Look, the people saying tone is in your hands aren't saying it's literally in your hands. It means SRV, BB King, Clapton, John Mayer, EVH, George Harrison, whoever. Still sound like themselves regardless of what gear they're using. It's a stylistic thing. It's about when you hear someone play guitar on a record, and it's totally unmistakable who's playing.
Agreed but also, I think when most people say "tone" they actually mean "feel". You can make what might sound like an avg or even slightly unpleasant raw tone (just the sound if you mindlessly hit a string or noodle a bit) make sense in the context of a song, in the mix with phrasing and microtones.
People take the statement way too literally. Of course a Fender Twin will never sound like the high gain channel of a Mesa Dual Rectifier. I’ve always interpreted the phrase as whatever setup you’re playing through will sound better as you put in the work to become a better player.
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough yes,,, but, great guitarists usually have a preference for certain gear and it's not usually the crap at the bottom of the price tier. Just saying. But yeah, you're 100% right.
On the other hand, sometimes I feel like an amazing guitar makes music all on its own and I just need to let it do its thing. I love it when I can just play one note or give it a strum and it already sounds glorious.
@@jamesalley7387 It's still in your bands though.... It isn't like a radio or a muisle car where the tone just happens... A guitar will make no noise much less tone if no one uses their hands to play it.
"In the hands" is just one of many ways to define "tone". The "style" or technique" is in the hands, (ie: listen to Jimi Hendrix live playing a Strat, vs playing a Gibson SG) Big difference in tone, but same "style".
I went down a rabbit hole with picks awhile ago. It was a pretty pricey endeavor, but well worth it in the end. I now know what pick I like for high gain (the plastic Dunlop Flow 1.15) and what pick I like for cleans (Dunlop Nylon 1.0).
Crazy how using a different pick and everything else the same, how drastic you can change your tone. I also went down the pick rabbit hole and took awhile but I like .73-1.5 mm thick and depending on style of music diff material.
With the caveat being the hands are the ultimate arbiter. If you're not very good, a new guitar, amp, or pedal won't help at all. When VH was opening for Ted Nugent, EVH let Ted play through his rig at soundcheck, and he accused EVH of hiding or not turning on a pedal that got that magic tone, because Ted couldn't make himself sound like Ed. Sure it's a combination, but "bone tone" is easily 70%, probably closer to 90%.
The reason people say "tone is in the hands" is because if you give a rubbish player a two rock and a 1959 les paul, they will still sound terrible. Give Robben Ford a rubbish guitar and amp and he will still make it sound better than the other dude. At least that's my interpretation of it.
Absolutely. A great player will turn a "crappy amp" into a cool thing. I've heard great players playing a small boxy piece of crap and it sounded amazing because their skill was at the level where it was just another cool sound. It's always been funny how many people want to recreate the sound of blues legends, many of them playing on what was considered nothing special before they made it big
Agreed but also, I think when most people say "tone" they actually mean feel. You can make what might sound like an avg or even slightly unpleasant raw tone (just the raw sound if you mindlessly hit a string or noodle a bit) make sense in the context of a song, with phrasing and microtones.
@RogerThat902 What most people don’t understand is that most of those legends were using what they had/what was available, not the best possible. Now we look back on something like a Marshall Plexi, while back then, it was just one of the few amps that was serviceable. The greats can get by on little, the rest of us probably actually need the gear to sound decent lmao.
Rhett you just BLEW my mind when you said in your intro that tone is not just in the pedals but in the power supply you use with your pedals . . . wow . . . last month I finally chucked my 6-DC SKB powered board which I had jury rigged to run 11 pedals for a new Voodoo Labs board with 12-DC power supply. The first time I played through that board I immediately noticed a clarity, punch, and depth to my signal processors that I had not heard before. I actually had to rethink using certain pedals in combination with other pedals because I was getting too much of a good thing in some cases . . . Point in my meandering- anyone reading this- yes, your power supply to your pedals will ABSOLUTELY affect the efficiency of your pedals and it will bring changes to both your sound and your tone. Spot on, Rhett . . .
Tone is not in the power supply. It is about what you do with the power supply. With the same settings under the same conditions, any decently designed power supply will produce the same sound out of your pedals. Electrons are electrons. Feed your pedals a steady 9V with a supply that's able to push enough current and it will sound the way it was designed. Power supplies are not fuzz faces. 9V batteries can SAG and that affects tone of old transistor pedals, 9V batteries are not 'well designed' in that sense. Other than that, there will be no audible difference between (say) a TrueTone, Cioks, Strymon etc if you use them under the same conditions.
Moving beyond self loathing and appreciating the positive parts of your playing, without comparing yourself to others, helps motivate better than, looking at what others do, and seeing what you can’t… It’s fun, inspiring to learn from others, but you can only be yourself. Copying is great, but music is ultimately about self discovery.
You’re a talented dude, Rhett. This was another great video. I realized at the end that I was focused the entire time. No idea why other than compelling content. Thanks for doing it!
I feel like the more you try to make your point the more your point falls apart. The phrase in question is about your knowledge, your ability and skill set. The power to make whatever right you have available to you, sound great. That’s what I understand when I hear that, “tone is in the hands”.
FINALLY! A video that really explains tone. I stopped arguing with fellow pickers years ago who were dead set on "tone is strictly in the hands". Last time I checked my hands could NOT overdrive a guitar, provide reverb, make slap-back delay, etc. Love this video!!!
I agree. Playing clean more tone comes from the hands. One I can think of in particular that his tone is totally in his hands. Actually he made players hide the pick when playing octaves. Wes Montgomery playing with his thump ,totally defined his tone. He had nothing to hide behind.
I think what is missing here is having two players play the same rig and how the sound will drastically change based on who is playing it. In that case it can totally be the hands.
That is playing style not tone. The tone of the actual guitar, speakers, pedals, amp ect. is the exact same. Give 2 guitarist the exact same setup its tone will be the same, but the playing style will be different.
That's still style. If a guitarist can make his Les Paul through a Marshall sound like a SSS Strat through a JC 120 just with his hands on the guitar then I'd agree. If i had the same drum set up and had two different drumers play them the drums would basically still be the same tone but their technique, timing, style, finese... would make the two sound different. You are still describing those same things with 2 different guitarist. Show me what part of the hand the tone comes from. If they strick the string in a different way and it gets a different sound its not because of the hands its technique. How hard they hammer on or pull off changes the sound but that's still because of technique not the physical hand.
That's what we have to put our effort on, nailing our tone, not trying to sound like someone else. Very good content, meaningful, we need more of these in TH-cam and other social media.
Expression is on the hands, tone comes from tons of places. Yes, expression can make you sound "better", but good tone in bad hands... well, we know that story. Great approach, nice vid Rhett 🫶
I like the concept that you've brought up many times that the gear choices; guitar, amp, pedals, etc actually impact how you approach the guitar and what you do with your hands to craft the tone. It's like being a sculptor, the tool you use is based on what part of the finished piece you are trying to reveal and you have to adjust your technique to the tool you're using.
On a counter point, I once was excited to show my buddy/mentor Nick my new guitar and amp. I was playing guitar plugged straight into the amp and it was sounding good, I felt good, I was hitting all the licks and such in my head, and we were just hanging out. After a few minutes I asked if he wanted to try it, and he said “sure!” I handed him the guitar, and he hit one chord that sounded so much better than everything I had just done it literally turned heads in the room. It almost made me angry how much better he sounded than me on my rig having never used it before and without turning a single knob. That was the day I learned “oh, there’s really levels to this crap” and immediately started practicing more lol
I also think the interpretation of our own rigs tone is different when we are playing and trying to interpret it vs hearing it playback through a looper, for example. I think our brain is only capable of so much and playing while trying to interpret super subtle tonal nuances is difficult. Whenever I am dialing in a tone I play the phrase/verse/chorus/song through a looper then go fiddle with my amp and pedals. Once those changes are made I play the same song/phrase through a looper. I find it wayyy easier and more time efficient. Try it out sometime
lmao, great story. Yep, we all have that experience where we think we sound good, then we hear someone a level or two above and it's like..."well, dang..."
