1:10 Throaty - Stratocaster (SRV), benefits from a booster 5:44 Brown-sound - (EVH), high gain, Plexi amp 8:09 Vintage/Creamy - (Eric Johnson) hollow body + neck pup, Marshall + drive 11:25 Guitar Hero - John Petrucci, Steve Vai distortion (high gain) + delay (gate, reverb) "wall of sound" 14:50 Grungy - Kurt Cobain, Indie Rock (Queens of the Stone Age) - drive pedal pushes amp (-> no bass on amp) 18:22 Perfect Clean - Orange amp 7th tone is "leave a comment" -- personally I don't understand how "twangy" didn't make the list, the only tele in the vid had humbuckers Edit: also thought of these today - chimey (bright), bitey, punchy (percussive), dark
I've said it many times, but tone is probably the reason why most of us simply wanted to even give guitar a try in the first place. The way a guitar sounds in any context it's used in feels so good and just right for reasons that might be surreal. Achieving the tone(s) you want really motivates you to keep playing!
1 Bitey/Punchy (Jimmy Page) 2 Liquidy (Gilmour) 3 Dark (a clean tone with a lot of bass) 4 Classic (That classic les Paul Marshall rock sound) 5 Solid (Brian May, I don't know what to call it, it's a mix of classic and a bit of robotic if you know what I mean) Edit: All I need is gas now lol
The tone every guitarist searches for is their own, unique, but incredible tone! The tone thats in our heads as the godly sound that envelops what we want our playing to sound like. Sure many players have gotten close, EVH, John Petrucci, Metallica. But none will ever be what we hear in our heads when going to sleep at night
Well the other tricky part about chasing that tone, at least for me over more than 2 decades of tone chasing is you'll get close, but due to influences, skill development, maturing and progress, that tone we hear in our heads evolves & changes over time
@@MrMd5555 Definitely agree. But for me, chasing the "perfect" tone to match what you imagine in your head is part of the fun of playing guitar. If I managed to dial in on tone that sounds heavenly and I'd never would want to change it, I think I'd pick up the guitar way less frankly
Plexy type marshall + spring reverb + delay (oil can is the best, in my opinion. I use a OBNE one) compression for clean cranked big muff for leads , and here you go ! (it's the base, you can then add all sorts of effects like chorus, phaser...) Also, it's kind of the same rig structure as Eric Johnson.
As a Spark owner, this is perhaps the most useful how-to video I have ever watched. It saved me the trouble of endless tinkering to find these tones. Thanks!
My understanding is that "brown sound" refers to EVH's use of a variac to starve his Marshall amps of power, thus giving more distortion at lower volume (i.e., the amp suffers a power "brown-out"). In the story I heard, they first discovered the effect when they accidentally plugged an amp which was set for 240V, into a 120V source.
An interesting effect regarding 12ax7 input tubes is at higher rated voltages they put out cleaner notes, but down around 100 v. they become nonlinear, distorted or blusey. Also single coils tend to put out less than 1v. Coulomn pressure "voltage amplitude" where as doubles obviously push the imput grid harder. Also higher frequencies push grid and distort easier hense the " tube screamer".
Thats pretty close. The variac was used to "choke" the volume when they would play at clubs. Diming the Marshall got too loud. The fact Eddie was using a Euro amp resulted in quite a few blown heads...everyone thought he was pushing the amps harder.
@@alessandrolibero0401 I can get close to. I have my American standard plugged into my Marhsall origin 20c combo but with a slight bit of gain. My chorus, Big muff, blues driver, compressor and reverb/delay in one sounds great
This is a cool baseline. I think a lot of guys are going to mix and match these tones you've described to achieve their own and I think that's the fun part for everyone, especially any potential audience. Artists that can tick these tone boxes while presenting a unique sound will always stand above the rest because they are memorable.
