The TRUTH about Glenn Fricker Exposed!

[@ClarkColborn]

Thank you to all who commented & especially to all who subscribed! You're all awesome! Now, to address a few things about this video: #1: I never said Glenn is a "boomer." You weren't paying attention if you think I did. ;-) #2: At the Schenker concert Michael did play phrases without the band, so it was not simply the "band effect" that made his guitar sound different when he played versus when the tech played it. (Pete Way joined him for a bunch of tunes, so think "Rock Bottom" from their UFO days.) I address the unknowns in the latter part of the video. #3: No one ever said I look like Chuck Norris until about 3 weeks before I made this video. A cashier told me that & when I asked if it was a compliment or an insult, she blushed & said "Oh honey, that was a compliment." Now some of you guys are saying I look like Chuck. The universe is weird, lol. Okay, I have work to do, lol. Live well and rock hard!

[@woodsnstrings]

As a tech, I'd argue the main reason the tech's sound didn't come out big is because he didn't want it to. He wasn't there to play riffs on Schenker's rig. He was there to make sure it worked.

[@albinoviper2876]

i use a well my YT rule...if they start a video yelling anything at me or over use a tag line, i block them ASAP and if you just played guitar long enough not long but enough you'll know tone is a irrelevant at high gain and if you play a lil longer you'll never have to watch 1 of his or your vids.

[@anomymouse5043]

Does KZbin allow videos that say constructive comments about other content creators? Should this be corrected? Can I report this video, say to Elon Musk, for being too constructive? Finally: What the guitar players should do if they do not spend their waking hours on social media bashing each other??

[@anomymouse5043]

Difference between Schenker and the tech is probably in the picking hand. Some guitar sounds work best if you pick quite hard (or really, really hard).

[@ClarkColborn]

@@anomymouse5043 lol!

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

HI Clark, thanks so much for taking the time to make this video! I've always said Technique and clarity is in the hands... Tone is in the gear, however. My real question is: How long have you had those ADAT units for?

[@ClarkColborn]

Hey man, glad to put my 2 cents in on your behalf! Good catch on the ADATs! I think I got them around 21 years ago. I used them to record my first album & parts of my second one, then I went to Sonar, because ProTools was only available on the Apple platform & I was broke, lol. I need to hook them back up & transfer a bunch of stuff to my computer. Then I'll see if maybe I can trade them for a couple cups of coffee or something, lol!

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

@@ClarkColborn Oddly enough, that too is the exact same reason I worked with Sonar early on! :)

[@ClarkColborn]

@@SpectreSoundStudios I was about to drop the $$ on an Apple/ProTools rig a few years ago when Cakewalk went belly up, but then BandLab bought them & rereleased Sonar as "Cakewalk by BandLab," so I'm still using that. I track guitars, keys, bass in that & we go to a real studio to track drums, then I send it all out to a guy with PT for mixing. Last album turned out pretty good, I think.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

Glenn convinced me not to buy new pick ups and save up for a new cab and speakers. Frick that frickin' Fricker!

[@sisajtegabre]

@@ericdpeerik3928 As e. Engineer and guitarist who wind pickup since 90's well sometimes you need a new pickup in terms of difrent specs but they don't have to cost a lot. Price is not = quality. So same goes for speakers. You can find speakers that people sell dirty cheep and they sound great. So you can only make a cab, or get low priced cab you like and change speakers. Again no need to spent a lot. I saw Him atacking Peavey Sheffield if i remember well but there are a lot of pros who use exactly those speakers. Truth is that you can make them sound according to your take by tailoring the cabinet. So to say that speakers are the most import is bit click bait or maybe He is sponsored by some speaker company. For example i liked Crate tube amps V serial, both US and even more Chines due to their cabinet have nice bassy sound, for the type of music i like that is good, for some people that would be terrible. for HM they need OD in front but those are great amp that aren't expansive at all, US made are honestly well built and i saw them for like 250-300$. Speakers in Chines are ceramic generic made in Korea but they are well made, they do have ''crate'' sticker and it cost like 15- 20$ 2nd hand LOL. Similar is *Laney HH Acoustics H1265* These amps cost like 20$ lol, but they are awesome. To be honest Leany IRT serial of amps were people can get a new Ironhart for like 600$ (head), that am p for me is better for metal then majority of overpriced ''boutGeek'' amps. My point is that *i agree with Glenn that you don't need a lot of $ and yes there are a lot of lies and hypes about there*. When i see that someone ask 400-500% for the set of pickups WOW, i would treat that as crime against music.

[@indiedavecomix3882]

Tone is in the fingers, which is why when I started learning guitar, I got high-end Seymour Duncan fingers from Sweetwater.

[@ClarkColborn]

Oh dude! You should have gone with the EMG active fingers! I saw on Reddit that they are almost radioactive! lol Seriously, thanks for watching & commenting!

[@indiedavecomix3882]

@@ClarkColborn Great vid!

[@prime-mate]

😂😂

[@keefjunior4061]

I love their vintage spec Digitones, but they are hard to find these days.

[@sergioalvarez5949]

LMAO

[@GearStuffandThings]

Glenn’s personality is purely for video. He’s a really kind person in person. Met him at Namm he was really chill and kind. It’s a character on KZbin to get attention imo

[@WilDBeestMF]

@@nexuspolaris2419 Honestly, I think he uses his real frustrations in an effort to turn his true persona from a mellow 5 up to a roaring 20. Dude's definitely a showman, but that 0-100 flare up is coming from a source 😅

[@mobsiesixsixsix9785]

@@nexuspolaris2419 As are people who constantly whinge when nobody is forcing them to watch. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. \m/

[@RobChandler]

I can imagine he is a very chill dude, but I do love watching him tear in his comments, especially his rants!!!

[@tinystar3010]

I wish I could see Glenn's real personality on youtube though. The whiny b**** persona finally made me unsub to him. I saw a glimpse of him "out of character" once when he appeared randomly on Andertons, but then after following Glenn, I quickly had enough of him. It's a shame he chose not to work on success for being himself instead of shilling to drama.

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

This is true. It still amazes me that between all that the man is capable of dropping tips that blow my previous home recordings/mixes out of the water. Yes, the man is a damn wizard if you care to listen.

