Great Tone ?

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 16 Dec 2016 6:32 am

How many can relate to this. Your playing what you think is some awesome steel. You take a break and some one comes up to you and says, you really have GREAT TONE. Makes you wonder if they like your ability or your equipment or both.

Brooks Montgomery · Post by **Brooks Montgomery** » 16 Dec 2016 7:54 am

Bill Dobkins wrote:How many can relate to this. Your playing what you think is some awesome steel. You take a break and some one comes up to you and says, you really have GREAT TONE. Makes you wonder if they like your ability or your equipment or both.

...or your tan....

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 16 Dec 2016 8:54 am

After 43 years of playing several of my close steel buddies have said that "this" is the best I have ever sounded. I wondered what I sounded like for the last 42 years. .

I think it is the use of the opti compressor in my Zoom MS50G, it gives me longer sustained notes if I want them.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 16 Dec 2016 9:17 am

I thought it was all in the Bandit 65, Larry.

Larry Behm · Post by **Larry Behm** » 16 Dec 2016 10:36 am

Even with the 65 I had the MS50 in line. All reports are that you knocked it out of the park at the jam, see what love can do, you are back.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 16 Dec 2016 11:27 am

Hard to say. Once, I had a pro tell me I was a "fine player". I felt pretty good until I looked "fine" up in the dictionary...and saw that it means "very small".

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Dec 2016 12:12 pm

Chet Atkins was once complimented by a fan saying he had a great sounding guitar. Chet put the guitar on its stand and said "Really? What does it sound like now?"

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 16 Dec 2016 1:07 pm

Bill, (my thoughts), poor technique or poor intonation can not produce great tone even using the finest equipment. Great technique played in tune with decent equipment can and should produce great tone which then becomes subjective to the type of tone the listener or player is seeking. Some prefer a bright tone, some prefer a darker sound, some may like mid range cut more than others but regardless of EQ preference, use or no use of effects, technique and touch is the foundation on which great tone is produced. So, Bill, if someone tells you your tone is great, you can take that as a compliment on your playing. You could move off the seat, leave the settings as they were and let a player with lesser playing skills play the same equipment and the great tone is not there.
Jerry

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 17 Dec 2016 6:22 am

I agree with all above. Great tone is in the master's hands.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 17 Dec 2016 6:39 am

As a steel player and recording engineer for ovr 40 years I've learn to decipher the meaning of the word tone by who is using it and in what context.
If I was at a steel guitar meaning and someone says
"Wow! What a great tone he is getting!" I would take that as "Wow! What great playing technique and skill." If I was mixing a multi-track recording in the studio and some musician said "Wow! That's a killer tone on snare drum!" I would take that as "Wow! What a great even frequency response!" Meaning just the right lows, just the right mids, not too many ear splitting highs.
Tone to a steel man = Playing ability
Tone in the studio = Frequency Response

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 17 Dec 2016 6:40 am

I always take it to mean... â€œWell at least your TONE, doesnâ€™t suckâ€

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 17 Dec 2016 6:51 am

my favorite thing is when they come up

and say "you sound purty good tonight"

my reply is " thank you a little"

most of the time folks thing it sounds good they just don't know how to say it that way....

another is they ask how ya gettin that sound outta that thing?

I say I'm pluck the plucking thing...

mike

Larry Jamieson · Post by **Larry Jamieson** » 17 Dec 2016 7:48 am

A little off topic, but along the same lines, I had someone tell me once "Boy, your camera really takes nice pictures."

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 17 Dec 2016 11:04 am

I've had a lot of people come up to me to tell me I sound great, and then I say, "thank you", but in my mind there are times I don't think the song or songs sounded so great due to too many mistakes or sometimes forgetting to come in on steel at a certain time, so usually when that happens, I replay the song another time and it sounds good to me!

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 17 Dec 2016 11:20 pm

I've had times, when, my sound (tone) sounds great to me. The sustain, overtone, the highs and lows, everything is just right to me and it makes me play more comfortably or better. Then, there are other times, when, I can't buy a sound I like. I'll fight it all gig and am never happy. However, I've had more people say nothing about my sound, than, compliment it. It doesn't mean a whole lot, I guess, I just have to satisfy myself.