I'm pretty sure "brown" sound is named after the term brown out, which is when the electrical voltage is running at a reduced capacity. Eddie used a variac to reduce the voltage supplied to the amp so he could run it hotter without worrying about it failing catastrophically. Some amps have this feature built in now, like some Mesa Boogie amps, or the Suhr SL68. When you flip the variac on, you can see the LED light on the amp go dimmer. That's the brown out affecting the amp.
100% WRONG! if you watch the opening scene in back to the future.. when marty plugs in his guitar to the amp he flips a bunch of switchs on the amp.. one if them is a variac dial. EVH got his sound from using a variac machine in his rig.. Who built that giant guitar amp in back to the future with a variac machine? DR. E. L. BROWN... who probably then hot rodded EVHs amps?? Yeah.. most likely a genius like Doc Brown.. That is how we get the term "the Brown" sound. Please do some research before spreading false information.. Thank you.
@@goner.9989 James Brown was a great dancer and RnB singer.. I'm sure he had some decent technical abilities, but Dr. BROWN is a genius. He invented a time machine and knew how to build giant amps. So by proper logic, and tje variac machine that Doc incorporated into his amplifiers just proves that Doc Brown is the inventor of the famous EVH "Brown sound". It's well documented and there were 3 documentaries proving Doc Browns genius. In one of the documentaries you can actually see the variac machine which was also probably used by EVH himself. Good day to you sir.
Honestly. I bought one after seeing his "8 classic tones" vid, and seeing Steve Vai himself using it on his stream... and I'm blown away at what this little thing can do.
The little white squares bottom of Red Special's body are buttons that put the pickups out of phase to varying degrees, thats how he gets that lashing guitar tone on certainly the eary albums.
I might be wrong, but I thought the “brown sound” referred to Eddie’s use of a variac to run his amps at “brownout” power levels, encouraging tube breakup.
I have to second the Knopfler comment!!! First, Mark was an absolutely brilliant musician Second, his right hand technique was stellar and rarely seen used in the rock world at that time Third, he was all about clean tone, how clean I can get it with just a touch of a slap back delay and I’m good to go. Granted, there were tracks that used other pedal tones and heavier distortion, but the stuff I know we are referring to is the signature “Knopfler clean”
“Vintage creamy Larson” sounds like more than just a dessert if you ask me Edit: Dessert has two S’s, I have two brain cells that refuse to work together.
The whole album Short Bus by Filter has a very unique sound to it that I haven't been able to replicate. I saw a write up in Guitar magazine about how Richard Patrick got that sound on the album, but I brushed over it because I knew who Filter was, but I hadn't heard anything off the album Short Bus at the time.
@@Patrick-857 Blackmore sound = High output single coils, Strat, Fuzz pedal, treble booster, Plexi. If you have a master volume tube amp try going to max on the master volume and use the preamp gain/volume to control the actual volume. Add a tubescreamer or similar and have an EQ in the FX loop and you can get all sorts of famous sounds. Gives you that power tubes distortion you would usually get playing at volumes that lead to visits from law enforcement and the overdrive takes care of the preamp. EQ to shape it. My amp is terribly fizzy so I cut the highs and boost the lows but you might want to boost the treble. EQ before the amp can pretend t9 ve a treble booster but a tube screamer with the tone turned to the brighter side is closer to what the classic treble boosters did, they weren't necessarily an EQ more of an overdrive. Black Sabbath = P90s, treble booster/tube screamer on bright, Plexi style amp or the master volume thing I described. Amp EQ treble high, mids high, bass almost none, start from 0 and add to taste.
@@user-lv7ph7hs7l Yeah definitely power amp saturation is the way with the classic sounds, modern sounds are definitely about a very clean, high headroom power stage, and a lot of preamp gain. The classic amps also had power supply sag and all kinds of fun design flaws that added tastiness to the sound. I'm a fan of all good guitar tones tbh. The thing I want to get across is the idea that you can go a long way with any amp if you know what you're doing, and especially if you have an EQ pedal or two and a decent OD. And throw in a muff, a fuzz face style pedal, a chorus and a delay, and maybe a Rat, and you'll be able to get most tones. I love me some Rat distortion with a bit of delay. And I love a nice thick, chewy wall of muff distortion too. It isn't all about chugs.
