That will give an idea of what kind of tone you can get from using this combination of guitar and amp. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or comments.

Through the years he has created a number of amazing sounds coming from his guitar.

Most guitarists usually have only one sound for most of their career, but Clapton has created many unique sounds during his lifetime, and has pretty much set the standard for blues rock tone through the decades.  I’m not sure if there has been another guitarist who has influenced blues rock guitar tone in so many different ways.

Photo courtesy of ultomatt

Here are the defining Era’s of Eric’s tone in my opinion.

Bluesbreakers Era

This era from 1965-1966, Eric played a Gibson Les Paul through a 1962 Marshall combo. This setup resulted in a buttery, thick and saturated tone that many think was one of his best tones ever.  You can hear the tubes overdriving on these classic recordings.  Listen to this tone below.

Cream Era

Eric mainly used a Gibson Sg, a Gibson 335, and 100 watt Marshalls during this time period. In this era Eric developed the classic “Woman Tone”, and created some of the most classic blues rock tones to date. Just listen to the tone on “Strange Brew” or “Spoonful”.  Great sustain and thickness.

Derek and the Dominos Era

During this time period, Eric moved to a maple neck Fender Stratocaster (“Brownie”). It was during this era that Eric recorded the classic rock album Layla with Duane Allman.  I believe he was using a Fender Champ amp when recording his guitar parts.  I heard Duane Allman comment when asked how a listener could figure out who was playing what part on the album. (Duane or Eric)  He said, “It’s easy.  I play the Gibson, Eric plays the Fender.”

80′s Era

Now is when Eric really starts to change his tone.  Before, he never used effects other than a wah to my ears and just cranked the amp.  He was now using the infamous “Blackie” guitar as his main axe with Marshall 800 series heads.  The “Journeyman” album to me depicted what his tone was like during this time period as well as his “Behind the Sun” album.  A lot more gain, delay and reverb sometimes, and a very “dialed in” tone to me.  I really like the tone though, but on certain songs I could hear some chorus, which I’m not a big fan of. His version of “After Midnight” has some killer tone on it.

90′s Era

To me, this period saw a resurrection of Clapton going back to basics.  The tones he captured during this era are really amazing.  Two albums define his tone in my mind during this time period.  ”24 Nights” and “From the Cradle”.  These two albums were the guitar bible for me when I was learning how to play in the early nineties.  I wore out both of these albums by practicing along just trying to get some of those licks down. At the time it seemed impossible.  But I kept trying through the years.

Eric was mainly using “Blackie” during “24 Nights”, but during the recording of “From the Cradle”, Eric played all kind of different guitars, and we saw a return of the Gibson’s to his arsenal.  Eric was mainly using a Soldano Slo-100 amp head giving him a very saturated blues tone.  I really wanted this amp in the nineties but I couldn’t come close to affording this beast.  Warren Haynes was using this amp as well in the nineties.

2000′s Era

And now we get to the modern era where Clapton to me has been very hit or miss with his tones.  He has been using mainly different Strats, and various models of reissue Fender Tweed amps.  Most of the tones I hear during this period have been ok, but nothing like he sounded like in the past.  I think the best tones I heard were from the Cream Reunion Tour.

Well that’s my rundown of how Clapton’s tone has changed throughout the years. What is your favorite era of tone Eric Clapton had?

I agreed to give them a try and see what I thought of them. This pedal is the Bullitt Booster Fat Vintage pedal. Let me just say that this thing rocks!

It’s exactly what I have been looking for to slightly overdrive the amp without compressing too much.

This pedal keeps all the tone of the amp in tact, and adds a bit of dirt that you need for solos and licks to stand out.

Watch the Demo

Amp being used is a 1966 Fender Vibrolux. No attenuation, no audio mixing.

You can check out Vincent’s website here. http://vleffects.free.fr/home.html
He’s also on Facebook here. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1229691218&ref=ts

The upgrades were inexpensive, and there was not that much involved really.  The only components upgraded, were the pickups and the pickguard.  I was getting really tired of the tortoise shell pickguard and wanted something a little classier looking.  White is the standard, but something about it just looks a little off to me.  The color of the new pickguard is Parchment, and it really seems to match the overall look of the guitar.

