Do you have a signature sound??

JC777

JC777

g00b
I was asked recently but a member of the band why I didn't have a signature sound.

A little back story, this comes from someone who isn't a strict musician. He's much better at writing and engineering than playing. I've known him for 30 years, long before we were recording music together.

We're working on our second album and he recently asked why I play different guitars and amps.
The other guitarist is a Les Paul guy, So he's playing predominantly the same style guitar.

But he did get me thinking about it. I play through 3 main amps, while considering a 4TH.
I record with everything from a Tele, Strat, HSS, Semi Hollow, HH, and occasionally a 7 String.
I use amp settings DI. Stomboxes, and occasionally other people's presets.

Do I have a sound that's my own?
Do I even need my own sound?

Do you have a signature sound?
What say you?
 
I've been giving this a lot of thought as my band is winding down and I'm looking at what's next. I definitely have a voice when it comes to songwriting, but I think I've been in cover bands too long to have a signature guitar sound. Same with my singing voice--i know what my voice sounds like, but I'm still going to veer into my Elvis, , Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison, or Karen Carpenter micro impressions.
 
JC777 said:
I was asked recently but a member of the band why I didn't have a signature sound.

A little back story, this comes from someone who isn't a strict musician. He's much better at writing and engineering than playing. I've known him for 30 years, long before we were recording music together.

We're working on our second album and he recently asked why I play different guitars and amps.
The other guitarist is a Les Paul guy, So he's playing predominantly the same style guitar.

But he did get me thinking about it. I play through 3 main amps, while considering a 4TH.
I record with everything from a Tele, Strat, HSS, Semi Hollow, HH, and occasionally a 7 String.
I use amp settings DI. Stomboxes, and occasionally other people's presets.

Do I have a sound that's my own?
Do I even need my own sound?

Do you have a signature sound?
What say you?
Click to expand...
Your description of yourself makes me think of a session player.
Play whatever gear you need to play in order to serve the song.
 
Probably not for me to decide. Like @Chicken Man mentioned, I definitely have a voice as a songwriter. And unlike his experience doing covers and aping certain other folks, I’ve got pretty distinct singing voice that because of range and timbre stuff doesn’t easily allow for mimicry beyond the handful of folks I kinda naturally sound like.

Guitarwise there’s certainly stuff that I do—preferences, stock approaches, tonal tics—but I’m often writing and playing parts vs. lyrical solo-type things that lend themselves to a clearly recognizable guitar voice. But it’s hard to hear your own accent, so…
 
Like Peen said, it's not for me to associate myself with a certain sound. That wouldn't make much sense to me since I'm not a known musician. However, I can easily identify and describe the sounds I enjoy using.

I quite like a slightly driven Vox type of chime and jangle with either my Les Paul in the middle position, or my Strat in position 1, 3, or 5, so no quack for me please. Both guitars feature fairly low-output pickups. For some reason I dig the transparency and complexity of combining pickups with a two-PU guitar, but not so much when it's a Strat. Sometimes I think I'd be happier with a JM or even a Jaguar than the LP, but for now it'll do.
 
Each guitar and amp has its own voice. Put those tools in one person's hands, you get one sound. Put the same tools in another person's hands, you get a a different sound.

Change the amp and guitar, you get a different voice but the same sound or tone. Just sonically, it is different.

I do find myself playing differently when playing different types of guitars. Its all good.
 
Yes I do. It’s not due to versatility though it’s though what has limited my movements and what I do to compensate. That sets my phrasing. For better or worse there I am.
 
I wouldn't say it's "my" signature sound, but I tend to lean towards single coils on the edge of break-up. So pretty much the same sound a lot of folks use. :shrug:
 
I've been using the same amp model for most of the last 30 years so there's a chunk of commonality there. I play a variety of different guitars through the amp though depending on the song's needs and they all sound different to my ears, ymmv. My phrasing is probably the most identifiable thing in my sound probably.
 
Mark Knopfler’s Going Home. Who plays on it? 60 people, with very distinct personal sounds. Some are: Jeff Beck(his final recording) , EC, James Burton, Buddy Guy, Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy, Peter Frampton, Tony Iomi, Joan Jett, Alex Lifeson, Phil Manzanera, Steve Lukather, David Gilmour, Brian May, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Sting, Cheryl Crow, Pete Townshend, Roger Daultry on Harmonica, and Joe Bonamassa.


 
I sound like me no matter the guitar. I tend to steer every amp and dirt pedal toward the same ballpark. Do I have a signature sound? Maybe. I don't worry about it since it's just a hobby and my talent is marginal.
 
The sound I try to achieve from my head tone for a long time now was actually achieved by Jason Isbell on Overseas. I'm jealous that he beat me to perfecting it.
 
DinoMikeSr said:
Mark Knopfler’s Going Home. Who plays on it? 60 people, with very distinct personal sounds. Some are: Jeff Beck(his final recording) , EC, James Burton, Buddy Guy, Ry Cooder, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy, Peter Frampton, Tony Iomi, Joan Jett, Alex Lifeson, Phil Manzanera, Steve Lukather, David Gilmour, Brian May, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Sting, Cheryl Crow, Pete Townshend, Roger Daultry on Harmonica, and Joe Bonamassa.


Click to expand...

I'll have to check this out.
 
I think mine comes from influences. When I write it's in a style of bands that I am inspired by, it tends to drive the overall sound of the guitars.
Our first album was more influence driven. Before some of the songs had titles, I would refer to them as Black Crowes, Keef, Pearl Jam, Social Distortion, Led Zep songs. I had worked up an almost Yacht Rock style song. But it didn't fit either albums so it's on the back burner.
So maybe I'll write like me and not influences at some point.
 
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