• From: Bristol, UK
  • Registered: 2011-10-20
  • Posts: 237

Topic: The Importance of EQ

I was recently reading on this forum (and on many others) about the relative merits of different pickups particularly Les Paul humbuckers. There seems to be an endless variety of gain, top, middle and bottom tonal output.

I was therefore intrigued when I saw on YouTube a rig rundown of Billy Gibbons' gear with his guitar tech. In it he says that they have a preset EQ curve for a G chord played on the Pearly Gates Les Paul and for all the other guitars they have EQ adjusted presets to produce the same curve for the same chord so that all the guitars sound the same. The EQ is used to set not only the tone but also the signal gain going into the amp.

To quote the tech "When we change guitars they have to be homogeneous...we don't want you to tell that he (BG) is ever playing a Telecaster".

This sounds a lot simpler than changing pickups and if it can make a Tele sound like a Les Paul it must be worth a try.

Does anyone else share this view of the importance of EQ?

I've seen many videos of Joe's rig and can't remember any mention of EQ setting other than the guitar and amp.

2 Reply by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2012-07-20 09:19:04)

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: The Importance of EQ

This is where I'm a little different, personally. I want my guitars to sound different.

If I bring one of my strats to a gig, it's not just for the comfort vs. one of my Les Pauls... I want it to sound like a strat. Or if I bring two Les Pauls to a gig, I switch not to show the crowd a different color, but because that guitar has something in it that makes its tone perfect for the song.

I struggle with EQing the amp per venue, per guitar, per song... but eventually I do a general amp EQ setting, and let the guitars show their personality through a generic but attractive EQ setting through any one of my amps.

Taking the honk or spank out of a telecaster is pretty easy. Thicker strings and hotter pickups do the job. But I never buy into the "sounds just like a Les Paul" thing when I can play one. I don't own any teles (yet), but when I get one I expect it to nail the tele sound, not mimic different type of guitar.

I can see what ZZ Top is going for because they have the "Texas tone" with Pearly Gates. I don't really have a "signature" tone, so maybe that's the difference here wink ZZ Top's sound needs to be identifiable. So I'm sure they want to sound like "them" no matter what guitar Billy Gibbons has a stiffy for that day.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
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  • From: Bristol, UK
  • Registered: 2011-10-20
  • Posts: 237

Re: The Importance of EQ

Nic,

I'm actually with you on this. I would never consider using EQ to make one guitar sound like one I already have but I do think there could be some value in using it to tweak the pickup characteristics instead of replacing them. In reality I don't know how do-able this would be. The EQ in BG's rack has about 10 times as many bands as my Boss GE-7!

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: The Importance of EQ

I like how they configure his equipment so that all the guitars come out with generally the same tone. I really only take 2 LPs to gigs anymore and play one per set so I'm basically using 1 sound all night. I stopped taking strats and other types of guitars out because when I switched to get a different tone, I encountered differences in volumes and the overall EQ of the amps weren't to my liking for that particular guitar now. I don't have much gain with the LPs so when I plugged a Strat in, it was very thin etc.

I think they're basically going for the ultimate example of consistency throughout a tour. Less headaches etc.. I like the differences in using different guitars but playing out, I'd rather keep it simple and consistent as well.

5 Reply by ZeyerGTR (edited by ZeyerGTR 2012-07-20 12:33:12)

  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2010-04-15
  • Posts: 1,374

Re: The Importance of EQ

EQ is hugely important, especially getting the high end just right.  That said, I'd personally never use it to try to make all my guitars sound alike.  I usually bump the mids on my single coils, and scoop the mids a little bit on something like a SD Hot Rails, but that's more dialing in the tone that I want for each guitar.

The EQ is used to set not only the tone but also the signal gain going into the amp.

It was annoying when I'd take my 57 reissue strat and Hot Rails-equipped tele to gigs because of the drastic difference in output - I'd have to do a bit more tweaking to the amp to get the volume consistent, even though the tone was intentionally different.  Not something you can spend a lot of time fiddling with between songs, so I definitely see where they're coming from here.  Using an EQ pedal to do that is an interesting solution.  BG is always going to sound like BG.

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  • Registered: 2012-05-30
  • Posts: 485

Re: The Importance of EQ

Here's a thought...what about having a few EQ pedals and using each to set the volume level and EQ where you want it for a particular guitar (so 1 for Strats, 1 for LP's etc) whether that be to make them all sound the same, to make sure there's no drop in volume or just to make sure that you're getting the sweet spot you like...then using the amp's EQ to tailor that sound to the room you're playing in...

....does that make sense and does anyone do it?

