Dial Your Guitar Tone Like A Pro. Nicky V

What sounds great to us sitting in a room with an amp doesn't always translate to the stage or the studio. This week we are going to break down four ways to take your guitar tone from amateur to studio level and stadium level.
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-Nicky V

[@NickyV]

Thinking about making a “How to record great tone on a budget” video next. You guys into that?

[@leandroleal3874]

@@NickyV yes please! I'm using ToneX and loving it!

[@NickyV]

@@leandroleal3874not familiar with that. Will have to check it out!

[@matryan3532]

That’d be sick! Do it!

[@joshuadavisrock]

Oh yea! That’d be awesome!

[@theloganbachman07]

YES.

[@theevaporatedkid3396]

I’m a bass player and I’ve been harping for decades at every guitarist and keyboardists I’ve played with to dial down their low end. I think when some players practice with themselves they want to have the entire sonic palette and forget that when they’re playing with others they have to share it. It’s always nice to be validated!

[@NickyV]

Spot on man. I literally will ask engineers to turn the knobs on my amp if they need to. Leave that low end for the specialist…I’ll take care of the midrange and sparkle

[@Lazarus_G]

So what's the typical range between bass and guitar? Like, is there a frequency range that I can make sure my guitar isn't going down to or my bass isn't going up to? Playing both, I feel like I'm always trying to get more treb from my bass and more bass from my guitar.

[@clintmarvin7754]

​@@Lazarus_G I'll give you an opinion as an amateur live audio engineer/bassist/guitarist. For bass, you want the whole frequency range. There's not a lot of info above 800, but what is there you want some of to hear the front of the note- but nothing spiky in a mix context to distract from the vocals or lead. But usually you don't want a lot of 200 to 400 hz. For guitar, I would say you generally want to limit the content below around 150, especially if there is a close mic-ed amp.

[@dmoore0079]

​@@Lazarus_GI'd say anything 100Hz and below. These frequencies are easily produced by a 4X12 cabinet. If you're pushing a 100W tube amp into it, those frequencies can be very loud if you have too much bass in the EQ.

[@KLBoringBand]

@@Lazarus_Gif you want more treble from your bass sound, I’d recommend compression & a drive. It really helps my bass cut even if you’re not going for a “distorted” sound.

[@PeteGuitars]

We say we’re chasing tone but I think what we’re chasing is talent.

[@NickyV]

You need to start making T Shirts Pete!

[@PeteGuitars]

@@NickyV Ha!

[@officialWWM]

It’s like you know me 😂😂

[@daveosullivan2698]

Yup. No matter how much gear I buy, it doesn’t improve my playing.

[@NickyV]

@@daveosullivan2698 Same man, I feel like I get better when I sell gear haha

[@enispenvy9174]

Gotta respect a man that appreciates Thin Lizzy.

[@NickyV]

Haha yes! The best band nobody talks about.

[@Tolbiny]

Saw them 19 times before Philo died. The best.

[@williamcampbell163]

Awesome band, started playing there songs in high school band. Great memories.😊

[@reganovich]

Come on IRELAND!!! Yess!! Lizzy!!!

[@steveweilhart2359]

I saw Thin Lizzy 2 times opening for Queen (A Night at the Opera & Day at the Races) Santa Monica civic & Inglewood Forum - they were so good!

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

This man knows what he’s talking about. I love videos like this because they let me pat my own back for a bit, wank myself off you might even say, from the conformation that I’m on the right track in my approach to my tone and music in general. These tips can be applied across the board. The best is the serve the song part. I tell people that as well. Serve the song, not your need for attention. These are the things that will make the difference between truly creating a work of art, or cranking out some quickly forgettable trash to serve your own ego. ✌️

[@scotthack2632]

60 years old. Started playing five years ago. Recorded a lot for TikTok. Got a little studio recording area in my home. Love this. Glad to have found you. I will be exploring your channel more.

[@mickthebandit]

I’m 73. Been playing nearly 60 years. Played hundreds of gigs, festivals etc. I have a LOT of guitars and gear. I really find your channel cool and engaging. Everyone has a preferred tone but it’s not always what the audience wants to hear 😊

[@NickyV]

This right here is spot on! Have to set our own needs aside to serve the listener.

[@Bonzo314]

Great advice... thanks!

[@thelightstillshines2476]

Have you been to Woodstock?

[@Bonzo314]

​@@thelightstillshines2476no

[@rowanmurphy5239]

Not a wasted word in this whole video. Everything you said was gold. Makes total sense.

