tone is in the hands

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Hi Guys
How many times have You heard this phrase "tone is in the hands" ??
Surely it is only partially true.
Paul Franklin is currently playing thru' a set up which costs several thousand dollars.
Why does He not play a cheap guitar thru' a cheap amp.??
I say these things to stir You up a little and hope for some good feedback.
I have,over the years made many purchases which I thought would make Me sound better,Now that I am an old phart I realise I could have saved a lot of money and given it to My ex Wife.
Without prejudice I now believe that You can only sound good if You have good technique and good equipment.
What then is more important for the "medium to good " player wishing to advance. Do You continue with Your present set up or do You invest in a more expensive amp,pedal or whatever,or do You work harder on technique to deliver that "sound" which the big timers get from their high cost gear.?
Let's hear it guys
Billy

[Zebedee]

Without a doubt, there are good-sounding steels and bad-sounding steels

The bad ones all have one thing in common, they whine.

From my experience of 'whiners' I'm sure it's got something to do with the changer design, as the string starts to whine as the note decays. I've minimised this unpleasant noise by putting a drop of thick oil on the string/changer finger interface, but I usually avoid these type of steels altogether.

I don't know enough about amps to comment, except that they do sound better when they are voiced for steel, or have one of the Peavey mods etc.

[Ken Byng]

Billy
Much of achieving good tone is in the hands. It is as much down to good technique and confident delivery than anything else. A good pedal steel that is in tune across all levers and pedals will obviously play a big part too. I have four pedal steels, and while they all have slightly different tonal characteristics, I still end up sounding like me at the end of the day regardless of which one I play. I think the amp plays a significant part, but not so much the pick-up. Some volume pedals may allow more highs through, whether it be a Hilton or Telonics. However, a number of players much prefer the 'warmth' of a pot type, including Lloyd Green & Tommy White.

Many players spend a huge amount of money chasing the perfect sound and never achieve it. You mentioned Paul Franklin. Paul has achieved the status where he is very often given equipment to endorse. The Little Walter amp being one endorsement. However, I know for a fact that he wouldn't play through anything he doesn't like. He is not a great fan of the Peavey sound for instance, and despite being given amps by that company he chooses not to play through them if he has a choice. That does say something.

I do have a soft spot for an Emmons Push Pull played through a Webb amp (a view I share with Bobbe Seymour), but it wouldn't be for some. We all have different perceptions of what we think is good tone, and once we get to the stage where we are comfortable with the sound we produce, then we can get on with the job of improving our skills.

[Paul Brennan]

How many people actually practise getting a nice tone?
Sit at the steel pick one string. Listen to sound. Really listen hard. Try to identify the qualities of the tone - round, scratchy, whiney, etc. Experiment picking in different ways - pick hard, pick soft, slowly, quickly, snatch at the string, push down with the thumb, pull up with the fingers. Which tone do you prefer? Be honest. Repeat this process for two and three string grips. Don't use any vibrato (leave that for another practise exercise). Of course the steel, pickup and amp will make a difference but you have to produce the basic tone with your hands.

[Ken Byng]

Many players consider the 'sweet spot' area to pick the strings is somewhere between frets 22 and 24. Pick close to the changer and the tone will be harder and more brittle.

[Donny Johnston]

I totally agree with Ken & Paul, first of all the idea of what is a good tone is a very personal thing, what Paul says about picking 1 string and LISTENING!! is crucial advice. By listening to one note picked at different positions on the fretboard will let you hear a variety of tones. I would suggest playing these dry, with no effects at all, that way you hear your guitar and nothing else. I have never got a pleasing sound ( to my ear ) out of a Peavey amp, I am of the opinion if you play through a Peavey amp it's because you can't afford a Fender. Just my thought on the matter.

[Malcolm]

Donny, Gamble and I have had a whip round and raised enough cash to buy you Autex eardrops, that should solve your hearing problem and let you hear just how good Peavy amps actually are.Regards your former pupils M and W.

[Donny Johnston]

To former pupils M & W, don't bother with the ear drops, just send the money you collected. I'm afraid my mind is made up, you two have known me a long time and I'm sure you know my opinion, a Peavey will never stack up against a Fender for steel guitar. Also when I worked professionally I would never use A Peavey PA, never liked the sound of them either. But as previously stated, this is only my opinion. I know I'm right.

[Malcolm]

Donny, nae chance, Gamble has decided to spend it.I will let you try my new GK MB2OO head and Sica lightweight speaker when I get it, good reports from over the pond about them.

[Donny Johnston]

OK Malcolm, when you get your new set up let me know, I'll come to one of your gigs or you come to one of mine and we can find out which one sounds the best.