[@specialkonacid6574]

i've learned alot from Glenn and i'm not even a metal head. Leland Sklar has a toggle switch on his bass that is not connected to anything. when the producer would ask for a brighter tone, or a warmer tone, Leland would make sure the producer would see him toggle the switch and then move his right hand either closer to the bridge or the neck whatever the producer was after. like Andrew Scheps says 'all that matters is what comes out of the speakers'

[@ClarkColborn]

That's one of my favorite Leland stories! Steve Lukather has a similar story about some producer wanting him to re-record some solo with "more feeling," and the engineer told Luke the first take was perfect, just play along to that first take & make "scrunchy" faces. This was outside of the "producer's" earshot. So Luke did that, & the producer liked the "second" take way more & called it good. It was literally the same take, but because he saw Luke looking all "emotional" he thought it was a far better take. lol Thanks for watching & for your great comment!

[@specialkonacid6574]

@@ClarkColborn that's hilarious 🤣🎸🎶

[@helldeirch]

people just have to realize instrument companies will just say anything to sell their stuff

[@ClarkColborn]

Yup. When I worked in a mom & pop guitar store I always struggled to get people to try brands they weren't familiar with, just to either save them money or get them a better guitar for the same price as a "legendary" brand.

[@richardspillers6282]

​@@ClarkColborn😂 I was refused a job at my favorite guitar shop for doing the same 😂

[@vorpalblades]

But, Paul R. Smith says...

[@kiillabytez]

So will a career politician.

[@Azathoth43]

And KZbin personalities will say anything to get clicks. They're businesses, too.

[@mcswordfish]

Glenn's fondness for hyperbole is both his making and his undoing. It gets him attention, but also leads to people missing the most important parts of what he's saying. This is a shame as most of what he says is right on the button.

[@travisspaulding2222]

Yeah, he kind of paints himself into a corner because in a lot of videos, to get what he is actually saying, you need to have seen his other videos. I'm always hesitant to say "tone is in the...(fill in the blank)" because there is an entire signal chain going on from the brain all the way to the speaker, and just about all of it has some sort of role regardless of how major or minor. I just like to say that every problem has a solution. If you're overall unhappy with your tone, then you need to figure out why. If you're a metal guy and you think your tone is crap and you have a Fender Twin with a V30 speaker, then you're either going to need a distortion pedal or a new amp. No speaker in the world will help you. However, if your playing a 5150 and have a crappy no name speaker, then the speaker is the culprit.

[@kiillabytez]

@@travisspaulding2222 My first real amp was a Fender Twin Reverb. Loved that amp but I wanted that tone from the bridge of Wing's Band on the Run, and that Twin Reverb just wasn't gonna do it. Got a Big Muff PI and a Pro Co Ratt and then things got REALLY interesting! This was back in the 70s when those pedals were common in every music store across America.

[@1sostatic]

My take has always been from what I call the Glenn context .. and its this, ..."High power metal distortion in a recording situation" ... I'm a professional studio owner myself - and he's spot on with the words "It isnt worth the money" . ... Until the day somone can listen to a recording and spot what guitar with what pickups, and what amp with what tubes...I'm with Glenn on this one ... People are getting unnecesarily overheated over this topic.

[@ClarkColborn]

Agree completely! Thanks for watching & for leaving a comment.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@ProudFilthyCasual]

@@DS-nw4eq That's only true if you are weak minded enough, and lacking the will, to be able to hear people say things and not immediately adapt them into your life philosophy. Stop infantilizing everything. If you watch ANY youtuber or personality, and "find yourself adhering" to anything automatically, the problem is you.

[@justinngariki]

@@ProudFilthyCasual right on.

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

I agree. The funny thing is that, if you sit and spend a moment on it - even if you aren't a studio tech - it all makes perfect sense. Some things will be hard to grow out of, I'll give you that.

[@CynHicks]

Glen's personality rubs a lot of people the wrong way but he's done great work and the dude knows what he talking about even if he's wrong from time to time, like ALL OF US.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@rickyturner2742]

​@DS-nw4eq Negative philosophy about what? Tonewood? That's already been thrown out the water, and actually marketing. Toobz? Swapping out JJ's for Svetlana isn't going to change anything, massively.

[@90rm4n8]

@@DS-nw4eq he has hole videos dedicated to helping people work better, and be easier to work with

[@jonnyroxx7172]

@@DS-nw4eqI think you’re missing the irony and the sarcasm. He actually promotes the opposite of negative stereotypes.

[@countzero5150]

@@rickyturner2742 I think he means that Glenn has a generally negative outlook on things and that it rubs off on his followers, making them unpleasant to work with. I don't know, I don't really follow Glenn Fricker. I probably would if I was really interested in recording and mixing but I don't really play the type of music he works on or delve too deep into recording so his content isn't really for someone like me.

[@wrobinson1702]

Thanks, Clark. This was good. I am also a long term, albeit mostly amateur, guitarist/sound engineer, and I do sometimes listen to Glenn Fricker. I think the important thing to remember with Glenn is that he's putting on an act to generate views. And he's good at it! He is very "over the top" in his delivery on purpose. Plus, as you mentioned, Glenn is referring exclusively to high-gain metal recordings, not to Blues, Country, etc. Finally, one story: I was at Chicago Music Exchange several years ago, strumming gently on one of their new mid-level Les Pauls. (I'd bought guitars there before, and knew the staff pretty well). Anyway, who walks in but Joe Bonomassa! Joe sees me and says, "How do you like that guitar?" I bumble in awe for a second, before saying something like, "I don't know, I guess I'm just not a Les Paul guy." He asks if he can see it and I hand it to him. Nothing was changed in the settings on the guitar or the amplifier it was plugged into. But the sounds that came out of it were on an entirely different level than what I had been playing! Near unbelievable to my amateur ears. That convinced me that at least most of "the sound is in the hands."

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & your great comment. And how cool to meet Joe like that! Yeah, much of a guitarists "sound" is in their technique, no question. That's why I always advise new guitarists to spend time practicing & developing their own "voice" before dumping piles of money into gear that might not help them progress.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@crnkmnky]

​@@DS-nw4eq Could you be more specific?

[@216trixie]

​@@DS-nw4eqcopy and paste

[@jjmSeven6ix]

That’s so cool! Just to add my 2 cents…what I’ve noticed is let’s say bending a note or even fretting a note using 2 fingers will sound different as opposed to using 1 finger when bending or having that support finger on the next fret. Like if there’s a bit more warmth and more profound. Sometimes is just those little things that adds that little something. Anyhow, y’all have a good one!

[@roberteltze4850]

I've heard rigs where the guitar sounds weak when it's the only instrument being played but mix in bass drums and everything else and that weak guitar suddenly fits the blend perfectly and sounds great.