[@markd7077]

I’m an older musician and finished touring and gigging and you’re a good man Nicky for giving out these great tips that would take years to figure out on your own. I switched to tweed amps 30 years ago and playing without reverb and delay is the best way to become a better player. Nothing to cover up mistakes!

[@NickyV]

Spot on! Appreciate you taking the time to check the video out.

[@markn4526]

I know so many players that cannot play without reverb or without delay or without distortion or without compression or even without all 4. What is that really saying about their skill or ability? Maybe it's just a mental block.

[@JPMonstie]

Yes and no. I’ve seen live acts that were very good and played with virtually no effects, but their sound got repetitive and dry over the gig and I and others lost interest. Variety is also something to aim for with effects. Sometimes a reverb or delay heavy sound can break up the gig and give the audience a rest from the same ol’ tones.

[@markn4526]

@@JPMonstie Effects can become repetitive too though and addicting for the player. A lot of players cannot solo without using a wah-wah pedal. It drives me nuts to hear that over and over for every solo. My buddy is an excellent player and is probably the best musician I know. When he plays thru his rig, he really shines using his complicated array of stacked overdrives, reverb, delay and compression. However, when he plays thru my rig, which is completely dry save for usually an overdrive of some type, he doesn't know what to do. Same can sort of be said when I play thru his rig though. I find hearing a delay to be confusing and compression to be limiting being primarily a touch player. A light, quality reverb is fine, but I prefer not to have it at all.

[@NickyV]

@@JPMonstie I think the ear craves contrast after a while as well. Something to be said for that. Great players use effects but they can also go without if needed because they are at a certain point in their playing and have gotten some of their insecurities figured out/overcame them.

[@strangequark420]

I just love professionals' perspectives on how to manage the electric nature of our instrument. It's so easy to go wild, but like you say, it's about service to the *song*. Thanks!

[@simondodd918]

YES YES YES For twenty years I’ve been sick of people saying “tone’s in the fingers” when they mean feel. Tone is what comes out of the speaker when you hit an open string. It can’t start in the fingers when there are no fingers on the fretboard!

[@NickyV]

Spot on. Glad to hear I’m not the only one on that haha

[@j-genmod8493]

100% I’ve always described it as “sound” being a sum of “style” and “tone”. You can influence tone with your hands (how and where you attack the strings), but 95% is in the equipment. When people talk about “[player] always sounds like [player], no matter what they’re playing”, they’re talking about their distinctive style, not some magical ability to negate the tonal characteristics of whatever guitar/amp they’re using. No amount of magical finger voodoo is going to make a pointy Dean into a screaming Engl sound like a Strat into a clean Two Rock - because tone is in the equipment, NOT the hands.

[@simondodd918]

@@j-genmod8493 I lost patience with the "it's the hands" trope when I asked what I thought was a pretty specific question about a specific tone in a guitar forum and got back nothing but useless regurgitation of "its the hands." I wanted to know (and still want to know), what is it that I'm hearing in the tones of Andy Timmons' Carpe Diem and Greg Howe's jam on Sunny and Simon Phillips' Eyes blue for you. They have something in common.

[@Starlight_Akira]

I agree 95%... That being said, there's that 5% that demands attention, and it's probably not worth me says, as I'm sure you're well aware. There's lots of ways to make micro differences in the tone with how you're figures contact the strings, from how hard to press the frets, to how hard you pick, where you pick, the material you pick with, etc. But it's fair to say, this is a very small contribution to the over all tone. But feeling is huge in the fingers!

[@StephenRobertCass]

You're so right. I think @NickyV carries this concept into reality with his comment about serving the song. Truly great players DO have it in their hands that's because they're hand/brain connection is serving the song with their feel. They're maximizing their tone. They ARE separate concepts: Tone is static and Feel is dynamic = true service of the song for the listener. People who are all about "Tone, tone, tone" don't get that yet. Tone is not a substitute for feel! People comment on my tone which is what they hear. That's how they connect with me. The best way to develop that feeling of serving the song? Practice unplugged first.

[@user-vc4xv9jd1d]

Mostly hard Rock/ metal guitarist here..I agree with damn near every word. There's YOUR boundaries and a window of tone that you work in. Volume knob is also an incredibly valuable tool

[@ajsrhodes]

I really appreciate you taking time to talk about this. I’d love to see more of these

[@NickyV]

You got it. I’m thinking about doing a deep dive on the dirty tone and clean tone thing as separate videos. Or maybe great guitar tone on a budget. Something like that.

[@kevinburke6938]

@@NickyVThat would be a great and helpful video Nicky!