That’s the importance of atttack. Electric guitar often needs an aggressive attack to gets everything compressing. That’s why we often sound crap in a music store, cos being tentative sounds bad. Tentative is different to deliberate light touch on a cranked rig too.
I think you've clearly articulated the point. At least, in my mind. I think the "tone" others refer to is a mix of the ingredients used plus feel and touch. Maybe even personality. I also think we can be informed as to what to play on certain guitars when we put them in our hands. Thanks, Rhett!
To paraphrase the late great Frank Zappa… tone is not in the hands, gear, or anywhere else but your mind. Makes sense the more you think about it and sums up the video too. Great talk!
I always interpreted this to mean that the tone that distinguishes the individual player is in their fingers. Every player on the same rig will probably sound just a little different. I saw a video about a player (forget the name) who played Brian May’s exact rig right after Brian had played it and he sounded like himself rather than Brian.
I am finally glad to hear this from someone who knows better than I would know. My first guitar instructor had a fair amount of classical training and he would occasionally say, "Tone is in the hands." I never really wanted to challenge him directly, but in the back of my mind, I questioned this. My thought at the time was even a master guitarist will never make a classical guitar sound like a stratocaster. They are different instruments. Each has its own tone regardless of the hands playing them.
Sorry rhett, i hear what you're trying to say/explain here but i think you've either confused yourself or misunderstood the phrase in general. No hate, your channel is one of the most informed on here but this one missed the mark.
Eh, I think it was more of a click bait approach to delve into the “tone” subject and how it’s much more than just hands, not really to completely invalidate the phrase.
Kind of feeling a bit the same way although agreeing with the other comment about the click bait title to the vid. Yes the tone is being created by the distortion (for example) but you still should be choosing you pedals to work with your fingers more than playing to your pedals. Obviously there is a balance, but in this day and age there are so many options of pedals/tones available that you should always be building your set up around your playing and not vice versa.
Great video Rhett. I think "tone in your hands" is another way of saying practice, learn the instrument as well as you can. Don't think getting a certain pedal or amp is going to make you a better player.
Good video (as usual). Everything counts - skill, passion, pickups (yes, a Mare or Ellis sounds better than a Squire pickup), picking technique, speakers, NOS tubes, digital profile (yes, a Tone Junkie sounds better than something I'd do), etc.
I hate the term "tone is in the hands". Expression and technique, note choice, etc., is surely all in the hand, but what I define as "tone" comes from the guitar, pedals, amps and speakers, microphones, etc. When you pick softer or harder, you're changing your expression. When you add or remove gain, dial your mids up or down, swap amps or cabs, that's when you're changing your tone. I hate this "etherial" element to tone, like it's something magical. It's not, but how a player chooses to express themselves can be.
I think there is something to be said about tone in the hands. I love listening to a bunch of different players who play mostly strats, but in my hands I just can’t get them to sound satisfying. I think there is something about the size, mass, strength of the player’s hands that does really make a difference. I get what you are saying but I still hold the saying as true. Much love! ❤️
I did a classic rock pickup gig one time, zero setup time so I stepped on stage and plugged into the previous band's guitarist's amp. He had the cleanest, truly squeaky clean tone you've ever heard - that was hard work; I had to completely change pretty much every part of every song on the fly - it was like playing a banjo with dead strings. The sound is in the gear, we shape it with how we play it.
Around @2:50 - to paraphrase “…we’ve just been talking about examples of tone in the hands until now… but just watch what happens if I flip this switch here (uses finger - attached to hand - to flip said switch 😊)… Yes, “tone is in the hands” may well be just lazy “guitar-player shorthand”, but every experienced player who has been through the lengthy process you describe in your “final thoughts” understands that just about every little thing in the signal chain makes a difference. The problem is that those who haven’t are often convinced that many of these things make a far bigger difference than is actually evident in reality…. So much so that you can give exactly the same guitar and signal chain to two different players, yet hear vastly different sounds. Perhaps a more accurate expression might be: “Tone is in the player’s head at first, and eventually a version of that tone comes of of his guitar/amp in a way that is totally unique to that specific player”… but we’re guitarists here, so lets not over-complicate things - “The tone is in the hands” will suffice.
The expression tone is in the hands is often misunderstood. It's never meant to be an absolute statement mutually exclusive of other factors but more to counter the over-emphasis on gear. Tone in the hands also implies the unique touch & feel of the player.
I really appreciate your complex analysis of this topic. You identified numerous factors that may affect tone. Some of those factors may be more important than others. You also demonstrate some convincing examples showing that the hands can be a small factor in some cases. What is really important in what you are saying is that these factors affecting tone interact. For example, your tone will affect your technique (the "intentional choices"), and the technique you want to use will affect the others factors you select (gain, tubes, etc). This could all be measured and analyzed mathematically, but who really wants to do that? I sometimes wonder how many of our tonal decisions are based on our hearing guitar recordings rather than being in the room with the actual rigs. Modeling rigs seems to bypass this problem by directly putting "recorded" sound directly into a track, which can give us the sounds we grew up loving, even if we never had a rig that was anything like the ones used in the studios that produced the records we love.
I am glad you brought up muting for hi-gain situations. The last several years, I have been playing hi-gain pedals on bass. In terms of things getting out of hand, bass is worse than guitar. I have really had to work hard on my muting. I just got a 5 string and it has been back to drawing board for muting. Muting is under appreciated for good tone.
THANK YOU!!!! I’ve been playing for 35 years and I’m so sick of that term. A player’s VOICE is in their hands, but tone is 95% gear, 3% context and 2% player. You cannot have Clapton plug into Dimebag’s rig, and have it sound exactly like the “tones” on a Cream record. You also can’t buy all the gear used by another player, and have their voice. That’s the player. Guitarists need to get their terminology straight.
SRV was very fond of saying it’s in the hands. But he also was maniacal about finding the right combination of amps, pedals, etc. So I would describe tone as “all of the above.”
Fair enough Rhett. You are right. Part of this is a choice - would you rather vary your touch or move dials, switches and play with gear? I don't use a pick, and there are differences all along between ponticello and tasto. Lately I was reminded to get a soft effect by using only the flesh of my fingers instead of my usual way of using the nails (0600 grit filed, usually left side, or straight across - I'm right-handed). Gear is great, but I enjoy getting "in touch" with the strings.
I am a completely different guitarist when I play with my fingers instead of a pick. You would think it was two different players. Nothing crosses over that would make you think it was only me.
@@HandyL I like the sound of that. A different approach and you access a variety of sounds, styles. I also get a different take if I go all in on just my thumb - plus you can slap that way. Not saying I don't ever use pedals ... but ...
@@JohnInder256 absolutely! Going with just the thumb can make for some very unique sounds and tones. I wish I could use my thumb as well as my hero Wes Montgomery but I don’t think I ever could even with years of practice. He does some crazy fast moves with up and down strokes with his thumb that are just unbelievable in videos I’ve seen of him playing.
