What actually matters in electric guitar tone?

**whiskey02** · 05-22-2022, 01:20 AM

The skill of the player.
This is applicable to all instruments.

**Cunamara** · 05-22-2022, 02:34 AM

Indeed, applicable to much of life.

**Bobby Timmons** · 05-22-2022, 02:46 AM

If you can't figure out that electric guitar tone comes from primarily the pickups, amp, and signal chain, but also from the smaller details like hardware and the structural build of the guitar itself, you're not very smart.

**Marty Grass** · 05-23-2022, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

If you can't figure out that electric guitar tone comes from primarily the pickups, amp, and signal chain, but also from the smaller details like hardware and the structural build of the guitar itself, you're not very smart.

Smart compared to what? I'm smarter than I was when I was a teen trying to learn some simple jazz. I hope I'm smarter in a year than I am now.

On a good day we learn a little more.

**Filmosound 621** · 05-23-2022, 06:38 PM

knowledge is not wisdom, beauty is not truth.

music is the best.

**Alter** · 05-24-2022, 05:01 AM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Smith

If you can't figure out that electric guitar tone comes from primarily the pickups, amp, and signal chain, but also from the smaller details like hardware and the structural build of the guitar itself, you're not very smart.

That misconception can be easily solved if you just go to a guitar center and play a few identical strats or Les pauls on the same amp. Much more of you gig some. Then you start to hear what the actual instrument of the guitar brings to the equation.

**EastwoodMike** · 05-24-2022, 05:40 AM

One thing this guy did was play not so clean. On only a solid body and hot pickups. The subtleties found in resonance were not the focus of this sort of tone. If anything an acoustic guitar (completely dependant on resonance of wood) would in my unscientific opinion highlight different materials better, but he was talking electric guitar. The further you drift away from that point the closer you end up to a plank of wood and ultimately the “air” body.
If he compared a carved archtop and a solid body with like pickups into a clean amp I suspect there would have been a more pronounced difference. But hit that tone with amp breakup and hot pickups, volume and drive: does all the subtlety not disappear and just become an equation of pickup /amp EQ?