[@paristhalheimer]

In a related topic, some time ago, I stopped worrying about trying to sound like my heroes and found my own sound. For years, I tried to sound like Clapton, SRV, Andy Summers, and others. I realized that no gear was going to make me sound like anyone else but me. Since I found my own sound, I've been more satisfied with my own playing and I love my sound.

[@NickyV]

Thanks great man. Glad you found a voice that works for you and are satisfied!

[@transformationgeneration]

Thank you for hitting the points and not trying to be a comedian. I really appreciate it.

[@unclesixer]

That is a pretty good no-nonsense bunch of advice. As far as the hyped up bass and excess reverb advice, my take is: there is a tone you may want to hear when you play by yourself because it sounds inspiring... then when playing with the band, you have ask what tone everyone else is expecting/what serves the song/situation. Part of good tone is just a little common sense and a little less ego i think.

[@NickyV]

Spot on man, letting the ego go and serving the environment you are being paid to serve. Wild how many struggle with that haha Thanks for checking the video out!

[@markthieberg4299]

Curious about settings on the guitar. Do you keep the volume at 5 or push it to 10 to get the breakup?

[@nathantardrew7068]

to many guys out there dialing in their tone at home and not with the band and it shows. golden rule, less is more...

[@unclesixer]

@@nathantardrew7068 sometimes I feel like saying "I don't care how much you spent on that or who made it, it doesn't sound good."

[@tommymack2185]

Yeah, you can spend hours in your bedroom tweaking your tone and then when you get with the band, you find you're turning down the low end, turning down the gain, turning down the reverb/delay so it actually works in the mix.

[@huckleberryfinn596]

This is so spot-on. Buying a bassman changed my life... if you can sound good playing clean without reverb or delay, you will sound amazing when you start to learn to use pedals.

[@dagrev6645]

Thanks for addressing this. As a bass player for decades I have run into guitarists who set their tone when alone (as we all tend to do), and make it nice and fat. But as you point out, in a mix it almost always doesn't need to be that "thick" since other instruments are covering the thick lower freqs. I think this is where many of the volume wars begin (when not just immaturity). Guitarist can't hear him/herself well live because much of their tone (volume) is covered by others, then the go-to fix is almost always "turn it up." Then you have the whole domino thing going on and things get worse not better. This word is really needed. (We bass players can do similar things that create problems on our end as well.) I enjoy the cool videos. Keep up the good work.

[@chrisgabiger2399]

Yep , they can’t hear their self so turn it up or how about play off time to hear yourself 😅dialing in tone to blend with the other instruments is very important. Best to fine tune tone with the instrument knobs .

[@JazzGarciaProduction]

I think most gigging musicians tend to learn this kind of stuff through trial and error, but it's really nice to hear a concise, clear, and accurate summary. This might be my favorite video on the subject. Liked and subscribed!

[@brucemaier3943]

Age 71. Yrs experience in the biz 64. Guitar since age 14. Protools fourteenth year producing. Still working professionally and improving daily. Tone is a huge component and I strive to always sound and to record, perform at optimum. I subscribed and happy to have found you!

[@kungstu22]

I watch probably about 100 guitar videos a week. This is the one I’m going to remember this week.

[@NickyV]

That makes my day, so glad you found it helpful!

[@MrYatesj1]

Fenders Deluxe Reverb has never let me down for any tone I need,.

[@NickyV]

The gold standard

[@PaxAmor1]

Such a great straightforward explanation of the core elements of great guitar tone! Thanks!!

[@jrdlabs]

There is a LOT of great information here. Such a fantastic resource to hear this stuff from a pro like Nicky! I play in cover bands. That's all I do, for the most part. My use of delay or reverb is predicated on what song I'm playing, and what the guitar tone is like on the most widely known recording. If I'm covering...oh...say.."China Grove", I'm using both delay and reverb on the intro to get it to sound something like the original. If I'm covering the Cars, "Just What I Needed", I'll use no reverb or delay, just a bit of gain. "Hurts So Good", just a wee bit of reverb and a bit of 'hair', but mostly clean, that's it. If I'm 're-imagining' a well known song, doing it in my own style, all of this is subject to change.

[@NickyV]

Very very well said! I took a similar approach when I was doing the band thing…just trying to get the record down.

[@jrdlabs]

@@NickyV Great minds.....(lol)

[@dannypembroke2372]

Superb. I’ve been making the bass setting mistake for 40 years. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Glad I tuned in to correct my old ass. 🙏

[@jeffamichaels3216]

As soon as you said tone and feel are two different things, i figured i would watch, then you laid out the bass issue. I've been playing a long time, and everything you said, i totally agree with. Good job!