Tone is absolutely in your fingers and it's absolutely in your heart and in your groove and bag of chops too. it's also in your gear. I play with one cat in particular who's a fantastic bass player and guitarist and band leader and singer and he insists on playing through his dual 1972 Peavy solid state bass rig and matching guitar rig. He's been playing these amps since 72! He's that kind of guy. Fixes everything and never gets anything new lol. He's a great player, but when he plugs his strat into that Amp, no matter how good his note choices are or what he's saying on the instrument, it sounds sterile and piercing. He flips on distortion, pedals and overdrive, pedals and chorus… None of that helps! Having a good sounding rig matters. Knowing how to use it matters! People love my tone. I get told that all the time. Some people love my playing.. I practice every day. I progress, but I don't think I'm a great player. Because of you @Rhrett I do own two Novo Serus guitars and an Idris. Do they sound better than my other Guitars? I'm not so sure they sound better but I dig them in a big way and I want to play them and they inspire me :-)
A guitar tone is shaped by a signal chain that starts from the person and travels through the instrument, effects, amp, and speaker. Here’s a breakdown of each step and how it impacts the tone: The Player Technique and Style: Tone starts with the guitarist's hands. Picking, finger placement, attack, vibrato, and bending all impact tone. For example, picking hard versus soft will produce different dynamics and harmonic content. Type of Pick: Thicker picks give a warmer, fuller sound, while thinner picks offer a brighter, more percussive tone. The Guitar Body Wood and Construction: Different woods affect resonance and sustain. For example, mahogany tends to give a warmer, darker sound, while maple adds brightness and snap. Pickups: Single-coils offer clarity and brightness, while humbuckers provide a thicker, warmer sound. Active pickups are punchier, while passive pickups sound more organic. Tone and Volume Knobs: These knobs shape the frequency output from the guitar. Lowering the tone knob cuts high frequencies, and volume adjustments affect the signal strength going into the amp. Pedals and Effects (if used) Distortion/Overdrive: Adds grit, compression, and harmonics, creating a “heavier” or “saturated” sound. Modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser): Alters the signal to create swirling, warbling, or sweeping effects, adding texture. Delay/Reverb: Adds space and depth, simulating room ambiance or echo. EQ: Shapes frequencies to highlight or cut lows, mids, or highs in the signal. Effects order matters, as placing an overdrive before delay will produce a different sound than placing it after. Amp Head Preamp Section: Amplifies and shapes the signal before it goes to the power amp. The preamp is crucial for adding gain and tone coloration. Tone Controls (EQ): Most amps have bass, mid, and treble knobs that shape the frequency response. Power Amp Section: Amplifies the preamp’s signal to drive the speaker. Tube power amps color the tone with warmth, compression, and harmonic richness, while solid-state power amps provide a cleaner, more precise sound. Amp Type: Different amps have different tonal characteristics. For example: Fender amps are known for a bright, clean tone. Marshall amps provide a crunchy, mid-heavy rock tone. Mesa/Boogie amps are versatile, offering from high-gain to clean sounds. Speaker Cabinet Speaker Size and Type: Common speaker sizes are 10” and 12”, each impacting bass response and clarity. Specific speaker models, like Celestion Greenbacks or Vintage 30s, impart their own character to the tone. Cabinet Construction: Open-back cabs allow sound to spread, producing a more spacious tone, while closed-back cabs focus the sound, providing tighter bass. Mic Placement: If miking the cab, mic position impacts tone. Closer miking brings out clarity and punch, while distant miking captures room ambiance. Each component in this chain influences the final tone, and small adjustments in one area (like turning up the amp gain or tweaking the EQ) can alter the entire sound significantly. The art of tone shaping is about balancing each piece of this chain to achieve the desired result.
Thank you interested perspective! I I truly believe tone is in the hands, in the fingers, in your heart and your soul! Out of that there is a death wood, empty strings or robotic pedalboard…
"TONE" is the complex combination of SOUND and MANNER OF EXPRESSION. It combines mechanical elements (ie the equipment) and the human elements (the player's physical and emotional characteristics). This is why two different player's can play with the same exact equipment, in the same place, at the same time, and be heard differently. And it's also why the same player using different equipment can be heard differently. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Great video, I greatly appreciate your opening monologue about what drives tone and how multifaceted it is, I think 1 the biggest driver of tone or sound of a guitarist is in their technique
I assumed we all understood that tone comes from equipment more than anything and saying “it’s in the hands” is a way of saying to not go overboard with effects and think you need the most expensive gear to sound great.
@Rhett - You make a very compelling point. With my very first electric guitar when I was in my early teens, I was quite disappointed that plugging it into my parents's stereo didn't result in anything close to the "Smoke On The Water" tone I was wanting...
I believe the saying comes from a reaction to the ones who spend too much time thinking about the gear being used, and not enough time just PLAYING. Touch and feel have a massive effect on tone. It's like anything in life. If you really mean it, it will sound genuine. If your trying too hard or pretending to sound like something, it will sound like it.
Thanks, Rhett for basically explaining what goes through my head every time I hear that phrase. Yes, I always sound like me, but depending on the gear, I can sound like different variations of myself. Now I feel justified for having four Les Pauls. 😜
I think tone and sound are two different things. A strat through a fuzz face into a Twin Reverb is a great sound. But the tone is going to be completely different between Clapton, Hendrix, or SRV playing through it. And I think that’s where the tone comes from the hands of the player. It’s like their own touch and personality and fingerprint.
The tone is in Your hands. The sound will change according to the guitar/amp/ pedals You are using. The quality of the sound created (the tone) is in Your hands. What is good or bad tone is in the brain.
Tone IS in the hands. Eddie Van Halen has been saying it for years. Steve Vai said Eddie played through Steve's entire rig and it still sounded like Eddie. So it's not what you play but how you play (your touch on the instrument, where on the string you are picking/plucking/strumming, and how hard or/and soft you're playing the notes). But I totally get and agree with what you're saying. All the gear is part of the puzzle (cable, guitar, pedals, amp, speakers, strings, picks, even mics). Including guitar parts as well (nut material, bridge type/material, pickups, guitar body shape/wood, neck/fretboard wood and scale length). Super cool video! This is a topic that doesn't get talked about enough.
I am excited to hear your thoughts on this, Rhett. I feel most of the distinctions come from right hand technique, pickup selection, strings and sound reproduction methods, specifically the final loudspeaker itself. Of those parts, we have the most expressive control over our picking hand, uniquely. The left hand has some role, too, obviously: vibrato, glissando etc. but the right hand is extremely impactful, comparatively. Typing and watching along nodding. P.S. I love my Tonebender 1.5-style fuzz (Eddie Rifkind Effects KarenX Twitter Manager) so damn hard it hurts, and you are right about the importance of the effects, but our hands definitely make those work the way they are supposed to, one has to learn to play the effects as a part of the instrument, NODDERS.
There’s a difference between “tone” that describes the measurable qualities of sound and “tone” that describes the ability of the player to apply the sound - whatever sound is available - tastefully. When I hear “tone is in the hands” it’s the latter that comes to mind.
At first I was like "well, if two players played on the same guitar..." but then, I realized that your point is more towards people, that claim you don't need all the different stuff and like it was only your hands that were affecting the tone, in essence kinda sorta gatekeeping while being ignorant. Great video!
The way I think of it: Tone is in the way the player addresses the instrument and is linked to technique. How hard they pick, how they fret, pressure, tension, where they pick, pick or fingers etc etc etc. A player’s sound is what comes out when their tone meets their equipment.
I think we all have a certain musical image in our minds. Our gear purchases and pedal choices and amp choices, pickups, all really are in an effort get that image out of our hands and to the instrument. Attack is SOOOO important I think. A sustained note sounds extremely similar one guitar to the next. That initial few miliseconds at the front give our ears more definition and helps us tell the difference between guitars and players. That's how it works for me anyway. Starts in the mind. I work out how to get it out through my hands. Everything after that is more of an "aesthetic" choice. Les paul, strat, tele, whatever. But I will definitely play things differently in the same mix if I'm on a different guitar. It's hard to put into words.... I'll try. "How do you want to sound?" And "what do you want to sound like?" There is a very important distiction between the 2 questions. "How" you sound is one thing. You can sound good, bad, or ugly, on any instrument. "What you want to sound like" is a separate thing. Do you want to sound good, bad, or ugly, on a les paul? Or a strat? Or a tele? I think the saying is aimed at newer players, and it's to emphasise that they should not prioritize gear.... they should prioritize practicing.
your last sentence is true. It´s the experienced player, who is able to adapt to the equipment to get his tone = personal sound. So good equipment and the knowledge how to use it to get the sound, that I hunt and love is the key!
