FUCK IT! Im giving up ............

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

the search for the all mighty guitar tone. I have just come to the realisation that this elusive bloody guitar tone I am chasing is no more. Peavey, Mesa, Marshall, Krank, Engl etc, really doesnt matter to me any more! There are great tones with all of them and there are shittas as well. There is fuck all difference between most of the "guitar tones by themselves" that I have heard on here. Listening to them all, I get so fucking anal about a certain frequency, or the bottom end or a little bit of presence that I have over looked the mix as a whole, and the biggest one of all that I have neglected over the past 6 months is the actual song itself, the writing.

I used to write riff after riff (I am known as the riff machine) but over the last half a year, I have got so displacent (is that a word) on trying to nail a great tone that the writing side has suffered serverely!

Listening over my ideas and tones from the last 6 months (thats when I started getting into recording properly), I have realized that I have a good tone for what I want to do, but I get swept up in always trying to make it better, when all thats needed is a great fucking tune!

Im gonna sell most of the stuff I dont use (which is a lot) and narrow it down to 3 guitars, 2 cabinets and 2 amps, and go back to creating riffage. I have learnt a lot on this forum, but I feel I have to do a complete circle and just get back to basics and do what I do best, and thats WRITE!

Like to know thoughts from others and how they have dealt with the same situation, has it effected you to the point of no return? Are there others out there that have the mindset that "the holy grail" is the No1 prize? Cause it really has done my fucking head in, which in turn is playing havoc on my golf!

No writing and bad golf make "Slayie" a very fucked up unit!

 

[SocialNumb]

Congrats! You have cured yourself of the dreaded tone nazi curse.

 

[Erkan]

Sounds to me like you're doing the right thing dude. Really, I mean it... writing music is so much more important than finding the tone of your dreams. Leave that up to those who REALLY have that as a hobby. If you are a musician, focus on music, not the technical aspects. I know I have been doing the same thing as you really but I'm glad I'm sort of satisfied with the tone I've got now... I can finally focus on just writing music instead.

 

[lekteri]

Amen!

90% of tone is cumming from fingers.

 

[GarethSE]

yeah, with me i realised that with the more time i spent recording and mixing that i felt that side of things was my calling rather than writing, and others go the exact opposite way in that they start recording, get anal over details and realise their writing is suffering so they go back to that side of things.
and then theres those evil cunts that manage to find the perfect balance (im looking at you kyle and bulb *sneer* )

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

yeah, with me i realised that with the more time i spent recording and mixing that i felt that side of things was my calling rather than writing, and others go the exact opposite way in that they start recording, get anal over details and realise their writing is suffering so they go back to that side of things.
and then theres those evil cunts that manage to find the perfect balance (im looking at you kyle and bulb *sneer* )

Hahahaha! I want to be one of those "evil cunts!" Someone like Andy "the evil cunt" Sneap! Well, not that great, but I would like to balance it out a bit more, without getting side tracked on a single fucking soloed guitar tone. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!

 

[Metaltastic]

Sounds to me like you're doing the right thing dude. Really, I mean it... writing music is so much more important than finding the tone of your dreams. Leave that up to those who REALLY have that as a hobby. If you are a musician, focus on music, not the technical aspects. I know I have been doing the same thing as you really but I'm glad I'm sort of satisfied with the tone I've got now... I can finally focus on just writing music instead.

Agreed completely - I went through the same realization a couple years ago, and since then have always been conscious to remind myself that my writing and music is priority 1 to me (though I still like tone tests too, of course, it's just all about balance, and I guess it's also fortunate that I've never really been able to afford more than one amp at a time so there's a limit to how much I can screw around with tones )

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Sounds to me like you're doing the right thing dude. Really, I mean it... writing music is so much more important than finding the tone of your dreams. Leave that up to those who REALLY have that as a hobby. If you are a musician, focus on music, not the technical aspects. I know I have been doing the same thing as you really but I'm glad I'm sort of satisfied with the tone I've got now... I can finally focus on just writing music instead.