[@NickyV]

Appreciate the kind words man. Thank you for checking through video out

[@MrMudEagle]

There is never as much gain as people think. You are correct. Less gain, more mids please. Cut through the mix like butter without being too loud. The longer I play, the smaller my pedalboard gets.

[@RichFranks]

I like the Robin Trower approach: take a Marshall, set mids to 8 or 9, treb and bass to 1 or 2, presence about 3, and set your gain/breakup as appropriate.

[@bullcrapitis]

Dang right, Trower's tone is absolutely killer.

[@NickyV]

The mid boost special. Top shelf

[@michaelkarlsson5966]

I think Blackmore does that too on his electric sound. Maybe higher treble :)

[@deanfarley389]

Blackmore used a Hornby Skewes treble booster which was plugged into the “normal” channel of a Vox AC-30. A lot of British players used treble boosters such as Clapton and Rory Gallagher? Treble boosters acted more like a distortion device in practice.

[@tomperri3693]

Excellent perspective.

[@martijn_yt]

First lesson: dont get a tube amp with a wattage that was meant to replace a PA in the sixties ;)

[@TheSdrake1967]

Blasphemy!! my 100 watt tube head and 4x12 cab are perfect for noodling on the couch while my wife watches Survivor.

[@drock55551]

​@@TheSdrake1967🤣🤣🤣

[@daddurs2206]

Haha same setup man and I can't go past volume 1 when the wife and kids are home lol

[@johnycat7373]

My Marshal AFD 100 has a fantastic built in attenuator….and it still sounds amazing at 1 watt. My Fender Hot Rod on the other hand is much more difficult at bedroom volumes, but during the day with just an Fulltone OCD in front……can go from John Mayer to Paul Kossoff in an instant.

[@parrottheband]

These are all really good points. I guess what always surprises me is that so many people make these mistakes you describe other than maybe playing too dirty. Even playing by myself, any of the other three mistakes are really obvious if I listen to a record and try to match the sound. Especially the reverb/delay, I can't for the life of me understand the desire to overdo those. I've heard four piece local bands where the guitar player destroyed the entire band sound solely by having too much delay. One thing I think can help is listening through ears. Even if players don't want to use IEMs on stage, listening to yourself through at least adequate headphones/buds during practice makes some of these things much more obvious. Not saying I don't occasionally make these mistakes and others, but it's by accident. I'm not a very experienced player. But when I get methodical about dialing in a tone, one or more of these suggestions always wind up being part of the process.

[@vfam5860]

Details, details, details, details, details. So many guitar details. My ears and brain not tuned in to catch all of that, but it is really cool to hear Nicky V. break it all down for something as basic as tone. I just like the elec guitar sound and I know when I like it. Great job Nicky V. I would like to see some examples how you see various guitar player skill levels, and some guitar players you look up to / admire - they got their stuff together, and maybe examples of bad electric guitar player stuff (what studio engineers / producers / sound guys) can't stand about a guitar player). Thanks - good to see a new video, watching the vids from a non expert guitar hobby guy perspective located in rural NW TN.

[@NickyV]

That’s a fantastic idea! Maybe a “what separates the pros” kind of video. As far as know guitar players my favorite is Brian May…you can sing every solo…might have to do a video on him as well.

[@vfam5860]

@@NickyV I always enjoy the Nicky V hangouts. I get a chance to get my virtual coffee and sit like a fly on the wall and listen to you share things that make my brain go numb - and I actually enjoy it. Reading the comments is cool. Then there is a community of virtual coffee drinkers hanging around and talking about stuff that I have no clue about. I just keep smiling and nodding my head, and the music geeks haven't kicked me out yet, so I keep hanging around, nodding and smiling a lot :)

[@elgen0314]

As a vintage tube amp tech / audio engineer, I would say you nailed it. Spot on Nicky V

[@mattstetzel4643]

One of my guitarist has an AC 30. That amp just cut through EVERYTHING, including my cymbals. It's just a very nasally amp as you said. Yet, it instantly gave him a Rory Gallagher and Brian May vibe. Not a bad thing

[@NickyV]

They do a very very cool particular thing. Love mine

[@hermannmaier0]

My bro taught me this....turn that bass tone down for starters. Thank you. Subscribed and hope to follow in future.

[@darrylweller6143]

Would love more about recording guitars please.

[@NickyV]

I’m thinking of doing a “recording great tones on a budget” series where I talk about the gear you don’t need.

