+CSGuitars another tip, be careful when using a clean boost as you can push to much volume into the amp and cause it to sound harsh/unclear even for metal
+Peter DD if you cook your chicken for too long, its the same as using way too much master volume. push it too far and your 1960b marshall half stack will distort to a puddle of mud.
I don't. I only play the nastiest, greasiest, pesticide-ridden, processed guitars out there. I don't care if I get a heart attack before turning 40, it just sounds so deliciously gnarly.
I'll never forget, when I first started playing guitar, I had this Green Jackson Performer superstrat I had bought from a friend and an old 10w 8" Behringer. Needless to say, hearing everything I played was close to a harrowing experience. After a while I tried investing in a new pickup, new speaker, distortion pedals, etc. and I still couldn't find out why nothing that came out of my amp sounded good to me. I had just spent a little chunk of change to improve my guitar tone and it still sounded awful. "What a stupid piece of shit" was most likely my reaction. After I had all but given up trying to get my set-up to sound good, a friend of a friend was over at my house and noticed my guitar. I told him, "it's garbage though". He laughed, plugged in the guitar, and started playing a few riffs from one of my favorite "The Haunted" albums. It sounded great! It sounded really really great! It was then I realized, I am why my guitar sounds like shit. Anyways... This is just a long winded (sorry if you read this whole thing) story that reiterates, "Learn how to make what you have sound good before you start trying to go out and buy expensive things you don't need".
the part about volume depends on the pickups. on my strat turning the volume down to 8 is like a fast way to go to clean guitar (from overdrive at volume 10)
I reeeeeally appreciate and learned a healthy amount from this video. I've been struggling with my tone for a while now and I think this will definitely get me on the right track. I now realize how much I've been ignoring when it comes to this instrument. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Love your videos. I'm someone who used to take a super nice tube amp such as a Boogie...find the cleanest clean I could dial in and then ram a metal zone into it with the gain maxed. I am a recovering metal zoner in no small part to you.
+Jason Vetter It's all good, we eventually find that tone we're after. Personally, my favorite guitar tones for metal is that classic Megadeth and Iron Maiden sound. Savage, aggressive, but as clean as possible.
Thanks a lot for the helpful video! As a begginer who is just starting to find out about the huge difference tone can make, these kind of videos help out a lot!
thanks much for posting your videos. they are very helpful to me as I am an acoustic player trying to develop my electric sound. Your analogy was good but your demonstration was even better.I hope you keep posting guitar videos. Cheers!
Possibly the best guitar related analogy/simile I have ever heard - guitar like/as a chicken. Why have I been so late to discovering this channel... :(
this... was one of the most tongue-in-cheek, but well educating vids for new players I've seen in a long while Colin :) well done for that... lol... seriously though, yours is one of the better quality TH-cam channels I subscribe to, no B/s.. no pretensions.. you are a blessing to newbies everywhere.. and with the "shitepaul series" one of the more honest :P wtg mate! this, from someone who's played for over .*coughs8 more than two decades.....:)
Colin comes round to the damsels in distress and flailing his wooden metal sword thingy slays the sound dragon! Mighty good channel man! I've got over two decades of trying to play guitar under an outrageosly big belt buckle and I have to say that I've learned a few things, excellent things.... I thank you! "Insert Wild appluase, nude goats/women screaming here"!
I'm just a bedroom shredder, but this made me sound a TON better! It's truly unbelievable! I thought my equipment was trash before, but lo and behold, it was the user! Imagine that. ;)
I am amazed at how well you stuck to the chicken analogy, like a trooper! lol Great tips by the way, ,y sound has always been quite confused as to where it should be in relation to the lead guitarist in my band. I have now managed to strike the proper balance and our songs are sounding better than ever! Cheers dude!
I love your roast chicken metaphor. It definitely makes a lot of sense to have the basic elements down before you add any embellishments. Question: In regards to how you set up you tone and volume knobs, when do you think it best to implement an overdrive pedal?
Holy crap dude you actually made a video on the subject awesome!!! Great video I believe this is the most helpfull video on eqing and amp keep up the great work
yet another excellent informative video! I know Steve Morse for one very often touts the advantages and usefulness of actively using your tone and volume controls and pickup combos. its def a valid consideration in the quest to become better players and musicians. i recall in the 80's seeing many new guitars coming out with ONE paltry (poutry?) pickup and just a volume knob...it seemed a step backwards then and even more so now. your method of finding the best tone out of the amp is cool, i need to try it that way and see if i end up right where i am now or if i find something better :D many thanks!
