Iain Hamilton wrote:but how in all of the world of amplifiers do you start auditioning amps for long enough to get a true idea of what you can do with it?
The amp is the starting point for your TONE. So that is where I wanted to start - I had to figure out which amp or amps possessed the tone I was after.
I started by paying attention to the artists I really liked and figured out what they were using. I didn't want to copy anyone's sound - but what I wanted to do was figure out what were the common factors among the guitarists that I loved?
After a time, I came to realize that of all the guitar players I really liked, a lot of them (not all of them, mind you) were using Mesa Boogie amplifiers. So that was my starting point.
From there, the next step was figuring out which Mesa Boogie was going to fit me. For my requirements, versatility was king, so I went with a Triaxis because it was midi-programmable. It has 8 separate circuits in it, so it's like having 8 amps in one box. It's all tube - another thing I learned about all the artists whose tone I really liked, they all played tube amps. So I had to have a tube amp.
The Triaxis fit my requirements. It was Mesa Boogie, so I knew the BASE tone was going to be close to what I wanted. It is incredibly versatile, so I knew I'd be able to dial in many different sounds to create a bigger canvas to work with. And it was tube.
The next step was getting a power amp to work with it (Mesa, again). The 2:90 is made to work with the Triaxis.
When I got those two items, I still knew I was missing something. This is where you get into effects to fill out the sound. I went after a TC Electronics G-Major because, once again, versatility and programmability. I can run my entire rig with one midi footpedal.
When it came to guitars, it was a trial-and-error process over the years. I knew I wanted Ibanez because I liked the way their guitars felt in my hands, and because I have smaller hands I like the thin necks. But it wasn't until years later that I realized what I really love is a neck-through, string-through design, and a harder wood, like Mahogany. Ibanez has made a few of those through the years, and when I finally got my hands on a neck-through, string-through I was in love.
However, Ibanez pickups suck, so I have tried many combos over the years. I was a DiMarzio guy for years (and I still have a pair of Evolutions in one of my guitars), but a local guy turned me on to Seymore Duncans. I love 'em. They're clearer, tighter, and they just sound better. So that's what I have in my neck-through guitars.
All of this gear suits my requirements in some way, but getting your own "sound" takes tweaking and experimenting. Part of it is your own fingers and the way you play, and no amount of gear can change that. But if you have the right gear for the sound you're after, you can go a long way toward getting that tone.
I think the trick is knowing what you are after BEFORE you start buying gear. Identify what it is in the sound that you like. I listened to TONS of guitar players before I finally identified that the tones I loved the most were the direct result of Mesa Boogie amps and preamps. When I realized that John Petrucci, Dougless Ott, Santan and Metallica were all using Mesa gear, that made an impression on me.
Mesa Boogie amps, to me, have a much different tonal quality than a Marshall, for instance. To my ears, a Marshall sounds "thin" - it lacks body. It lacks punch. I listen to acts like Megadeath and I compare them against Metallica - both bands from the same era and genre of music. Megadeath uses Marshalls, Metallica uses Boogies - and you can hear the difference. Metallica's sound is heavier, darker, has more body, more character and packs a bigger punch. That's the Mesa Boogie at work.
So, you, as a player, have to identify what you're after in the first place. Once you establish that, then start figuring out what kind of gear gets you that sound.
I just recorded our final rehearsal prior to a show we're doing tonight. I was pleased as punch with my lead tone on my solos. I was listening my tone and just thinking, "Wow - that is exactly what I wanted". It's take years to get there, but man... has it ever been worth it.