[@chrisgabiger2399]

I’ve never had this lesson and I’ve been using the same method and adjustments for years . Fine tune the tone with the controls on your instrument to smooth out the frequencies. Do this when hitting a long note or chord in the song till it sounds good to the ears . Also volume is good to be balanced from the start knowing that the highs will cut through the mix more than the lows .

[@Gearhart_Music]

"Tone is in the hands" always bugs me. There's a sound I'm trying to get. My hands through a Fender Deluxe isn't going to get me a brown sound. There's amp choices, pedal choices, guitar/pickup choices, knobs to dial. Don't tell me "tone is in the hands".

[@NickyV]

Amen to that! Always bothered me as well

[@damienalvarez2957]

I agree that it sounds silly. Learning how to dial an amp and configure a signal chain has been the key to improving my tone. The saying should be, “Technique is in the hands.”

[@Gearhart_Music]

@@damienalvarez2957 Exactly.

[@jeremytee2919]

But Eddie Van Halen would sound like Eddie Van Halen on a deluxe. When you don’t understand something, The only conclusion worth drawing, is that you don’t understand.

[@gibsonfan159]

I think people say that as to say "Equipment isn't gonna replicate talent". Playing like SRV will always sound more like him than just trying to copy his setup in order to just sound like him tonally.

[@jeshely]

Excellent video! You are absolutely right about the amount of bass coming from the amp but also the amount of bass coming from the pickups. A game changer for me was when I created a patch in my Boss JS-10 where I turned off absolutely everything, from the amp sim to the noise gate and all effects and use it just for the level meter which is only a humble 7 lines. With that in place I proceeded to set the height on the treble and bass sides of all the pickups. I could not believe how much lower it ended up being on the bass side. The Guitar was a G&L Legacy Fullerton Deluxe with HSS configuration. It sounded much better after that, almost all my dirt pedals (even the ones I did not care for) became very good and when using digital Sims I was able to jump between different amo models much smoother.

[@seanewing386]

Absolutely yes on turning the bass down. Tightens up a tube amp like magic. Turn it up to where it's just breaking up and then hit it with a pedal with a filter like a RAT or TS so you can control the high end. Also, if your combo or cabinet has a cheap stock speaker(s) in it, swap it out with a good quality replacement speaker. That will make the biggest difference in your tone.

[@dobrofool]

Man people really underrate the whole concept of changing out speakers. Many years ago I had one of those fender champ practice amps. I swapped it out for a 25W Celestian. I mic’d that thing a few times for small gigs. People couldn’t believe the sound I was getting out of that thing! The sustain was crazy 😎 Some years later, I picked up an Engl, pulled the cone and dropped a classic Jensen Alnico. Night and day. A buddy of mine years ago played an ES35 with flat wounds, and a cherry Srat for the crunch side of things… he used a Carvin with EVMs. Yup!

[@redryder8622]

What I have had to learn the hard way is when you are alone practicing, I would set set everything up to what sounds good to me alone. To your point the frequency is complete until you add other instruments. The way I learned to play by practicing also, had to be relearned to play with others because of dynamic and amp volume to pedal setting variations etc. Indeed it turned out to be less is more. Wish there were these kind of discussions 40-45 years ago. Guitarist today have such a unique culture to learn and grow now. Enjoyed your shared knowledge and thank you for putting it out here. You definitely are spot on.

[@guitarfreak7144]

Loved the video . Was helpful but not for the reason you mentioned at the beggening . I also used to ask the same the but it was about the bends . The squeel of the guitar . Now i have no problem with it . I figured out it takes over 10 years for your ears to adjust to get that squeel .

[@big_doug_4275]

AMAZING! Every gnawing feeling in my gut - vocalized... with clarity ...lol!

[@ChrisIan-e6k]

Great video. I've done over a thousand gigs on the "hard rock" side of things and my advice would be to use no reverb at all, because it gets lost anyway, but a little slap-back delay where you can barely hear it is very nice. I'm talking one or two repeats with the "mix" turned really low, so you can just barely hear it on stage. People in the audience will not hear it in the mix at all, or barely, but you will have a little "special sauce" on stage to sweeten things up a bit. Now, if you are using a 5150 with the gain set to nuclear levels, there should be NO effects at all because it will be a huge mess. I'd go with something like this: Low gain: You can use more effects. Mid Gain: You can use just a tiny bit of slap. High Gain: Use nothing... and by "nothing" I mean ambient effects.