[@cjkenney]

Glen is one of the few "angry" loud people I actually enjoy watching. Because it's clear it's a character and he will own up when he's wrong. I think he backs up many of his beliefs soundly with evidence and goes into the "why" behind his opinions as much as he can. Also was that venue in DeKalb the House Cafe by chance?? I lived in DeKalb for a a while and that was the main venue when I lived there!

[@ClarkColborn]

No, it was Otto's, which I just found out was torn down some years ago. Thanks for watching & your comment!

[@Jayteaseepiirturi]

THIS! On drum samples he always remembers to mention that he got owned (Megadeth: Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?). And what I take his anti-sample thing as is "People, get your hands dirty". He's well aware that us home recorders aren't able to just go and record real drums. His persona makes it even more amazing that the droplets of info that he gives are fucking mindblowing techniques and procedures! I've often been like, WTF, why didn't anybody ever tell me this? Plus I find that he responds to comments IN KIND! You disagree, you critique, downright slam what he's saying, but it's all in the delivery. You're not an ass then he's not an ass. Simple as that. ( He's featured my comments four times, so I miiiiiiiiiight be a bit biased, but... :D )

[@cjkenney]

@@Jayteaseepiirturi couldnt agree more!

[@mardin56]

Glenn is both funny and insightful. He is approaching tone as a studio engineer rather than a player and he is saying, over and over, and vulgarly, and loudly, that guitar players are worrying about the wrong stuff. And it costs them money. I took his thinking the other way: if pickups and tonewood don't matter at high gain, I wondered if I could dial in a clean jazz tone on a range of electric guitars spanning single coils, humbuckers, EMGs, and P-90s. Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Schechter, Epiphone, G&L, Duesenberg, all into a Mesa Lone Star Special. Only the Epiphone was a 'jazz box' (a Joe Pass Emperor). Answer: yes. It was way more important that the neck pickup volume and tone were a bit rolled off, the amp had mild gain and a bumped midrange, and there were no overdrives or boost pedals in the chain. Ah ha, Julian Lage and Tim Lerch use teles for jazz, now I get it. I even learned that a Schechter Hellraiser with EMGs (a real shredder axe if there ever was one), sounds twangy when it's at a low-gain setting. Twangy, who would have guessed.

[@DeltaPi314]

I admit, I was about to blast you on the tone thing. But I waited till you finished. People tend to confuse tone with sound as notes played correctly. I have played guitar over several years (never a career musician) but a couple of two things I learned: 1- You're better off playing a 500 euro guitar and a 2000 euro amp than a 2000 euro guitar and a 500 euro amp. 2- Gear is something you buy for yourself, to work/play better, for your ego (bragging rights), etc... nobody but other musicians in the crowd is going to care if you are using a Kemper or a tube amp. 3- No matter what you have, the guy working the sound board can screw your sound in a nanosecond.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching all the way through! And, yeah, be really nice to the sound guy!

[@deibid7886]

About point number three: Yes, it can absolutely happen. That's why it's important to have your own sound guy if you're in a band. Also, if you can't get your regular sound guy or you don't have a regular and have to rely on whomever happens to be working the sound, try to be nice, friendly and respectful to them so that you can accurately explain to them what you need. If they still end up screwing your sound or end up being unpleasant just keep quiet and rock on stage as you would normally. It's just ONE show, not the end of the world.

[@ClarkColborn]

@@deibid7886 great comment! I agree!

[@andrewwilliams3394]

does bone density of the player affect tone!!!

[@ClarkColborn]

lol I bet it does!

[@xNachtmahRx]

High gain, low gain, modern metal bands sound the same 90% of the time anyway. Can't stand this trend of overproducing metal until it sounds like slimy, clean, and sterile pop music sound that is used by everyone. Back in the 80s and 90s, you could distinguish bands and producers by the tones and sounds. You'll know a Jim Morris, Colin Richardson, Terry Date, and especially a Scott Burns record when tou hear it. Nowadays? Everyone uses the same Gojira pre-amp presets and copies the mix feom KZbin or forums. Glad I'm mostly into underproduced black metal, thrash, and old school death metal

[@redeyeddogproductions4222]

When you push gain past a certain point,the character of your guitar loses nuance. I play with way less gain than most and all my guitars sound super different

[@ClarkColborn]

I always advise guitarists to try dialing their gain back a little. Most don't realize that there favorite guitarist is probably not using as much gain as they think. It definitely allows the nuances to come through more. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@redeyeddogproductions4222]

@@ClarkColborn hetfield being my guitar idol, he doesn't use much distortion at all. It took a while for me to understand it but once I started playing louder I got the concept of not diming the gain knob lol

[@jloiben12]

@@ClarkColborn Exactly. The most famous example of this (I think) is ACDC. That’s the classic “you are using too much gain to match their tone” meme.

[@countzero5150]

​@@ClarkColborn the tones everyone chases as the holy grail like Van Halen 1 & 2, are downright clean. They're just incredibly loud.

[@MrClassicmetal]

​@@countzero5150Correct. EVH uses his picking hand to play with the dynamics. Another one is Yngwie, who has repeatedly stated that he doesn't like to dial the gain all he way up, because it messes up the tone.

[@jeremybertrand8270]

Jim Lill and Glen are both trying to do the same thing. Break the thought process that spending money on product X,Y,Z, will make you sound like Van Halen or what ever. Because tons of musicians(myself included) spent thousands of dollars chasing after marketing gimmicks. And your break down of technic vs tone is spot on. Liked and subscribed.👍👍👍

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks so much for the comment, the sub, & for watching! Yeah, I've spent money on things that were so far from the hype that I was actually embarrassed that I fell for it. Hopefully, I'm beyond that now, lol.

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Getting Van Halen Tone is fairly easy, tbh. Find some mid 70s blackbacks & use a single 57. That’s all you really need.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@MyBichSustained]

​@@SpectreSoundStudiosWhy you delete my comment,Glenn?! You have deleted too many of my comments!

[@MyBichSustained]

I buy gear because I want more gear...I don't chase other's tone...I am chasing my own...I love music equipment and always will!