Thanks mate, it helps a lot when someone can share the same outlook. Is there an AE anonymous anywhere?

 

[GarethSE]

well im actually getting my muse back after 4 years of obsessing over mixing
its not really a very metal muse anymore, i just like making stupid noises, but now that i can dial in a tone im happy with in minutes, writing has gotten a whole lot easier

 

[Jind]

I'm of the mindset that I'm a musician first and an "audio engineer" second and when I try to either perfect the sound I'm hearing or play with too many toys in an effort to perfect the sound I'm hearing, I tend to get too wrapped up in that aspect and become less creative as a result. I've had several instances where I've had G.A.S. and bought new guitars, new amps, new software, new whatever and in the end sold most of it off because I realized it in no way helped me be a better musician.

For a while I've been focusing more on the art of recording and less on the creative side of music and quite truthfully it's bothering me each and every day - like you I used to bust out riff after riff and write and record stuff quickly to get it down and was pleased with my results. Now I find myself more worried about the tone and perfecting it (which I never do by the way) and I'm writing less and less material. I need to get back to writing for me instead of worrying what it sounds like.

So in short - I feel you brother. I recently sold off three guitars that I bought in moments of G.A.S. and I'm debating selling of other stuff too. I have more crap than I need and I want a simple solution to get my thoughts recorded - that's all right now.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Agreed completely - I went through the same realization a couple years ago, and since then have always been conscious to remind myself that my writing and music is priority 1 to me (though I still like tone tests too, of course, it's just all about balance, and I guess it's also fortunate that I've never really been able to afford more than one amp at a time so there's a limit to how much I can screw around with tones )

Believe me mate, any more than 2 amps is overkill! The tones you get from your Mesa are great. In fact most tones Ive heard here are great, (apart from Veronica Falls! ) and sound very similar. Im far more interested in the mix people put up these days than the tone tests floating around. Hell, I love my Cannibal, Suffo writing style and no "Holy Diver" tone tests are gonna sound great for the stuff I am writing. (No pun intended ). So from this day forward, Im giving up the "tone cigarettes" and am gonna binge on "writing hamburgers" and "production thickshakes!"

 

[Metaltastic]

Godspeed sir!

C'mon, Pookie! Let's burn this motherfucker down!!!!

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

I'm of the mindset that I'm a musician first and an "audio engineer" second and when I try to either perfect the sound I'm hearing or play with too many toys in an effort to perfect the sound I'm hearing, I tend to get too wrapped up in that aspect and become less creative as a result. I've had several instances where I've had G.A.S. and bought new guitars, new amps, new software, new whatever and in the end sold most of it off because I realized it in no way helped me be a better musician.

For a while I've been focusing more on the art of recording and less on the creative side of music and quite truthfully it's bothering me each and every day - like you I used to bust out riff after riff and write and record stuff quickly to get it down and was pleased with my results. Now I find myself more worried about the tone and perfecting it (which I never do by the way) and I'm writing less and less material. I need to get back to writing for me instead of worrying what it sounds like.

So in short - I feel you brother. I recently sold off three guitars that I bought in moments of G.A.S. and I'm debating selling of other stuff too. I have more crap than I need and I want a simple solution to get my thoughts recorded - that's all right now.

So fucking true. I have 6 overdrive pedals for fuck sake, thats 1 more than Andy! I bought them, "just incase" one matched a certain amp better than others! G.A.S had bitten me on the arse big time, and it has only now begun to loosen its grip. Ill have teeth marks on me arse cheeks for years to come, but thats nothing a few great written tunes wont fix!

 

[beyond dead]

fuck I can relate big time. Im actually doing the same thing right now. getting rid of all the shit I wouldnt miss! mixing is the same way. lately I have been using mostly stock plugs, and focusing on editing the tunes to be tighter. A stock compressor is just as good on your 2 bus if the guitar, kicks and bass line up on the grid.

