh Homme
Chris Cheney
Gaz Coombes (Supergrass)
Pete Townshend

It'd be fair to say that my favourite guitarists after Mr May, don't necessarily have my favourite tones. Blackmore and Iommi are two that come to mind, I love their playing, and what they do, but tone wise, I think there's better out there. That being said Blackmore when using his Es335 into an AC30 is pretty high up the list, but it's not the tone he's known for.

Also, much like Hamo, I was absolutely blown away by how good Whitesnake sounded at Rock2Wgtn, the tone was unreal, they absolutely blew Ozzy and Zakk off the stage.

Good list!
+1 for Dan Hawkins!!!

[hellblazer]

Ouch! I felt that...

Anyway, back to Leslie West. Mmmhmmm

s'cool man, I actually feel like hard-rock was perfected as an artform in the 70s, love me some Mountain, Blue Cheer, Jerusalem, Wishbone Ash, Pentagram, Budgie, Grand Funk... plenty of turgid stuff! aha.

It's more the elevation of a particular style/generation above the rest I'm railing against (and always the same people). If you wanna crow over the sound of Sultans of Swing ( ) you can also recognise the beauty of Surfer Rosa, the ear bleeding brutality of something like Nattens Madrigal or even the bass tone on You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.

[Polar Bear]

the bass tone on You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.

Fuck yes!!

[Darth Sabbathi]

s'cool man, I actually feel like hard-rock was perfected as an artform in the 70s, love me some Mountain, Blue Cheer, Jerusalem, Wishbone Ash, Pentagram, Budgie, Grand Funk... plenty of turgid stuff! aha.

It's more the elevation of a particular style/generation above the rest I'm railing against (and always the same people). If you wanna crow over the sound of Sultans of Swing ( ) you can also recognise the beauty of Surfer Rosa, the ear bleeding brutality of something like Nattens Madrigal or even the bass tone on You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.

Sweet dude - I had not heard of Death from Above 1979 before. Listening to it now. I like it. Quite a lot - thanks! Are they just a two-piece?

And yeah, I like to think I have a pretty broad palate when it comes to music. But 70s rock is just kind of my baseline, my benchmark in some ways.

And Budgie!!! Yesssss.

[godgrinder]

It's a debate, but despite my best efforts not to offend anyone and explain my reasoning, I some how still pissed some guy's off who don't believe what I was saying even existed

Because despite you have your own definition of these two word, they are really interchangeable. And it's not hard to understand what was meant within the context of the sentence.

[Polar Bear]

This is definitely a legendary tone:

http://youtu.be/AFIt0pNPjmY

[willow13]

I think the title of the thread should be legendary styles not tone. To me tone is sound and certain things have certain sounds, like a les paul has a certain sound that most of them have. A marshall has a certain sound etc

This is kind of the point that Les_Paul86 was making in the first instance, only to him it's the opposite. To him, tone is what you mention next.

By naming players you are talking more about their sound, which I call their style. Brian May doesn't sound like he does because of his gear (yes it does "adds" to his sound but doesn't define it) he sounds like him because of his style.

Its the reason people who know their own style can make just about any gear sound like their normal gear

YMMV

Semantics aside, that's exactly what we're talking about. I'm only trying to say that the same is as true in the context of high gain as it is with the typical classic rock listers.

Personally, I don't really care what your definition of 'tone' is, because it's used equally to mean both of the above things. You can't say that tone/style/whatever is relevant in one genre and not another though.

I thought it might be obvious I haven't really read any of the posts properly ... started reading a bit and then my brain went and I gave up