Just one extra thing relevant to finding the "sweet spot" with amp controls. Some amps have interactive tone controls - meaning a high treble changes the way the bass control works. Where this is a marked effect, either set the controls by guess work to start with or set all to 12 o'clock then return them to 12 o'clock before moving on to the next. Once each is done individually, you can set them all and then probably do a small tweak!
very true on the 'use as much as you need'..rather than turning everything right up...so many people turn the gain up full and it just gets mushy...like processed chicken i guess
Thanks man that was very helpful. I'm going to adjust all the controls now and maybe raise the pickups a bit higher since I'll be turning my guitar volume down a little bit.
Another nice video. :) 4:45 Interesting way to do it by manipulating the guitar's controls. I usually mess with my amp's controls more than my guitar's. I like what you said a few vids ago about not cranking the gain up all the way too, and I now see a theme in what you are doing. 6:08 Pickup selection…Definitely! On a Les Paul type setup, I tend to use the bridge pickup more often than not, but certainly the other settings have their place. The Strat HSS type and SSS type, I tend to use either the bridge or bridge/middle more often than not, and rarely the middle/neck. The other's I find little use for. The dynamics with the picking hand is a HUGE part of what I do, even though most people seem to notice the effects rather than picking. Where a lot of guitarists use the volume knob to control dynamic, I like to use palm muting to fade into the background (especially when a singer is singing) and gradually let up or immediately explode or accent a beat depending on what effect is needed. So there are grades of palm muting you can use. But also pick harmonics can be at different levels, and they too can make little accents. So just by varying the pick harmonic sound and palm muting you can gain a lot of control over your dynamics.
I love the chicken analogy. I would take it further to say that my Dual Rec and Marshall JVM are like super gratifying deep fryers that taste so good going down and Splawns, Diezels and Fryette's are like pressure cookers that slow cook it to perfection for that fall off the bone tone XD
HA! Another good one, I picked up the 70%/80% setting of the guitar controls from a previously watched clip of yours, but that was the best amp set up configuration I've come across to date, and in the past year I've watch a lot. That will also work in the never ending change in room size and characteristics. Yet again, more common sense that isn't obvious until someone slaps you in the face with it.
CSGuitars 8:35 This is mainly how we set up an Amplifier to make the guitar sound good, but do we use the same technique if we want the sound to cut through in the mix? What if I want to use the same amplifier for 2 different guitars? Rhythm and Lead. Both would be hard to hear. Could you explain that?
Colin, I have tried setting up the amp as you suggest. And then I have come across a variation on the system you demonstrated: Looking for the sweet spot for each pot but without the guitar plugged in, with master and gain full on, and just find the spot where the hissing noise is the most affected. And then find the sweet spot for both gain and master pots. So I have tried both and came up with different setups for the EQ pots on my LC15R. Have you heard of this variation? I would be interested to hear what you have to say about this one.
Thank you, today I tested this stuff at the studio, and it really brought up the timbers of the guitars... Do you have any advice on how to equalize 2 diferent guitars in the same song for live performances? Not for Pa systems, but amplifier settings. like how each guitar should sound... any tips for bass guitar as well?Maybe using the eq acording to the floor tom, or something like that? Thank you, and congratz on the great content, i hope you still record and produce stuff! Hugs from Brasil
Same thing he did, all amps (even not so great solid state amps) have those "Sweet spots", Hell, my old 2005 Marshall MG had them. Just go on the channel you most prefer (except the insane channel, that one just plain sucks) and See where the gain changes the most and keep it around that point, then do the same EQ sweep through the amp like he did.Also those cheap Jacksons are good guitars just because its not 2000 dollars doesn't mean it cant do whatever you need it to, and really if you're running a line 6 spider, having a more expensive guitar probably wouldn't sound that much better through it
Hey Colin, I have a Fender Champion 100 amplifier which has two channels. A clean channel and an overdrive channel. I pretty much do what you suggest when it comes to the overdrive channel, however, I'm a bit lost as to what to do for my clean channel because my clean channel has a dial for bass and treble but it does not have a dial for mids. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day.
