All My Presets Sound the SAME - What I learned from Eric Johnson and Zakk Wylde
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Have you ever felt like no matter what you dial in, what amp you play through, you tend to migrate toward a common sound?
/ johnnathancordy get my lesson tabs and backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!
Get my PADs bundle here: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... (this folder will grow, and I'd encourage you to ask for different keys/songs and stuff that might suit this type of preset?)
I've decided to make it possible to grab both my Helix/HX Stomp bundles (the expression bundle with freeze presets has always been separate) together - www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr... - I will then email you a link to both bundles!
Try my general patches for Helix or HX Stomp in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
You can get my EXPRESSION patches in this bundle using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
Try my patches for Pod GO using this link - I will then send out the patches! www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
/ johnnathancordy get my backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!
Ive owned every type of amp circuit known to man and every video of me playing live over the past 20 years sounds exactly the same.
Lolol so true
This!
We all tend to chase the tone in our head no matter what gear we use. In the end, that will result in tones we make basically ending up as different shades of that subjectively ideal tone.
This. Also, we tend to react/compensate with our actual playing to get the sound we're playing through closer to that ideal. I think that's the real reason people say 'tone is in the hands/fingers'
Same thing happens to me. I go in Helix, dial up a new amp, drive, etc., spend some time tweaking it, then realize that it sounds very similar to other tones I've created using completely different signal chains
Same here. I do think we all gravitate to certain signature tones.
That intro cleanish tone and playing was absolutely sublime. Wonderful chord choices as well!
That opening jam was insane 😮
I’ve been chasing that “elusive perfect tone” and spending stupid money instead of using what I already have. I pre-ordered the ToneX One but I’ve since decided to cancel that. If I can’t be happy with the tones I can already get from my gear, I’ll never be happy, and I always come back to the same sort of tones anyway!
I love when you do these videos because they encourage me to get off my ass and program some sounds. Also, there's like five guitar sounds and then infinite shades. I think most of us a core sound and then another couple if we're going for a specific vibe and everything else is just a slight variation.
It’s been such a pleasure to follow you these last few years - you’ve covered so many interesting topics and tones and approaches. I’ve learned a ton, and thank you for that. As for your presets - and gear in general - here’s the thing I’ll bet a number of your other subscribers will agree to: regardless of what you’re using, you still sound like you. Which is quite an accomplishment as a musician; I dare say many of us will never really find their unique style and voice. I feel like I could identify your playing if I heard it out somewhere, and I really respect that. There are other similar KZhead guitarists, and I have the same level of respect for them as I do for you. Which brought me to a thought - what would John Cordy sound like if he changed the ultimate variable: playing with other musicians? I saw that Leon Todd collab; kind of interesting. And I’m sure you are aware of the pieces Rhett Shull put out with Dylan Adams. Very intriguing. I wonder how your fluidity and tasteful playing would adjust to the power and aggression of a Chris Buck, or the harmonic delicacy of, say, Paul Davids (and vice versa)? Maybe the time has come for a KZheadr supergroup. I’d be fascinated.
Your "sound" is amazing!! No need to worry about it and definitely no need to apologize for it.
That’s probably the same for almost all of us that our patches sound almost the same. I actually have three that are almost identical but I switch them for different responsiveness depending on my mood, or how the venue’s sound system is reacting.
I think the question comes down to, "What are you chasing?" There are artists who have a singular tone, who've never really strayed far from it (think Angus Young, Slash, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, or Scofield), and there are artists who have a palette of tones that they use. But there is also the difference between recorded sounds and live. Especially for the early 60s and 70s players, there was what you could achieve in the studio, and what you could do live. Guys like Hendrix, Page, Beck, and even Keith Richards could have a wide variety of guitar sounds in the studio, but their live rigs were pretty stripped down, yet they still made the most of it. I think in the 80s there was a shift (a Van Halen effect imo) of people turning everything up to 10, and playing with only one or two sounds. These days we know a lot more about gear, and putting sounds together, but so many people are chasing after that ONE sound that they want to replicate, and all their gear choices and eq settings reflect that. It's safe, it's known, we don't have to challenge ourselves. It's why so many people get obsessed with pedal order, or having that ONE amp or guitar. But the real fun is finding unique sounds to play with. Where would we be if someone didn't put a Leslie on a guitar, or a delay, or a FUZZ? Or take a Jazzmaster, and plug it into a reverb and a fuzz? Or put a humbucker in a Strat? We'd all be playing jangly clean Country/Jazz licks.