 

[PhilTheBeard]

i g.a.s. a lot and it doesn't help that i work in a music store haha. but i love so many different types of tones and every amp has its own soul and distinct sound. plus having tones of boost pedals helps to haha.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Oh yeh, it took me a while to realize that. I even recall thinking about giving up music. I'm glad that it's all over now. We sometimes make the mistake of thinking too much, or in other words, finding faults. There are no rules in audio, and when you try to find faults you will no matter what. I guess it's all down to choosing between being obsessive or being passionate, if that makes sense. Moreover, from a psycho-acoustical point of view it's all up to the mix; How the other instruments interact with your tone, which I believe you're already aware of.

I don't know how many of you will agree with me, but here goes:
Work like an AE, think like a listener.

 

[Nebulous]

the search for the all mighty guitar tone. I have just come to the realisation that this elusive bloody guitar tone I am chasing is no more. Peavey, Mesa, Marshall, Krank, Engl etc, really doesnt matter to me any more! There are great tones with all of them and there are shittas as well. There is fuck all difference between most of the "guitar tones by themselves" that I have heard on here. Listening to them all, I get so fucking anal about a certain frequency, or the bottom end or a little bit of presence that I have over looked the mix as a whole, and the biggest one of all that I have neglected over the past 6 months is the actual song itself, the writing.

I used to write riff after riff (I am known as the riff machine) but over the last half a year, I have got so displacent (is that a word) on trying to nail a great tone that the writing side has suffered serverely!

Listening over my ideas and tones from the last 6 months (thats when I started getting into recording properly), I have realized that I have a good tone for what I want to do, but I get swept up in always trying to make it better, when all thats needed is a great fucking tune!

Im gonna sell most of the stuff I dont use (which is a lot) and narrow it down to 3 guitars, 2 cabinets and 2 amps, and go back to creating riffage. I have learnt a lot on this forum, but I feel I have to do a complete circle and just get back to basics and do what I do best, and thats WRITE!

Like to know thoughts from others and how they have dealt with the same situation, has it effected you to the point of no return? Are there others out there that have the mindset that "the holy grail" is the No1 prize? Cause it really has done my fucking head in, which in turn is playing havoc on my golf!

No writing and bad golf make "Slayie" a very fucked up unit!

Hm, noticed there isn't anything new in the gear for same thread. What are you off loading?

 

[drew_drummer]

I found that when I made this choice also, that my tones drastically improved.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Hm, noticed there isn't anything new in the gear for same thread. What are you off loading?

Hmmmmmmm, a quick look around the room ..........

2x Boss PQ-4 (parametric eq pedals) hard to find
Boss SD-1 (made in Japan)
Boss metalzone mt-2
Boss CS-3 Compressor
Boss GE-7
Boss GEB-7
Boss BR 900 CD
Boss Micro BR
Boss DR Rhythm 770 (drum machine)
Boss GL-100 Guitar Driver rack unit (like the Peavey Rockmaster)
HBE Uno Mos
HBE Gary Holt Doomsday device, (No 15)
HBE Powerscreamer (blue)
BBE Sonic Maximizer 461
Presonus EQ3B
Kustom 60 watt bass amp combo
Logitech 5.1 gaming speaker system w/sub
Roland VS1880 w/both cards
BC RICH N7 Warlock (made in Japan) 7 string guitar (black)
Ibanez RG 7620 w/Seymour Invaders bridge and neck w/case (black)
Epiphone Zakk Wylde Camo Les Paul w/case
Ibanez J Craft RG 3120DAM 6 string w/J Craft case and paperwork
Line 6 Spider 2 150 watt head and Line 6 box
Peavey 6505+ Head and 6505 Cabinet (10 hours use) .........





Thats about it for now! uke:

 

[Nebulous]

Hm...why does that 6505 stand out when I already have a JSX? haha. I might have to keep that one in mind for "a friend".