The pickups are the only other thing that were replaced in this guitar.  Previously, the guitar had Texas Special pickups.  These are great pickups, but I don’t think they really sound great in this guitar. Texas Special pickups are overwound and have a lot of midrange to them.  I use a 1966 Fender Vibrolux which already has a lot or midrange in it, and it also doesn’t have a midrange control so you’re stuck with it. Which is a good thing in my opinion. You just have to choose your gear and settings based on that.

Here’s a review of what I think of the Custom Shop 69 Pickups.

The guitar now has Fender Custom Shop 69 Pickups.  These pickups sound amazing to my ears, and are not very hot at all.  They are more mellow and allow you to crank your amp without the guitar sounding too overpowering.  I would compare these pickups to a more Jimi Hendrix type of sound you hear on The Wind Cries Mary.  With some gain, these pickups really give you a classic Hendrix sound as well.  Think Radio One or Live at Winterland.

Strat Before Makeover

Specs of Strat Before

• 1979 Fender Strat
• Jumbo Frets
• GHS Boomers .011s Strings
• Tortoise Shell Pickguard
• Texas Special Pickups

Strat After Makeover

Specs of Strat After

• 1979 Fender Strat
• Jumbo Frets
• DR Pure Blues .011s Strings
• Parchment Pickguard
• Custom Shop 1969 Pickups

Tubescreamer Settings

Amp Setup

Amp Settings

Weber Settings

So I’m really happy with the look and the sound of the new strat! What do you think> Do you like the look of the new or old version. Thanks for any comments.

He did however state that it would be nice if there were 2 different camera angles and if one of them could have my entire self in it.

I agreed and during the next week I thought about what I would play to make this video work. So Wednesday night rolls around and for someone reason I just don’t get much sleep at all. I kept waking up in the middle of the night and could never really get rest. So I wake up Thursday morning and feel pretty wiped out.

I think I may have gotten about 3 hours sleep that night. I did a lot of email, and random work that morning I have to do every day to keep the site running, and about 11:30am I decided to take a stab at recording this video. I drank a lot of coffee that morning and was feeling a little out of it, especially with the lack of sleep. I thought I would give it a go anyway though.

I recorded 2 solos that morning. The first was not bad, but I messed up a few notes so I thought I would do a second take. That was the one I ended up using for the video. I remember playing it and thinking that I might not have anything usable, but could hopefully get enough good footage to prepare a video.

I ended up using the whole solo though except for the last few seconds. The backing track was ending and I didn’t know it, so that’s why it just ends the way it does. It’s hard enough to set levels for 2 camcorders and the audio, then try to forget about those things and play something that sounds good. It gets easier with practice though.

So here’s the video I ended up with.

Here’s David Walsh’s theme added.

Here’s how I got the tone for the video.

Guitar

In the video I’m using a 2005 Gibson ES 335 with 57 Classic pickups. I’m using the neck pickup the entire time. The tone knobs are on 10, while the volume knob is around 5 for the beginning of the video, and then I turn it up to 10 at the end. Strings are DR Pure Blues .010. Pick is a Dunlop Jazz III.

Amp

I’m using a 1966 Fender Vibrolux with Groove Tubes and Celestion speakers. I don’t know what kind of speakers they are. There is just a red dot on the back of each speaker that says Celestion. This is a 35 watt amp with 2 10″ speakers. Below are the settings I used for the amp.

Attenuator

I also used a Weber Mini Mass Attenuator to get the tone on the video. I really like how the Mini Mass slightly compresses the sound to give it a smoother tone. Sometimes without the Weber, the tone can be a little overpowering. By using the Weber, I feel the sound is rounded off a little bit. I use this on everything I record.

Mic

I really love the Shure Sm 57. It’s such a great sounding mic. It’s only about $100 bucks, and it is a workhorse. I’m sure there are better mics, but for a great classic sound, it’s hard to beat this mic based on price and performance.

Hopefully that will help you to get an idea about getting your own blues guitar tone. Thanks for reading.

Everyday you can find people discussing amps, guitars, strings, cables and many other components of what will give you the ultimate guitar tone. Just go to the Gear Page, or Harmony Central if you don’t know this yet. If you haven’t visited these sites then the amount of information on these sites will make your brain spin!

Now I’m going to tell you my story of how I learned about getting a great guitar tone.