Cordy going out of HIS comfort zone, very Interesting. ERIC playing Zakk Wylde's Rig, I got to find that video. I love the one where eric is playing a 12 string that was gifted to him, would love to hear him use it on a Record.
John you definitely achieved a very different sound on this intro, for sure. I have been listening to you pretty intently for a couple of years or more now, and you usually do have a very consistent attack. Very very smooth with nothing spikey. Through a real amp, a Helix, or a Fractal, the tone is always dark-ish with a smeary pick-attack. I've always wondered how you get single coils to sorta growl the way you do. And that was definitely not happening in this video. The baritone Tele and the bridge pickup on the LP were unusually bright, which is a lot more like what I am always going for in my tones. Your playing is still entirely you, but I certainly noticed the big difference in these tones because based on the video title I was expecting something "samey" and this isn't that. Also the composition was just super-original and very neat. I liked it a whole lot.
Yes. Give up the chase bro. You have already arrived. There is one thing left to do: play.
It's a good thing when you sound like yourself! You have your own voice. All the components that comprise it make it you.
I noticed this too, I've got maybe a few real presets that I always use. Pushed Fender bassman/litigator, vox sound, high gain marshall sound, and pretty much everything else is a variant of these main 3. Other than when I put a bunch of modulation and time effects on them I mean, but the core tons really only revolve around those 3 types.
Great Topic John. Nothing wrong with staying in your own inspirational creative tonal pocket. I’ve played with an old country band a few time this past year which is way out of my preferred comfort zone. This pushed me to make tonal and playing style shits to serve the style that I would have otherwise. So, that might be an idea to creativity explore. Not suggesting country per se but just the idea of style and serving it as a mechanism to expand your tonal pallet. Cheers
Thanks for sharing your exploration process to eventually still sound the same. It helps me to see the settings that lead to some of the intermediate sounds that I heard
I can think of a few different ways to try getting something different. Pick a backing track style you don't normally. What sound does a New Orleans funk groove or '90s-'00s jam band make you want to play? What emotion or story do you want to express? What is it like watching your child grow up? Or being really angry at the world? Or limit yourself and play to get the most interesting music out of what you have. For example, Supro amp and a slap back delay only (hard when you have the modeled world at your fingertips!).
This is a great affirming video for me, it corroborates my thoughts towards modelers. Too much to choose from, I'll stick with owning just 2 or 3 amps and I'm happy. I'm happy because I'm playing,... I'm not endlessly fiddling around looking for amps, cabs, mikes, effects pedals, etc. that appeal to me. I know that's what would happen, and if at some point I find things I like, I'll likely use only 2 or 3 different options the vast majority of the time. If I was gigging I might feel differently, but being strictly an at home player, having a few real amps fulfils my wants and needs and doesn't waste my time searching.
In the end, after all, nothing matters.... it doesn't matter if it's AlNiCo 2 or 4 or 5, it doesn't matter if it's the 6L6 or the EL34, it doesn't matter if it's Zen, tube screamer or Klon Zentaur. You want to hear what's inside your head, and whatever equipment you use, you're going to twist it until it sounds as close to that internal sound as possible. I have been looking for the perfect overdrive for years, but I have realized that there really is no such thing, it may be that it is closer to your internal sound or makes it easier for you to approach it. but ultimately, we sound like ourselves, even if you touch a broom with wool ropes, you can't escape from yourself. I've been following your videos for a while and I realized that a long time ago, it doesn't matter if it's the Helix, the Boss, the Fractal, the tonemaster or even the headrush, that with this one you seemed to have more difficulties being in that place that sounds to ourselves, you have always sounded the same to me, I say this with total admiration and respect, not as something critical. I send you a hug from Spain, friend!
Truth
After a while, with a few exceptions, every fuzz, distortion, reverb, delay, overdrive, boost, etc pedals...they all start to sound the same. With a few exceptions, amps, pickups, guitars too.
