There is playing tone and there is equipment tone. Playing tone is in the hands and is very subjective. If you're talking about pure signal from the guitar / amp combination I would offer these:

Peter Buck - The early stuff with the Rick / Fender Twin sound.
Neil Schon - For me, the sound he got on the Evolution album is amazing. I know it's more or less just the old Les Paul / Marshall thing but his sound is really tasteful and expressive on that album. More so than on later stuff. Roy Thomas Baker may have had a hand in it.
Ian Moore - Particularly on his early albums. Songs like "Train Tracks".
Ty Tabor - Kind of like Eric Johnson but with more balls and rock and rollness to it.
Jamie West Oram - Particularly on the Fixx's 80s albums.
Michael Schenker - From UFO. Really sharp and flawless sound.
Kevin Shields - The MBV stuff from the late 80s / early 90s.
Pat Travers - The 70s era.
Malcolm Young - The Gretsch pick-ups are the secret to AC/DCs unique guitar tone.

This post was edited on 5/15/16 at 10:34 am

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Posted by LSU alum wannabe

Katy, TX

Member since Jan 2004

27058 posts

Posted on 5/15/16 at 7:05 pm to RockAndRollDetective

quote:
Playing tone is in the hands and is very subjective

I finally got around to watching Vince Gill playing at the George Jones memorial. If you get past the emotion of it and the fact the he is crying while trying to play and sing you get to the solo. He is just fingerpicking a Martin. I do not know how you make it sound that smooth. I'm sure the Martin he was playing was six figures and pre-war, but still. How does it sound so smooth and soft?

Gilmour was mentioned. I'll second him.

Also more random. Billy Duffy's sound on The Cults "Love Removal Machine". Mellow but still raunchy, and I am sure with a semi hollow electric.

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