Band Auditions

Back in 1994 I had been playing guitar for a couple of years and wanted to play in a real gigging bar band. I had been playing with my high school buddies in a band, and we did some house shows, but now I wanted to be the lead guitarist in a hot cover band that played lots of gigs.

So I went to all the local music stores and found the ads for bands that were needing lead guitarists. If you have ever done this, then you know how strange it can be to call someone out of the blue and try to convince them that you are a real guitarist. You meet some very interesting people doing these kind of things I will assure you.

So anyway, I found one ad that appealed to me and decided to give it a go. I was about 19 years old at the time and had never played in any bar bands, just house shows with my friends. This was unchartered territory for sure.

I called the number on the ad and spoke with the drummer about the music I was into and I little about myself. I told him I liked rock and blues music and had only been playing for about 3 years. He seemed to like what I had to say, so we arranged an audition with the band.

The day arrives and I’m really excited about the chance to play in a real band that plays gigs and will make some money too! I drive over to the house and begin to unload my equipment and bring it out to the practice shed behind the house where everything is set up.

Back then, I had a very weird dressing style going on. I remember I had just shaved my head, not bald but very short. I also remember wearing a pair of green jeans and a red flannel shirt with black shoes. It was the grunge era you know! I probably looked a little weird to them because they were definitely in their 30′s or it seemed that way to me.

When I walked in the room, everyone seemed to give me a slight look like, “Who is this guy?” I proceeded to set up my equipment and get ready to show them that I could actually play and that this would be a great opportunity for the both of us.

My setup at the time was this:

• Marshall Valvestate 50 watt amp
• ADA MP-1 tube rack preamp
• Fender Mexican Strat with a Hot Rails pickup in the bridge

In my mind, this gear was some killer equipment that gave me a great tone! After I got setup we played through a few songs. I can’t remember what they were, but I think we did play a Black Crowes tune, and Tightrope by SRV.

Bad Tone

After we finished a few songs the drummer looked at me and said, “Why does your guitar sound like Sh**? I mean you have so much distortion and I can’t hardly hear the notes your playing! Why don’t you unplug that digital thing you got hooked up. I think it’s killing your sound.”

So I unplugged the ADA MP-1, which I thought was the piece of gear that really made my guitar sound good. I had saved up a long time to purchase that piece and now it was just worthless? I unplugged it and we played another song. The tone was even worse, and I couldn’t hear anything I was playing, neither could the band.

After we finished the drummer looked at me and said something like this, “It seems like your guitar playing is pretty good, but your sound is total sh**.” He then looked at the rhythm guitarist/singer and said, “Play something for him through your rig.” Now this guy I will never forget. He kinda reminded me of Robert Plant. He had long curly blonde hair, very thin, a cool looking Fender amp, and a nice Les Paul. When the drummer told him that, he began to play just a few short leads to show me what a guitar is supposed to sound like.

I admit it sounded way better than my setup. My sound was thin, distorted and small, while his was warm, smooth, and large. He played beatiful sounding notes and swung his blonde hair all around like he was in Led Zeppelin. The drummer then said, “Now that’s it. That’s tone my friend!”

Harsh Reality

At that point I knew I was not ready for this yet. Yes, I had played a few house shows and practiced a lot in my bedroom, but I really didn’t know much about guitar playing and doing gigs. I was just learning.

The band proceeded to leave, but the drummer told my to stay for a little bit longer to talk. He sat down, popped open a beer, and said something like this, “Man, you’re a pretty good guitarist, but your sound is bad.” He then said the words I will never forget. “Get rid of all that digital, valvestate, whatever you call it. It’s not tube! I mean get a real fender amp that has lots of tubes in it. You’re never going to sound good until you drop that garbage of gear your playing. Also, you play too many notes, and you don’t have any dynamics. Dynamics is the key to playing music. I don’t care if it’s SRV or Nirvana. They both use dynamics to make their songs sound good. Take Nirvana for example. Smells Like Teen Spirit starts off really heavy and then after a while Kurt plays 2 notes and holds them. That’s it! Do that sometimes. It will help you.”

I left that audition feeling embarrassed, and worthless. I felt like I had spent so much time practicing and learning about guitar, but for what? Apparently I had a long way to go and I was’t even close to getting their yet. At that point in my life I had decided that I wanted to do music for a living, and I wasn’t going to ever give up. In those moments I felt as though I would never even be good enough to play in a cover band. It was very depressing and for a couple of days, I felt like giving up guitar for good.