During the pandemic, I saved some cash and splurged on a Mesa Boogie Mark V head. Very expensive (more than twice as much as I’d spent on any previous amp, including my Mesa Nomad combo). I can’t overstate how responsive it is and how amazing the tone. I can tell you for a fact that better gear makes a huge difference. I had no idea how much until I maxed my amp game.
I agree with this. I do think it’s somewhat true that tone partly comes from your fingers. But I can get pretty much any tone I want with my Marshall JVM205H.
I think the idea is super obvious, and the whole debate has kind of driven me nuts for a long time. You're demonstration of the idea however, is very well done. Thank you
Fair explanation. I absolutely sound like me no matter what I am playing, but I do have to play to the effects, pickups, amp etc. to get what I want out of them. The things that make me sound like me, you sound like you, Page sound like Page...... is how we each interface with the strings and the instrument. A slightly different touch, the smallest difference in where my sausage fingers end up relative to the fret wire vs. someone with thinner fingers, slight almost imperceptible difference in downward pressure on a string, how your fingers interact with wound and unwound strings and so much more all go into why no two players sound exactly the same.
I've never thought of "tone is in the hands" in the way you describe it. I've always thought the phrase meant: "the guitarist has complete mastery of the tone being used". It's like saying "you've got it under your fingers". The opposite being: "your tone is out of your hands" i.e."you don't know how best to use that tone".
I heard someone say recently (something along the lines of) ‘dynamics or style is in the hands, tone is in the equipment’ I think that is more accurate. One is the ‘what’ and another is the ‘how’.
Technique is in the hands. A beginner will sound like a beginner no matter what they're using, and a great player can make just about anything sound good because they have the skill to at least play well enough that we don't mind the potentially bad tone produced by the the equipment. The sound coming out of the amp is the same no matter who's playing the guitar that's plugged into it, the EQ doesn't change from person to person, it's the skill and playstyle of the player that changes.
Good points. The way I think of the saying is more like your last point. If I pick up your guitar and play thru your rig, I'm still going to sound like me.
Love this conversation! Its akin to comments I see in the amp world about rectification type, power supply, cap type and brand etc. Perhaps I need to make a video from the perspective of an amp builder.
Thank You for saying this Rhett! I've been saying this for years. To me tone is in everything BUT the hands. The amp is a big one. I think people get Tone and Technique mixed up. Technique is in the Hands Tone is not. My opinion of course. If tone is in the hands I'd like to see the edge play with an acoustic guitar only. Like to see how close that sounds to his albums. My guess is not at all like the albums. Now if tone was in his hands it would sound like the albums. Technique and style wise players sound like themselves no matter what equipment they play. But Tone? Not at all. Really enjoy the channel.
Humans are not static. Everybody change the playing to be in "tune" with the sound and equipment. We change to achive a similar outcome. Thats why a good player can sound like himself with mostly any Equipment.
I agree Rhett, every piece in my chain has a little bit to do with the overall tone. For me, I love experimenting and taking note of what sounded better after changing some settings on an effect, or swapping a different effect at that spot of my board altogether. It took me years to find cables that I felt didn't take away from the tone, and to this day I still enjoy trying new brands of strings to see how much difference I notice. Same with picks for me, I get a different sounding tone with a Herco 75 pick than I do with an Ernie Ball Everlast 1.14, or a Dunlop Tortex 0.88, and I like writing it down when I feel like I've found the best combination for each of my guitars. I also think everyone's ear is going to be different, and what stands out to one person may not stand out at all to another, but I think it's super cool how very different everyone's optimal tone is to them. Many variables that I've loved about guitars, and gear for decades.
The chase for good gear and the chase to become a better player are completely separate endeavors, and one doesn't negate the other. Practice to become better. Also enjoy your new gear. Pursuing both doesn't hurt your progress with either.
The first 80% of the budget is spent on the first 80% of the tone, the last 80% of the budget is spent on the last 20% of the tone. Whoops you're over budget by 60%. Story checks out
“Tone is in the hands of the player” I think that reference applies, for most of us, as when you hear a player you know immediately who it is. Also it applies to that guy, like my friend Mike, who can come into a jam with a totally clean sound and rip it with a near death metal band and make it sound great. The guy is amazing that way. My example may be a bit of an exaggeration but then again so is the statement “ tone is in the hands”! Love your vids. I wait for them.
Recognizing the player is less about tone and more about notes. There is some tone which is unique to a player and their hands, but, it's even more the notes, note choices, voicings, rhythm, the "concept" which we recognize when we're identifying artists by ear. That's the reason why we recognize them on different guitars, through different effects and with different signal chains.
You should do an " in the hands" session with several guitarists. a few weeks ago I had a friend over. handing my sg back and forth. same rig . he was playin a completely different "TONE" with out touching the, switches, knobs, pedals, or amp. granted I set things up" in the zone", where the amp was dynamic and responsive. Have each player set up a rig -guitar -pedals -amp, tape off the knobs, then trade guitars, and lets hear what IS in the hands.
Tone is actually in the Tube Screamer
🧂🥶💀🤌🏻
Tone is in the six boss metal zones
This subject is ripe for witty comments! Good job. Cheers!
Nice
Tube who?
Toan is stored in the balls
...Ernie Ball's Super Slinky 9s
what is toan?
Surprised it took this long for this comment to show up.
Damn
HOSS THESE BALLS ARE FULL OF FEEL
Ernie's Balls have the best toan
"It's in the cables, the tube's, the tone stack, it's in the trees... ITS IN THE FUCKING TREES"
It’s up your butt
😂😂😂
IT'S IN THE GODDAMN WALLS!
Charlie is in the trees!
Good observation, the tone is in the tone stack.
Look, the people saying tone is in your hands aren't saying it's literally in your hands. It means SRV, BB King, Clapton, John Mayer, EVH, George Harrison, whoever. Still sound like themselves regardless of what gear they're using. It's a stylistic thing. It's about when you hear someone play guitar on a record, and it's totally unmistakable who's playing.
Yeah, in fact it's the closed loop between the brain, the fingers, the complete equipment chain, the ears and then finally, back to the brain
Clapton never sounded the same when he stopped using Gibson guitars on a regular basis
Precisely!!!
Agreed but also, I think when most people say "tone" they actually mean "feel". You can make what might sound like an avg or even slightly unpleasant raw tone (just the sound if you mindlessly hit a string or noodle a bit) make sense in the context of a song, in the mix with phrasing and microtones.
Tone is where you hang your hat.
I’m so glad you played that Al Green song!!!!
I play R&B music and it’s so rare to hear it on a TH-cam guitar video. Thank you 🙏🏾
Agreed, bonus points
People take the statement way too literally. Of course a Fender Twin will never sound like the high gain channel of a Mesa Dual Rectifier. I’ve always interpreted the phrase as whatever setup you’re playing through will sound better as you put in the work to become a better player.
People are lazy, what they should say is tone comes from a combination of the guitar, the gear and way the player plays.
@@realtruenorth I mean a great guitarist can make any guitar sound good but a poor guitarist can't make any guitar sound good.
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough yes,,, but, great guitarists usually have a preference for certain gear and it's not usually the crap at the bottom of the price tier. Just saying. But yeah, you're 100% right.
The great Chet Atkins was once told “your guitar sounds great”. So he set it on its stand and said “how does it sound now?”.
😂😂
On the other hand, sometimes I feel like an amazing guitar makes music all on its own and I just need to let it do its thing. I love it when I can just play one note or give it a strum and it already sounds glorious.
TIL Chet Atkins was one thin-skinned, passive aggressive diva lmao
@@jamesalley7387 It's still in your bands though.... It isn't like a radio or a muisle car where the tone just happens... A guitar will make no noise much less tone if no one uses their hands to play it.
Nigel Tufnel disproved that. "The sustain, listen to it".
