Successful Rockers That Were Tone Deficient

[prs97]

Alex Lifeson had some crappy tone sometimes. Limelight. Always though they should re-record, and he plays a strat for that one I think. The solo's cool I guess.

As much as I love Rush, I have to agree. There are several albums where the tone was no bueno. I'm looking at you synth era Rush.

 

[poncho]

Neil Young- Should not even be allowed to play a guitar

Even though you've only made 200 posts in like ten years and I do that in a day and I'm statistically likely to not see you for a long time either which way anyway, you are dead to me


Page was the king of tone until Physical Graff. Not only should that album be trimmed to like 6 songs, but they all sound horrible and are in dire need of remastering and remixing. Mud. Mud and some melody. Talk about a bloated overrated mess, cripes

There's a couple good tunes there, but what a drop off after HOH

 

[mdubya]

FWIW- JCM 800 and JMP are not amp models, they are series of amps.

Randy and Dime. I hate Slash's skronky pre amp midrange-y tone.

I hate the guitar virtuoso tones of Eric Johnson, Satriani, Vai and the like; drowning in delay and processing. Makes my testicles shrink.

 

[mdubya]

I hate SRV's abuse of the inbetween Strat tones, too. Fuggin' annoying to my ears. I hate it for the never ending throngs of horrible imitators, too.

 

[ErictheRed]

The Beatles had complete shit tone.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

Johnny Winter and the Phaser that wouldn't quit...

 

[poncho]

The Beatles had complete shit tone.

 

[X–Ray]

The Beatles had complete shit tone.

George's tone (not his playing) left a lot to be desired at times...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa_HoQ-1LE0]Keith Richards - About George Harrison (and his 'thin' guitar sound) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[The Archer]

Randy Rhoads. I always hated his tone.

 

[Mexicanbreed]

Keith Richards couldn't hold a candle to Harrison.

 

[ErictheRed]

Oh, Harrison and Lennon could both play, don't get me wrong. But their tone was thin and terrible, just terrible on the ears.

 

[HRC]

Sounds damn good to me.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9E9FqYIDpo]Johnny Winter - The Illustrated Man - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

Sounds damn good to me.

Johnny Winter - The Illustrated Man - YouTube

Exactly. That is not his Phaser phase...

 

[Zungle]

I am generally the last person to mention KISS and or Ace Frehely in the same sentence with tone,chops or anything to do with talent......

But......

KISS "Alive " is a great all around album, pretty decent guitar tone

 

[parts]

However it worked well with that voice..

 

[OldBenKenobi]

didn't RR use JMP/JCM 800s? Aren't those regarded as awesome amps? What went wrong? I personally don't get the 800 series OR Plexi hype, myself. Love some of the 900 offerings.

He played a modded 1959SLP.

Disappointed to hear so many dissing Randy's sound. His tone is one of my absolute favorites and the main reason I got a T-Top. His studio tone was a little dead sounding but live? Nothing can touch it IMO.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CTpNA3bcuI]Ozzy Osbourne/ Randy Rhoads - Crazy Train (live 1981) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Mordor]

So, "trampled under foot" tone sounds just like "Can't quit you Babe"? Really?

Hey, I'm not big enough a fan to be able to remember the entire discography within 3 millisecs, and I don't have the time to make a detailed list of the tones I like and don't like, give me a break

Nobody is gonna tell Jimmy Page his tone sucks. It's well known back in the day he was an asshole. And it's Jimmy Page. Even if his tone does suck, you just don't tell him.

Who said I'm gonna tell him? Unless he spends time here, I think I'm pretty safe

 

[Jimmi]

Hey, I'm not big enough a fan to be able to remember the entire discography within 3 millisecs, and I don't have the time to make a detailed list of the tones I like and don't like, give me a break



Who said I'm gonna tell him? Unless he spends time here, I think I'm pretty safe

So you are making uniformed comments....of course you are it is MLPF. Sounds like you only listen to LZ when they come up on the classic rock station

I didn't name two obscure songs. Just ones had you listened would have been clear they were completely different guitar tones...thus, easily disproving your point.

 

[LeftyF2003]

His tone on the first two Ozzy discs was stellar, after that, it sucked balls-

First two discs he played Ampeg

Here's a breakdown of what is probably his last rig

And a page with a lot of info on his rig including his amp settings - I think part of the "problem" may have been the midrange hump on his MXR EQ

Article And Pictures Of Randy Rhoads' Custom Effects Pedalboard and Rig

But whatever you think of his sound he sure could play!

 

[NashvilleCat]

Clapton's Strat tone sounds way over processed on many of his recordings. Clapton playing with an LP, SG or 335 sounds incredibly good.
Johnny Winter's tone always sounds thin to me, but I love his playing.