My First Fender

A couple of days later I decided that maybe that drummer was on to something. Maybe I should just get a Fender amp with tubes, and at least my tone will be good, I hoped. That day I walked into MMI music in Mobile, Al to see if there were any Fender amps I could afford. I walked in and asked the guy working there about the Fender amps they had for sale. He said, “This is your lucky day! The owner just got some old Fender Twins in and they sound really great. They don’t have overdrive though, so you will need an overdrive pedal. I recommend the Ibanez tubescreamer and a Rat. You will be able to get some great sounds with this gear.”

The Twin was a 1974, and the whole deal was about $500. That was almost all the money I had from working at Sears, but I figured this is what I must do to move forward with this music thing. So I bought the Twin, 2 pedals and started down the path of becoming a lifelong Fender amp player

I still have the Twin today and will never sell it. I think back about that drummer, and I now realize that he did the best thing that ever could of happened to me. If he wouldn’t of said anything to me about my sound, who knows how long it would have took for me to realize that my tone wasn’t very good. To this day, I play strictly Fender’s. I’ve tried Marshalls, but that just don’t have the sound that I truly like. I’m not saying they are bad amps. This is just my personal preference. To me, there’s nothing quite like plugging into an all tube Fender amp and just enjoying the smooth, glassy sound that can only be attained by a Fender.

Here’s the Fender Twin I got a couple days after that incident.

First check out the video to listen to the tone I was striving for. In my mind it is more of a Derek Trucks type sound with a little Warren and Dickey Sound thrown in. I think for a more Duane Allman sound, you would need to use a Les Paul.

Here’s the video for the Liz Reed style tone.

Here’s the video for the Jessica style tone.

Now let’s take a look at the gear I used to get the tones in the video.

• Guitar – Gibson ES 335
• Amp – 1966 Fender Vibrolux
• Attenuator – Weber Mini Mass
• Overdrive – Fulltone OCD You can check it out at Guitar Center.
  Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal Standard
• Strings – DR Pure Blues .010′s
• Pick – Dunlop Jazz III
• Shure 57 mic into an LA 610 to Pro Tools LE

Now that you know the equipment used for the tones, let’s dive in a little more and dissect exactly what settings were used and how I came upon this decision. First let me say when I started trying to get these tones about a week ago, I seemed to be getting sounds that were not anything what I wanted. I then spent a few hours playing with the settings and trying to determine why I wasn’t achieving the sounds in my head.

The first thing I did was try to find the right settings for the amp. I tried running the amp around 3, 4, and 5, but it could never quite get the tone I was looking for with or without the Weber attenuator. I then said lets just crank it up and continued to adjust the treble, bass, and reverb until I got something I liked.

Here are the settings I came up with that I liked the most.

Weber Attenuator

Now I want to talk a little bit about what I think contributed to getting the tone I liked out of these settings.  Since the amp sounded better the more I cranked it, turning the amp up to about 8 really took things to the next level.  I also think that the Weber attenuator took the tone even further actually compressing it slightly more to drive it even harder.  

I think the Weber does a fantastic job of decreasing the volume of the amp while maintaining the tone. I also think it adds a bit of smoothness to the overall sound of the amp. Without the attenuator the amp definitely sounds fantastic, but can also make the amp too large sounding in a live or recording setting. I use the Weber on all the recordings I do for YouTube and my video lessons now. I have also used it live and it is a piece of gear I can not live without. At $100, this is a great tool to have to keep the volume down without sacrificing tone.

Here are the settings I used on the Weber attenuator.

In addition to using the Weber for volume control, when I’m recording, I have built a small box to keep the amp in. These are 2 x 4 Owens Corning panels covered in Burlap sack. Using these 6 panels arranged in a box with a removable top allows me to further decrease the volume so it is not deafening.

Recording Box

Recording Box pic 2

Fulltone OCD

Now that I had a nice thick raunchy sound, I wanted a little more compression by using the OCD.  I only used the OCD at about 25% drive.  The picture looks more look 50% I know, but the 0% Drive point has somehow moved since I’ve had the pedal.  I guess since it’s been stomped on and thrown into bags for a number of years.