Tone is where the heart is
no, it's where the ball are
"In the hands" is just one of many ways to define "tone". The "style" or technique" is in the hands, (ie: listen to Jimi Hendrix live playing a Strat, vs playing a Gibson SG) Big difference in tone, but same "style".
Something that most people miss...the PICK! You can drastically change your tone by changing your pick.
Pick? What pick?
Genius!
I went down a rabbit hole with picks awhile ago. It was a pretty pricey endeavor, but well worth it in the end. I now know what pick I like for high gain (the plastic Dunlop Flow 1.15) and what pick I like for cleans (Dunlop Nylon 1.0).
Delrin 1.0 mm (ibanez), esa púa hace magia.
Crazy how using a different pick and everything else the same, how drastic you can change your tone. I also went down the pick rabbit hole and took awhile but I like .73-1.5 mm thick and depending on style of music diff material.
It's a combination of everything man
This
I don't understand how it could be anything else.
It’s a complex system of complex systems.
With the caveat being the hands are the ultimate arbiter. If you're not very good, a new guitar, amp, or pedal won't help at all. When VH was opening for Ted Nugent, EVH let Ted play through his rig at soundcheck, and he accused EVH of hiding or not turning on a pedal that got that magic tone, because Ted couldn't make himself sound like Ed. Sure it's a combination, but "bone tone" is easily 70%, probably closer to 90%.
@@tyroneshuz sounds right to me-
The reason people say "tone is in the hands" is because if you give a rubbish player a two rock and a 1959 les paul, they will still sound terrible. Give Robben Ford a rubbish guitar and amp and he will still make it sound better than the other dude. At least that's my interpretation of it.
I will volunteer for this experiment.
@@mykneeshurt8393 Ha me too!
Absolutely. A great player will turn a "crappy amp" into a cool thing. I've heard great players playing a small boxy piece of crap and it sounded amazing because their skill was at the level where it was just another cool sound. It's always been funny how many people want to recreate the sound of blues legends, many of them playing on what was considered nothing special before they made it big
Agreed but also, I think when most people say "tone" they actually mean feel. You can make what might sound like an avg or even slightly unpleasant raw tone (just the raw sound if you mindlessly hit a string or noodle a bit) make sense in the context of a song, with phrasing and microtones.
@RogerThat902 What most people don’t understand is that most of those legends were using what they had/what was available, not the best possible. Now we look back on something like a Marshall Plexi, while back then, it was just one of the few amps that was serviceable. The greats can get by on little, the rest of us probably actually need the gear to sound decent lmao.
Tone is in the tone.
Wish I had thought of that! Cheers!
And in the bone LOL
Out of the heart ❤
u couldn't have said it better bro
Right on brother tone is anywhere you wish to find it the tool provides the inspiration which puts the tone in your hands
Tone is in the brain.
Now, you really can’t argue with that. lol
Literally everything he mentioned that makes a difference has come from the brain.
Exactly. The hands are an extension of the brain, and knowing how to use this gear is in the brain.
Tone is in the brain.
@@brianmiller3287No, it's in the brain.
Bro cooked here
Rhett you just BLEW my mind when you said in your intro that tone is not just in the pedals but in the power supply you use with your pedals . . . wow . . . last month I finally chucked my 6-DC SKB powered board which I had jury rigged to run 11 pedals for a new Voodoo Labs board with 12-DC power supply. The first time I played through that board I immediately noticed a clarity, punch, and depth to my signal processors that I had not heard before. I actually had to rethink using certain pedals in combination with other pedals because I was getting too much of a good thing in some cases . . . Point in my meandering- anyone reading this- yes, your power supply to your pedals will ABSOLUTELY affect the efficiency of your pedals and it will bring changes to both your sound and your tone. Spot on, Rhett . . .
Tone is not in the power supply. It is about what you do with the power supply. With the same settings under the same conditions, any decently designed power supply will produce the same sound out of your pedals. Electrons are electrons. Feed your pedals a steady 9V with a supply that's able to push enough current and it will sound the way it was designed. Power supplies are not fuzz faces. 9V batteries can SAG and that affects tone of old transistor pedals, 9V batteries are not 'well designed' in that sense. Other than that, there will be no audible difference between (say) a TrueTone, Cioks, Strymon etc if you use them under the same conditions.
Moving beyond self loathing and appreciating the positive parts of your playing, without comparing yourself to others, helps motivate better than, looking at what others do, and seeing what you can’t…
It’s fun, inspiring to learn from others, but you can only be yourself. Copying is great, but music is ultimately about self discovery.
That is so zen and unexpected comment! Maybe best comment ive seen on any channel.
@ thank you for your kind words.
You’re a talented dude, Rhett. This was another great video. I realized at the end that I was focused the entire time. No idea why other than compelling content. Thanks for doing it!
The video that finally answers "but how do I GET the tone into my hands?" Nice work, friend!
I feel like the more you try to make your point the more your point falls apart. The phrase in question is about your knowledge, your ability and skill set. The power to make whatever right you have available to you, sound great. That’s what I understand when I hear that, “tone is in the hands”.
FINALLY! A video that really explains tone. I stopped arguing with fellow pickers years ago who were dead set on "tone is strictly in the hands". Last time I checked my hands could NOT overdrive a guitar, provide reverb, make slap-back delay, etc. Love this video!!!
I agree. Playing clean more tone comes from the hands. One I can think of in particular that his tone is totally in his hands. Actually he made players hide the pick when playing octaves.
Wes Montgomery playing with his thump ,totally defined his tone. He had nothing to hide behind.
I think what is missing here is having two players play the same rig and how the sound will drastically change based on who is playing it. In that case it can totally be the hands.
That is playing style not tone. The tone of the actual guitar, speakers, pedals, amp ect. is the exact same. Give 2 guitarist the exact same setup its tone will be the same, but the playing style will be different.
Amen
Actually he mentioned that
That's still style. If a guitarist can make his Les Paul through a Marshall sound like a SSS Strat through a JC 120 just with his hands on the guitar then I'd agree. If i had the same drum set up and had two different drumers play them the drums would basically still be the same tone but their technique, timing, style, finese... would make the two sound different. You are still describing those same things with 2 different guitarist. Show me what part of the hand the tone comes from. If they strick the string in a different way and it gets a different sound its not because of the hands its technique. How hard they hammer on or pull off changes the sound but that's still because of technique not the physical hand.
‘Tone is in the hands’ refers to a comparison between two players through the same equipment. Still interesting vid!
💯
The groove is in the heart...
That's what we have to put our effort on, nailing our tone, not trying to sound like someone else. Very good content, meaningful, we need more of these in TH-cam and other social media.
Expression is on the hands, tone comes from tons of places. Yes, expression can make you sound "better", but good tone in bad hands... well, we know that story.
Great approach, nice vid Rhett 🫶
The guitar is in my hands. The tone is in everything I do after I pick it up and start playing.😊
I like the concept that you've brought up many times that the gear choices; guitar, amp, pedals, etc actually impact how you approach the guitar and what you do with your hands to craft the tone. It's like being a sculptor, the tool you use is based on what part of the finished piece you are trying to reveal and you have to adjust your technique to the tool you're using.
On a counter point, I once was excited to show my buddy/mentor Nick my new guitar and amp. I was playing guitar plugged straight into the amp and it was sounding good, I felt good, I was hitting all the licks and such in my head, and we were just hanging out. After a few minutes I asked if he wanted to try it, and he said “sure!” I handed him the guitar, and he hit one chord that sounded so much better than everything I had just done it literally turned heads in the room. It almost made me angry how much better he sounded than me on my rig having never used it before and without turning a single knob. That was the day I learned “oh, there’s really levels to this crap” and immediately started practicing more lol
This is exactly the point of this quote... Rhetts video misses that completely and focuses on gear, which is obviously different, always
@@Pr0v0kat0r777 now in his defense, he probably just made a sweetwater connection VERY happy lol
I also think the interpretation of our own rigs tone is different when we are playing and trying to interpret it vs hearing it playback through a looper, for example. I think our brain is only capable of so much and playing while trying to interpret super subtle tonal nuances is difficult. Whenever I am dialing in a tone I play the phrase/verse/chorus/song through a looper then go fiddle with my amp and pedals. Once those changes are made I play the same song/phrase through a looper. I find it wayyy easier and more time efficient. Try it out sometime
lmao, great story. Yep, we all have that experience where we think we sound good, then we hear someone a level or two above and it's like..."well, dang..."