The best guitar tones I have ever heard comes from a Japanese guitarist called Tooru Kitajima (also know as TK) from Ling Toshite Sigure (凛として時雨). The way he uses effects and his style is downright unique and phenomenal. He is mostly know for his song “Unravel” (Opening 1 of Tokyo Ghoul); but he has many excellent songs like “copy light”, “signal”, “disco flight”, and “abnormalize”. His style and tone is what I strive for as a guitar player. P/S: That’s not to mention TK is an insanely good singer too.
After seeing this it makes me want a video showing how legendary tones sound in and out of a mix. Like, "If you want your tone in a finished track to sound like _____, it actually needs to sound like _____ by itself."
Will it sound the same on humbuckers or is Strat still a major part of the tone? I have a very good custom, with humbackers. Any ideas to make it sound like a Strat on Spark?
@@panan7777 I don’t have a spark but I know that he used humbuckers for some live stuff. Paul Davids did a great video on his hunbucker guitars recently. As for just getting the tone it’s kind of tough without single coils, but if you have coil split I’m sure you could make it work. It’s all down to preference after all
@@jackh1570 Just tried throaty on my Spark. NOT even close with humbuckers. Strat is a strat is a strat. Not to say the sound isn't good, but definitely miles from what he got. Still at current discount at 2oo$ Spark is WORTH the price. Or maybe wait fro the next model. This one has some limitations, but for me the fun is worthy. THX for the tip.
THE BROWN SOUND: actually refers to EVH using a voltage transistor to change the input voltage to his amp. Turning it down to 80 volts while keeping the amperage the same . effectively "browning out" the input voltage.
Read similar story about dropping the supply voltage to "under" drive the lamps, but with the difference that he was unwinding the wire form the transformer and thus dropping supply voltage. He might have done it in the beginning, but a variac transformer is a much simpler solution. I have ordered my Spark late this year, was delivered fast here in the EU and it's WORTH it, for all his current limitations. For this price nothing will touch it by a long mile. There was a buzzy transformer problems in the begining, but now until you add a lot of distortion, with a properly wired guitar you'll think it' dead, for being so quiet. Added benefit: you don't have to crank it up to have the full sound. WILL buy the next model 100%.
I've got a Spark Amp and I love it! For a intermediate player like myself, it has really helped me explore how to build tones and find those "signature" sounds. Thanks for putting some of your builds out there! Can't wait to try them out!
Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge and your tones to the guitar community!! We are most grateful and I hope your success continues to grow. You seem like a class act!! 🤘
hahahah thats something u are or come into. Talant can be worked on but if u never had a talent for it ud never have picked it up and kept with it in the first place. People think half the truly talented guitarists just start playing like that. Nobody does and even the most greatest geniuses dont start playing at such a high level. It might be easier to pick up the guitar if ur gifted but talent and being gifted are 2 entirely different. Most famous guitarists i believe started out with it as a gifted player. U cant be gifted if you dont have a talent for it but u can be talented without the gift and just work really hard. Talent is in the way you play and the true gift is that your hands can even make a sound in the first place. How we view oursleves and others is objective. Talent is objective but this gift here is everyones if they can even try it. The world is there at your fingertips.
Dammit you beat me to it. I actually tried commenting this in reply to Tyler's comment at the top but it wouldn't let me for some reason and keeps saying unknown error occurred.