Also using the HP switch on the OCD seemed to round the sound out much more.  The LP switch seemed to give the tone too much bass and sounded woofy to my ears.  I also found that using the Weber and the OCD will take away some of the treble in the tone of the amp.  After I put the treble on the amp at about 8, things were much more clear sounding. I found this helped the tone much more than increasing the treble on the Weber attenuator or the adding more tone to the OCD.

Here are the settings I used for the Fulltone OCD.

Guitar Controls

The guitar tone controls were on 10.  I am using the neck pickup in both videos.  The volume was on about 2 or 3 for the low dynamics part, and were put on about 6 for the really digging in parts.  Having the volume on the guitar at around 3 -6 had a dramatic effect on the tone.

Micing the Amp

The last piece of the puzzle came when moving the mic around a bit and actually backing it a little further away from the amp.  I found that when the mic was too close to the amp, I got a much thinner sound.  I know all of this is subjective, and you can balance it with a room mic, but I really like the sound of a single 57 a lot of times about 12″ off the amp and around 9″ off the floor directly in front of the right speaker cone.

Here is how I miced the amp.

Hopefully that answers some questions about getting this type of sound. If you have any questions, please post a comment below. If you would like to learn about playing in the style of Dickey Betts, please check out my DVD or Download, Play Like Dickey Betts.

Try them out and see what you think.  Post a comment below on what you find works for you to help others who are trying to get a good blues guitar tone.

Blues DVD 1-4

• Guitar – Fender 1979 Strat with Texas Specials
• Amp – 1974 Fender Twin Reverb with Celestion Vintage 30 Speakers
• Tubes – Groove Tubes 6L6 with a 5 power rating
• Pedal – Ibanez Turbo Tubescreamer or Fulltone OCD
• Pick Dunlop Jazz III
• Amp Settings – Bass 9, Middle 8, Treble 5, Bright Switch On
• Strings – GHS Boomers .011 -.050

Open E Slide DVD 4 and 5

• Guitar – Gibson SG 61 reissue
• Amp – 1974 Master Volume Fender Twin w/ Vintage 30 Speakers and Groove Tubes
• pedal -Ibanez Turbo Tubescreamer set to TS9
• Reverb – 3
• Bass – 5
• Middle – 7
• Treble – 5
• Bright Switch On
• Strings – GHS Boomers .011′s
• String Height – 1/5″ at the 12th fret
• Rhythm pickup
• Dunlop Blues Bottle Glass Slide Medium
• Tubescreamer Settings – Gain – 12 o’clock, Level – 10 o’clock, Tone – 3 o’clock
• Shure 57 into UA LA610 into Pro Tools

Open E Tuning Slide DVD 1-3

• Guitar – Gibson SG 61 reissue
• Amp – 1966 Fender Vibrolux
• Volume – 7
• Treble – 7
• Bass – 4
• Fulltone OCD for high gain settings Gain set at 40% Tone at 75%
• Strings – GHS Boomers .011′s
• Rhythm or Bridge pickup
• Shure 57 into LA 610 preamp into Pro Tools
• Weber Attenuator

I think this will help many people get an idea of how I approach my tone so they can try my settings and adjust them to what they like.

So what do you think?

Let me and everyone else know what tone tips you have for everyone.  This is your chance to voice your opinion.  So let the world know.

First off let me say that I now have some really nice guitars and amps, but that was not always the case. I have worked extremely hard to get the equipment I have and I know what each guitar and amp can do.

So you are on a budget, but would still like to have some decent tone. In this blog post, I’m going to make some recommendations to what I think will help you make the decision when purchasing some new equipment. There is so much info on the internet these days that it can be truly daunting trying to make sense of it.

There’s Harmony Central reviews, there’s the Amazon reviews, and then there’s hundreds of forums saying how that amp is only good if you upgrade the speaker and put in telefunken tubes.

While the upgrades do make a difference, I can tell you that it is not a night and day difference. Most stuff sold stock sounds pretty decent. All the upgrades are for getting that last 15% of tone out of the equipment. If this is important to you, then by all means do it! But if you’re trying to stay on a budget, I can guarantee you that the equipment will be usable without doing these upgrades.

Amp

Everyone is always looking for the best amp, at the cheapest price, that can go from country to metal with one knob while still sounding good at bedroom levels. These amps really don’t exist. Some are more versatile than others, but it’s hard to find an amp that can do everything.