[@angusorvid8840]

Great vid. I saw Schenker back in the 80s in a concert hall in L.A. I was very close to the stage, about third row, and I got a good look at his rig. Yes, when his soundman tested his guitar it was a very dry sound. But soon as Michael took the stage and started playing it sounded fantastic. Every note had so much tone and feel, which is exactly what made him so famous, along with this technique and overall style. As far as I can tell he was using a Gibson V, Marshalls, what looked like some Boss pedals and a wah, and as for the pickups, I think at the time he said in an interview that he was using a Duncan Custom bridge and 59 neck. But I knew the gear was only part of the picture. I owned an Explorer at the time, had a Marshall stack, some Boss Pedals, a Duncan Custom bridge and 59 neck, and I could not for the life of me sound ANYTHING like Schenker. I realize at this point that the magic was in the hands. And that is the wonderful thing about guitar. I can't think of a more expressive instrument. You get back what you put into it. If you play with feel, with intention, even with crappy gear you can sound wonderful. With good gear you can sound godlike. What Glenn says on his channel, that pickups don't matter that much in a high gain setting is true. If you have functional pickups are not not producing a bunch of unctronallbe noise or have dead magnets, it won't matter. When I got a Boogie I realized it made every guitar I owned sound the same with high gain. You could not tell the Kramer with the JB from the Charvel with the Super Distortion. It was one giant mass of crunch and compression.

[@thomastucker5686]

Can I make an old Peavey 112 Bandit sound not exactly like Fender to Marshall, for a cover band? I can't lug my wonderful tube amp any longer. I have to take it out for service and it now sits at the top of the stairs to my studio and I so don't want to carry it down the stairs. The head weighs about 15 lbs. more than my Bandit. Last gig I put a 57 in front of my practice amp I got for $50, Line 6 Spider III. It wasn't as bad as I expected. I just carried down this bandit to see if I could resurrect it. It was my drum monitor for years. The pots are pretty far gone, so I thought I would deoxit them and hope. Somebody mentioned a pedal that I can't remember the name that might make it sound like a Fender. Joyo American or something like that. I was wondering if I could get an almost tube sound from this old Peavey and that might be more enjoyable than the modeling. I was listening to videos of the boss katanas and they didn't sound any better to my ears than this old line 6. I don't want to spend the money on a Helix that I would probably love compared to my old ART SGE Mach II rack mount. I am a pro drummer who is all about guitar. I think guitars are more cool, but for some reason, the chicks dig the drummer, my experience anyway. LOL

[@ClarkColborn]

lol In my old band they always went for the bassist, but that's another story! Anyway, I believe you can make almost (almost!) any amp sound acceptable if you spend some time dialing it in. 98% of the audiences won't hear the differences that we musicians hear, & that's ok most of the time. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@Azathoth43]

Dude, that Bandit sounds the same as any amp. From a JC120 to Soldano SLO100 to and Engl. Don't let the gear snobs get you down. It's all in the speakers. I started making my own guitars from a sheet of cardboard. Sounds just like any guitar.

[@flash001USA]

Glenn Fricker's videos are a good source of information because he takes a no nonsense hands on approach to how they test stuff. You mentioned hand technique along with style and that too has an effect in the over-all sound and there are many variables to the over-all sound or tone in you get in general. As along as you have a decent guitar that works for you and your style along with a decent amp and cab along with a decent ear and the basic understanding of the mechanics of what it should sound like, you will develop decent tone over time if you stay at it. Glenn Fricker is a pretty smart cookie and I don't really find him abrasive because it's just his personality he projects and I find him quite humorous and definitely entertaining.

[@TruthSurge]

Is it possible that the tech didn't have the vol knob all the way up? Just was testing to make sure that the signal was intact and maybe the setting of the actual distortion level and tone was already done? Let's be real.. if a tech hits a power A chord with full volume then Michael hits that same power chord full volume, there is no reason for the sounds to sound different. But playing style will vary, how hard or lightly the player plays will vary the sound some, whether the player uses a tiny bit of pinch harmonic style will affect the tone and how far up from the bridge the string is picked will affect the tone but I think that this "tone is in the hands" is kind of a misnomer. The actual sound is a COMBO of the player's style AND the equipment. I'll bet both my nuts that if Ed Van Halen played Stevie Ray Vaughn's Strat into ANY amp setup, it wouldn't sound like Stevie in style but the tone would sound like it AND Ed wouldn't be able to make the guitar sound like it's dying because he wouldn't be used to those huge strings and thus.... the equipment would actually affect the outcome. The whole "tone in hands" debate is just misplaced due to the fact that people love drama, they are often undereducated ref the topics and myths get repeated and don't die off easily. Wy does Brian May sound like Brian May? MOSTLY it's the combo of his guitar and amp. If Brian played on Tom Scholz' rig, it would sound like Tom Scholz trying to play Queen songs and doing a really good job of it. Would have a Boston tone but a Brian May style. Anyway, I don't think Glenn is wrong saying that tone is in the hands is BS. It's just not 100% in the hands. That is a myth and false. But I will stop here. Gotta sleep.....

[@johnpittman3756]

Glenn would point out that what you hear playing an unamplified electric guitar is not what is recorded and played back by the equipment. Tone is used in a specific context by Glenn. One thing that people need to realize is that as a human, no matter the cost, if the guitar you play doesn't thrill you, you need a different guitar, or hobby. I have a $135 guitar where the neck, the weight, etc fit me, and it rings in my hands the way I like. I sold guitars for years, and played many Gibson LP's that did not do anything for me. The reality is that this is my perception, and you have one too. Get what thrills you, including changing out pickups. Don't buy the hype. Buy your stuff for yourself.

[@danedearmond4905]

Great Video Clark. I agree. Like Glen, Recording and Live was my thing. I'm a drummer, but in all the bands I played in, I was also the "tech guy". I went to college and learned about recording arts and live work (sound reinforcement) as well. After 25 years of playing and messing with gear, I think a lot of the issues people have is they always want the simple and quick answer. And "Tone" is the accumulation of too many variables all stacked up then spit out into the air which our ears pick up for there to really be a "silver bullet" easy answer. I agree with Glen that "tone" (while impacted by pickups, tubes, gear etc...), each part plays only a fraction of the final product. So if you only change one thing (like pickups) the impact on your overall tone will be mostly marginal. And there is always that variable of what the guitarist is hearing while playing (acoustically and what they perceive from the sound system) vs. the signal that is recorded and played back later (which can sound quite different tone wise). In my experience, playing with your reverb/EQ, amp settings, and mic placement will play a much larger impact on your "tone" than just about any other single change you could make to your gear in other regards (like your pickups, tone wood etc.). And all that comes before you even mention the talent and skill of the individual player.

[@pyrogriffin]

I think something people forget to talk about is haptic feedback of the instrument affecting how you play the guitar. Different guitars feel different to play, and so people end up playing them differently, which can affect the sound of the performance.

[@jetcheneau5811]

it's almost as if none of this shit matters and we're a dumb community for nitpicking instead of just playing what we like

[@CodyCockyote7046]

​@@jetcheneau5811 Literally when I realized all this "tone chasing" was a waste of time and started focusing on playing I finally kinda refined my playing and taste

[@tonyv5202]

Someone finally addressed the elephant in the room. Well done. I have been thinking that for years.

