Getting nuanced, expressive blues tone is surprisingly difficult – here’s five ways to improve yours
1 Find The Amp First
Daniel Steinhardt of TheGigRig says you need to match your guitar with the ideal amplifier before you think about adding overdrive pedals to the equation. “The most important thing for good blues tone is to make sure that you’re 100 per cent happy with the sound of the amp itself before you add any other effects,” he says. “Without anything else on, plugging straight into the amp, you need to be able to express yourself – and the sound of that amplifier has to connect with you. Until you get to that point, even the best overdrive pedal in the world is not going to be a magic bullet.”
2 Be Dynamic
“Blues is very much about self-expression, and to carry that off, you need good dynamic range [the nuances of hard and soft picking],” says Daniel. “I’ve had guys come to me with ultra-high-gain humbuckers in their guitars who wonder why they can’t get a good blues sound.”
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve