Anatomy of Guitar Tone

Anatomy of Guitar Tone is the home of session/touring guitarist, composer, instructor, and blogger - Mark Marshall.

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Analog Man Sun Face BC108

Aug 16

Aug 16 Analog Man Sun Face BC108

The Fuzz Face circuit is the most well know of the fuzz circuits alongside the Big Muff. This largely in part by the usage of the Fuzz Face by Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmore. David Gilmore eventually moved to a Big Muff, which made that pedal well known.

Although Hendrix used other fuzz pedals from time to time, he became associated with the Fuzz Face. Likely because of his performance at Woodstock. I actually got to hold the Fuzz Face, and wah-wah Hendrix played at Woodstock. I was thoroughly pattered down, leaving the location where they are stored.

The term Fuzz Face has become a generic term for fuzz among some guitarists. Some major manufactures don't help in their marketing either. You're often led to believe there is one basic Fuzz Face, which is not valid. I'm not saying Dunlop is lying to you. I'm saying they're making a vanilla Fuzz Face with hopes it fits all.

Victoria 518 Tweed Champ

Jul 29

Jul 29 Victoria 518 Tweed Champ

Guitarists are searching for solutions to get a great tone in their home studios or on quieter gigs. Higher wattage amps are falling out of favor for these situations.

Bigger amps are harder to control at lower volumes and only saturate when played loud.

Many guitarists have tried products like the Kemper or Fractal as well as amp simulators. There are a wide variety of products today aimed at the volume restrained guitarist.

I have struggled with each of these products when dialing in a guitar amp tone I love. I find myself spending more time tweaking then playing. While mixing, I keep going back to make adjustments I wouldn't bother with a real amp.

The Echorec Delay Sound

Jul 6

Jul 6 The Echorec Delay Sound

The Bnson Echorec delay is a sound that many guitarists have heard but aren't aware of its identity. There is an assumption that anything before digital or analog delays are tape-based echos.

Tape echos such as the Maestro Ecoplex were produced in quantity and more available in the USA. Italian inventor Dr. Bini designed the Echorec to solve some of the issues known with a tape delay.

Recording vintage resonator guitar tones using the Wasaphone

Jul 4

Jul 4 Recording vintage resonator guitar tones using the Wasaphone

For many studio owners specializing in recording guitar, a lot of thought goes into deciding which mics to collect.

There are some obvious choices like ribbons, dynamics, and condensers. Mics like the AEA 840, Sennheiser 906, and Soyuz Bomblet are my favorite choices for tracking guitars and guitar amps.

There will be times, though, when you need something a little more specialized and specific. Something like a Wasaphone MKII.

Kush Audio Clariphonic Parallel EQ

Jun 13

Jun 13 Kush Audio Clariphonic Parallel EQ

When a lot of guitarists start recording themselves, they often complain about a tonal blanket hanging over their tone. I get asked frequently about the best ways to remove the dull blanket sound.

There are several ways to make a guitar more lively. Firstly, I try to start with the instrument itself. If I'm playing acoustic guitar, I will pick one that suits the tonality of the song. The same goes for an electric guitar and amp.

Concerning guitar amps, I spend time tweaking the EQ knobs on the amp itself. I'm not opposed to adding EQ down the line, but I want to get the tone as close as possible from the start.

You may have made the right decisions with the guitar and amp but still find you need to open up the tone.

Kush Audio Pusher Saturator

May 30

May 30 Kush Audio Pusher Saturator

I've been watching a lot of Mix with the Master's videos. I find it fascinating to watch others work. It's so interesting how many different approaches there are. Recently I was watching Tchad Blake mix. He was using a plugin I never saw before for saturation and distortion called the Pusher.

Guitar Production: Soundtoys Plugins

Mar 27

Mar 27 Guitar Production: Soundtoys Plugins

Sound Toys plugins have been a staple for many recording engineers and mixers for quite some time. But for some reason, I just didn't end up trying them until recently.

I dropped by my friend and film composer Gene Back's studio. We were discussing plugins, and I was mentioning how I was generally dissatisfied with delay plugins. I just haven't bonded with any.

I'll admit that I'm an analog delay nut. Although some companies have made emulations of old delays, I've been unsatisfied.

Gene suggested I try Echo Boy from Soundtoys. I had heard of EchoBoy before but was jaded using delay plugins. After some not so gentle judging from my friend, I tried EchoBoy.

Retro Sonic Chorus CE-1 Circuit

Feb 11

Feb 11 Retro Sonic Chorus CE-1 Circuit

Pedals, Reviews

It would be fair to say that in certain periods of music history, both past and present, chorus has been one of the most popular guitar effects.

Chorus is most notably associated with the 1980s but really got its start back in the 1960s. The Beatles were the first to use ADT (artificial double tracking), which to the ear sounds like a light chorus or doubling effect, on “Rubber Soul.”

In fact, chorus is meant to sound like more than one source playing at once. Like a chorus of singers. It’s an electronic way of doubling your guitar or any other instrument.

Headstrong Lil’ King Reverb

Dec 25

Dec 25 Headstrong Lil’ King Reverb

The Fender Blackface Princeton guitar amp tone is about as classic as it gets. The identity of that era of amps might be the most identifiable guitar amp ever. They've been on countless records starting from 1964 on that Feature the Fender Blackface tone.