I miss my looper funktion of my cheap modelling amp. Got any advice on choosing a good looping pedal? Or even got an overview video on multiple looper-pedals? What do you think about the Ditto-Looper? 5 Minute sound like a great way to jam and listen to possible playing mistakes. You showed me a great way to get compfy with my amp and it also will be helpful to find the tone i want by comparing it with a song and switch back and forth. I'm currently using a H&K Grandmeister36.
I really like your "sweet spot" method for the amp EQ but I wonder what your preferred method would be when using a multi FX unit such as a POD before the amp. Would you use a flat EQ on the POD and then adjust the amp using the sweet spot method to get the best normal clean tone and then use the POD's EQ to make little tweeks when you use other patches for distorition and such or would you use a flat EQ on the amp and use the sweet spot method on the EQ of each individual patch on the POD ? I hope that made sense. I know its all subjective but I do like your method and I respect your opinion as someone who knows what he's on about.
Dad, I need money for a new amplifier. "Why?"
Well, my guitar is a chicken, see...
Divljina89 Dad, I need to turn my amp up really loud. "Why?"
Well, I'll get food poisoning...
+River Lemmond You need the oven to run hot to properly cook chicken
Get yourself a healthy chicken today with this guide on how to sound better using your existing gear.
CSGuitars So then, is that an organic, free-range guitar?
Legionary42 Well... Its a gibson... If its from the illigal-wood time, then its not organic, if its legal wood, then it is Ryan Approved!
+CSGuitars another tip, be careful when using a clean boost as you can push to much volume into the amp and cause it to sound harsh/unclear even for metal
nice video now you have a new subscriber
What about Eddie Van Halen's guitar?
Doesn't look very healthy
Huh😂😂
I'm lost what temperature do I amplify my chicken at
11. On all settings.
you can turn bass and treble to 10.5 if you want the mids to be more pronounced in your overall tone
i mean in your overall roast
I set my grill to half temperature.
To the "authentic" temperature!! Cook authentic!
*"How to cook your chicken* (Now with guitar analogies)"
+Peter DD if you cook your chicken for too long, its the same as using way too much master volume. push it too far and your 1960b marshall half stack will distort to a puddle of mud.
I only play organic, free-range, hormone free guitars...
+Matt Bowen so acoustic??
+Matt Bowen I'm vegan.
I only play meatless, dairy-free, gluten-free guitars.
I don't. I only play the nastiest, greasiest, pesticide-ridden, processed guitars out there. I don't care if I get a heart attack before turning 40, it just sounds so deliciously gnarly.
I'll never forget, when I first started playing guitar, I had this Green Jackson Performer superstrat I had bought from a friend and an old 10w 8" Behringer. Needless to say, hearing everything I played was close to a harrowing experience. After a while I tried investing in a new pickup, new speaker, distortion pedals, etc. and I still couldn't find out why nothing that came out of my amp sounded good to me. I had just spent a little chunk of change to improve my guitar tone and it still sounded awful. "What a stupid piece of shit" was most likely my reaction.
After I had all but given up trying to get my set-up to sound good, a friend of a friend was over at my house and noticed my guitar. I told him, "it's garbage though". He laughed, plugged in the guitar, and started playing a few riffs from one of my favorite "The Haunted" albums. It sounded great! It sounded really really great!
It was then I realized, I am why my guitar sounds like shit.
Anyways... This is just a long winded (sorry if you read this whole thing) story that reiterates, "Learn how to make what you have sound good before you start trying to go out and buy expensive things you don't need".
Colin, I have learned more from your channel than an associates degree in performance guitar has taught me. Thanks man!
I love all your videos, they're very instructional and informative not to mention fun af to watch! Keep up the good work :)
Well, my gear doesn't sound any better, but now I"m hungry.
I am primarily a blues player but have been watching your videos and find them highly valuable!
the part about volume depends on the pickups. on my strat turning the volume down to 8 is like a fast way to go to clean guitar (from overdrive at volume 10)
Perhaps the greatest analogy I have ever heard used for explaining how to get your sound on guitar.
This has got to be the most appetizing guitar lesson I've ever listened to
Thanks so much for this video Colin. I learned so much. Sometimes going back to the basics is what one actually needs.