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

I used to play for years with just amp and guitar and use the volume knob and that's it. I would get the amp to push for a lead tone and then use the volume knob to dial down to a general tone and use it most of that time. When I had to solo I cranked the volume and that was it. Then I did start using a tad bit of reverb and delay in solos and a boost. That's the way I use pedals today basically. I do like three times. Clean, edge of breakup, and blazing lead. I play 80s metal and mostly blues hard rock. Think Thin Lizzy, Jackyl, Ted Nugent, Lynard Skynard, etc. etc . Be well sir and regards from South Central Indiana. USA Tim .

[@patpowers6902]

Good perspective from an audio engineering perspective - thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheNobbynoonar]

Only my two quid/bucks worth- I find that experimenting with the guitars volume control is also very useful for getting the sound I’m after when playing live. It’s great for cleaning up a sound that’s too distorted, great for boosting a clean sound.

[@adamrafferty]

Nicky - thank you so much. I am primarily a fingferstyle player, but have started playing with a band, using a tele. YOu absolutely nailed so many points. As well, as a jazz player I used to put way too much bass on the guitar. Pure gold here - thank you.

[@NickyV]

Thanks man! Appreciate you checking out the video and glad it was helpful :)

[@mallit]

Very helpful, thank you. !!😊

[@RichHayes-s2e]

Really appreciate your comments. Like some others who've commented here, I've been playing 50+ years-lots of different situations (clubs, concerts, studio, etc) and your advice here is spot-on. Especially your comments on reverb and delay( I agree a little goes a long way). Anyway, glad I stumbled across your channel. Keep up the good work!

[@jeremykelker8908]

Been listening to all the Bon Scott era AC/DC lately and marvelling at the sound of those recordings and how bare the guitars are coming off like a wall of Gibson smackdown. No BS.

[@Rossimac_]

I needed to hear the bit about reverb and delay! Haha love it

[@marklawrence8518]

Great points! I'd like to add one: Guitar players are always close to their amps, and I for one, tend to judge my tone right there, and that's not what the live audience hears. It's all perspective. I can think this amp sucks and then hear positive comments from somebody out there. Serve the song, serve the audience...amen!

[@prpapas]

+1 on Vox in the studio. It can work onstage too but yes, it's fiddly. In the studio I like how it focuses on that mid-range zone of the mix.

[@ChuckSpade]

Great job making perfect sense.

[@antoniogravina723]

Great advice, thank you

[@simonholdaway7345]

wicked video....keep them coming pls Nick. Instant fan.

[@quartermile5774]

i like that little nod to freebird

[@randykollins7074]

Great video. To the point, no "all about me" BS to weed through. Serve the song is so true and echoed by guys like Tim May, Hal Blaine.

[@f.hounderclay1368]

Just got a ‘59 Bassman Ltd to go with my Orange Rocker, 12”. Tele and Epi Riviera. I rely on pedals. I’m a home studio guitarist and more of a pianist. I’m loving my Bassman.

[@NickyV]

Fantastic! Hard to beat a Bassman

[@allenmadison8775]

Thanks for putting out the video, it will really help a lot of people. I moved from SF to the Tahoe Forest and down sized all my gear, everything‘s digital now. I’ve custom all my guitars and cleaned up my sound for the most part. You can have some dirty layers when you double track guitars but if there’s not some clean mixed in, it’s just a bunch of gobble tea goop, and it’s taking me a lifetime to figure that out.

[@NickyV]

Man this is spot on. Definitely have to have some cleanish fundamental sound happening for clarity.

[@joedynaflow9157]

Thanks! Well said! You're spot on the money. J.D.

[@littlegoatstudionavarre3845]

Nikki, You are so low key and completely correct. I'm a lifelong drummer, now have my home studio. I remember when our main band played live, was the bass player setting up the PA and had all 4 mics set up with delay and reverb,. They sounded good when he checked each mic on its own; but when we all started singing during the show the vocal mix was lost/total wash and mud! Also a Road Guitar player 'schooled me' when he told me to stop putting high EQ on the snare drum to get it into the live mix.... he said put more mid and lows and the snare will punch. And he also said to add some high EQ to the kik to get it tight and recognized instead of volume. But now running the studio, he was correct and your info is greatly appreciated. thnx. I've also been flawed in my studio by me playing the guitar, then the bass, then the drum kit and the mud is crazy and cannot be cleaned up. But when I get other players tr send me their tracks they too have too much effect added and it becomes mud. So you are clear in thought and experience so I appreciate you. GREAT post, I'm signed up. Thank you, peace, .....nikki in navarre , Fl..

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

Nicky V you are 100% Correct and iam a Bassman !!

[@NickyV]

Thanks for checking the video out man!

