Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center
  • 0

Best clean sound.


fasteddie

Question

16 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

Eric Johnson always has a great clean sound. I don't which direction he has his pedals facing, but it's working. Steve Vai is another one with great clean tone.

Either of the in-between Strat settings - into a Fender amp - does it for me. A hint of reverb and you're good to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That’s a toughy, Stevie Ray clean vs’s Les Paul/Chet Atkins vs Ed King cleans. Clean has so many variables rich and creamy vs thin and solid. But my Fave would go to the Les Paul/Chet Atkins humbucker clean... it’s more robust!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When amp manufacturers present amplifiers they often mention their clean sounds.  Just about any amp sounds good clean.  The biggest difference in clean tones from an amp that I have experienced is hearing a Class A amp versus a Class AB.  The Class A somehow sounds like there is more to it, and just what is there is hard to describe.  You could say it sounds a little more alive.  ANYTHING you play through a Class A when going for a clean tone sounds better. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like both the really JC-120 style cleans, the Fenderish scooped and midrange type of cleans and the Marshall but my guitar volume is turned way down cleans.  And then you can add some effects to that.  Lots of great cleans to be enjoyed in my book. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I like that big clean sound with a bit of break up.  Who has the best clean sound is a hard call as the production of an album can make a big difference.

When I saw Nile Rodgers and Chic just over a year ago he had a fantastic live clean sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And "best" is pretty subjective, but if we're talking Chris Isaak clean, here's a pretty good way to check it.  Select your amp, turn it up pretty good. If it's a Fender, someplace a little above 4.  Fenders were designed for maximum clean output at around 4 on the loud knob.  Play your favorite Isaak bit.  My personal test is the signature lick from Folsom Prison Blues.  A really great clean amp will spit out those E string notes like a firehose.  Fast, immediate, punch you in the chest lows with a lot of snap and a fast attack.  It takes an exceptionally good power supply to deliver the full dynamics of something like that without compression or distortion.

The very best clean sounds I've ever heard were: 1) a 1964 Fender Pro (no reverb, the only year they were a piggyback model) driving a single JBL 15 at a manager-friendly club volume.  It was being pushed by a fingerpicked 335 whose human had a seriously strong right hand.  2) Whatever Mark Farner was using in Grand Funk in the early days (West?).  He had to get beyond the threshold of pain before that thing would start breaking up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, tomteriffic said:

And "best" is pretty subjective, but if we're talking Chris Isaak clean, here's a pretty good way to check it.  Select your amp, turn it up pretty good. If it's a Fender, someplace a little above 4.  Fenders were designed for maximum clean output at around 4 on the loud knob.  Play your favorite Isaak bit.  My personal test is the signature lick from Folsom Prison Blues.  A really great clean amp will spit out those E string notes like a firehose.  Fast, immediate, punch you in the chest lows with a lot of snap and a fast attack.  It takes an exceptionally good power supply to deliver the full dynamics of something like that without compression or distortion.

The very best clean sounds I've ever heard were: 1) a 1964 Fender Pro (no reverb, the only year they were a piggyback model) driving a single JBL 15 at a manager-friendly club volume.  It was being pushed by a fingerpicked 335 whose human had a seriously strong right hand.  2) Whatever Mark Farner was using in Grand Funk in the early days (West?).  He had to get beyond the threshold of pain before that thing would start breaking up.

You know your clean Tom. Ever fancy a bit of Sultans of Swing as a basic out of phase strat?? I know it's  easy to achieve but that song was made for it. Quel pence vous?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, DBraz said:

Personally I like that big clean sound with a bit of break up.  Who has the best clean sound is a hard call as the production of an album can make a big difference.

When I saw Nile Rodgers and Chic just over a year ago he had a fantastic live clean sound.

Talking of production, Raised on Radio by "Americas biggest band" has, imo, such lush guitars in every track and some very sweet cleans, yes, plenty of delay and echo but what the hey, I can be a purist another day. Nile Rogers is a good call great sound, I'd play funk like him...I would.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/9/2019 at 5:30 AM, fasteddie said:

Happy New Year guys, best clean sound. I was listening to Wicked Game Chris Isaac and thought wow what a clean sound. If you have a favorite and happen to know the guitar it was played with then all the better.

That's an awesome sound on that tune.  I know I used to get that easily with a Strat, delay,  and old Fender Twin Reverb amp. Really getting the delay and reverb right is alot of  it.  Skillful use of the trem essential too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah that Sultans of Swing tone was great too.  Pretty sure that was his Strat into an old orange squeezer compressor into a silverface twin.  Mark knopfler's hands and his use of his fingers for picking have a certain tone that is very difficult to duplicate, but you can get close.

Another absolutely fantastic strat clean tone is Gilmour on Shine on you crazy diamond.  Many years ago I finally got really close to that tone with the neck/middle mix position and the tone knob rolled down -  into my Fender twin. I'm not sure that is what he was doing, but it is well known that he used Twins in the studio a lot.

Seems to be a theme here - Strat into a clean boost or compressor into an old fender reverb amp.   Great simple tone that I used for a couple decades.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another great clean tone was Stevie Ray.  Around 2006 I bought a vintage 1964 vibroverb.  It had been modded with the Bassman Output Transformer.  I put a vintage JBL D130 15" in it and man if that wasn't the real deal Stevie Ray tone.  Once again Strat with a boost in front of the amp.  It was so close!   I really would have nailed it if I was willing to use those fat strings he used.  But for me those are tendonitis city.  Funny enough once I got the tone I really didn't like it for my playing.  I also had a Twin and Pro and Super reverb and decided I liked the 2x12 and 4x10 format more for my playing.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lover of clean sound here to. Fender clean is a classic. However, I’d never shove a Vox on a blue Celestion over the edge. It sounds brilliantly organic. The snairl of the 6th and 5th string is fantastic. Sliding over the frets, delicious. Give it a bit volume for the 12’’ to move air. That’s icing on the cake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...