Even despite the added context of the whole "brown" thing, it still makes sense as a description in my opinion. It super dark and distorted, like metal (if you think of tones as colors, metal is blatantly black). But it has this strange like, fuzziness to it that reminds me of a metal sound played through a Honeytone. And Honeytone tone is kind of, well, honey-ish. Honey is orange. Orange plus black is brown. I'm pretty fuckin high rn so if this doesn't make sense oh well
Holy shit 😂 if somebody didn't already explain what the brown sound actually was, then I woulda wholeheartedly accepted your explanation. Only a stoned peraon could have imagined that, and it's beaitiful. You should write a book, dawg.
Thanks for sharing your passions for all things music , tone , touch , and taste over the years . Always entertaining and inspiring. It’s been such a privilege to watch you grow while bringing us along . Much Gratitude
@@RobbieFitzgerald Brown note was the attempt at making it sound like a scientific claim. The idea was that there was a certain frequency that, if you were hit by it from powerful enough speakers, it would resonate in a way that made your entire digestive tract contract and cause you to shit yourself. Mythbusters already debunked it, it's bullshit. lol
@@daishoryujin95 I don't mess with the EQ on my EVH 5150 III EL34 much, I don't scoop the Mids or anything and it sounds heavy as can be with all the EQ knobs at 12 O'Clock. On my old Laney I'd have to scoop the Mids to get a really heavy sound but not with EVH, if anything I might add some treble, mids or bass but I don't scoop anything anymore. I use an overdrive on the Crunch Channel for a Metal Sound but on the Red Channel the Boost doesn't do anything it's already got more gain than you'll ever need.
Ok I gotta say this about the “brown sound”, even though it didn’t have to do with the tone directly I think it’s important to note the original EVH tone was achieved by using a light dimmer to drop the voltage in the amp and allowing him to crank the knobs on the amp without the painful volume. This would to me also might have the effect of a brown out when your lights dim due to a voltage drop. Is this the same connection that Ed and his brother made? Who knows but it makes sense if you think about it.
I believe eddie actually used a variac to lower voltage, light dimmers lower wattage. But yeah i had the same thoughts as to why it was called the brown sound.
@@awightviewuhs6103 yes eventually he used the variac but he told a story about the original time he was tinkering with the amp and before the variac he hooked up a light dimmer from his house and said that led him to seeking out the variac. If you search on RU-vid you can find the interview somewhere.
I'm a bassist myself, but the tones I would love to emulate if I get a guitar are The Edge's sonic science from U2, Tom Scholz's 1K-spiked sound on Boston, and Andy Summers' soundscapes from The Police
For me, there are 3. 1st is the Gilmour sound. 2nd is the Red special of Brian May (particularly in Bohemian Rhapsody) and third is the Hank Marvin sound (partly down to using 12-13 gauge strings)
Eric Clapton's "Woman Tone" is one of the most famous named sounds in guitar history. Especially the Disreali Gears sound. Surprised it wasn't on this list.
It’s always frustrating watching your videos because the improv pieces you play are just SO good but they’re not full songs I can listen to whenever. I can always come back here though!
The tone that sounds really “big,” and “pure.” He uses it on a number of riffs and he gets it perfectly in his “James Hetfield at Guitar Center” video.
Took the words right out of my mouth. Exactly what I always thought. He'd often play below 90 volts depending on the venue and volume he wanted to play at. He mentions his 89 volt sweet spot for recording in some interviews
I mean he did allegedly use a variac, but thats not why it's called the brown sound. Variacs dont cut voltage to everything. Just to the amp. If I recall Alex originally used the term to describe his drum sound, and Eddie just liked the description. But half of the stuff you hear about EVH is just lies, shenangans, red herrings, and horsemouthitis anyway, so who knows.
Believe it or not, Eddie referred to his brother’s snare sound as being “brown.” He called it warm, big and majestic and he wanted his guitar tone to have the same feel. Once he unleashed that high gain, sustain tone, it was forever known as the brown sound.
I still have not tried to get that An't talking about love sound. I keep saying I ll do it tomorrow even though I have Floyd Rose. The reason I feel so nervous chasing that tone is I fear it may become an obsession if I do not find it. The song also involves inside picking which I need to research more.
