Tone Terminology Series

How do we describe the things we like and dislike about the way something sounds?  We often relate the tonality of an instrument or an amplifier with descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) to bring out the essence of what we are experiencing with our ears.  As I think about defining tone and some of the things I've said about my own listening experiences, I am reminded of peanut butter!  Think about it for a sec...

Smooth, creamy, crunchy, chunky... You know I'm right!

Part One - Smooth and Creamy

Your distortion, while distorted, can still be described as smooth because there are no dissonant harmonic overtones that break up over the output of the signal.  Nice and smooth, oh yeah! When you hit that right note with the right conditions, there is a sensation that is experienced by more than the person playing the note. When it is just right, everyone within adequate hearing distance shares the experience with you!

Your overdrive, or even your chorus effect, can produce that rich and creamy essence because the note is passing through the correct bands of equalization and with the correct signal level.  When the signal leaves the instrument and passes to the overdrive unit, it is given the correct amount of signal processing to boost the level and tailor the EQ and clipping just right.  As the signal passes out of the overdrive and into the preamp stage of say a tube amp, the signal hits the input stage of the tube and when the bias is just right, the signal passes across that precious vacuum gap of amplification and signal enhancement and viola! Creamy richness...

Anyone who prefers tube amps over solid state knows exactly what I'm talking about.  Their ears tell them something like, "Ooooh, that's niiiice..."

Hey, be quiet! ... now really, when I hear that just-right tube tone ... My ears tell me that!

Your chorus effect can produce that creamy essence by adding a bit of swirling which is created by combining a slight delay and a slow oscillation (LFO) with the original signal.  With the right amount of delay and oscillation you achieve a rich creaminess! Personally, I love the sound of a single coil pickup run through a chorus effect while playing gentle chords. Now that's creamy tone goodness!

For more information visit Musician's Friend ,  zZounds , and Guitar Center , and Same Day Music,  and Agile Guitars and discover your ultimate guitar tone terminology.