Most of us have had the experience of somebody else playing our guitars and it doesn't sound like the same guitar, so the assumption is it's all in the hands of the other player. I agree 100% that there is a lot of truth to this, but let me throw out something to think about. Bryan Adams was at my house and was playing my steel. I couldn't believe how different the tone was from when I played it. Then an idea occurred to me and I ran an experiment. I realized when I was sitting at the steel, I was hearing with my ears facing away from the amp. When Bryan was playing, I was standing in front of him and my ears were facing the amp. When Bryan got up, I turned my steel around so I was facing the amp. The tone was very much like what I was hearing when Bryan was playing. For some time after that, I would set up my amp facing me at a gig to set my sound, then move it behind me facing the audience as I would be using it in the show. The difference in tone was quite noticable.
My question is are we comparing apples to apples when we hear somebody else play our steel and hear a big difference in tone? We tend to think the difference is 100% in the other players hands. Can it be more like 50% and the other 50% in our ears because we are hearing the amp two different ways? I would suggest the next time somebody is playing your steel you turn your back to the amp so you are hearing your amp the same way you normally hear just to keep the playing field level.
It's all in the hands....maybe the ears?
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George Kimery
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David Ball
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I believe there's something to those thoughts. But I think that another factor, at least for me, is that when I'm playing, a good part of my attention is directed at what I'm playing--hearing is part of that, but my ears aren't getting 100% of what little attention I have. The effect is a lot like distracted driving--If I'm talking on a phone (even hands free), I'm not processing all of what I should be in order to drive safely. When I'm playing, I'm hearing as much of what I have going on in my head as I am what's coming out of the speaker.
When someone else is playing, I can dedicate all of my attention to listening, and to me anyway that affects my perception of the tone.
Just a thought.
Dave
When someone else is playing, I can dedicate all of my attention to listening, and to me anyway that affects my perception of the tone.
Just a thought.
Dave
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Steven Black
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It's all in the hands reply
Hello George, you are correct that sound is different when someone plays your guitar, and I agree the amp location effects the sound to, that is why we need an amp that has punch and overhead wattage in our amps, so a two channel amp is needed or a rack mount system to push the sound out, a two channel amp is usually rated at 350 watts to 500 watts of higher and amp is a class AB amp, also helps in bringing out the bottoms in your sound, turning the amp away from you does change where sound is projected and it is weaker to your ears, but loud to your audience, best way to get the sound out is through multiple speakers that is driven by a powerful sound board with reverb and other effects, a sound board can project sound everywhere.
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Donny Hinson
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The big name pros sound better and play better than we do! That's probably why they make big money to play at a steel show, and most everybody else plays for nothing...or almost nothing.
My old man had a saying..."You can't beat a man at his trade", and it's true. The really great players - there are probably no more than 15 or 20 of them, spent most of their lives practicing and playing with a talent and dedication that few have. You don't get their skills practicing an hour a day and playing 2 or 3 gigs a week. It takes many thousands, tens of thousands of hours, to be able to play like the "biggies", guys in the class of Emmons, Rugg, Green, Chalker, Crawford, or Charleton (and a few others). Literally thousands of players have bought an Emmons guitar so they could sound like Buddy Emmons. But only a few (less than 5, that I can think of) can even come close to his touch, sound, and tone. And I'm not talking "hot licks", either. I'm talking about even even on a slow song.
IMHO, you have to give credit to the players, not whatever gear they're using. They can sound great, even exceptional, on just about anything they play.
So, you gear-heads can rave on about this guitar or that, this amp or that, or some pedal or box 'til the cows come home. I'm damn sure most of it is "in the hands", or most everybody could do it!
My old man had a saying..."You can't beat a man at his trade", and it's true. The really great players - there are probably no more than 15 or 20 of them, spent most of their lives practicing and playing with a talent and dedication that few have. You don't get their skills practicing an hour a day and playing 2 or 3 gigs a week. It takes many thousands, tens of thousands of hours, to be able to play like the "biggies", guys in the class of Emmons, Rugg, Green, Chalker, Crawford, or Charleton (and a few others). Literally thousands of players have bought an Emmons guitar so they could sound like Buddy Emmons. But only a few (less than 5, that I can think of) can even come close to his touch, sound, and tone. And I'm not talking "hot licks", either. I'm talking about even even on a slow song.
IMHO, you have to give credit to the players, not whatever gear they're using. They can sound great, even exceptional, on just about anything they play.
So, you gear-heads can rave on about this guitar or that, this amp or that, or some pedal or box 'til the cows come home. I'm damn sure most of it is "in the hands", or most everybody could do it!