Effects Processor Articles
Timbre, Tone and Thier Relationship to Effects Processing |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 04 2008 |
There are as many different kinds of guitars out there as there are personalities. Companies like Fender and Gibson both have hardcore, devoted fans who will only play their favorite brand, make and model of guitar. Other, less traditional companies such as Ibanez and PRS appeal to a more purpose-driven player, someone who is looking for technology to deliver them the perfect axe.
While any guitar can theoretically be used to play any style of music, in the real world there are certain guitars which lend themselves more to specific types of effects and sounds than others. For example, the Fender Telecaster has long been a popular choice for country musicians and traditional rock and rollers due to it’s bright, springy tonal characteristics. Likewise, the Gibson SG is one of the guitars of choice for those seeking a heavier sound.
Why is this the case? The timbre of an instrument plays a big role in how it will interact with any signal processing that might be done during the recording process or onstage. Timbre refers to the tonal characteristic of an instrument – essentially, the recognizable audio ‘face’ of a particular guitar. What comprises this sonic identity? Timbre is largely a function of three things: the type of wood used to make the guitar, the type of pickups used, and the placement of these pickups and the overall construction of the instrument. In this article we will focus on the role of the pickup and its relationship with effects and tone.
The single-coil lipstick pickups on a Telecaster are a big part of its lively timbre. The pickup the farthest from the neck is placed in a metal cradle just ahead of the bridge. The tones and vibrations detected by this placement allow the tone of a Telecaster to really jump out of a mix if the correct amount of reverb is applied. A punchy tone can also be achieved with some compression and delay, which brings out the high frequencies and sharpens the guitar’s tone to a fine, glass-cutting point.
Likewise, the dual humbucker pickups on an Gibson SG are the reason why this instrument occupies a special place in heavy metal history. Humbuckers are essentially two single-coil pickups placed directly beside each other. As they are wired in series, they remain high output but are famous for cancelling out much of the interference associated with single coil guitars. This creates a tone that sacrifices the high-frequency noise in a distorted signal but focuses more energy on the lower registers. The result is a warmer tone that lacks the springiness of a single coil but makes up for it with crushing presence and power when processed through a distortion effects device. The lack of buzz at high gain also makes them a popular choice for metal acts who play extremely loud.
Keep in mind, however, that with sufficient experience it is not impossible to get a warm sound out of a Telecaster or a piercing sound out of an SG. In fact, by judiciously using effects it is not difficult to emulate any sound that you are looking for. EQ, compression and sustain effects can mold the sonic envelope of your instrument so that it matches what you want to hear. Most people don’t want to fight the natural tone of their instruments, and so by keeping in mind the basics of timbre when it comes time to purchase an instrument you can instead look forward to enhancing the natural properties of your guitar with effects, instead of mutating them.
Last changed: Mar 04 2008 at 12:41 PM
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