The Ultimate Blues Tone

[kiteless]

Having recently bought my first brand new amp, this is what I'm searching for.

Now realising that I can't really do shredding any more, I'm going back to my roots and concentrating on the blues. The new Vox is very versatile with valves and various "amp modelling circuits", so it can imitate anything from an AC30TB to Fender Twin to a Kendrick 2x12.

I've found a great "Dave Gilmour" solo sound, but I'm after a singing, soulful, blues solo tone that's not too bright but not too distorted.

Initially I thought of Gary Moore's "Still Got The Blues" sound, but a 'tube search told me it's not that. I love Buddy Guy, but his tone is too distorted. Muddy Waters / T-Bone Walker / BB King / Hubert Sumlin? Too clean. Albert King? Great blues player, but a nasty tone for me. And, although I love SRV's playing his sound never did much for me.

Currently, the best I can find is Clapton playing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t_1blRfFIU

Am I missing a great blues solo tone?

Suggestions more than welcome.

I'll pretend to be Gilmour in the meantime

[davepoth]

Tone is in the fingers.

I've heard great musicians make any combination of st equipment sound awesome - it's all about the playing really.

But if you want to get a good "brown sound", roll back the treble on the guitar and select an amp model something like either a Marshall JTM45 or a Fender valve amp (they're quite similarly built IIRC).

[DocJock]

Alvin Lee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLi0dq0tOk

[suthol]

How about Rory's tone here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxiEMpcI83E

[Funk]

DocJock said:

Alvin Lee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLi0dq0tOk

Wow, thank you for posting that. It's sublime. Never heard of him before!

[Toyowner]

Yeah, thanks for the Alvin Lee,is there a recommended album ? just had a wonder thruogh youtube and itunes and a big choice.

[Funk]

Toyowner said:

Yeah, thanks for the Alvin Lee,is there a recommended album ? just had a wonder thruogh youtube and itunes and a big choice.

I'm going to start with the album that song's taken from - 'Pure Blues'...

[Dai Capp]

Surely all you need is an old birch wood parlour acoustic and a bottle neck. If hi tech is needed go for a resonator!

[Project C]

Ten Years After - Recorded Live (1973) would also be worth a listen for Alvin Lee. You may also want to check out Walter Trout & George Thorogood. My two playing style influences were Billy F Gibbons (Check out "ZZ Top's First Album" and other pre Eliminator stuff) and Leslie West of Mountain although he might be too blues rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQeXXPoBgtY&fea...

[JFReturns]

I think the best tones are those you have discounted already

A little left field: Paul Gilbert Red House

[DocJock]

Funk said:

Toyowner said:

Yeah, thanks for the Alvin Lee,is there a recommended album ? just had a wonder thruogh youtube and itunes and a big choice.

I'm going to start with the album that song's taken from - 'Pure Blues'...

Pure Blues is probably my favourite, but as Project C says the TYA is good as well.

[kiteless]

JFReturns said:

I think the best tones are those you have discounted already

Fair play, but it's all very subjective when it comes down to what "sounds" good and what doesn't. One person's rich, attitude laden, distortion is another person's muddy, indecipherable noise.

Don't get me wrong, all of the tones I mentioned in my OP are not - to my ears - disagreeable. It's just that I am after a particular blues solo sound. As it turns out, so far, the Alvin Lee solo sound posted above is pretty fking droolsome

And to think that, for years, my abiding memory of Alvin Lee was his chinny wk fest that was "I'm Going Home" from Woodstock

[goldblum]

I've got 3 TYA albums in the car,and they're very good,but I prefer this sound:

Joe Bonamassa - So Many Roads

http://youtu.be/3dvl1QJA__Y

[Funk]

I love Bonamassa. I've got most of his albums after being pointed his way by my local record shop a couple of years ago.

[goldblum]

Saw him live recently and one of the concert highlights was JB playing classical guitar - it was shockingly good.

[minimatt1967]

Paul Kossoff had my favourite blues tone, Peter Green was good too.

[kiteless]

minimatt1967 said:

Peter Green was good too.

That just had me trawling the 'tube for Greeny moments. It eventually threw up this by Gary (R.I.P.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWwUQ6gbKIo&fea...

This, for me, nips at the heels of Alvin Lee's sound. Bloody lovely (although it helps if one is playing Peter Green's Les Paul with its odd wiring)

[AdeTuono]

Funk said:

DocJock said:

Alvin Lee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLi0dq0tOk

Wow, thank you for posting that. It's sublime. Never heard of him before!

[anorak mode on] That's George Harrison playing slide...[anorak mode off]

Saw Alvin Lee at a festival in '74 () without TYA, and he was incredible.

[6th Gear]

Stevie Ray Vaughan. Huge tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ojCVmiQTw

http://www.djnoble.demon.co.uk/ints/STEVIER.VS.htm...