• From: Earth
  • Registered: 2008-10-24
  • Posts: 33

Topic: JB's Superior Tone

After studying Joes tone and amp set-up it brings me back to the realization that a certain volume level must be acheived along with a must have line of gear. Certainly his ability, phrasing, and also his ear for tones and harmonically rich OD cannot be matched by many.
I applaud you Joe for your wise knowledge and or education for equipment. I have been singing and playing guitar professionally for over 37 years and am 49 years old. When I was a child of 9 I met Bill Humphreys of Baggies Recording Studio and he was and still is a pioneer in set-ups, tones, amps, guitars, ect,ect. So for all of my life I have had this advantage over other cats by way of gear knowledge. Yes it helped, but I was never and never will be such a superior player. Elementry you might say, ut its done with all my heart and soul. I also want to thank Joe for accepting the Tele I brought to his show, (Thanks Joe)
It meant alot to me to be part of your life for even a breif moment. Keep on Rockin my freind, and next time I see you I will have a guitar for you that will blow your mind! That one plays and sounds great, but this next one will be over the top in all aspects! I am using a 66 blackface Super Reverb with 4 JBL k110's for Rythym and a 64 blackface pro reverb with 2 Red Tone Tubbys for soloing in club situations and for outdoors I am using a Tony Bruno Cow Tipper 90 on top of a 2-12 cab with EV12L's and a Marshall 1960 Vintage Stereo
along with Keeley Compressor, Zen Drive, DD3, older h20 analog chorus/echo, ts10, bluespro, Lee Jackson OD, Reverend OD, Arion chorus for Leslie Effect. Anyway I am glad to be here, and if anyone wants to share info with me orr has questions please respond, Thanks, Brian. (BigB)

  • Geoff
  • Geoff
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: Moreton, Wirral, England
  • Registered: 2006-09-26
  • Posts: 1,603

Re: JB's Superior Tone

Whoa Bigbsmiles. Kudos to that man! First - Welcome to the forum! What a way to make an entrance! We are not worthy! Now I'm pretty sure that Joe will also want to say hello and thank you too, because he does come in here and comment quite often. Welcome!

Geoff O

Visit my Casino Images website http://www.casino-images.com/

Geoff's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: JB's Superior Tone

Id just for the sake of argument say you can get great sounds at low volumes.  My set up sounds great at a moderate level. 

I have an AC30 and a twin set clean.  Then pick out great pedals to give me different levels of gain. Using a Les Paul I can keep the sound nice and thick. 

You dont need 4X 100 watt heads to have a good sound. 

But I guess that is what makes music so cool is everyone thinks something different sounds best. 
I often wonder why we spend so much money going after the GOLD STANDARD when I'm not so sure there is one.

Welcome to the Forum.

  • From: Earth
  • Registered: 2008-10-24
  • Posts: 33

Re: JB's Superior Tone

Absolutely, you can get great tone at lower volumes, I do all the time from the Super Reverb. 3-4, what I am saying about tone like JB's is that when your at that level you have what we call a threshold of power, such as sustain, feedback that can be controlled, the wall of sound theory, power you will not acheive at lower volumes, but yes you can certainly acheive great tone at lower vlumes. I hope I made my message more direct than in the prior post. Thanks for discussing with me, sincerely, Big B

  • From: Earth
  • Registered: 2008-10-24
  • Posts: 33

Re: JB's Superior Tone

Geoff O thank you and its great to meet you too! hope to hear more from you. Sincerely, Big B

  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: JB's Superior Tone

I guess my point is people put WAY to much thought into tone.  It is not the tone In my opinion that really turns heads.  Its the player.  I believe Joe could get up on stage with a 59 bassman a Les Paul and a few pedals and he'd still sound just as amazing. In fact I'd be really interested to see that result.  Maybe on Youtube one day.   

I like everyone here is facinated by Joe's Amp line.  However I prefer many other sounds to his.  I prefer Joes earlier sound with the Marshall bluesbreaker and Budda.  Its nothing personal...  I think Joe is absolutely the best guitar player I've ever seen. 

I think Warren Haynes has a fantastic sound. He uses Soldano. 

Personally I think the Bogner Shiva is the best amp I've ever heard.  I am really suprised I've never heard of Joe using them. They are fantasic.  If I had the money  I'd have two.  A 6l6 and a el34 side by side.  No need for overdrive pedals. They are magical amps. At all levels. 

Anyhow its interesting to talk about this stuff. I am as addicted to gear as anyone.  I love trying to find a sound that is playing to my heart strings. Hopefully it wont take 4 hundred watt heads.

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: JB's Superior Tone

I'm going to steal one out of the old school blues books and say "Great tone is all in fingers."
But a Marshall 100 SLP Plexi would played by some of the greats like Clapton wouldn't hurt either.  Me I play complete crap and think I got decent tone.  60's Classic LP into an Epiphone Valve JR. Head turned up as loud as it can go, and a Peavey Windsor Head.  Nothing special just fun to take apart and change things for a better sound.

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: Earth
  • Registered: 2008-10-24
  • Posts: 33

Re: JB's Superior Tone

Yes brother the bogners are awesome, ther are so many great amps out there today, I especially like the compressive sound from the bogners that gets me goin! hope you get them someday! it definetely is the player though, no doubt, I have a freind in FLA who is one of the greatest players alive, unfortunately he's a drug addict and alcoholic, and addicted to chaos, and right now he is in prison for his bad judgement, but the last tiime I saw him he was playing a Jackson knockoff and a solid state yamaha piece of crap amp and he just blew me away on how good he made it sound, all because of his talent, I mean this guy also could play SRV note for note phrase for phrase and even sounded like him when he sang, He was doing a tribute show with all the garb. But anyone else doing it you would say to yourself, whats this crap, until he started playing, what a God awefull shame. I hope when he gets out he finds what it is that will fill that emptiness besides drugs and alcohol.
Take care talk more later.

  • ken
  • ken
  • Titanium
  • Offline
  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2007-05-28
  • Posts: 949

Re: JB's Superior Tone

FYI- Here's a quote from Joe about a Shiva he tried in a music store.

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

I tried the Shiva....  For me it was too bright and too scooped in the mids.  It reminded me alot of the ENGL stuff.  Super compressed gain channel and nice clean side.. If forced to use one I would drive the clean channel and use a boost or Tube Screamer.  That would be best.. Not bad, not for me though
Joe Bonamassa