How do I get the Dave Grohl sound?

[Electric_Sunshine]

Right now I'm listening to Foo Fighters live at Wembley, AWSOME, they just played Everlong and I saw Dave changing those things on Gibson making the greatest sound of all. Anyone know what he changes them to? Another question, also if I could know which of the little round things do then I would be greatful, maybe a diagram labbeling the parts of the guitar would be good too. Thanks for all the help, sorry I have to be such a newbie asking these questions.

Cheers,
Andrew

[somedude]

They're volume and tone knobs. The higher the guitar's volume, the more distortion he'll get out of his amp (which is a Mesa Roadking last I heard).

[StrangerNY]

How do I get the Dave Grohl sound?

First, play drums in Nirvana...

- D

[soloben347]

smoke alot of weed

[Tonyd]

I think he already has. 

[Electric_Sunshine]

Originally Posted by Tonyd

I think he already has.*

This is the guy someone was posting about that will ask a question and then posts a link with the answer? There's lots of ways to find out about "those things on Gibson"

It'll take someone other than me to give him a "diagram labbeling" the little round things.

Sorry, I'm still new to the forum and I'm getting used to the people here. My apologies for any trouble. Also Stranger NY, that's the best answer I've ever heard! I know I'll make a band called Nirvada! (My jokes are lame.... very very lame )

[Tonyd]

Sorry I mis-read you. Didn't mean to sound so harsh. It sounded like the spammer's type of question what with the little round things.

Check out this site, it may help.

Choosing An Electric Guitar - Sheehans

[Electric_Sunshine]

Originally Posted by Tonyd

Sorry I mis-read you. Didn't mean to sound so harsh. It sounded like the spammer's type of question what with the little round things.

Check out this site, it may help.

Choosing An Electric Guitar - Sheehans

Thanks mate.

I've been to many forums before and the people have always been differant. Though the worst forum I went on was one for guitar hero. I'm unsure what many parts of the guitar is called, I never knew what the pickguard was until I visited MLP, before that I just though it changed the sound and called it the big white plate.

Thanks for the help,
Andrew

[X–Ray]

when i saw the foo fighters last year, they were using mesa boogie amps which i assume contributed to the sound you like...

as for the "things" on his guitar, i do not know.

having seen most everyone, i would have to say dave and company one of the top concerts i have ever been to.

[Leendrix]

Just watched it my self! He was turning up his volume knob on his ES-335. To get a fuller, louder sound!

[jimmyq]

Grohltone!

[lp_junkie]

First you have to play drums in a band that ruins music, and then in an attempt to redeem yourself years later form another band and play guitar/vocals.

Dave Grohl is a good musician but the stain of Nirvana will always be on him for me.

[dennistruckdriver]

Originally Posted by Electric_Sunshine

How do I get the Dave Grohl sound?

Be Dave Grohl.

[BoxyBrown22]

Isn't he a drummer?

Still think of him as a drummer...

[Blues4U]

Originally Posted by lp_junkie

First you have to play drums in a band that ruins music, and then in an attempt to redeem yourself years later form another band and play guitar/vocals.

Dave Grohl is a good musician but the stain of Nirvana will always be on him for me.

LPJUNKIE--I am glad I am not the only 40 something guy that absolutely hates Nirvana--They really did screw things up for a long time--

I do like a lot of Foo Fighters--But Dave still has a little more to contribute as far as redemption, lol.

[Frails]

Nirvana screwed things up? Cmon now they were just a band that wrote some good songs that are still being played today. Trixter, Europe, Warrant, Poison, Winger and all the posers are the ones that screwed things up IMO. Just play and leave the hairspray and makeup at home. Foo is the opposite of this and I appreciate them for their old school rock n roll style. And I would venture to guess Grohl's tone is pretty simple to replicate. Guitar--amp

[Deftone]

I don't know about blaming Nirvana for anything. I was sick of no talent, spandex, hair bands like Poison calling themselves anything but pop music.

I liked almost all of what was coming out of Seattle: Nirvana and even better was Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Those guys brought us back to real rock and roll.

[epilespaul2000]

Nirvana started an era of 3 - 5 chord songs. Sounds good, but lacks talent.

[Benguitar]

Mesa Boogie Artist Gallery

Watch all the way to the end.

[lp_junkie]

Originally Posted by Deftone

I don't know about blaming Nirvana for anything. I was sick of no talent, spandex, hair bands like Poison calling themselves anything but pop music.

I liked almost all of what was coming out of Seattle: Nirvana and even better was Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Those guys brought us back to real rock and roll.

AIC and Soundgarden were great, in fact AIC is still great.

I agree the spandex and hairspray got out of hand, but I was part of that scene too.......... We recorded an album in 1989 only to lose our contract later and have 2 more albums that never got released because we wouldn't change to the new "formula" that was represented by Nirvana, now if the label had wanted us to sound more like AIC/Soundgarden I'd have been all over it and probably rich and retired by now.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by lp_junkie

First you have to play drums in a band that ruins music for people who like dudes who have perms, wear spandex and eyeliner, and play meaningless 20 minute guitar solos as fast as possible....

Corrected for accuracy.

[rustypaul]

At least those spandex wearing, perm sporting dudes could actually play their instruments... I'm sure if Cobain could actually play his guitar and/or he wasn't so depressed and self loathing, he would have wrote G'n'R or Poison type music.

Dave Grohl is the one good thing that came out of that whole nirvana thing.

You want his sound... practice a lot, get really good, play loud.

[Blues4U]

I liked most everything that came out of Seattle--except Nirvana-

As said before, AIC---Soundgarden were great--I like Everclear--Before Nirvana I liked Queensryche - Pearl Jam too- Oh yeah, Jimi was OK, lol--

Nirvana never did it for me--I am just now to the point I can stand to listen to their music-it's been long enough and every other song on the radio isn't a Nirvana song these days.

