My Les Paul Forums - View Single Post - Guitarist that once had great tone-but now is different or just plain bad.

mojo69 · 08-28-2009, 01:50 PM

WOW! Clapton has dominated this thread. Clapton, along with the majority of the guitarist mentioned here, were and are still relevant today. They were the real deal and played from the heart. Only a true artist can survive decades of changing trends and musical ideas. If their hearts were'nt in it, they would have dissapeared and been forgotten a long, long, time ago. And these guitar players have not sold out; Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Santana, EVH, etc. They played in their own original styles and have changed some if very little in tone and equipment choices. They have for the most part been uncompromising in their attitude and musical direction. And have been about the music and what they have thought and felt in a particular time. Not about money! Clapton, being one of the first guitar heroes, is very relevant. He took the blues roots and took it to another level. He took the styles of BB, Fredie, and Albert King, mixed them all together and played faster and more intensely. With a Les Paul and a Marshall with a killer tone. And let's not forget about others that have left us too soon, but notice how they are still admired and talked about today! Guitarist like, Hendrix, Duane, Paul Kossoff, etc.

Getting back to what this thread is all about. I would have to agree with many here that Clapton's tone blows. It's not the strat, just listen to the layla album with Duane. That is a killer strat tone through tiny Fender champs, and his playing is fantastic throughout the album. I would have to fault the electronics in his new strats. Those Fender Lace pickups sound like a POS to me. They sound to compressed, and muddy. They don't do justice to the great guitarist that is Eric Clapton. I'd say the same about Buddy Guy, a great bluesman and guitarist. But, he uses those same horrible pickups in his signature strats. His sound is thin, tinny, and just God awful. We need to get back to passive Alnico pickups. They sound chimey, and bell like when playing clean. And, when playing distorted, they growl, purr, and sound smooth. Get away from hot pickups, keep it clean at the source, and use pedals or a hot rodded amp. That's the trick to great tone.

Peace!

08-28-2009, 01:50 PM	#84 (permalink)
mojo69 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Guitarist that once had great tone-but now is different or just plain bad. WOW! Clapton has dominated this thread. Clapton, along with the majority of the guitarist mentioned here, were and are still relevant today. They were the real deal and played from the heart. Only a true artist can survive decades of changing trends and musical ideas. If their hearts were'nt in it, they would have dissapeared and been forgotten a long, long, time ago. And these guitar players have not sold out; Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Santana, EVH, etc. They played in their own original styles and have changed some if very little in tone and equipment choices. They have for the most part been uncompromising in their attitude and musical direction. And have been about the music and what they have thought and felt in a particular time. Not about money! Clapton, being one of the first guitar heroes, is very relevant. He took the blues roots and took it to another level. He took the styles of BB, Fredie, and Albert King, mixed them all together and played faster and more intensely. With a Les Paul and a Marshall with a killer tone. And let's not forget about others that have left us too soon, but notice how they are still admired and talked about today! Guitarist like, Hendrix, Duane, Paul Kossoff, etc. Getting back to what this thread is all about. I would have to agree with many here that Clapton's tone blows. It's not the strat, just listen to the layla album with Duane. That is a killer strat tone through tiny Fender champs, and his playing is fantastic throughout the album. I would have to fault the electronics in his new strats. Those Fender Lace pickups sound like a POS to me. They sound to compressed, and muddy. They don't do justice to the great guitarist that is Eric Clapton. I'd say the same about Buddy Guy, a great bluesman and guitarist. But, he uses those same horrible pickups in his signature strats. His sound is thin, tinny, and just God awful. We need to get back to passive Alnico pickups. They sound chimey, and bell like when playing clean. And, when playing distorted, they growl, purr, and sound smooth. Get away from hot pickups, keep it clean at the source, and use pedals or a hot rodded amp. That's the trick to great tone. Peace!