[@shaihulud4515]

Hey Clark, thank you so much for this video! As a former roadie, I cannot emphasise enough what you said round the 10.10 mark: before a show, especially when there is a changeover, you (as guitar tech) gotta be swift - so in 99.9% of all cases, you'll grab that guitar, and make sure the signal is consistent and it's plugged in the right way, meaning, the sound engineer get's positive affirmation everything is working as expected. You do not need to turn up that volume knob fully, you do not need to have all the EQ settings up on the FOH: it's only important to get that signal through. Now, you do want to make a quick short-line check, meaning you check if the pedals work and - again - the signal is coming through. I would say, before a show you are more likely to hear 60% of what's it going to sound, than the full experience later on.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks so much! A lot of commenters don't even make it that far in the vid, so they miss some of the important parts. I guess I need to make shorter videos, lol!

[@AndrewAlex92]

Those Jim Lill videos are how I ended up stumbling upon both Glenn and now your channels. Loving the guitar KZbin space. Thanks for all the content!

[@bobmartino8073]

I've lost a few musician friends because of Glenn. I have a small recording setup in my home and put his theory to my own tests and yeah, he's right. Some pickups are hotter than others and I've never found a difference in tubes but speakers....... Speakers are the big difference. Great video. I disagree with Glenn on many things but I keep watching and supporting his channel because he is right on a lot of important things that have saved me thousands of dollars in gear.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & commenting. I probably haven't watched enough of his videos to know what things on which I might disagree with him, but I'm sure there's something, lol! I'm working on another video about tone that kind of ties in to the subjects in this one. Hopefully it will be up in a week or two.

[@AuntAlnico4]

😂 That's interesting because I've done the same testing and I've heard a huge difference between JJ tubes and EHX tubes, the ehx tubes are way brighter and more crunchy and I just like the sound more on ehx. I have compared Gibson 490 humbuckers to 57's and there's a pretty huge difference there. The biggest difference between speakers is pretty obvious when you test those. Tone wood is pretty obvious as well. I swapped a p90 out of an SG jr. Into a Hamer Double cut with ebony fretboard and it's way way brighter than the SG with rosewood board.

[@nicolasreveco3748]

@@AuntAlnico4 but did you a/b test the rig with exactly with the same signal chain? cause with pickups it makes a difference in the room but when recorded it's jack shit difference. maybe a google drive with the sound files could be great!

[@bennylarsen1907]

​@auntjenifer7774 Quick note on Gibson pickups. Many of their pickups are unpotted, so tonewood will definitely make a difference in that case.

[@216trixie]

​@@AuntAlnico4I guarantee you the fretboard does not affect the tone.

[@tommymags]

I find Glenn to be entertaining and helpful. Rock on.

[@pelennorDSP]

Well done, as someone who has been watching Glenn for some time it's great to see someone listen to what he's actually saying before jumping to debunk. I think it was during one of Glenn's mix review live streams where the "tone is in the fingers thing" came up, and his response was, "no, technique is in the fingers" so it seems to me you've both come to the same conclusion by now, in possibly slightly different terminology. The other thing about Glenn, is because of his studio engineer background, he is also usually talking about guitar tone in the context of a mix. Even small differences in lower gain guitar tones can be hard to discern in the context of a mix, and high gain ones even more so. The same principle applies for any differences you may hear "in the room" as the guitarist vs what is captured via the mic or mics on the cabinet.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks so much for watching & for your great comments. So many guitarists that I talk to don't understand all the variables present when they listen to a recording of guitars. And a live setting has a ton a variables as well. Oh well, it gives us something to talk about, right? lol

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@1sostatic]

@@DS-nw4eq So did Top Gear, but for driver stereotypes... that was entertainment also

[@Riverking1]

​@@DS-nw4eqwhen you keep copying and pasting the same comment multiple times you come across as a zealot. Not a strong point to any arguments.

[@mazetoeden9334]

I'm a drummer, composer and I'm currently getting my 2nd master's degree in. music. the player makes a huge difference, attack, articulation, timing, note length, intonation, speed of legatos and note transitions, dynamics within the notes, dynamic relationships between strings, speed of strumming and so on. It doesn't end. BUT! in a mix a sound has to work. in a small trio, or as a soloist sound doesn't matter as much, but when there's a thousand different things competing against you the player matters just as much as the gear you're using. a good player will make shitty ear sound freaking awesome, by himself. But when you put that same performer into a mix it all falls apart, gear does matter, it's not all dependent on the players ability. so yeah, I agree with clark and with glenn

[@Funkybassuk]

I enjoy Glen’s videos a lot. And I’m a bass player! 😂

[@MrChopsticktech]

Same here.

[@Bogmore1]

To do with MSG, did the tech have the volume on low so as not to deafen you? I saw them a few years ago, before covid, and noticed something similar. You need to plug in at 9 mins and listen again with no acoustic part being heard, maybe through noise cancelling headphones to compare them, an electric guitar played acoustically will be affected more by how you play and where on the neck. Nice Ibanez, I have an old RT series.

[@AntonioRockGP]

I'm also a very seasoned guitar player. Yes, Glenn is right on mostly everything. Something I would like to add is that on a certain level the minute tone differences are just not important in the real gigging world. I focus my attention on getting the gear to give me comfort and peace of mind so I can focus on the performance. I call it invisible gear, that is gear that supports the performance and goes unnoticed while doing that. Examples: A guitar that stays in tune and is comfortable to play An amp that is very easy to dial in and is reliable A switching system that minimizes tap dance Etc... In short, I value much more the peace of mind and the ease of use than some minute tone differences that the crowd will not notice or care while just singing or head bang to their favorite songs

[@CopacabanaDisc]

thank you so much for your review, just found Glenn's channel and he mentioned you on a video. Two great gems!

[@ClarkColborn]

Thank you for the kind words & for watching! I am embarrassed to admit it, but I missed the video where he mentions me! I need to go look for that, help out his channel while he takes a break to care for his wife.

[@NPC-fl3gq]

When i was a teen i told my 2 best mates that the only thing that really mattered was amp settings, speakers and FX settings, not the wood or pickups etc... they looked at me like id just told them i was transitioning and wanted to know if they needed a female singer!! But then they thought about it and both started nodding their heads saying yeah man, and as a result of that they stopped constantly changing their gear and instead started tweaking more important things - like cutting through better on stage. It seemed pretty obvious - so I've never seen Glenn as being anything other than mostly right most of the time. Totally not controversial to me.

