• Josh J
  • Silver Member
  • Offline
  • From: Tampa FL
  • Registered: 2010-07-21
  • Posts: 53

Topic: Need a little help

Long time Joe B fan, first time post
Maybe you guys can give me a little help, being playing the acoustic guitar for awhile and i just got hold of a electric  about 6 months ago. I have been trying to play india/mountain time (Live Version), i can get the finger picking and chords down just fine, but i can't for the life of me get close to the sound Joe gets, i have a small 15 amp that has a distortion button on it a trebblie knob and a bass knob, i also have a distortion pedal as well, (it was all given to me), Iknow that joe uses all kinds of different effects to get his own sound, but i can't even get close, all the different knob on the amp the pedal and the guitar confuse the hell out of me. why do i have two tone knobs on my guitar, where should these be set, the tone and gain knobs on the pedal, Hecki have no clue what to do with these. any help would be great if not, no worries either. Just tought i would ask. always wanted to try the electric but never had the money.

Take care and thanks for any help you might be able to give.

P.S. i will be seeing Joe live in orlando and then in hollywood fl in Dec. (both shows) anybody here going to those shows?

  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: Need a little help

First off, the two tone knobs are for different pickups.
What kind of guitar do you have? (if its a strat style then the tone knobs are most likely wired for the middle pickup and the neck, if its a les paul/sg/ES then it will be bridge and neck)
Getting such a tone with your set up isn't possible. But you can get a general tone I guess. But you still won't be so close...just closer.
Joe's tone is all about mids, so try get your mids up, treble down and a bit of bass. Bridge pickup with the tone rolled back a little as well as the volume knob.
What is your distortion pedal?

3 Reply by Josh J (edited by Josh J 2010-08-09 11:29:33)

  • Josh J
  • Silver Member
  • Offline
  • From: Tampa FL
  • Registered: 2010-07-21
  • Posts: 53

Re: Need a little help

its a fender strat of some type the less expensive one i think, and the distortion pedal i'm not sure, I'm at work have to wait until i get home to check it It has 2 knobs a tone and gain and button you push with your foot.
I know with my gear it will never be like Joes sound, but i watched sevearl youtube clips of people playing it and the sound a lot closer than i can get. Maybe one day i can get better gear but for now until i know if i like playing the electric over my acoustic i don't want to spend to much money.

  • Registered: 2010-07-09
  • Posts: 122

Re: Need a little help

First, if you're new to electrics, take the time to experiment with the controls of your gear.   Learn what they do; how they change the tone.  Set the knobs about mid-point and listen carefully to the tone.  Next, vary each knob one by one and listen.  You want to understand how the knobs change the sound and develop an ear for how a mixture of settings creates a certain sound.  Then, listen to Joe as you experiment with various control combinations and try to match his sound. 

Your gear will limit you, but there is no reason that you can't get something sounding somewhat close.

Getting good tone is a journey; you don't find it overnight.  Also, buying Joe's same setup is a waste of money because you won't sound like him even if he let you play his rig.

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful albeit frustrating world of electric guitar tone.

Guitars: '79 LP Custom, '01 Dickey Betts Goldie - 80 of 114, '00 Chandler Lectraslide
Amps: '00 Marshall 1987x, '70 Marshall 1959 SL, 4x12 JBL D120s
'64 Vibroverb - JBL D130, '66 Super Reverb - CTS Alnicos
'77 Peavey Deuce (great for melting stubborn ear wax)
  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: Need a little help

Also, you'll find a tone you like and it'll last you a short while before you want to change it.
It's an expensive hobby. tongue

  • Devan
  • Devan
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
  • Posts: 1,304

Re: Need a little help

It is extremely difficult to nail another player's tone - as so much of it comes from the player him/herself and not just the gear they have.

It's going to be tricky to get Joe's sound from a Strat and a small amp, but for starters, try using the neck or neck & bridge pickup to take away the 'sharpness' and 'twang' of the Strat.  As Jimi_lp said, try and boost your midrange as much as possible, so don't be afraid to roll your tone knobs back a bit on the guitar, and if you can, turn up the 'middle' knob on your amp whilst reducing the 'treble' and 'bass'.  Play with the tone knob on the distortion pedal too.  Use only a little bit of gain.

If and when you can afford it, look into getting a nice tube amplifier. Doesn't have to be super loud, but a nice 15 to 30 watt tube amp will get you closer to Joe's sound.

Best of luck with your journey in discovering your tone!

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"