Absolutely true - the difference is the guitarist’s fingers and who they are. What they do to sound like themselves.
They sound like John Cordy absorbed Eric Johnson’s “Venus Isle” record into his bloodstream. In short, they sound awesome 👏
When I listen to 4-track Portastudio cassettes I made in the late 1980s, mostly using an ADA MP-1, a Red Box for speaker sim, and some parametric EQ for final tone tweaking, I realize that I'm using all my 40-year-newer gear to get in the same ballpark. The march of technology! To be honest, the modern gear does sound significantly better (and maybe more importantly *feels* better to play through), but I realize I basically have a few sounds I gravitate toward, and whatever gear I'm using, I end up pushing it toward those sounds. That said, there are a few tones I'd like to get in the neighborhood of that I couldn't really come close to before. I still can't quite get them, but I can get closer with modern gear. Some examples are Al Di Meola's clean but edgy tone in "Midnight Tango" (from *Elegant Gypsy*), Pat Metheny's tone from the early PMG albums, and some of Holdsworth's clean and lead tones. Though were someone to hand me an HX or ToneX patch that sounded just like any of them, I'd probably end up tweaking it to sound like my unconcious target tones! -Tom
I've just got up and decided to try and find a glassier/transparent type of lead tone that is hopefully a bit different....I used to (well still do) have the Joyo clone of the redbox speaker sim!!
pickups and volume knobs FTW
Damn right
I love your presets, they all sound very nice. I do find it hard to use them sometimes with my rather small hands and short fingers, but that has nothing to do with the quality of your work, but my personal hurdle.
I love you, man! You always make me compelled to make comments. That tone that you dialed up is just incredible. Yes I think you got outside your box. The richness and the buzz us and the drive with the guitar is awesome. Though in a sense, it still sounds like you. I think when you use a model or you have everything at your fingertips to adjust it the way you love it and why would you sound different? I got an old amp hundred watt played it last night. I plugged in and play it sounds OK but it’s not as sexy as the helix. But I crank it up turn dial and I’m force my fingers to play Differently and I can get about any sound out of it and it makes you sound different and it gets you out of your box. Probably if you decided to start playing metallica or play sex pistols or something totally off of your genre that would knock you into different tones and sounds. Also, if you do direct a and B between guitar sounds that you can dial up with the real sound of what’s on an album or another amp. Anyway, I did think that you got out of your box. I just really enjoy your videos and I really enjoy you. I think you’re spectacular player.
Certainly interesting trying to Fenderise a Marshall... I think that once you have found YOUR 'Voice' on the instrument, you can incorporate different ideas or licks etc. from other players but you'll always sound like you :) I mostly play P&W guitar, Vox style amps and Fender style amps are my normal go to with Strat or Tele. The thing is, I can play a Les Paul through a Marshall with plenty of gain etc. I just sound like me... playing a Les Paul into a Marshall.. I gave up fighting this a while ago. Embraced my 'Voice' and went about my business. Love your Videos man, your playing is inspiring.
one guy said try a country sound, good idea so a little slapback & spring. or else get away from chorus, use flange, trem or vibrato (like a lesley). maybe do less chords based on 4ths, more on 3rds, 6ths, good ol' dominants. do you like lydian stuff? but those are playing things, that's you! and you're really good. thanks again
This happened to me. I use mesa express 5:50 then mark V ... then Helix and lastly ACS1 ... my sound engineer said they're all sound the same with a little touch of EQ from FOH my conclusion is we all have a particular sound in our head or the sound that we want to hear from our guitar ... so we will be tweaking whatever gear we have until it match that sound. but that doesn't stop me from buying new gear though 😅
I’m Luke, I’m 5 and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round his his JCB Assman
I think we all go through periods where we seem to sound the same. I know for me that I always sound like me no matter what setup I use. Secondly, I tend to find a sound I like and make it into a template for other presets. Recently, I’ve made a conscious effort to shake things up to be fresh and unexpected.
If one can get away from their own sound, I have yet to find out how. I always end up close to the same sound no matter what real or model I go through. Peculiar.
Bro, I have a Headrush Gigboard and I am really trying to get your tone dialed in. However, this is my challenge. I totally dig your style and tone so anything you could post on Headrush gear would be greatly appreciated.