That’s the importance of atttack.
Electric guitar often needs an aggressive attack to gets everything compressing. That’s why we often sound crap in a music store, cos being tentative sounds bad. Tentative is different to deliberate light touch on a cranked rig too.
I think you've clearly articulated the point.
At least, in my mind.
I think the "tone" others refer to is a mix of the ingredients used plus feel and touch. Maybe even personality.
I also think we can be informed as to what to play on certain guitars when we put them in our hands.
Thanks, Rhett!
Thanks Rhett,
I would love to see you and Glenn Fricker debate this subject 😮
I believe that your audiences will be intrigued 🤘
To paraphrase the late great Frank Zappa… tone is not in the hands, gear, or anywhere else but your mind.
Makes sense the more you think about it and sums up the video too. Great talk!
I always interpreted this to mean that the tone that distinguishes the individual player is in their fingers. Every player on the same rig will probably sound just a little different. I saw a video about a player (forget the name) who played Brian May’s exact rig right after Brian had played it and he sounded like himself rather than Brian.
I am finally glad to hear this from someone who knows better than I would know. My first guitar instructor had a fair amount of classical training and he would occasionally say, "Tone is in the hands." I never really wanted to challenge him directly, but in the back of my mind, I questioned this. My thought at the time was even a master guitarist will never make a classical guitar sound like a stratocaster. They are different instruments. Each has its own tone regardless of the hands playing them.
Sorry rhett, i hear what you're trying to say/explain here but i think you've either confused yourself or misunderstood the phrase in general. No hate, your channel is one of the most informed on here but this one missed the mark.
Eh, I think it was more of a click bait approach to delve into the “tone” subject and how it’s much more than just hands, not really to completely invalidate the phrase.
Kind of feeling a bit the same way although agreeing with the other comment about the click bait title to the vid. Yes the tone is being created by the distortion (for example) but you still should be choosing you pedals to work with your fingers more than playing to your pedals. Obviously there is a balance, but in this day and age there are so many options of pedals/tones available that you should always be building your set up around your playing and not vice versa.
Great video Rhett. I think "tone in your hands" is another way of saying practice, learn the instrument as well as you can. Don't think getting a certain pedal or amp is going to make you a better player.
Your analogies were great and I think it's a combo of both. There are so many variables and it totally makes sense what you are saying!
Good video (as usual). Everything counts - skill, passion, pickups (yes, a Mare or Ellis sounds better than a Squire pickup), picking technique, speakers, NOS tubes, digital profile (yes, a Tone Junkie sounds better than something I'd do), etc.
I hate the term "tone is in the hands". Expression and technique, note choice, etc., is surely all in the hand, but what I define as "tone" comes from the guitar, pedals, amps and speakers, microphones, etc. When you pick softer or harder, you're changing your expression. When you add or remove gain, dial your mids up or down, swap amps or cabs, that's when you're changing your tone. I hate this "etherial" element to tone, like it's something magical. It's not, but how a player chooses to express themselves can be.
You’re spot on Rhett. You’re becoming very wise man. I mean that ❤
I think there is something to be said about tone in the hands. I love listening to a bunch of different players who play mostly strats, but in my hands I just can’t get them to sound satisfying. I think there is something about the size, mass, strength of the player’s hands that does really make a difference. I get what you are saying but I still hold the saying as true. Much love! ❤️
I did a classic rock pickup gig one time, zero setup time so I stepped on stage and plugged into the previous band's guitarist's amp. He had the cleanest, truly squeaky clean tone you've ever heard - that was hard work; I had to completely change pretty much every part of every song on the fly - it was like playing a banjo with dead strings. The sound is in the gear, we shape it with how we play it.
Great video, Rhett! That zen delay is especially inspiring!!
Around @2:50 - to paraphrase “…we’ve just been talking about examples of tone in the hands until now… but just watch what happens if I flip this switch here (uses finger - attached to hand - to flip said switch 😊)… Yes, “tone is in the hands” may well be just lazy “guitar-player shorthand”, but every experienced player who has been through the lengthy process you describe in your “final thoughts” understands that just about every little thing in the signal chain makes a difference. The problem is that those who haven’t are often convinced that many of these things make a far bigger difference than is actually evident in reality…. So much so that you can give exactly the same guitar and signal chain to two different players, yet hear vastly different sounds. Perhaps a more accurate expression might be: “Tone is in the player’s head at first, and eventually a version of that tone comes of of his guitar/amp in a way that is totally unique to that specific player”… but we’re guitarists here, so lets not over-complicate things - “The tone is in the hands” will suffice.
The expression tone is in the hands is often misunderstood. It's never meant to be an absolute statement mutually exclusive of other factors but more to counter the over-emphasis on gear. Tone in the hands also implies the unique touch & feel of the player.
I really appreciate your complex analysis of this topic. You identified numerous factors that may affect tone. Some of those factors may be more important than others. You also demonstrate some convincing examples showing that the hands can be a small factor in some cases. What is really important in what you are saying is that these factors affecting tone interact. For example, your tone will affect your technique (the "intentional choices"), and the technique you want to use will affect the others factors you select (gain, tubes, etc). This could all be measured and analyzed mathematically, but who really wants to do that? I sometimes wonder how many of our tonal decisions are based on our hearing guitar recordings rather than being in the room with the actual rigs. Modeling rigs seems to bypass this problem by directly putting "recorded" sound directly into a track, which can give us the sounds we grew up loving, even if we never had a rig that was anything like the ones used in the studios that produced the records we love.
Good tone is not 'just in the hands', true.
On the other hand, bad tone is entirely in the hands, at least in my example.
That warms my heart, as a 61 year old guitarist that has seen countless videos of yours, I was not expecting " love and happiness." Good stuff
I am glad you brought up muting for hi-gain situations. The last several years, I have been playing hi-gain pedals on bass. In terms of things getting out of hand, bass is worse than guitar. I have really had to work hard on my muting. I just got a 5 string and it has been back to drawing board for muting. Muting is under appreciated for good tone.
Tone is in the wallet
THANK YOU!!!! I’ve been playing for 35 years and I’m so sick of that term. A player’s VOICE is in their hands, but tone is 95% gear, 3% context and 2% player. You cannot have Clapton plug into Dimebag’s rig, and have it sound exactly like the “tones” on a Cream record. You also can’t buy all the gear used by another player, and have their voice. That’s the player. Guitarists need to get their terminology straight.
SRV was very fond of saying it’s in the hands. But he also was maniacal about finding the right combination of amps, pedals, etc. So I would describe tone as “all of the above.”
Fair enough Rhett. You are right. Part of this is a choice - would you rather vary your touch or move dials, switches and play with gear?
I don't use a pick, and there are differences all along between ponticello and tasto. Lately I was reminded to get a soft effect by using only the flesh of my fingers instead of my usual way of using the nails (0600 grit filed, usually left side, or straight across - I'm right-handed). Gear is great, but I enjoy getting "in touch" with the strings.
I am a completely different guitarist when I play with my fingers instead of a pick. You would think it was two different players. Nothing crosses over that would make you think it was only me.
@@HandyL I like the sound of that. A different approach and you access a variety of sounds, styles. I also get a different take if I go all in on just my thumb - plus you can slap that way. Not saying I don't ever use pedals ... but ...