If you’re looking for a versatile amp, choose a one channel Fender and add effects pedals to change the tone. I’ve played in bands that go from Marvin Gaye to Bon Jovi to Cindi Lauper to the Gorillaz with a Pro Junior and some Ibanez stompboxes and it sounded great!

Fender Pro Junior – Link to Product 
Fender Hot Rod Series Pro Junior III 15W 1×10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp Tweed
- This amp is just awesome for practice and playing gigs. Highly recommended. Price $399.99 at this time in March 2010.

Pros

• Lightweight
• small
• All Tube
• Good sound
• Loud enough for a band unless your drummer is John Bonham, even still you can mic it
• Only 2 controls, volume and tone, yes I think this is good
• Easy to maintain. 3 12 AX7 preamp tubes,2 EL84 power tubes. Cheap to replace these tubes (about $60 depending on type)
• Easy to change the speaker no soldering
• Reliable and easy to fix if it breaks down. With only 1 channel, any tech can fix this fast
• Price
• Soundman will love you

Cons

• Can’t control the Bass. It can get a little flabby, but a speaker change can help that.  Speaker Recommendation
• No reverb
• Can get lost in the mix if you can’t mic it with a loud drummer
• 1 10″ speaker can be a little thin sounding, but not a problem if you mic it
• Can be a little noisy
• Sometimes the tubes may rattle. This is the case with any amp containing EL 84′s

Guitars

Squier Classic Vibe 50′s Telecaster – Link to Product 
Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s Electric Guitar Butterscotch Blonde – Great guitar at a great price.  $349.99

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Good Sound
• Durable
• Pickups are pretty decent
• Nice Look
• When set up the action feels great and bends are easy to execute
• Responsive volume and tone controls
• Stays in tune fairly well

Cons

• Can be a little thin sounding
• Pickups aren’t as responsive as higher end models
• Bridge pickup is very bright
• No hardshell case

PRS SE Custom 22 – Link to Product PRS SE Custom 22 Guitar, Tobacco Sunburst with Stoptail Bridge – Probably the best entry level guitar I’ve played and excellent for slide. $619.00

Pros

• Humbuckers that are very nice sounding
• Similar to a Les Paul Sound
• Nice neck and action when setup right
• Pickups can go from mellow to rock
• Lightweight
• Nice Finish
• Stays in Tune
• Great for Slide Guitar

Cons

• No Hardshell Case
• Won’t be quite as thick as a Les Paul but it’s 1/4 the price

Pedals

Ibanez TS-5 These are discontinued, but you can find them on ebay, and craigslist for about $20-$30.  I used this for years before getting a TS9 and this thing is the best bang for your buck distortion pedal out there in my opinion.  I also use the Ibanez 60′s Fuzz which sounds great as well.  The only thing bad about these pedals is that the housing is kinda cheap, but for the price you can’t beat it.

This demo is pretty telling about the difference between a $30 pedal and a $200 pedal.

Final Thoughts

I could take the above equipment and use them on a regular basis and get great results. Why don’t I? Well at this point I’ve been playing so long that I know exactly the sound I want to get and I choose to get it. I make a living using my guitars and there is a certain sound I want to have.

If you still think these prices are too much, then look for them used. I got my Pro Junior for $250. In reality for around $500-$1000 you can get an amp, a guitar, and a distortion pedal that will sound excellent! These pieces can be used in the studio and in live situations and you will sound awesome if you know how to play. These items will not hinder you from playing great music. Only your ability to play will do that.

With so much information on the internet, I think a lot of people get stuck on the idea that if they don’t have an SG or a Les Paul they can’t play slide. Untrue. I played slide on my strat for 10 years before ever getting an SG. I would re tune from open e tuning to standard in between songs at gigs because I couldn’t afford another guitar.

So What Do You Think?

If you have some other suggestions on budget gear, please leave a comment below. Other people want to know what equipment is good quality and sounds great at an affordable price.

Best Settings?

Sample question – “What do I set the Bass, Treble, and Middle on to get the best blues guitar tone?” The answer to this question could fill up a 500 page book. There are simply too many variables at play to even try to get a decent answer, because there is no settings I can give you that will give you the best tone. I usually will answer a question like this like, “Put everything on 5 and then work from there. Use your ears.”

