Guitarists With The Best Sound?

[Volt]

1) For your particular taste, what guitarist's get the best TONE from their equipment while soloing?
(I'm not asking who your favorite guitarist is, or who "the best" guitarist is.)

2) What song or album best exemplifies their sound?

3) Leaving the brand of guitar out of the discussion (unless it's a Music Man ), what amp and effects did they use, if you know?

Why?

For me (not in any particular order):
1) Eddie Van Halen
2) Eruption
3) Don't know

1) Joe Walsh
2) Hotel California
3) Don't know

1) Eric Clapton
2) Hideway
3) Don't know

1) Jimmy Page
2) Led Zepplin 1
3) Don't know

Why? I'm not a fan of an overly sustained, reverbed, echoed, or distorted guitar sound. These guys have a good ballsy, distinctive, and unmuffled sound without effects overkill, usually.

No flame wars please.

 

[edrod]

Petrucci, I love his lead tone so much. It sounds so nice and warm. I have tried to get close (Pod X3) but I can't. I got to work with my budget though at the time lol

 

[JoeDogInKC]

I hear ya edrod, I think a Mark IV head and cab are about the only way to get really "there" on his tone.

 

[JohnnyD19]

For a lead tone I'm going to say it's a tie between Eric Johnson and Petrucci

For a rhythm tone I'd say Alex Lifeson/Dean Wells

For Clean I'm gonna go with EJ again haha

 

[roburado]

JP/Systematic Chaos/Mark IV

Luke/When I saw him on tour with both Toto and solo/Custom Audio Amplifiers

SRV/Voodoo Chile/I don't know...Dumble?

Hendrix/Axis: Bold As Love/Some kind of Marshall I assume

 

[whitestrat]

I'm loving John Mayer's tone... I don't know if it comes from his Pete Cornish pedals, or his bloody expensive Two-Rock amps or his Big Dipper pups... Damn...

 

[spychocyco]

Normally, my preferences and influences are heavier, but for some reason I just love Billy Gibbons' tone and feel. I could sit and watch the guy play all day.

 

[slukather]

Luke - Just the custom audio electronics, excellent stuff but he'll sound awesome whatever he uses.
Nuno - Watching for the punchline & Saudades De Rock or as l've heard it pronounced "Sausages De Rock" lol
Ty Tabor - Gretchen
EVH - Balance

Scott.

 

[TimSz]

I'm loving John Mayer's tone... I don't know if it comes from his Pete Cornish pedals, or his bloody expensive Two-Rock amps or his Big Dipper pups... Damn...

I second that notion. I suspect it's all in his fingers. He sounded fantastic back in the Super Reverb days. Then in the Vibro-King ways it was tonally more pleasing, and now with the Two-Rock it's even better. That guy just sounds money.

 

[Colin]

add me to the Eric Johnson list please

 

[Mon_AM_lunatic]

JP - I&W/Awake - Mesa
Luke - Kingdom of Desire/FIB - Custom AA
Angus Young - Highway to Hell / Fly on the Wall - Marshall Plexi's
Mike Slamer - Streets 1st - Marshall
Marco Sfogli - LaBrie / solo - Mesa

 

[brasco68]

- Brian May / Sheer Heart Attack / Night at the Opera / Day at the Races/ Vox AC30

- JP...his lead tone is something to savor...just incredible.

- Alex Lifeson / Different Stages Live / Hughes & Kettner Switchblade

- Luke

- Dean Deleo / He does a lot more single coil stuff now, but he's always had a great tone / Vox Amp - Marshall Cabs

- SRV / Couldn't Stand The Weather / Fender Super Reverbs

- EVH / Anything after OU812

- Trevor Rabin / 90215 & Big Generator

- Satriani / Did a more organic sounding disc around '95...his sound was amazing on it.

 

[Slingy]

I love all the phases that Lifeson's tone went through. From walls of Marshalls to tiny GK solid state amps to H&K stuff. Incredible!

 

[PugNinjas]

Steve Vai's solo tone on the PIL disk...(especially on the outro lead of "Ease")

 

[robelinda2]

Brent Mason/Johnny Hiland/Albert Lee/Steve Wariner/Vince Gill- doesnt matter what gear they use, their fingers are magical.

 

[Roubster]

Any Timmons, amazing warm and full dynamic tone
Steve Morse, with his amazing pallet of diverse music
John Petrucci, because he is your GOD
Vinnie Moore, just because he's the Vinman
Steve Lukather, he can pull off anything

...and because almost all of them play/played Balls

 

[Jonny Dubai]

hmmmmmmm intresting thread mate.

Robben Ford- Lateral climb
Nuno- anything from the punchline cd
Van halen II
Eric Johnsone SRV
Gary Moore- run for cover CD
Kotzen - Mother heads Family Reunion

Me- with all my balls and Marshall head!!!!

Cheers,

J

 

[D.K.]

1) David Gilmour
2) Shine on You Crazy Diamond (and at least 20 other songs that come to my mind immediately)
3) I know what he used, but don't want to use up too much space here Let's just say original Hiwatt Amps, Pete cornish modded pedals and everything else... (for more info - visit the excellent Gilmourish)

1) Ritchie Blackmore
2) For the 70-s Blackmore I would highly suggest his 1975' "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow" Album, his electric sound of today is best captured on the "Stranger in us all", especially on "Still I'm sad".
3) Marshall amps back then, Engl Savage and Souvereign since 1995.

1) Jeff Beck
2) Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" 1992
3) don't know

1) Mark Knopfler
2) "Sultans of Swing" - "Alchemy live"
3) Don't know

1) Eric Johnson
2) Pretty much everything
3) Marshall JMP Amps, don't know anything else

1) Steve Vai
2) "The Ultra Zone" LP 1999
3) Far too much to mention, Carvin Legacy Amps, Morley Wah and Volume pedals, TC Electronic G-Force, Fireworks and G-System processors, etc, etc....

1) John Petrucci
2) "Images And Words" LP 1992
3) Mesa Boogie amps and a lot of pedals and processors...

That should do it for the starters ....

 

[RedRadRocker]

White Lion's Vito Bratta - Blue Monday
John Mayer - Gravity (love that solo)
Kotzen - Mother Head's Family reunion
Poison (kotzen) Until you suffer some/fire and Ice

 

[dwells]

Marco Sfogli =lead tone on his solo album
Petrucci =lead tone on scenes of a memory
Marty friedman= lead tone on Rust in Peace(Megadeth)
Jeff Waters= rythm tone on King of the Kill (Annihilator)