As for the spandex/hairspray stuff-In the beginning of that era, there were many good bands with talent and killer players--by the end, any band that had a drummer with a double bass kit and a blond haired singer that looked like a chick could get signed--it was really sick-

As in any fad in modern music--eventually, it become a over the top and meaningless.

Look what happened to grunge--it ended up being killed by bands wearing flannel, with greasy haired talented guys trying to pretend they weren't talented--

High points of spandex/hair spray bands---Pretty much all of Ozzy's stuff during this era/although the sight of Ozzy in spandex should have been enough for the outlaw of the use of the product-Cinderella- I still enjoy this band's music- Tesla-gotta love Frank Hannon- L.A. Guns -Hanoi Rocks - and I do recall seeing plenty of spandex and hair spray in GnR--Not to mention Iron Maiden jumping on the spandex band wagon--along with Accept and the Scorpions--Y&T (although they went pop in a hurry) and Fastway-How did I forget Van Halen--lots of spandex and a little hairspray. Oh Yeah--Ratt-

This list should illustrate that many good bands were thriving during this era as well--But there was plenty of crap to go around-

[snaredrum]

Originally Posted by StrangerNY

First, play drums in Nirvana...

- D

nonono

first play drums in Scream, THEN Nirvana...

can't believe all the nirvana bashing going on in here.

to suggest that they (even cobain in particular) couldn't play is a non-starter of an argument. of COURSE he could.

[StrangerNY]

Originally Posted by snaredrum

nonono

first play drums in Scream, THEN Nirvana...

Well, yeah.

Originally Posted by snaredrum

can't believe all the nirvana bashing going on in here.

to suggest that they (even cobain in particular) couldn't play is a non-starter of an argument. of COURSE he could.

Cobain is the whipping boy for all manner of sins here. You get used to it after a while. I've argued about it to the point where I don't argue about it any more.

He put a lot of bands out of business - mine included. But I don't hold it against him. The industry was ripe for change, and Cobain was it.

- D

[Liam O]

Kurt was a monster songwriter AND guitarist. So what if the music he played was simple?

Isn't that like, pretty much the same argument everybody makes for Slash on here? "But he plays with FEELING, man! With emotion! Who cares if he's not technically proficient???"

He didn't write epic solos into his songs because he didn't want them and didn't think they needed them. Sure it's convenient that he couldn't have played them even if he wanted to, but really it's irrelevant.

There's a reason why Nirvana, three piss-poor dudes who grew up on farms in Aberdeen, went on to be some of the most successful and recognizable names in music and entertainment of their decade. It's not because of their record company. It's not because of their image. It's because of Kurt's music.

Seems ridiculous to hear people complain that their label dropped them or whatever because Nirvana got big. What the hell is that? Sorry - that's your label's fault - you were clearly not working with anyone who gave a shit about you anyway (rarely a fault of the artists themselves, I'm sure). Pinning that on Cobain is some of the most jealousy ridden laughable crap I've ever heard.

[StrangerNY]

Originally Posted by Liam O

Seems ridiculous to hear people complain that their label dropped them or whatever because Nirvana got big. What the hell is that? Sorry - that's your label's fault - you were clearly not working with anyone who gave a shit about you anyway (rarely a fault of the artists themselves, I'm sure). Pinning that on Cobain is some of the most jealousy ridden laughable crap I've ever heard.

I agree with you - and I was dead in the middle of recording my band's first album at Bearsville when Nevermind dropped. My producer used to go to the record store in Kingston every Tuesday and buy all of the week's new releases, and when he got back to the studio he pulled me aside and said 'You gotta hear this.' He put 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on the CD player, and as soon as the drums kicked in I knew the game had changed.

And when my A&R guy started dropping hints that maybe we should write a couple of songs that 'sound like Nirvana,' I knew it was over. but like i said, I don't hold it against Nirvana. I think I'm one of the few guys here from that era of music who actually like their stuff.

- D

[dennistruckdriver]

Disco did the same thing in the 70s. Grinderswitch had their new album in the can. It was going to be their coup de grace! Disco showed up, and the album was never released by Atco. Years later, Dru Lombar bought it back and self-released it; it's GREAT!

[Liam O]

Originally Posted by StrangerNY

I agree with you - and I was dead in the middle of recording my band's first album at Bearsville when Nevermind dropped. My producer used to go to the record store in Kingston every Tuesday and buy all of the week's new releases, and when he got back to the studio he pulled me aside and said 'You gotta hear this.' He put 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on the CD player, and as soon as the drums kicked in I knew the game had changed.

And when my A&R guy started dropping hints that maybe we should write a couple of songs that 'sound like Nirvana,' I knew it was over. but like i said, I don't hold it against Nirvana. I think I'm one of the few guys here from that era of music who actually like their stuff.

- D

Yeah I mean I'm not denying that I'm sure that happened to a shitload of people. And it's definitely a shame. And it's happened many times before and will happen many times again. But honestly... shitty things happening in the music business? NO WAY.

What was the Hunter Thompson quote again?

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side."

[Liam O]

To get back on topic, I think Grohl's done some great stuff since then and some not so great stuff. I have a hard time calling myself a Foo Fighters fan even though I like a lot of it. I heard this one recent single on the radio the other day that was way too far on the bubblegum side of the pop fence for me to even keep on the dial. It was very 'Creed' or 'Nickleback.' It made me sad.

I am REALLY interested in hearing the Them Crooked Vultures cd that's supposed to drop on Nov. 17th.

The single that they leaked today is pretty awesome - "New Fang" - here's a link: twt.fm / them crooked vultures "new fang" (this link has been getting pounded all day so you might time out when trying to access it, but it IS the correct link).