BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TONE

Get the basics of your rig sorted with these fundamental tone-shaping tips

01 EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT STRINGS

The material your strings are made of fundamentally affects your guitar tone. Of course, electric guitars require metal strings in order for the magnetic pickups to work, however, string manufacturers offer a range of alloys, each with different tonal properties. Plain steel and nickel-wound steel are most common for unwound/wound strings respectively. Rotosound's Ultramags are a 'highly magnetic' string which they say gives more power and sustain. Ernie Ball's Cobalt series 'maximises output and clarity'. You can judge their claims for yourself, but our experience is that materials do matter!

02 GET PLUCKY!

Not all picks are equal, and yes, they certainly can affect your tone. Eric Johnson and John Petrucci have each made use of Dunlop Jazz IIIs, both tweaking the shape of the point and edges for a smoother glide across the strings. The Edge uses Herdim Blue picks, plucking the strings with the textured end for a brighter, er, edge to his sound. Famously, Brian May uses an Old English Sixpence for his trademark tones. More fundamentally, the thickness of your pick can affect tone. Thin picks have a lovely gentle sound for strumming, for example.