@@JohnInder256 absolutely! Going with just the thumb can make for some very unique sounds and tones. I wish I could use my thumb as well as my hero Wes Montgomery but I don’t think I ever could even with years of practice. He does some crazy fast moves with up and down strokes with his thumb that are just unbelievable in videos I’ve seen of him playing.
Tone is absolutely in your fingers and it's absolutely in your heart and in your groove and bag of chops too. it's also in your gear. I play with one cat in particular who's a fantastic bass player and guitarist and band leader and singer and he insists on playing through his dual 1972 Peavy solid state bass rig and matching guitar rig. He's been playing these amps since 72! He's that kind of guy. Fixes everything and never gets anything new lol. He's a great player, but when he plugs his strat into that Amp, no matter how good his note choices are or what he's saying on the instrument, it sounds sterile and piercing. He flips on distortion, pedals and overdrive, pedals and chorus… None of that helps! Having a good sounding rig matters. Knowing how to use it matters! People love my tone. I get told that all the time. Some people love my playing.. I practice every day. I progress, but I don't think I'm a great player.
Because of you @Rhrett I do own two Novo Serus guitars and an Idris. Do they sound better than my other Guitars? I'm not so sure they sound better but I dig them in a big way and I want to play them and they inspire me :-)
A guitar tone is shaped by a signal chain that starts from the person and travels through the instrument, effects, amp, and speaker. Here’s a breakdown of each step and how it impacts the tone:
The Player
Technique and Style: Tone starts with the guitarist's hands. Picking, finger placement, attack, vibrato, and bending all impact tone. For example, picking hard versus soft will produce different dynamics and harmonic content.
Type of Pick: Thicker picks give a warmer, fuller sound, while thinner picks offer a brighter, more percussive tone.
The Guitar
Body Wood and Construction: Different woods affect resonance and sustain. For example, mahogany tends to give a warmer, darker sound, while maple adds brightness and snap.
Pickups: Single-coils offer clarity and brightness, while humbuckers provide a thicker, warmer sound. Active pickups are punchier, while passive pickups sound more organic.
Tone and Volume Knobs: These knobs shape the frequency output from the guitar. Lowering the tone knob cuts high frequencies, and volume adjustments affect the signal strength going into the amp.
Pedals and Effects (if used)
Distortion/Overdrive: Adds grit, compression, and harmonics, creating a “heavier” or “saturated” sound.
Modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser): Alters the signal to create swirling, warbling, or sweeping effects, adding texture.
Delay/Reverb: Adds space and depth, simulating room ambiance or echo.
EQ: Shapes frequencies to highlight or cut lows, mids, or highs in the signal.
Effects order matters, as placing an overdrive before delay will produce a different sound than placing it after.
Amp Head
Preamp Section: Amplifies and shapes the signal before it goes to the power amp. The preamp is crucial for adding gain and tone coloration.
Tone Controls (EQ): Most amps have bass, mid, and treble knobs that shape the frequency response.
Power Amp Section: Amplifies the preamp’s signal to drive the speaker. Tube power amps color the tone with warmth, compression, and harmonic richness, while solid-state power amps provide a cleaner, more precise sound.
Amp Type: Different amps have different tonal characteristics. For example:
Fender amps are known for a bright, clean tone.
Marshall amps provide a crunchy, mid-heavy rock tone.
Mesa/Boogie amps are versatile, offering from high-gain to clean sounds.
Speaker Cabinet
Speaker Size and Type: Common speaker sizes are 10” and 12”, each impacting bass response and clarity. Specific speaker models, like Celestion Greenbacks or Vintage 30s, impart their own character to the tone.
Cabinet Construction: Open-back cabs allow sound to spread, producing a more spacious tone, while closed-back cabs focus the sound, providing tighter bass.
Mic Placement: If miking the cab, mic position impacts tone. Closer miking brings out clarity and punch, while distant miking captures room ambiance.
Each component in this chain influences the final tone, and small adjustments in one area (like turning up the amp gain or tweaking the EQ) can alter the entire sound significantly. The art of tone shaping is about balancing each piece of this chain to achieve the desired result.
Thank you interested perspective! I I truly believe tone is in the hands, in the fingers, in your heart and your soul! Out of that there is a death wood, empty strings or robotic pedalboard…
"TONE" is the complex combination of SOUND and MANNER OF EXPRESSION. It combines mechanical elements (ie the equipment) and the human elements (the player's physical and emotional characteristics). This is why two different player's can play with the same exact equipment, in the same place, at the same time, and be heard differently. And it's also why the same player using different equipment can be heard differently. Cheers from the Land Down Under.
Tone is in the sands of time. Each grain, a minute gemstone, sifted throughout a lifetime.
Great video, I greatly appreciate your opening monologue about what drives tone and how multifaceted it is, I think 1 the biggest driver of tone or sound of a guitarist is in their technique
I assumed we all understood that tone comes from equipment more than anything and saying “it’s in the hands” is a way of saying to not go overboard with effects and think you need the most expensive gear to sound great.
@Rhett - You make a very compelling point. With my very first electric guitar when I was in my early teens, I was quite disappointed that plugging it into my parents's stereo didn't result in anything close to the "Smoke On The Water" tone I was wanting...
You make a very good point. Playing good or bad is in the person. Tone - is in the gear.
I believe the saying comes from a reaction to the ones who spend too much time thinking about the gear being used, and not enough time just PLAYING. Touch and feel have a massive effect on tone. It's like anything in life. If you really mean it, it will sound genuine. If your trying too hard or pretending to sound like something, it will sound like it.
Thanks, Rhett for basically explaining what goes through my head every time I hear that phrase. Yes, I always sound like me, but depending on the gear, I can sound like different variations of myself. Now I feel justified for having four Les Pauls. 😜
"It's not the artist, it's the paint." - Rhett Shull (sort of)
It's the difference between 151 bristles in your brush versus 152....
It's the artist + the paint + the canvas + the humidity + the dust in the room :)
Oh and duh the brush- whatever. You get my point!
That’s a rather ‘free’ paraphrase…
I think tone and sound are two different things. A strat through a fuzz face into a Twin Reverb is a great sound. But the tone is going to be completely different between Clapton, Hendrix, or SRV playing through it. And I think that’s where the tone comes from the hands of the player. It’s like their own touch and personality and fingerprint.
The tone is in Your hands. The sound will change according to the guitar/amp/ pedals You are using. The quality of the sound created (the tone) is in Your hands. What is good or bad tone is in the brain.
Unless you're adjusting settings with your nose, tone is indeed in the hands.
I agree. I always looked at tone is in the hands as an advice of learning to play because unless you do, nothing will sound good in your hands.
John Mayer say it best. "Tone is gear" !
Tone IS in the hands. Eddie Van Halen has been saying it for years. Steve Vai said Eddie played through Steve's entire rig and it still sounded like Eddie. So it's not what you play but how you play (your touch on the instrument, where on the string you are picking/plucking/strumming, and how hard or/and soft you're playing the notes). But I totally get and agree with what you're saying. All the gear is part of the puzzle (cable, guitar, pedals, amp, speakers, strings, picks, even mics). Including guitar parts as well (nut material, bridge type/material, pickups, guitar body shape/wood, neck/fretboard wood and scale length). Super cool video! This is a topic that doesn't get talked about enough.
I think it's 100% "what you play." OK maybe not 100% but more than 50%. Steve and Eddie didn't play the same stuff, that's why the rig didn't matter.
I am excited to hear your thoughts on this, Rhett. I feel most of the distinctions come from right hand technique, pickup selection, strings and sound reproduction methods, specifically the final loudspeaker itself. Of those parts, we have the most expressive control over our picking hand, uniquely. The left hand has some role, too, obviously: vibrato, glissando etc. but the right hand is extremely impactful, comparatively. Typing and watching along nodding.