I reeeeeally appreciate and learned a healthy amount from this video. I've been struggling with my tone for a while now and I think this will definitely get me on the right track. I now realize how much I've been ignoring when it comes to this instrument. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
I think your chicken has a touch of salmonella, which in guitar speak means "Tune that thang son!" ;)
Hands down the funniest and yet informative guitar video I've seen in awhile.
Love your videos. I'm someone who used to take a super nice tube amp such as a Boogie...find the cleanest clean I could dial in and then ram a metal zone into it with the gain maxed. I am a recovering metal zoner in no small part to you.
+Jason Vetter It's all good, we eventually find that tone we're after. Personally, my favorite guitar tones for metal is that classic Megadeth and Iron Maiden sound. Savage, aggressive, but as clean as possible.
that was fantastic. helped me dial my amp in, and here I was going by what someone told me "just set everything half way up"
I absolutely love this guy! He gives great advice, he is super cool and his accent is amazing! He is also a pretty good guitarist too!
The chicken looks well seasoned and the oven optimally tweaked and preheated. Mouth Watering. Great Advice.
Some one please count how many times he says "chicken" xD
You could be that guy
Jacob Oland yes 25 times exactly xD if his analogy was pizza I probably would have lost it
Thanks a lot for the helpful video! As a begginer who is just starting to find out about the huge difference tone can make, these kind of videos help out a lot!
Loved the dialing your amp lesson .One of the better examples around very well taught sir. Keep up the good work!
Quick update: it worked great for me! Thanks man. I already described what I did in the comment on your tone control video.
thanks much for posting your videos. they are very helpful to me as I am an acoustic player trying to develop my electric sound. Your analogy was good but your demonstration was even better.I hope you keep posting guitar videos. Cheers!
Possibly the best guitar related analogy/simile I have ever heard - guitar like/as a chicken.
Why have I been so late to discovering this channel... :(
This is the best analogy I've heard for a guitar rig.
Great tutorial! I recently went through something similar with my gear this week. will do it right tonight & hone the tone!
i really like the way you explain things i would love you to go over some more amp terms and how they effect the signal chain keep up the great work
this... was one of the most tongue-in-cheek, but well educating vids for new players I've seen in a long while Colin :) well done for that... lol... seriously though, yours is one of the better quality TH-cam channels I subscribe to, no B/s.. no pretensions.. you are a blessing to newbies everywhere.. and with the "shitepaul series" one of the more honest :P wtg mate! this, from someone who's played for over .*coughs8 more than two decades.....:)
Colin comes round to the damsels in distress and flailing his wooden metal sword thingy slays the sound dragon! Mighty good channel man! I've got over two decades of trying to play guitar under an outrageosly big belt buckle and I have to say that I've learned a few things, excellent things.... I thank you! "Insert Wild appluase, nude goats/women screaming here"!
This is my new favourite comment.
Your videos are the most helpful ones i have seen about gear. thanks man!
that amp eq sweep was very helpful, thanks
I really like the way you explain things, really easy to follow. Thanks bro!
I'm just a bedroom shredder, but this made me sound a TON better! It's truly unbelievable! I thought my equipment was trash before, but lo and behold, it was the user! Imagine that. ;)
should I eat my guitar and play my chicken?
+Thiago Makluf probably (:
Nicely done. Simple and experientially oriented.
Thank you
I could listen to your accent all day with chickens on my lap
I am amazed at how well you stuck to the chicken analogy, like a trooper! lol
Great tips by the way, ,y sound has always been quite confused as to where it should be in relation to the lead guitarist in my band. I have now managed to strike the proper balance and our songs are sounding better than ever!
Cheers dude!
I was hung up on how he really simplified roasting a while chicken.. but then it was one of the most perfect analogies I've ever heard.
I'm really quite impressed with your friendly and accurate advice having watched a few of your videos now..Subbed and liked:))
Thanks for the good advice! Will try out to find the Sweetspots on my Amp in tomorows Bandpractice :)
Keep it up!
I love your roast chicken metaphor. It definitely makes a lot of sense to have the basic elements down before you add any embellishments. Question: In regards to how you set up you tone and volume knobs, when do you think it best to implement an overdrive pedal?