[@user-mu3ts5gi3t]

Thanks so much Nicky once again I'm amazed for these videos. To learn from pros like you, Tim Pierce and other greats like Uncle Larry is magical for someone who still lives guitar playing for 50 years. Wish you guys were around growing up maybe I'd be better. But it's amazing how much you can improve with some outside insights . Thanks

[@jimcamp2423]

Every instrument has a role in a band. Lead &/or rhythm guitar need not duplicate what a bass player has in their instrument. Complement & trust in each other in the ranges each instrument has. When the sound fills the spectrum of the tunings of each instrument it's going to work better.

[@atlogik]

You're givin us pearls here, Nicky. Oddly, I played for 25 years without reverb and delay and just recently added both to my rig and am still getting used to it. I keep them both around 10% in my mix.

[@ChinaCat-Rider]

Really enjoyed this video Nicky. Came for the lure of the tagline (options for improving my tone), but within about 30 seconds I felt inspired by the entire spectrum of intangibles that you expressed (1) concisely… but also (2) with a spirit of humility. Liking and subscribing! Kudos and bravo bro!

[@NickyV]

This comment is incredibly kind of you, really means a lot and thank you for the kind words.

[@casey46]

I'm going to take your advice and deal with my reverb addiction. Appreciate your straight forward explanations

[@mpojr]

thank you Nicky learned alot today

[@fender97]

Thanks for the video lesson. I do live sound for a church. When I have an electric guitarist I always want a nice bright tone from the amp rather than boosting on the desk. I think when someone is practicing they will dial in a less bright, more mellow tone which sounds nice on its own though gets lost when placed with many other sound sources. And yes I roll off the bass and notch out some of the muddy low mids. Your Fender / Vox amp might sound overly bright on its own, but sounds great in the mix.

[@harmonica212]

For me I'm a Harmonica player and for Harmonica players you want the gain on # 6 and the volume on how loud you might need it. I have it on # 4 because I am playing in my room. The bass all the way up and the treble on # 7 and the gain on # 6 and the tone on # 3 and the middle on # 7 and the treble on # 7 and the reverb on # 8. I have to see how it sounds using my amp live at a gig. I think I want to get a Fender for what I'm looking for. Harmonica player Sugar Blue used a Blues Blast mic with CM/CR element and a Mesa Boogie Mark 2. Bass amp. I have a Earl Slick Guitar to mess around on and my amp is more suited for that than Harmonica but I make it work. Thank you for sharing. This is helpful.

[@ronburati257]

100% correct on all points

[@NickyV]

Appreciate it man. Thank you for checking the video out.

[@tomwicks8953]

Excellent tips !

[@donjennings9214]

Love the videos. I'm a bass player at my local church. I also play rhythm and lead in my living room, but I really enjoy doing that, too.

[@NickyV]

Fantastic! Appreciate you checking the video out!

[@petercontarino646]

Excellent info thank you!!

[@jmwise80]

I don’t know anything about electric guitar. Don’t have a clue what to do with all the parameters I have at my disposal to adjust sound and tone. Videos like this help me understand what different changes will do. I’m going to use it as a springboard to screw with some knobs. An aside, I’m having a hard time getting my tremolo pedal to time right with the song I’m learning. Now I’ve learned something to look for in my next tremolo pedal. Always learning.

[@NickyV]

So glad you find it helpful and thank you for watching! A timed tremolo definitely has its place. Sometimes it’s cool to just turn the knob until it sounds right though….have to go with the gut.

[@eronackerman565]

Great tips. As a fan of shoegaze and dub reggae, I can appreciate some oversaturated reverb/ delay as long as the guitar has room to breathe. But sometimes I forget to consider that rooms add their own natural reverb. This may seem obvious (since emulating room acoustics is the whole point of reverb), but a ‘verb level that works when playing quietly alone in your bedroom could become a mess at a venue that doesn’t have much sound dampening. I even noticed my living room adds so much natural echo that the guitar can get submerged under a juicy spring reverb. I guess you could say the goal is to ride on the wave not in it. 🤙

[@telebender]

While I knew most of these things, it's a great reminder and it's handy to have it all in 1 place. This was helpful, thanks.

[@NickyV]

So glad it was helpful! Really appreciate you checking the video out!

