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When using a plectrum I often use the side of my thumb to modify the way the string vibrates, although I normally don’t use enough gain for stealing pinched harmonics.
Now I’m not going to dispute that equipment has a big effect on sound, but put any two of us in the same room with the same equipment, and get us playing the song, and we will sound different, even without changing any settings.
It ought to. You are a professional. If it didn't, then you are in the wrong job.
For me, there is a technical level of competence and experience that any professional musician should reach, that should enable them to sound good on any old piece of junk that might get flung their way.
I always feel in these debates that "tone" basically means, recognisable technique and style, that can shine through despite gear choice. Sometimes, that technique element is also on who to use the gear to get the sound you require (obvious example the edge)
Depending on your relationship to the pulse, your brain (and other's brains) alter the "tone".
It's like sharp in pitch sounds brighter and flat sounds darker. So "tone" is about great subtleties of timing and pitch as well as about gear. Maybe not about fingers but about timing and pitching.
Maybe I used the wrong phrase. They say it sounds "different" to when they play it may be a better saying. Even when just ringing out an open E chord. Heavy handed strumming is another one that I notice.
hold the D or G string down with absolute tip of your finger, play a note
now hold the string down as a barre across all 6 strings, play the same note
Vastly different tone even though there is fret in both cases
Could you not also say that even though the two would play differently you'd technically be using the same guitar tone? As in amp/guitar settings.
Like a "tone" control on a radio effects the tone of the radio no matter what is playing.
A good musician might be able to make any old equipment sound good but that's not to say they wouldn't sound slightly different on different equipment. Other wise what's the point in having different equipment?
I really like nice gear and have been lucky enough to have some really good kit. But it’s how I use it that makes me sound good
God knows the other guitarist in band has a Silver Sky and Quad Cortex and still sounds like ass…
you can hear good guitarists playing through very average gear and still sound similar but the tone will be different but all that will be lost because the guitarists phrasing and way of playing will be that good
I just think you could argue that that is technique, you could also strum an open e chord and not move your hand at all and still say ooh that amp produces a nice tone, as well as saying a player has nice tone. It is a mixture of technique and eq, guitar/pickups, amp, speaker, cab etc. that is the complete "tone".
Everything, basically.
I think it's any sound really, and you can say what produces it has/produces ___ tone.
If a sound has a characteristic that is pleasing to your ear it has a nice tone?
How a certain speaker moves air and how a guitar player moves their fingers appear to be very different things, but they both have an impact on the end result.