Awesome and creative video dude!
Thanks man - i never really knew how to dial in an amp before- so i've learned something today!
Thank you for the video and making it very easy for newbies to understand, (like me) adjusting the amp advise, i will definitely be trying that.
Holy crap dude you actually made a video on the subject awesome!!! Great video I believe this is the most helpfull video on eqing and amp keep up the great work
Dude your video and philosophies kick mega ass!! Thanks for helping us out
yet another excellent informative video! I know Steve Morse for one very often touts the advantages and usefulness of actively using your tone and volume controls and pickup combos. its def a valid consideration in the quest to become better players and musicians. i recall in the 80's seeing many new guitars coming out with ONE paltry (poutry?) pickup and just a volume knob...it seemed a step backwards then and even more so now. your method of finding the best tone out of the amp is cool, i need to try it that way and see if i end up right where i am now or if i find something better :D many thanks!
I came here to learn about how to get the best out of my gear, and now i'm hungry for chicken!
does that mean that gas grills and charcoal grills are the equivalent of solid state and tube amplifiers?
What would a smoker be?
+Daniel Stone vintage
That was an awesome lesson very clear and informative thanks man! :D
Hi mate ,
your videos are great keep them coming, great information
Thanks
Just one extra thing relevant to finding the "sweet spot" with amp controls. Some amps have interactive tone controls - meaning a high treble changes the way the bass control works. Where this is a marked effect, either set the controls by guess work to start with or set all to 12 o'clock then return them to 12 o'clock before moving on to the next. Once each is done individually, you can set them all and then probably do a small tweak!
this is the best analogy i ever heard in my life
YES i've been looking for just this sort of video thanks for posting!
there are sweet spots on my guitars tone knobs too, never thought to look for it on the amp settings til now... thanks
Well done sir! From a fellow Scottish brethren!
very true on the 'use as much as you need'..rather than turning everything right up...so many people turn the gain up full and it just gets mushy...like processed chicken i guess
I learned how to cook chicken. 10/10
that was very, very informative, yet so basic! great explanation, hate falling into the need more gear trap!!
Thanks man that was very helpful. I'm going to adjust all the controls now and maybe raise the pickups a bit higher since I'll be turning my guitar volume down a little bit.
Thank you for helpful advice, will do .
And if i max the tones and compensate cutting some treble on the amp?
Another nice video. :)
4:45 Interesting way to do it by manipulating the guitar's controls. I usually mess with my amp's controls more than my guitar's. I like what you said a few vids ago about not cranking the gain up all the way too, and I now see a theme in what you are doing.
6:08 Pickup selection…Definitely! On a Les Paul type setup, I tend to use the bridge pickup more often than not, but certainly the other settings have their place. The Strat HSS type and SSS type, I tend to use either the bridge or bridge/middle more often than not, and rarely the middle/neck. The other's I find little use for.
The dynamics with the picking hand is a HUGE part of what I do, even though most people seem to notice the effects rather than picking. Where a lot of guitarists use the volume knob to control dynamic, I like to use palm muting to fade into the background (especially when a singer is singing) and gradually let up or immediately explode or accent a beat depending on what effect is needed. So there are grades of palm muting you can use. But also pick harmonics can be at different levels, and they too can make little accents. So just by varying the pick harmonic sound and palm muting you can gain a lot of control over your dynamics.
I love the chicken analogy. I would take it further to say that my Dual Rec and Marshall JVM are like super gratifying deep fryers that taste so good going down and Splawns, Diezels and Fryette's are like pressure cookers that slow cook it to perfection for that fall off the bone tone XD
thanks for the video! the chicken turned out delicous, my family loved it!
Think I'll take two chickens...
When I was watching this, I wanted to go practice, became hungry, and wanted to go to scotland again xd amazing!
Im vegetarian and i find this chickfensive :)
Good analogy, it was really helpful.
I love your videos!
+3 points for Turisas shirt. Excellent video sir!
Absolutely brilliant, will apply to my bass gear, though somehow my multieffect ended up in the oven after this vid and I'm still hungry for chicken!
Another nice video, thanks for posting
i really enjoy your videos, you know what you talking about!