[@markokaria7654]

Great stuff... and great advice. I've been a gigging musician for well over 30 years and something ive learned the hard way that i believe many guitarist struggle with is that less gain/distortion is more in a live setting. If you want your sound to get lost in the band mix...crank your preamp gain to where you thinknit sounds goodnat home...then at your gig be wondering why it sounds bad...or what happened lol. Probably why i cant stand the preset/direct etc stuff cause it may sound good at home but once at gig volume i think many of the presets sound like a$$ without lots of tweaking/saving and then glitches/ errors etcand after the struggle realizing a simple amp just "works" in a band setting.... it may sound a bit dry or boring at home but add a drummer and bass player and another guitar all fighting for a spot in the mix and itll be glorious... at gig volumes the way it cuts thru the mix is truly amazing without being harsh and if done correctly you have headroom to get louder for a solo or for the dynamics of a song. Speaking of which i think another thing that gets lost with many of todays players that have no real amp/high volume stage experience is the importance of the volume knob on the guitar itself. Just like playing softer vs louder if set to what I consider to be good for a band mix the amp will clean up with the volume knob around 5 and be crunchy around 7 and lead volume sound at 10...most seem to like 10 all the time and try another channel/preset for leads but imo that doesnt sound natural and often you loose your "spot" in the mix. Either way great advice👍

[@motorcaster57]

Such good advice... So many of us like to go to distortion to cover the mistakes.... that's human nature but I would like to see the right tone and fewer notes that do serve the music...

[@youngandrew66]

Although now in my 50s I agonise way more over my sound than I did in the early 90s I was never too bad as my band had a studio and we recorded our own stuff. When you record guitar you soon learn all these tips. The reverb tip is crucial yet painful - it's a comfort blanket really.

[@moespitcaufsky2305]

Thank you Nicky. I've always been looking for better tone. I will totally try your suggestions.

[@NickyV]

You and me both haha. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@jameshicks6990]

I like it!! Keep it up!

[@laziofreppe2138]

I love this video it never fails to send me to slept

[@rjsron]

Nice information, thank you

[@analytics8055]

Good tone breakdown.. Thx!!

[@stevenwilson9865]

I'm a drummer. Guitar was my first instrument. I'm amazed at how different guitar tones sit in the mix. From Tom's Boston, Rod n Dave in Foghat, Billy G. with ZZ Top. You never know what works best

[@NickyV]

Very true. Appreciate you checking out the video

[@gregeccles5035]

One hundred percent spot on💯%🤟

[@brentenman9291]

Great tips! Appreciate you

[@robwebb9413]

I really like and value your videos. They feel like meat and potatoes for guitar players. It comes from experience and a desire to actually "unveil" all the confusion surrounding tone and playing.

[@NickyV]

Man I’m so glad you are into it. I try to just tell people the stuff I wish I would have figured out sooner.

[@brucedeloop9494]

Thanks for this!

[@ecastag]

Man, you are a crack! These explanations and examples and the way you give them are so eloquent, so clear. I have been needing this kind of information and analogies or examples to understand better about this whole issue and to explain it clear and understandable for me for a long, long time. Formidable your way of explaining. Thank you maestro!

[@NickyV]

Man this is so kind of you to say. Truly appreciate the kind words and I’m so glad you found it helpful

[@snickpickle]

This video alone just got you a sub, Sir! Great content!

[@michaelscerbo35]

I have a Mesa Mark V, and it has taken me a LONG time to dial it in. Very finicky amp but trial and error has gotten me to a much better spot for my jazz sparkles and warmness, to the tight chuggy Metal riffs that are like Thunder from the high gain. Super fun, you’re the best Nicky V!

[@NickyV]

You are very kind man. I haven’t gotten to mess with a Mark V yet and I’m relatively messa ignorant (played one that was backline on a TV deal one time and liked it). Might have to be “that guy” at guitar center for a bit and crank one up haha

[@michaelscerbo35]

@@NickyV So much more I need to learn about tones, but videos like these help me so much. Also, I’m sure you would rip it brother….Happy Saturday!

[@NickyV]

@@michaelscerbo35appreciate you man, thanks for spending some time on the channel

[@keithbenedict8764]

Your tip on dialing in a good clean tone really helped me. I've been trying to get a tone close to the lead tone in Randy Travis' "Better Class of Losers". This did the trick! Thanks a lot!

[@NickyV]

Fantastic man. Love hearing that. Got to play a song with Randy, definitely a bucket list moment checked off.

[@GaryKatz]

Thanks!

[@bradpace3626]

Dude thanks so much I’m a tele player my friend has been bitching about my wall of noise for a while I applied this to my mixer into twelve inch speakers and sounds great

[@armandomorenotherevival7827]

I agree , for a clean tones I’ve always liked a pushed amp sound , and back off the guitar volume . The tone is full and percussive with that perceived clean sound.

[@flipside74501]

Top of the line information, both correct and concise.