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 18 Dec 2016 4:48 am

Some great comments here.

Tone is so very elusive and somewhat subjective.

Non-musicians, typically, hear music differently than how a musician hears. That said, I believe we shouldn't be too sensitive about comments otherwise. In fact, I think when non musicians give us what is perceived as "good feedback" what they mean is "they like the sounds they hear".

When our peers are in the audience, I'm much more attentive to what they say.

Regarding live music; There are so many factors involved in creating the perfect sonic texture relative to where you are sitting on the bandstand. What used to blow me away was when working a 4 or 5 night per week gig at the same place, how you could leave your rig tuesday night then return to the same gig on thursday night and have to tweak and tweak to get that same tone back. Then Friday and Saturday it is yet different again.

Its kind of like how a house sounds when there is no furniture vs. when the house is full of furniture and people, the acoustics change for obvious reasons.

I believe it is the same phenomena at each live venue.

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 18 Dec 2016 6:41 am

That's right Bill. The human body is 60% water so as people come and go from a nightclub it's gonna change the acoustics. Drastically.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 18 Dec 2016 6:50 am

David Mitchell wrote:That's right Bill. The human body is 60% water so as people come and go from a nightclub it's gonna change the acoustics. Drastically.

The change in the amount of ringing in my ears does that David

I will say this about Tone, weather other’s are hearing it or just us playing it... the better our Tone sounds to US as we’re playing, the better we’re going to play... IMHO

David Mitchell · Post by **David Mitchell** » 18 Dec 2016 7:16 am

That's true Dale. I know all to well the better a musician can hear and feel comfortable in a studio the better they play. When at all possible I always brought them in the control room without headphones and let them play their part listening to the big JBL's in the wall. It was like they were in a band situation. That brings up another point. I studied Strad violins for a while. While they do sound good and have plenty of volume the one thing that actual owners said was most important was response. How the instrument responds to the players input and likewise they play better. I think that holds true with pedal steels too.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 18 Dec 2016 10:23 am

David Mitchell wrote:That's true Dale. I know all to well the better a musician can hear and feel comfortable in a studio the better they play. When at all possible I always brought them in the control room without headphones and let them play their part listening to the big JBL's in the wall. It was like they were in a band situation. That brings up another point. I studied Strad violins for a while. While they do sound good and have plenty of volume the one thing that actual owners said was most important was response. How the instrument responds to the players input and likewise they play better. I think that holds true with pedal steels too.

In total agreement... except about the Strad... never been fortunate enough to see one, but everything you say rings true.

Bobby Hearn · Post by **Bobby Hearn** » 18 Dec 2016 11:01 am

For the steelers who sing a few, what about when they come up and say "man I really like your singing".....

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 18 Dec 2016 11:07 am

Great Comments David and Dale

I agree 100%. Tone equals confidence equals playing your best.

If you have another player, sometimes the drummer, who isn't really "tone sensitive" this can aggravate and sometimes destroy "tone".

I've had debates with countless players who would just typically destroy good tone and not be the least bit aware as to how their bad habits, poor hearing, tone deafness, or whatever their afflictions might be effect the overall tone quality on the stage. That quality of sound is hard to describe to someone who has never "heard" it or "felt" it. Its as much feel as it is hearing, at least ways in my personal experiences.

Sometimes the sound person is the culprit. Often, house sound system control operators are the very LAST person who should be adjusting the room and the stage for tone. I do not understand why. But have come across this issue at some fairly high end venues.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 18 Dec 2016 11:28 am

A good public speaker has "good" tone. A "good" voice. Like a "good" singer. Whatever makes it easy on the ears.!

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 18 Dec 2016 12:57 pm

I got told one day that I must be certifiably nuts to play steel guitar.. Didn't know whether to agree or argue. So goes with tone or any compliments whatsoever. It's mostly an entry point into a conversation.

Some entry points are easier to follow than others. ..

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 19 Dec 2016 10:55 am

I've played several different guitars in the same bands off and on for several years, ShoBuds, a Carter, and now P/Ps.

The first comment I EVER got about the different guitars was when I brought a black one to the gig.. "Hey, I thought your guitar was brown?"

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