HA! Another good one, I picked up the 70%/80% setting of the guitar controls from a previously watched clip of yours, but that was the best amp set up configuration I've come across to date, and in the past year I've watch a lot. That will also work in the never ending change in room size and characteristics. Yet again, more common sense that isn't obvious until someone slaps you in the face with it.
CSGuitars 8:35 This is mainly how we set up an Amplifier to make the guitar sound good, but do we use the same technique if we want the sound to cut through in the mix? What if I want to use the same amplifier for 2 different guitars? Rhythm and Lead. Both would be hard to hear. Could you explain that?
my amp is the kind without a mid knob. how does that work?
Colin, I have tried setting up the amp as you suggest. And then I have come across a variation on the system you demonstrated: Looking for the sweet spot for each pot but without the guitar plugged in, with master and gain full on, and just find the spot where the hissing noise is the most affected. And then find the sweet spot for both gain and master pots. So I have tried both and came up with different setups for the EQ pots on my LC15R. Have you heard of this variation? I would be interested to hear what you have to say about this one.
My chicken was old and sick. Got it calibrated and rectified and it sounds very good for its price.
great analogy! love it
Nice. I actually like that amp setting. Will have to try it sometime. Need me a just a chill kind of guitar next
I recommend an Epiphone Les Paul. Very nice sound for a low price.
super late, but a strat is also a good chill guitar ( to me atleast)
Thank you, today I tested this stuff at the studio, and it really brought up the timbers of the guitars...
Do you have any advice on how to equalize 2 diferent guitars in the same song for live performances?
Not for Pa systems, but amplifier settings. like how each guitar should sound... any tips for bass guitar as well?Maybe using the eq acording to the floor tom, or something like that?
Thank you, and congratz on the great content, i hope you still record and produce stuff!
Hugs from Brasil
Your videos are great. Nice Turisas shirt!
Interesting metaphor - thanks!
So are bassists vegetarians or....?
How do you get sage and onion out of a hollowbody?
This was really helpful! Thanks!
How do you set your guitar pedals to get the same beautiful sounds at home and also when playing with others?
Hey great video, but how do i go about doing this to a $250 jackson guitar and $100 line 6 spider?
Same thing he did, all amps (even not so great solid state amps) have those "Sweet spots", Hell, my old 2005 Marshall MG had them. Just go on the channel you most prefer (except the insane channel, that one just plain sucks) and See where the gain changes the most and keep it around that point, then do the same EQ sweep through the amp like he did.Also those cheap Jacksons are good guitars just because its not 2000 dollars doesn't mean it cant do whatever you need it to, and really if you're running a line 6 spider, having a more expensive guitar probably wouldn't sound that much better through it
+Dale Silver Cool, thanks!
Hey Colin, I have a Fender Champion 100 amplifier which has two channels. A clean channel and an overdrive channel. I pretty much do what you suggest when it comes to the overdrive channel, however, I'm a bit lost as to what to do for my clean channel because my clean channel has a dial for bass and treble but it does not have a dial for mids. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day.
lol I was watching all of your vids and wondered why I wasn't subscribed already haha😂😃👍
is it not better to put the guitar tone and volume on 10 then adjust on the amp?
I miss my looper funktion of my cheap modelling amp.
Got any advice on choosing a good looping pedal?
Or even got an overview video on multiple looper-pedals?
What do you think about the Ditto-Looper? 5 Minute sound like a great way to jam and listen to possible playing mistakes.
You showed me a great way to get compfy with my amp and it also will be helpful to find the tone i want by comparing it with a song and switch back and forth.
I'm currently using a H&K Grandmeister36.
Thank you very much, because of your helpful video my chicken tastes amazing.
I really like your "sweet spot" method for the amp EQ but I wonder what your preferred method would be when using a multi FX unit such as a POD before the amp.
Would you use a flat EQ on the POD and then adjust the amp using the sweet spot method to get the best normal clean tone and then use the POD's EQ to make little tweeks when you use other patches for distorition and such or would you use a flat EQ on the amp and use the sweet spot method on the EQ of each individual patch on the POD ?
I hope that made sense. I know its all subjective but I do like your method and I respect your opinion as someone who knows what he's on about.
love this and never loved Chicken so much,off to the Kernal for some hand battered guitar.
HAHAA, oh man, that was an awesome analogy. Thank you!
This was very helpful thank you.