P.S. I love my Tonebender 1.5-style fuzz (Eddie Rifkind Effects KarenX Twitter Manager) so damn hard it hurts, and you are right about the importance of the effects, but our hands definitely make those work the way they are supposed to, one has to learn to play the effects as a part of the instrument, NODDERS.
There’s a difference between “tone” that describes the measurable qualities of sound and “tone” that describes the ability of the player to apply the sound - whatever sound is available - tastefully. When I hear “tone is in the hands” it’s the latter that comes to mind.
And as a Mustang player, that in and out of phase is versatile, and inspires some ideas for riffs.
At first I was like "well, if two players played on the same guitar..." but then, I realized that your point is more towards people, that claim you don't need all the different stuff and like it was only your hands that were affecting the tone, in essence kinda sorta gatekeeping while being ignorant. Great video!
The way I think of it:
Tone is in the way the player addresses the instrument and is linked to technique. How hard they pick, how they fret, pressure, tension, where they pick, pick or fingers etc etc etc.
A player’s sound is what comes out when their tone meets their equipment.
I think we all have a certain musical image in our minds.
Our gear purchases and pedal choices and amp choices, pickups, all really are in an effort get that image out of our hands and to the instrument.
Attack is SOOOO important I think.
A sustained note sounds extremely similar one guitar to the next. That initial few miliseconds at the front give our ears more definition and helps us tell the difference between guitars and players.
That's how it works for me anyway. Starts in the mind. I work out how to get it out through my hands. Everything after that is more of an "aesthetic" choice. Les paul, strat, tele, whatever. But I will definitely play things differently in the same mix if I'm on a different guitar.
It's hard to put into words.... I'll try. "How do you want to sound?" And "what do you want to sound like?" There is a very important distiction between the 2 questions.
"How" you sound is one thing. You can sound good, bad, or ugly, on any instrument.
"What you want to sound like" is a separate thing. Do you want to sound good, bad, or ugly, on a les paul? Or a strat? Or a tele?
I think the saying is aimed at newer players, and it's to emphasise that they should not prioritize gear.... they should prioritize practicing.
your last sentence is true. It´s the experienced player, who is able to adapt to the equipment to get his tone = personal sound. So good equipment and the knowledge how to use it to get the sound, that I hunt and love is the key!
During the pandemic, I saved some cash and splurged on a Mesa Boogie Mark V head. Very expensive (more than twice as much as I’d spent on any previous amp, including my Mesa Nomad combo). I can’t overstate how responsive it is and how amazing the tone. I can tell you for a fact that better gear makes a huge difference. I had no idea how much until I maxed my amp game.
I agree with this. I do think it’s somewhat true that tone partly comes from your fingers. But I can get pretty much any tone I want with my Marshall JVM205H.
I was frustrated for a couple of years until I got that amp. Don’t be afraid of the wattage, folks. It’s got a master volume.
I think the idea is super obvious, and the whole debate has kind of driven me nuts for a long time. You're demonstration of the idea however, is very well done. Thank you
Fair explanation. I absolutely sound like me no matter what I am playing, but I do have to play to the effects, pickups, amp etc. to get what I want out of them. The things that make me sound like me, you sound like you, Page sound like Page...... is how we each interface with the strings and the instrument. A slightly different touch, the smallest difference in where my sausage fingers end up relative to the fret wire vs. someone with thinner fingers, slight almost imperceptible difference in downward pressure on a string, how your fingers interact with wound and unwound strings and so much more all go into why no two players sound exactly the same.
I've never thought of "tone is in the hands" in the way you describe it. I've always thought the phrase meant: "the guitarist has complete mastery of the tone being used". It's like saying "you've got it under your fingers". The opposite being: "your tone is out of your hands" i.e."you don't know how best to use that tone".
Using both hands to attack the strings I think your tone mostly comes from your hand and everything else adds colors to it 😊
I heard someone say recently (something along the lines of) ‘dynamics or style is in the hands, tone is in the equipment’ I think that is more accurate. One is the ‘what’ and another is the ‘how’.
Technique is in the hands. A beginner will sound like a beginner no matter what they're using, and a great player can make just about anything sound good because they have the skill to at least play well enough that we don't mind the potentially bad tone produced by the the equipment. The sound coming out of the amp is the same no matter who's playing the guitar that's plugged into it, the EQ doesn't change from person to person, it's the skill and playstyle of the player that changes.
Good points. The way I think of the saying is more like your last point. If I pick up your guitar and play thru your rig, I'm still going to sound like me.
Love this conversation!
Its akin to comments I see in the amp world about rectification type, power supply, cap type and brand etc. Perhaps I need to make a video from the perspective of an amp builder.
Thank You for saying this Rhett! I've been saying this for years. To me tone is in everything BUT the hands. The amp is a big one. I think people get Tone and Technique mixed up. Technique is in the Hands Tone is not. My opinion of course. If tone is in the hands I'd like to see the edge play with an acoustic guitar only. Like to see how close that sounds to his albums. My guess is not at all like the albums. Now if tone was in his hands it would sound like the albums. Technique and style wise players sound like themselves no matter what equipment they play. But Tone? Not at all. Really enjoy the channel.
Humans are not static. Everybody change the playing to be in "tune" with the sound and equipment. We change to achive a similar outcome. Thats why a good player can sound like himself with mostly any Equipment.
I agree Rhett, every piece in my chain has a little bit to do with the overall tone. For me, I love experimenting and taking note of what sounded better after changing some settings on an effect, or swapping a different effect at that spot of my board altogether. It took me years to find cables that I felt didn't take away from the tone, and to this day I still enjoy trying new brands of strings to see how much difference I notice. Same with picks for me, I get a different sounding tone with a Herco 75 pick than I do with an Ernie Ball Everlast 1.14, or a Dunlop Tortex 0.88, and I like writing it down when I feel like I've found the best combination for each of my guitars. I also think everyone's ear is going to be different, and what stands out to one person may not stand out at all to another, but I think it's super cool how very different everyone's optimal tone is to them. Many variables that I've loved about guitars, and gear for decades.
The chase for good gear and the chase to become a better player are completely separate endeavors, and one doesn't negate the other.
Practice to become better. Also enjoy your new gear. Pursuing both doesn't hurt your progress with either.
Tone is in our soul and our soul is in our hands, and in everything.
A mentor taught me it’s 80% in the hands & 20% in the gear. Feels about right to me. He also said just go spend some money and get the easy 20%!
The first 80% of the budget is spent on the first 80% of the tone, the last 80% of the budget is spent on the last 20% of the tone. Whoops you're over budget by 60%. Story checks out
@ that’s true. It’s diminishing returns the more you pay. But if you’re serious about music then it’s worth paying for a good quality instrument
Rhett, you are looking healthy! Keep up the good work on your health!
I been saying this!!!!! If someone asks for tone advice telling them they are playing badly is just rude lol.
“Tone is in the hands of the player” I think that reference applies, for most of us, as when you hear a player you know immediately who it is. Also it applies to that guy, like my friend Mike, who can come into a jam with a totally clean sound and rip it with a near death metal band and make it sound great. The guy is amazing that way. My example may be a bit of an exaggeration but then again so is the statement “ tone is in the hands”! Love your vids. I wait for them.
Recognizing the player is less about tone and more about notes. There is some tone which is unique to a player and their hands, but, it's even more the notes, note choices, voicings, rhythm, the "concept" which we recognize when we're identifying artists by ear. That's the reason why we recognize them on different guitars, through different effects and with different signal chains.
Style is not tone is not style
Tone Loc says Tone is in the Wild Thing with Funky Cold Medina. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
You should do an " in the hands" session with several guitarists. a few weeks ago I had a friend over. handing my sg back and forth. same rig . he was playin a completely different "TONE" with out touching the, switches, knobs, pedals, or amp. granted I set things up" in the zone", where the amp was dynamic and responsive.
Have each player set up a rig -guitar -pedals -amp, tape off the knobs, then trade guitars, and lets hear what IS in the hands.