Tone Mongers

Pursuit of tone.. Is it a reasonable justification for making better music?

Tone is subjective - perhaps reasonable tone + feel is more explosive than a $3000 pedal rig.

Here are some of my favourites.

Eric Clapton of Cream

I absolutely love Eric Clapton's woman tone. A vintage Gibson vibe perhaps? He explains it in an old video that the tone can be achieved simply by pulling the tone knob all the way to zero, and volume full up on the guitar controls.

Him with his ES-335 in his younger days. I do not really prefer his current Fender Strat tone though - perhaps the creaminess of his Gibsons are submerging me..

Jimi Hendrix ala The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Now this is the strat tone I absolutely love. Nothing but his strat, a fuzz and wah pedal, amp controls blasted on full, and him working his mojo till the Wind Cries Mary.

His strat is a right-handed one - but he flips it over and plays with his left - effectively reversing the polarity of the pickups to produce a unique, signature Jimi tone.

David Gilmore of Pink Floyd

David Gilmore, most noted for his works with Pink Floyd is the one those "feel" guitarists that I really respect and admire. There was nothing fantastic about his playing - no virtuoso fretboard burning stuff -

Just his emotion burning his guitar.

Till it becomes hot and heated and groans in the intensity of Gilmour's playing.

the Gilmour we know today - philantrophist, musician, poet, and great contributor of simplicity.