[@ironblast5]

What venue in Dekalb did he play I used to live there

[@ClarkColborn]

Otto's. It might have been even 20 years ago. It was a looong time back, lol. My band played there a few times in the '80's. Good times!

[@ironblast5]

@ClarkColborn oh yeah they tore that down a few years back sadly

[@ClarkColborn]

@@ironblast5 Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks for letting me know!

[@hkguitar1984]

Everything you've stated, as well as what Glenn has stated is (in my experience) spot-on accurate. I've been a Practicing Guitarist since 1974, even after all these years I find playing guitar just as exciting as it was the first time I picked up an instrument. Great video and content, Thank You Count me as a new subscriber

[@ClarkColborn]

Thank you so much for watching & for your comment & kind words. Keep on jamming!

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@hkguitar1984]

@@DS-nw4eq Agreed, he isn't for everyone. Yes, sadly the whole "follow" thing does tend to spread the negative part of his character to those "fans". For the record, I can most certainly learn from Glenn's content, I just can't bring myself to watch very much of it.

[@216trixie]

Tone is in, which pick up you use, back or front and it's in the speaker and it's in the EQ settings on your amp

[@dcwebzine]

Great video. Very informed and balanced. Good job focusing on Glenn's caveats, which are easy to miss among all the bluster.

[@marcuslewitzki4610]

Regarding "tone is in the hands" I completely agree, it mainly comes down to picking techniques. Where you chose to pick in relation to the bridge will obviously matter a lot, but also HOW you're picking (smooth and light or rough and heavy) and definitely how you're holding that pick will effect how the pick impacts with the strings (more straight or at an angle). Also, what kind of pick are you using? Over the past 2 years I have myself taken a deep dive into using different picks made from different materials and of different thicknesses and this definitely has an impact on the tone, especially since it plays a role in how you're using that pick. The effects of all of these techniques will also change depending on which of the pickups you've engaged on your guitar. These are all the small fine tunings of your techniques that you do over the years and I think that's what people mainly mean when they say "tone is in the hands". It's just a clumsy way to say it. Another thing that matters a lot, especially when playing heavy distortion (metal) is palm muting. There are lots of different levels of palm muting that you can use and they come down to placement of the hand as well as how hard you're muting. If you want that really choppy, heavily muted sound then you mute slightly further away from the bridge, closer to the bridge-pickup. This obviously kills as much of the strings ability to ring after being struck which results in that choppy, thumpy effect. The more you move the palm (or rather the side of the palm) towards the bridge the more you allow the strings to ring. They still won't precisely "ring" but it won't be as chopped up in between each strike of the pick. It will have a more heavy, warm, even, smooth effect. With the right technique you can gradually go from that chopped-up effect to completely open. That's another part of your tone and that definitely comes down to your hand technique.

[@lunamatic9775]

It's amazing that this conversation is still happening in the 21st century. I was told a long time ago by one of my first teachers that tone (the rig) + technique (the hands) = the signature sound. A lot of pros have found a set up that works for them but what you're hearing is this combination, it can be difficult to tell the two apart on a recording. The point my teacher was trying to make is that as a student I should be paying way more attention to the technique, because by the time you are good, you'll sound good playing through just about anything. I'm glad he taught me that lesson, but it sort of started me on a path of minimalist pedals. But don't get me wrong, I still love listening to, talking about, and trying new gear. It's always struck me as odd that people continue to argue that it's one over the other. Glenn's "on air" personality can be a bit over the top but its hard to fault his mission to save people some money. This is my first time checking out one of your videos, happy to stay and check out more!

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for the comment & for watching! I'll keep trying to post something entertaining or informative!

[@germinal_ok]

Hola otra variable puede ser que el Guitar Tech de Schenker haya probado el equipamiento sin salir por PA

[@Terry3Gs]

Excellent video !! As someone whom has been on youtube & around the KZbin guitar community since 2009, you learn/experence ALOT. You also learn if your smart & open minded enough as to what is honest opinion/truth & whom is just bs. I dont need to go into the 5+ years of the whole " Tone Wood Wars " debates ... especially the folks saying " Basswood sucks it has no tone " ... and meanwhile they owned High end Ibanez guitars that had basswood bodies !! HA HA HA

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for the kind words. So many myths, so little time... lol

[@pedrolantyer]

Gotta agree, tone is really a mix of everything, I think the point that some people try to make when talking about Tone being in the hands is to tell people that you should worry a lot more about your technique and that while you aren't going to sound great with a cheap amp like a Marshall MG, you don't need to spend 3000+USD on a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, you can get great tone from something like a Boss Katana, an Orange Super Crush or Amp Sims, and I think it's 100% necessary to mention this because there are still people too ignorant to realize that we aren't in the 70s anymore and modelling/transistor amps can sound just as good as a Tube amp (just don't expect that from a Line6 Spider or a Marshall Code). I'm not saying you shouldn't spend money on something like a JVM410H, I'm just saying that if you already got a good speaker cabinet and you have a 1200EUR budget, maybe consider spending around 600EUR on a Super Crush and investing the other 600EUR on pedals and a cable or two

[@steveclark9934]

This was very clear to understand I hope this video can help others after my own trial and error and watching a bunch of videos from Jim and Glenn I've came to my own conclusion and find that I agree with you thanks for your input and here's to saving money in the future by learning from others past expensive mistakes.😊

[@wordofmouth7679]

Regarding the “tone/sound” in the hands part of the conversation, I read an article where George Lynch said he got to play through EVH’s rig one time and he was stoked to get the “Brown sound” and jumped at the opportunity. The result was him candidly telling the interviewer that he said “I sounded like me, playing through Eddie’s rig”. I’m paraphrasing of course because this was years ago and GL was actually an idol of mine before EVH was, but George saying this really hit home to me at a good time in my musical development because as we all know, having an individual and immediately recognizable sound/tone (like you always know when you hear Santana or Yngwie, etc) is increasingly more and more difficult. And yet, what he said take some of the pressure away from trying to sound like someone else. In closing, I think you make some good points Clark. Can most of the video be boiled down to semantics? Maybe. Should Glenn be more careful with his word choice? Probably. At the end of the day, all could be. Rock hard, everyone.

[@armax00]

Well played sir :) btw a recent video on smg shows that tone does not change that much for clean tones either, when having pickups of the same type of different brands. I noticed myself that playing around with IRs on a multi effect pedal has a lot more of a shift. Thanks for this video, was fun to listen to.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & for leaving a comment, especially a nice one! lol Glad you liked the video. I did see the one with clean tones from Glenn, but by then my vid was already done & waiting to go live. I was able to hear some subtle differences but no way I could have said which guitar was which. And about your IR switching, that is essentially like switching speakers & mic set ups, so yeah, you should hear some pretty pronounced differences. I hope you find one you really like!

