The Quest For Perfect Guitar Tone

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010

Any company dedicated to the design, production, or distribution of musical instruments knows how important the quality, feel, and sound of the particular instrument is, whether it is a guitar or drum set. Any musician dedicated to their art and craft is always looking at how to improve their musical skills and should always know how to properly care for their gear. Additionally, musicians are always learning how to best care for their instruments and on the everlasting quest for the perfect tone. Tone is the timbre and quality of sound as it is played.

Guitars

Many guitarists are continually concerned with tone. There are many factors to achieving the perfect tone for both the electric guitar and the acoustic guitar. First and foremost, the actual guitar will directly affect a musician?s tone. The age of the guitar, the design and shape, as well as how the guitar has been treated over time will affect the tone it emits. While it may seem obvious, many disregard the simple fact that one must respect guitars in order to maintain or achieve the best tone.

In addition to the way the guitar is treated and maintained, its accessories such as picks and strings will also affect its tone. The pick a guitar player chooses will affect tone. There are a wide variety of guitar picks as far as shape and size. The thicker the pick, the thicker the tone. If the pick is thin, the tone will be brighter. Strings have a similar affect on tone. Light gauge strings will elicit different tone effects than strings with a heavy gauge. A guitarist may try hundreds of picks and strings before he or she achieves the perfect tone.

One of the main accessories that will affect guitar sound is that of the amp. Guitar amplifiers directly affect the tone depending on the age and type of speaker within it. The age and design of the amplifier itself will also determine tone quality. Additionally, the connecting cables and how the amplifier is set will directly alter the tone. Orange amps are some of the most versatile and popular guitar amplifiers around.