Inspired by TGP: Your least favorite Dino tones

[iplayLouD]

Saw a thread like this with some very surprising mentions (some ppl hate Brian May’s tone! )

How about we do one here? Here’s my list of shame:

Randy Rhoads. How can you make a Marshall sound this awful?

Post 2000s Yngwie. Turn down the reverb, dude.

I’m gonna get some flack for this… Page on LZ 2. What happened dude? RAH live tone is holy grail level, but the album?

Joe Perry. Not bad, but never excited me. 

(non Dino) how come Beatles guitar tones, any one of them, sound so awful? 

Last but not least… Jimi Hendrix. IMO Fender-style amps are a better fit for his style of strat-slinging
 
 
 

[axe]

Yes Brian May's tone is awful.
I loved RR's tone on Blizzard. A little buzzy but it worked for me.
Don't agree about Hendrix either. The Strat/Marshall combo is magic in the right hands. 

[Tatosh Guitar]

I think May's tone is not exactly "good" per se. But it works in the context of Queen's music.

Same with Rhoads on Blizzard. That said, IMHO, He sounds way better on Diary and a thousand times better on the Tribute live album.

Now Hendrix, I can't say I agree at all. His tone was excellent.
 

[Dinosaur David B]

It's all completely subjective, but I've noticed a lot of tones from the 80s -- like Randy's, and I would contend Campbell's on the Dio albums, haven't aged so gracefully. They sounded better to me in their day than they do now. 

In the case of Randy, Jake, and Campbell -- none of them had much say in, or time to create their tones in Ozzy and Dio's bands. I remember they all complained about that. You can blame Max Norman for the Blizzard, Diary, and Bark. 

My understanding was that Randy's live tone was usually much better. 
 

[merlo_zeppelin]

Randy's tone on Tribute is very good (I find it similar to the Stranger's in the night tone, both are true live tracks) and miles above his studio tone.
Some tones I really don't like despite really liking the playing: Dimebag Darrell, amazing playing horrible horrible tone. In general abhorr scooped trash metal tones.
I love DLR's solo albums but I never quite liked Steve Vai's tone in them, as stellar as his playing is. I don't hate it but I think the album would have benefited from better tone. His Slip of the Tongue tone doesn't help either.
It's hard to think about bad tones when so many great ones come to mind.

[Haffner]

Not a fan of any of Satriani or Vai's tones, though I respect the many players who are crazy about them.

Schenker's tone post-Gibson. it seems derivative of players he's influenced, and sometimes makes him sound like a cover band. 

Uli Roth post-Scorpions and pre-"Under a Dark Sky. in the beginning and for roughly 20 years+ the "Sky guitar" had a really irritating, harsh tone. It shows up worse on Prologue to the Symphonic Legends, and nearly ruins the otherwise phenomenal Metamorphosis and even (my favorite guitar instrumental album) Transcendental Sky Guitar. After 2008 he seems to have dialed in a much more live-with-able tone. I still prefer the Strat, but these days I can finally appreciate the Sky.

And (ee-GAD people will hate me for this, please someday forgive) I never thought much of Jimmy Page's lead guitar tone. And yes, I agree he is an Untouchable Rock God.

Jason Becker is one of the only Shrapnel guys I really like, but his tone on the (great) Perpetual Burn never thrilled me. The playing, luckily, gets me past it more often than not. He had loads of talent imo.

Any of the Megadeth players post-Marty.

Early Slayer (though I love the crazy playing and songs).
 
 
 

[iplayLouD]

It's all completely subjective, but I've noticed a lot of tones from the 80s -- like Randy's, and I would contend Campbell's on the Dio albums, haven't aged so gracefully. They sounded better to me in their day than they do now. 

In the case of Randy, Jake, and Campbell -- none of them had much say in, or time to create their tones in Ozzy and Dio's bands. I remember they all complained about that. You can blame Max Norman for the Blizzard, Diary, and Bark. 

My understanding was that Randy's live tone was usually much better. 
 

 

What sounds novel, different and progressive at the time doesn’t always stick for the long term for some reason. Classic rock tones from the 70s, imo, held up better than 80s tones. I wonder why that is…

[iplayLouD]

I think May's tone is not exactly "good" per se. But it works in the context of Queen's music.

Same with Rhoads on Blizzard. That said, IMHO, He sounds way better on Diary and a thousand times better on the Tribute live album.

Now Hendrix, I can't say I agree at all. His tone was excellent.
 

 

Jimi had great tone for the time, but a lot do what he does is chordal work and the old Marshalls lack a bit in the clarity / note separation department.
 

[Dinosaur David B]

Again, good is subjective. I love Brian May's tone, and it's the most singularly unique guitar tone ever. 

And as I keep saying, Hendrix had like a dozen tones, and half of them were clean tones. So which one are you talking about?

[Haffner]

Again, good is subjective. I love Brian May's tone, and it's the most singularly unique guitar tone ever. 

And as I keep saying, Hendrix had like a dozen tones, and half of them were clean tones. So which one are you talking about?

 

Brian did have extremely cool tone, all the way back to the beginning iirc.

I adore Jimi's tone on Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), All Along the Watchtower, Little Wing, etc

I'm curious, too.