[@AAAA-lt9hq]

8:37 Tone vs. sound in the hands: I'm not sure such a distinction can be made. And yet 10:55 "By 'sound' *I mean the tone* & any other distinct qualities a particular guitar may have." So tone and sound are separate things in the hands, but not when it comes to a guitar? The way "sound" is used with the hands might be better put as technique or style, I would argue. It's the thing a player can control that makes them unique. A hybrid picker isn't going to sound like an alternate picker or a sweeper or a legato player. Tone has to come from the hands and this tone is what makes part of the sound. That's why Jeff Beck doesn't sound like Paul Gilbert. They get differing tones/sounds by using different techniques and styles--in this case fingers vs. alternate picking--things inseparable from the hands. So, technique/style + tone from technique and gear = sound. If anything is to be learned from all this it is: 1) Gear is a matter of personal taste, experimentation, experience, knowledge of how best to use it, and budget. 2) Some variables in a guitar signal chain have more impact than others. 3) Which of these variables has the most impact is subjective based on #1. Some variables in the chain can be compensated for by other variables (ex: a high gain amp/boost/pedal can compensate for lower output pickups). 4) Most players would be better served by learning how to better use the gear they have than buying more gear, especially new gear. 5) Most importantly, *spending a lot of money on gear produces diminishing returns in high gain situations.* And yet many players know this yet still acquire massive amounts of gear because it produces a feeling of satisfaction to "have it all," or at least all of what one likes. *The problem with #1-5 is KZbin influencer business models often depend upon getting viewers to spend money on products and services, either directly or indirectly.* ("I'm not sponsored by Marshall, but, for an inexpensive alternative to the real thing, check out my Marshall cabinet impulse responses in the video description below.") This business model produces a huge conflict of interest on the part of content creators as far as objectivity and transparency. When it comes to modern KZbin influencers, viewers are essentially watching what used to be called infomercials. As for the viewer, unless one is absolutely convinced that what an influencer is peddling matters, it's best to watch for knowledge, ignore the stuff being sold, and let the influencer make money off of ads. Depending upon the skill of the influencer and the production quality of the video, separating the knowledge from the product/service pitch can be difficult. I do my best to avoid getting sucked into the content creator ecosystem. After nearly 20 years, I only use subscriptions as bookmarks to channels and have only two--one to Euge Valovirta and the other to Ben Higgins--so I can find their content quickly--content that sells me minimal things. The rest of the time I rarely like, subscribe, or comment, because I don't want to be sucked into the echo chamber of the KZbin algorithm where I get mostly the same videos suggested to me every day. Logging onto KZbin without signing into one's account is a good way to get out of the unrealized pattern of what one usually watches. However, I did like and comment on this video because I felt it presented good information. Thanks so much.

[@kendevries3212]

"Tone is in the hands." I have been calling BS on that for decades. Tone is in the gear. You are never going to sound like David Gilmour, but you sure as hell can get his tone.

[@wes11bravo]

Lots of good points here. And since so many of us are out of our minds, we tend to attribute more significance than is deserved to every arcane component in our signal path. What's that story about how Hendrix was panicking about his wah pedal, having his frazzled tech swap it 5x until the guy just said "f**k this!" and just replaced it with the original, an overjoyed Hendix saying, "Yes! That's the one!"? So it's mostly a mind game we fall victim to (me included 100%), this obsession with ultimately meaningless string metallurgy and RCA vs Westinghouse 12AX7s, and Ontario vs Kentucky Maple, etc as we play Ramones covers through a JCM900 with the gain on 11...

[@togelz]

I'm just an amateur guitar enthusiasts with limited budget so i mainly playing with my Helix LT or plugins, i once practicing with my team for Christmas service and the studio have a Telecaster, there are some part when i use a pretty high gain setup for solo i felt like it's not that different compared to a humbucker guitar,... So i think Glenn is right, not to mention if you are a modeller user you obviously knows that the easiest way to change your tone ia to change your cab/IR 😁

[@_BaronSamedi]

Whenever I hear someone defend the idea that tone is in the hands, the rhetoric is always the same, Once upon a time... and I end up tuning out. The scientific method is not based on individual experiences. In order to be able to conclude something indisputably, there must be double-blind studies with a sufficient quantity of both samples and information collection so that a conclusion can be reached. Individual perception is unreliable. It's no coincidence that we never see double-blind studies on audiophile equipment. Be it cables, speakers, amplifiers, etc. Even the terms used to describe the superior sound quality are absolutely lunatic and meaningless. Instead of opinions, why don't we demand double-blind tests from brands so that their statements are co-substantiated?

[@ClarkColborn]

Maybe you should have actually watched the video... I actually agree with Glenn on most of these things, and that's what this vid is really about. Cheers!

[@_BaronSamedi]

Hi @@ClarkColborn I actually watched your entire video. My comment was not directed at you, but at the people who continue to adamantly defend that the tone is in the hands. I even went through a situation very similar to the one you describe in the video. I would also add that for a long time I confused technique with tone. Thank you for your comment and your video. Keep up the excellent work!

[@grsfhhytff]

Ha, I was ready to put forth the argument that it was "style" and not "tone" that's in the hands. Well done building that suspense 😂 Most people forget that he's a Metal production channel first and foremost. I like to think I've got a good bullshit filter for online information and Glenn has never led me astray. I've got some of his courses and they are great, he's shat all over my mixes, which I needed as it made me try much harder on the next one and he's just trying to save us all a bit of dough and time. Sure, he's a bit rough-round-the-edges but he's working class, like most of us and sweated it out for everything he has. The problem is that too many people have grown up sheltered and protected from criticism and a bit of old-fashioned, blunt honesty rattles their cages, plus they don't have the attention span to listen to what's actually said. I absolutely love the guy and support his work 100%.

[@travisspaulding2222]

There is a slight way that tone is in the hands, but it is noticeable. I like to use Paranoid as an example. Pick up your guitar and play Paranoid the Tony Iommi way. Then play it the Randy way. Don't worry about the flashy stuff, just the main chords. There is a distinct difference between playing it the Tony way and the Randy way. It's not as much as a different speaker, but where on the neck you play a riff does make a difference. That's the beauty of stringed instruments. There is more than one way to play a single note.

[@rexomusprime]

Well done, Clark. Thanks for making this video.