You see, there are so many cool tones out there, that it takes experimentation, and listening to the greatest tones recorded to know what to listen for when you are adjusting the controls on your amp.


If you’re looking to get an Albert Collins type tone with a strat, then your settings will be different then if your trying to get a Duane Allman type sound. It also depends on how you play as well. Are you using a pick? Do you use thick strings? Are you using pedals? Do you hit the strings hard or soft?

All these things come into play when getting the right kind of tone for you. If I tell you my settings, then it is almost guaranteed that you can play the same amp, same guitar, with the same settings, and you will sound different.

If I tell you my settings, you need to try it, then know where to adjust the settings to get the tone that works for you. I am not just blowing smoke here. No two people will ever strike the guitar the same way, so every component will react different. That’s why you can immediately recognize some guitarists sound no matter what guitar they’re using. Use this to your benefit and learn what the best tones sound like.

But How?

So how do you figure out how to get your favorite artists’ tones?

• Take your favorite artist and pick a solo.
• Use what ever guitar you have and at least a tube amp.
• Listen for what pickups are being used. Is the tone bright? Bassy? Clean? Dirty?
• Once you understand the sound and have got it in your head, take your guitar and try to reproduce it.
• Set everything on the amp to 5.
• Try every pickup.
• Now try adjusting the tone.
• Now try adjusting the amp settings by increments of 2. Start with the bass first. How does it sound? Next try the middle. How does it sound?
• Keep experimenting until you have found a tone that is close to the one you hear in your head that is ingrained from the CD you heard it on.

Now take another artist and repeat. This can take a long time, but in a few years you will have an understanding of how these artists get their sound, and even better, you will have an imprinted memory of that tone in your brain.

This is the key to developing reference points. Recording engineer’s do this all the time. If you want to make a kick drum or snare sound good, you won’t know how to do this until you’ve heard a good kick drum or snare that has been recorded. You can apply the same technique to getting great blues guitar tones. It requires listening actively. Who would of thought?

Active Listening

Also, just casually listening does not count. You have to listen intently and imprint that sound in your brain. You’re creating a mental catalog of the greatest tones here. Pay attention!

Hopefully some of this will make sense. I’m sure there are a lot of people who will disagree. That is fine. Everyone has there own opinion of what works.

This is only my opinion, and some people may think the information in this blog post is worth exactly what is cost for you to read it. Absolutely nothing!

Here is a video I made demonstrating a few different sounds you can get with a SG and a 1966 Vibrolux. No effects.

Although It Does Help

I will say, however, that it can be good to know what settings other people use so you can use this as a starting board. Just don’t make the mistake of seeing other people’s settings and not tweaking them to take into consideration your playing style and equipment.

Some Of My Settings

Slide DVD 4 and 5

Guitar – Gibson SG 61 reissue
Amp – 1974 Master Volume Fender Twin w/ Vintage 30 Speakers and Groove Tubes
pedal -Ibanez Turbo Tubescreamer set to TS9
Reverb – 3
Bass – 5
Middle – 7
Treble – 5
Bright Switch On
Strings – GHS Boomers
String Height – 1/5″ at the 12th fret
Rhythm pickup
Dunlop Blues Bottle Glass Slide Medium
Tubescreamer Settings – Gain – 12 o’clock, Level – 10 o’clock, Tone – 3 o’clock
Shure 57 into UA LA610 into Pro Tools EQ with URS CSP at 48khz blended with vocal mic for room tone, a SHure SM7

Blues Guitar 1 – 4

Guitar – Fender 1979 Strat with Texas Specials
Amp – 1974 Fender Twin Reverb with Vintage speakers and Groove Tubes
Pedal – Ibanez Turbo Tubescreamer or Fulltone OCD
Strings .011s GHS Boomers
Pick Dunlop Jazz III
Amp Settings – Bass 9, Middle 8, Treble 5, Bright Switch On

Closing

There is a lot of information in this post. Hopefully it is not too overwhelming. If you’re having trouble getting a decent blues guitar tone, try what is in this blog post and I guarantee you will understand how to get a better tone out of your equipment.

For more information on slide guitar and blues guitar, please visit Learning Guitar Now.

What is your opinion on Tone? Do you like your tone? If not, what do you not like about it, and what would you like it to sound like?