Shaping your sound is like seasoning your food. Do it the way you like. Make the sound that makes you happy, and don't waste a moment worrying about it. Enjoy . . . . . . . . .
i don't create ANY of my own tone patches - mainly cos i'm not good enough and dont feel like ive got anything worth creating - i prefer to just use what others have made to emulate specific players and song covers - so a few dozen - maybe 50 - of these presets in the preset banks - then i just try and cover the songs as close as the original player. Might not be an approach that appeals to every one but i'm happy enough with it - i get to learn a bit about how different players get their sound (just by looking at the signal chain) and how they use it when playing - that's kind of all i was ever interested in anyway. And when they cover a wide range of songs and players - it's not all the same - so it's never monotonous.
A lot of your sounds are similar but they all sound good.
I often wonder what we chase. My favourite thing is running my pedals through an amp.. however, with Neural DSP plugins and a Hotone Stomp II I can get tones very close to what the amp is doing, and really does meet all my requirements. The drives are pretty good too. The stomp II is fairly budget friendly, and again, covers most bases I need. However, I bought a Jan Ray last week which is more expensive than the Ampero itself, I love it, and would use that more. But it still bares the question. Do I need it? Probably not.
Zoom ms 50g with analog drive pedals would be very good for your next video.
Experiment does wonders.
Drop the drive pedal and use high gain amp like a Diesel or 5150 at a low drive level into a cab you like instead of keeping the same amp and adding a drive. I did that and it work great, we emulate what we would do with physical stuff, but there is no reason, presets are free!
I tend to use the same 4-5 IR’s, so yeah many of my patches sound similar.
I make a conscious effort to make my Presets sound different, research what the original gear was used on, play music from different styles/genres/traditions/instruments, play different types of guitars and tunings.
I have this same kind of issue. As I'm trying our new amp models or captures on the QC or other devices, I always seems to gravitate back towards EJ kinds of tones. Any time I'm trying to go against that grain (like trying to build a preset mimicking some other artist) it feels weird and ends up with a preset that I'm not likely to pull up much.
don't feel bad i use the boss presets
How do you sent your global EQ or do you just bypass it? It would be a great idea for a video to get your thoughts on EQ on a Helix.
Not only that but you also LOOK like You all the time as well ... 😜 And do you only have the one accent ? I find the Helix presets very useful. I've a number of guitars and it helps to be able to find a preset that fits one 'quickly' that I can then adjust to taste .. or lack if it.
My favourite intro of yours is when you purposely didn't use a cab/ir. it was the worst tone but also the best tone at the same time and your best playing. the lesson is, if you dont want to sound like yourself, make yourself sound as s**t as possible.😂
ah john whats them chords beautiful
So, it's basically just like your videos.
Build a Country guitar rig.
You got a bit Andy Summers there for a minute… nowt wrong with that!
Tone is in the whingers
Did you say JCB "assman"?😂
Best thumbnail in a while
You always sound similar, Jonathan. Some kind of glassy, sligthly drived sound. It never changes, no matter the pedal, amp, modeler or whatever you are playing. Always sound like the same Jonathan.
John Nathan
@@RobbenBanks153 potato potato, love
Hahahahahaha, ah crap John - I’ve said that for years. I don’t understand why everyone thinks they need every different guitar and a modeler (or 3) and endlessly tweak patches. (Guitarists claim it’s fun). I find it’s a major pain and complete waste of time. I prefer working in my skills and getting tones out of my fingers. Modelers are a waste of time. I run a GB10 into 5 pedals (fuzz, low gain, high gain, chorus and delay) and I still get way more tones from that and a pickup switch than I have heard from your channel over the last 3 years. Just saying…
And you’re a way better guitarist than me.
Finally! Manufacturers keep selling the dream of 2000 sounds with fabulous names and a story behind the tech. Yet, 1 to three sounds are all anyone uses. Hendrix had a fuzz and a wah, SRV had a tube screamer, Guthrie Trapp has a tremolo pedal and an OD, Clapton just plugs straight in. Tone for days.
Tone is in the fingers.
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Good luck taking mids out of a marshall.