Buying an original mid to late 60's blackface Princeton isn't only expensive but potentially problematic. I love vintage guitar amps, but they can be unreliable. Right now, a 1964 Princeton is a 46-year-old amp. That's long past the life expectancy of many of the components.

You could get lucky and buy one with no issues. More than likely, though, you will need to maintain and baby a vintage amp more than a new one.

Anasounds Element Spring Reverb

Dec 19

Dec 19 Anasounds Element Spring Reverb

Pedals, Reviews, Gear

I’m a sucker for drippy spring reverb. I listen to a lot of surf and psychobilly music. You will find records from The Ventures and The Cramps in our vinyl collection.

Spring reverb isn’t just “reverb” to me. It’s an extremely specific flavor. One that just can’t be recreated digitally. Digital technology has come far, but I don’t feel there is a digital equivalent of spring reverb yet.

Auto Align Phase Correction Tool

Dec 12

Dec 12 Auto Align Phase Correction Tool

Discussing phase relationships with guitar microphones can be a complicated conversation because not all sounds that have imperfect phase sound terrible. That's a critical thought to store in your brain library.

The most significant consideration when dealing with phase is sound disappearing when listening in mono. A signal that is out of phase can disappear when played in mono.

Analog Man CompROSSor pedal with RYCK mod

Nov 22

Nov 22 Analog Man CompROSSor pedal with RYCK mod

Reviews, Pedals

Compression is often misunderstood and looked at as a dynamics fixer. Meaning, some players use them to even out there playing. A compressor can substantially narrow the dynamic range of the guitar.

Although it does do that, it's not how I think about it, or I use it. I've spent a lot of time playing guitar to manually event my dynamics if I want to. I don't use a compressor as a band-aid.

Compression is a tone tool for me. I'm very interested in the varieties of compressors and how they modify my sound. Sure, a compressor is still containing the dynamic range of the guitar. But, to me, that's just a side effect.

FSC 1960’s Strat Pickups

Oct 26

Oct 26 FSC 1960’s Strat Pickups

Guitars, Reviews

I recently wrote a blog about FSC Instruments '59 pickups. Well, I liked them so much I decided to ask Farhad Soheili to make me a set of 1960's style pickups. I have two Strats and thought it would be cool if they were both voiced differently.

Because I do so many sessions, small variances in tone can make a big difference. Plus, let's admit it, I'm a tone nerd.

Barefoot Buttons

Oct 16

Oct 16 Barefoot Buttons

It's strange the details that fail to progress with guitar gear over the decades. Companies spend a lot of time trying to reduce the pedal size, but neglect others. For instance, we now have nano pedals. Yet, the footswitches remain small.

Have you ever tried to turn a pedal on or off when you weren't wearing shoes? It's not a very comfortable experience unless you're using a Boss pedal.

Marshall SV20H 20-watt Plexi Amp

Oct 9

Oct 9 Marshall SV20H 20-watt Plexi Amp

I grew up listening to a lot of British rock music — everything from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin. I also heard a lot of punk and early hardcore — bands such as the Ramones and Minor Threat.

Because of my roots in this music, you would think I would have had a Marshall amp. But, I didn't know until recently. I'm not sure why. I always wanted one, but I just ended up buying other amps.

sE Space Shield

Sep 5

Sep 5 sE Space Shield

Recording acoustic guitars can be a real challenge in non-commercial studio environments.

Commercial studios often have live rooms carefully constructed for flattering acoustics. In a lot of these pro commercial studios, you can place a mic anywhere in the room and it will sound great.

Avatar Recording Studios NYC

But recording has changed a lot over the past two decades, and fewer people are recording in commercial studios. Instead, they’re opting for home and project studio environments.

Demeter Reverbulator Analog Spring Reverb Pedal

Aug 29

Aug 29 Demeter Reverbulator Analog Spring Reverb Pedal

Pedals, Reviews, Gear

I’m a big ol’ fan of spring reverb. I don’t always use spring reverb, but when I do I tend to be pretty particular about it. I never have bonded with digital emulations of spring reverb. There is just something about the interaction of the guitar, the amp, and the springs that needs to happen in real time.

Sonic Research ST-300 Turbo Tuner

Aug 16

Aug 16 Sonic Research ST-300 Turbo Tuner

Reviews, Pedals

Guitar tuners are a wildly underappreciated tool. You rarely see people talk about them when they’re showing off their pedalboards. They get passed over by their flashy counterparts: overdrive, fuzz, and delay.

FSC ‘59 Strat Pickups

Aug 12

Aug 12 FSC ‘59 Strat Pickups

Guitars, Reviews

When I was younger I didn't understand why people would swap out their guitar pickups. If you liked the way a guitar sounds when you buy it, I thought, why change it?

It wasn't until a friend showed up at my studio with a guitar that had some hand-wound pickups in it that I had a revelation. It was quite the eye opener. There were elements of my guitar tone I wasn’t happy with but I couldn't put my finger on. I certainly didn’t think to consider my pickups.

The Vick Audio 73 Ram’s Head—A Vintage Big Muff Repro I Can Love

Jun 24

Jun 24 The Vick Audio 73 Ram’s Head—A Vintage Big Muff Repro I Can Love

Gear, Pedals, Reviews

It’s often debated whether the Big Muff circuit is distortion or fuzz. Although both distortion and fuzz are hard-clipping circuits, the Muff is definitely a fuzz. But it was the first step toward the distortion pedal.