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  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: The Importance of EQ

Adrian J wrote:

Here's a thought...what about having a few EQ pedals and using each to set the volume level and EQ where you want it for a particular guitar (so 1 for Strats, 1 for LP's etc) whether that be to make them all sound the same, to make sure there's no drop in volume or just to make sure that you're getting the sweet spot you like...then using the amp's EQ to tailor that sound to the room you're playing in...

....does that make sense and does anyone do it?

Or an EQ pedal with two buttons that are preprogrammed cool

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2012-05-30
  • Posts: 485

Re: The Importance of EQ

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:
Adrian J wrote:

Here's a thought...what about having a few EQ pedals and using each to set the volume level and EQ where you want it for a particular guitar (so 1 for Strats, 1 for LP's etc) whether that be to make them all sound the same, to make sure there's no drop in volume or just to make sure that you're getting the sweet spot you like...then using the amp's EQ to tailor that sound to the room you're playing in...

....does that make sense and does anyone do it?

Or an EQ pedal with two buttons that are preprogrammed cool

Well yes...

Guitars: Fender American Original 60s Strat, Fender American Vintage 52 Tele, Gibson Les Paul Traditional
FX: Various including - Ceriatone Centura, Fire Custom Shop Carpe Diem
Amp: Fender ML212 Deville + 212 extention cabinet
  • Registered: 2010-12-06
  • Posts: 122

Re: The Importance of EQ

...or no EQ pedal and "play it as it lays" smile

Everyone seems to forget the alternative.  Plug your guitar into your amp and play.  If you don't like the way it sounds...you got the wrong guitar, the wrong amp, or both.

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

Re: The Importance of EQ

I think people buy amps with eq's because if you go to a gig that sounds great at low volume but go to a place where your amp has to be cranked hard your amps tone will change you, then you'll need to adjust the settings to help the amp sound better.  I hate having options.  I'm a simple kind of guy and hate to have eq's to adjust.  So you can imagine if I had a Marshall with 3 channels and it has eq for each channel I'd be lost.  My ideal amp would be the vintage type with about 50 watts and a volume control, nothing else.  Some people would like a tone control but why bother.  I would prefer a clean sounding amp and pedals like a tube screamer to color the sound.

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  • From: Southampton, UK
  • Registered: 2011-09-06
  • Posts: 231

Re: The Importance of EQ

I don't want my LP sounding like my Strat sounding like my Tele etc. etc. - I like the different voices they have.  I actually only usually take one LP and one other guitar out with me - the other being whatever suits the gig (i.e. it will be a Tele or Strat for the tex-mex band I play with).

In terms of gain/volume changes, that did used to be an issue for me, however since putting a £27 buffer just behind my A/B/Y splitter the difference has been reduced and I assume that's because it's helping to compensate for the lower output in the single coils pups trying to get through my signal chain.  I would recommend trying that 'mod' - it makes a real difference.

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  • macg1
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,020

Re: The Importance of EQ

I think comments like "why not do the simplest thing and not worry about the end result?" or "plug straight into your amp and if you don't like it everything is wrong" are obtuse at best and really should be avoided from discussions because it adds absolutely nothing, other than some high and mighty, perhaps even purist view which by nature of the beast (this forum) really seems closed minded. 

Anyhow, EQ and compression are some of the most valuable tools for the guitarist both live and in the studio;  used in the right way they can take the sonic landscape whichever way a player desires.  Ignoring that these things exist and can be used efficiently are again, obtuse.  If not for you just pass on the discussion.

I like the Gibbons approach, though not for me as I also enjoy the differences among guitars, it is a mildly scientific approach to resolve BFG's longing for Pearly while still satisfying his lust for 6-string variety.  David Gilmour is another famous EQ "user/abuser" and I recall seeing 2 or 3 on a pedal board of his at one point.  Paul Gilbert uses an EQ pedal (or used to) to take his tone from overdrive, to "clean".  So, in brief, yes an EQ pedal, with more bands the better, CAN be used to make a single coil sound more like a bucker, and vice versa, and it is much easier than changing pickups all the time.  I actually have entertained the idea of having 2 or 3 good quality EQ's as well, instead of boosts and overdrives, but so far it is a bit of a leap for me in terms of "safety-blanket"... maybe if the EQ pedals had a tube in it I would be more into trying that approach big_smile I actually used to use a MXR 6 band EQ when I played old Budda amps, and plugged it in into the effects loop to give me more tonal control.  Now with a proper 3-band EQ int he Rocker30 I don't need it as much.

So I wish upon you RichardH some happy tone hunting!

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