This is really helpful! My favorite lead player is Santana. Some songs where I’d love to learn how to emulate his tone are Black Magic Woman, Samba Pa Ti, Europa, and Moonflower.
I love finding just the right tone. Sometimes specific to a certain guitar. 70's heavy fuzz/stoner rock. 80's high gain distortion. 90's scooped distortion. 70's classic rock OD 40's blues OD
1:51 i don't know what to call it, where you slide up, then go back and slide higher, go back slide, slide higher, but I usually hate that kind of thing, but that was perfectly timed and done.
@@CidHerp probably came off more salty that I meant it. I just remember a time when the internet was free and there weren’t ads all over everything. I miss those times. :(
@@SamuraiFingers I remember when selling out for a big record contract was the worst thing a musician could do. Nowadays, they queue up to sell their soul for some free gear.
I already own the amp, and it’s a cool little pc of gear to play around with. I’m here so see what direction someone else would take and the results they achieve. And now that I’ve seen it, I think my time would have been better used on the amp itself. The presets are already better than these. Sound is subjective, and to each his own. Everything seemed too muddy for my taste.
For years i bought tons of pedal just to improve my guitar tone and ended up selling it, it took me ages in dialing the tone i like but still lacking that creamy and angry tone i desire, then i discovered Ampsim a year ago and never go back to analog pedals and Amps 😅, such a life saver for a working dad like me I just turn on my laptop and plug my guitar to my scarlet and thats it and oh man the tons of tone i can get with ease.
you could hear them anyway, buttloads of fuzz on every line. He always tweaks his pedal setup, but the amp just seems to sit on the same weird masking fuzz and you can really hear it on everything except the clean
So glad to hear these sounds! Never could get my Squier Strat to sound throaty! I call it a hollow sound! My pick for 7 is Clapton 80s Journeyman sound! Lace sensor puts! Can't get that either! Not many fans of that, but if you use Blues Rock as a description, it is the perfect fit! See what you can do!
I do like the sunshine of my love Riff, though he did not write that Riff it was composed by the bassist. Though it is not a strat sound. It is not throaty. It seems to be inspired by Albert King.
I always thought that "brown" sound was used because, at least to my ears, it resonates in the same frequencies that "brown noise" (as in white or pink noise) I never actually questioned it.
I recently jumped on the Guitar Super System you've got and I must say it is amazing. I love the way you've got it setup for structured lessons or where you can pick and choose certain elements you want to learn. I've always found it hard to figure out what I should be learning and how to go about doing it, but GSS gives me a clear guide and goal in mind! Also ordered a SPARK and waiting for that lovely amp to arrive!
You're threatening a man who knows when you're sleeping and when you're awake, knows your address, can fit down a chimney in ultra stealth mode, and carries around a massive sack definitely big enough for a body? Bold move.
Some of the unique tones from my favorite band: Bowed - (Steve Hackett) humbucker pickups, Shaftesbury duo fuzz, Marshall Supafuzz , Colorsound octaver, Volume pedal, then finally, sit in the right spot with the cab pointing at the guitar's headstock for feedback sustain. The Zipper - (Mike Rutherford) Roland GS-500 guitar into the GR-500 synthesizer set to Hex Fuzz, and a bit of panning on the individual strings straight into the mixing console, add bottleneck slides to taste :)
I'd say now LoFi pseudo jazz tone is very popular similar to the perfect clean but with a bit of defect and warmth. I also love a clean funky R&B sound, your perfect clean you did here, and occasionally the throaty sound at the beginning. Oh, and also ACOUSTIC sound! A great acoustic tone people look for! I have been playing a heritage with some custom kent armstrong pickup in it and I absolutely love it... we just recorded some more Gospel Funk material and it was spot on. I love playing the hollow body and I don't play jazz at all