John Mayers Tone

[Structo]

Funny, when I thought about building my D'Lite I had fantasies about sounding like Robben Ford when it was adjusted to the proper settings.
Guess what?
Well, you already know the answer to that one, I sound like me.
I don't play in his style or skill set at all.
But it still is a cool gainy amp and I love it.

[phsyconoodler]

Ok,since we aren't going to be Hendrix,Brahmal or clapton any time soon,I guess we have to rely on the amp to get our tones.
We all like the tones of Two Rock and Dumbles and I believe even a D'Lite could get those tones.I have built two to date and starting on a third.I do something a little different each time to see if I prefer it over the last one.
Funny thing is,I get a certain tone that is not as nice as I like it and I'm disappointed.The guy who bought my last build is a stellar player who owns a Two Rock a Fuchs and assorted Fenders and Vox amps,comes to play the amp and he gets all the tones we hear in our heads and more.He turns the dials and gets what he needs.I couldn't get that!To me the amp sounded good but could be better.To him he says it couldn't be better.
It's in the hands.Another guy who is a session player tries the amp and
decides it to be better than a Fuchs or a Two Rock for the most part.
It's like having a free concert in my living room!Then I plug in again when they leave and I STILL can't get it to sound that way!

[dave g]

I think it's important to differentiate between "sound" and "tone". I usually think of "sound" as the whole package - the sum of all aspects of a player's technique and style along with the gear he's using. "Tone" on the other hand, I think of as being one component of a player's "sound" that is solely dependent on the amp/guitar/pedals/etc. A player will always sound like themselves through any rig, but you can't deny that their tone will change based upon the physical characteristics of the gear they're using.

[JimiB]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDfB5IzT ... re=related

heres Tomo on a JM Sig Two Rock and strangely enough I am still hearing what I like about that amp.

[v00d00blues79]

Man... that's about a half step removed from sounding like a JM groove... to me it shows that anyone competent enough in any style is capable of hitting on they key notes of a persons style and holding it true to form...

Andy

[phsyconoodler]

I find that particular tone to be easy to get on the D'Lite circuit.John Mayer is fatter sounding,possibly because he likes the neck pickup in his strat.
With a responsive amp like the dumble,D'lite and Two Rock it is easier than you think to get the Yutube tone.
A really skilled player can make those amps sound magic.And any other for that matter.They just don't have to work as hard to get that tone on an amp that gives it up that easily.Their playing becomes more fluid with a responsive amp.It's less work.
So I guess it is silly to continue to argue the point.

[Tonegeek]

I agree that it appears that some players can produce good sounds on about any rig. I attribute that as much to the listener as to the player though. A talented player should sound like themselves no matter what the rig, although a good listener will hear the difference (I am sure the person playing can differentiate from one rig to the next). My feeling is that we listen to ourselves differently (and in a more critical way) than we listen to others. (Think about how you react when you hear your own voice on tape). When I am playing my guitar through my rig, the whole rig influences how I play. I suspect this is true for any other player. The rig does make a difference although the listener may not pick up on this fact as easily as they would if they were the actual player. So the question about JM's rig is perfectly legitimate as the rig is an integral part of getting the sound he is (or you are) after. Keep in mind that JM did not create his sound out of thin air. He synthesized it from other sounds he has been exposed to. Same as EJ, Robben, et al. Same as you and me, so I for one want to know all the ingredients required for great tone. My $.02

Happy New Year all you tone freaks!