[@jeffreymorreale7223]

Not enough people pay attention to the simple facts you highlight here. Glenn focuses on recording high gain tracks. So his stating something isn't worth the money, he's saying it isn't worth buying it to use in that realm. Like you said, he's trying to save people money and keep them from wasting time better spent practicing writing and recording.

[@IndelibleAndy]

Decoding semantics is a good soft skill as much as it is a technical one. Having said that, the "tone is in the hands" phrase has always bothered me because it is semantically incorrect. But, I know what they are trying to say so I move past it to look for something I might learn. I am in the IT biz, and it always bothers me (still) when people use the words memory and disk space interchangeably. That is where I began to learn the skill of getting the information I need, without schooling everyone I come in contact with. life is a lot easier, and you learn a lot more when you can separate the personality and the presentation from the truth you might find within. Great video.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thasnks so much for the kind words! And I get what you're saying...

[@Redtrays]

Good job with the editing and jokes!

[@ClarkColborn]

Thank you! I appreciate it. :-)

[@t0ddbr0wn731]

Did you get a chance to eyeball the Effects Loop, he may have had a AxeFX?

[@BrunoGomes666]

I've been watching Glenn's videos for a few years and you are absolutely right. I've been playing guitar for a few years and I also agree with you. When you explain the difference between tone and sounds, I couldn't agree more. But what many people forget and I think you didn't mention in the video, is that Glenn speaks from a producer/recording perspective. There are certain nuances in the tone or sound, or even the way we feel certain things, that simply won't translate in a recording/production scenario, and therefore any gains we might get from them are marginal at best, and I think that's basically what Glen is trying to tell. Anyway, great video. Cheers!

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for bringing that up. I did record something about that, but it got cut in the editing process. I tend to talk too much, lol, & the vid was getting too long. But yeah, recording & mixing are a different world than live. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@BrunoGomes666]

@@DS-nw4eq yes Karen.

[@erictheriault7737]

After watching this video, it reminded me how I got pretty convincing high gain tones back in the late 80s early 90s. With my band playing songs from Iron Maiden, Accept, Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Helloween. All I had was a BC Rich Ironbird and a Kramer Striker, Marshall JCM 900 half stack with a Boss SD-1 as boost, Boss CH-5 for most clean parts, Boss DD-3 on solos. And the most important piece of gear to achieve different high gain tones was a simple Boss GE-7 where I could cut/ boost frequencies to sound like my favourite bands. The hardest part was to be able to switch my presets carefully written down on a piece of paper for each songs before the drummer hits his sticks. I didn’t hear much of difference if I broke a string and had to switch guitars when using high gain as long they had humbuckers. And the best part was that I only paid like $25 used from a friend.

[@JakeStrange66]

Great video. Many musicians are kind of like "audiophiles" are with home stereo snake oil.

[@Masterlessmusic]

I watch Glenn's channel. I agree with a lot of what he says. He's also very clear that he's talking about all of this in context of the studio/ home studio environment. So you may sit down in front of your rig and hear the sum of the hands, guitar, pickups, leads, pedals, drivers, tubes and crucially, the room. However, mic that up and the mic picks up the driver and not the room. Then that goes into your DAW and you end up completely sculpting a lot of the little nuance out of the mix because it certainly isn't required or audible in the mix. Or it gets confused with stuff the bass should provide for example. I think it's in those points people misunderstood Glenn. The stuff still matters to the player's comfort though to some extent. So in that sense, from a performance point of view it may still be important. However the best players can plug into a wide variety of gear and get on with the job at hand if it suits the session requirements. Or gig requirements for that matter. That's my take for what it's worth.

[@kylemoran4343]

I enjoy when Glen goes off, which is most of the time, but he does know what he's talking about, if you listen. Kudos to Glen for helping decipher corporate sales bull*hit ! Jim is the scientist neighbor everyone would like to have. I never miss when his videos drop.

[@ClarkColborn]

I couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching & commenting. :-)

[@kylemoran4343]

@@ClarkColborn I enjoyed your opinion as well ! Had to sub

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@kylemoran4343]

@@DS-nw4eq You sound a tad bit cynical my friend. I never follow anyone, except my own conscious. I learned that first hand from Jiminy Cricket himself ! That Glen he's such a brain washer ! Bwahaaaa

[@Riverking1]

​@@DS-nw4eqjeez guy, put your guitar bible away.

[@n0nyabznss]

Clark, why did you cover the logo on your Ibanez?

[@ClarkColborn]

I was going for an endorsement deal & put "this space for rent" on the headstock as a joke. Apparently none of the manufacturers found it funny, lol, and no deals ensued. Then I just left it as a conversation starter at gigs. I have a Peavey bass that I did that to, as well. Although I think that one was more out of embarrassment!

[@jacobherr6117]

I’d love to just point out how civil this debate is, such a refreshing experience compared to most tone arguments, or any arguments really, in the guitar community.

[@dudeguyme1]

I'm so glad you've brought this to our attention. Thank you for finally shedding some much needed light on this divisive topic

[@ClarkColborn]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@TheImageDoctor]

Fair and balanced response video - thanks for taking time to make it

[@troyfrink]

You're absolutely right. He also says any differences in pickups can be replicated with a parametric EQ pedal. That's 100 percent correct. I'd also offer that many times a simple addition like a capacitor is all someone needs rather than a whole new pickup.

[@karmaandkerosene_music]

The "tone" we all love from all those records in the past were all a snapshot of the microphone and speaker they used to record it with. Guitar players are suckers who believe a bunch of stuff we've been fed since we were teenagers. We'll buy anything if you pander to our beliefs. What is "tone?" It's whatever you think it is.

[@nocheckmarkgames]

Honestly I find alot of what Glenn says to be accurate. When I plug in any guitar to my signal chain, ya know what, it sounds like my signal chain. Grab a $3k Gibson, or a $130 Harley Benton SC, they will sound EXACTLY the same in my application. I think many of the people who don't like Glenn, are literally just people who aren't emotionally mature enough to just accept that they got worked by advertisers. Good video man, I'll be back.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & for your comment. Same with me, if I plug my vintage SG in to my rig or my $119 Strat knock-off with a humbucker, the sound is maybe a tiny bit different, but no one but me would ever hear it. And it's not enough of a difference to bother me. I'll rock just as hard either way!

[@davidkellymitchell4747]

Glenn is cool and a good guy. I'm a 70 year old country music pedal steel player and I enjoy his videos and learn a lot from him. I've also made half my living as a recording engineer so I'm hip to other genre's as well. Enjoyed your video too! Yeah Glenn is a nut. Lol! You're right. Technique and tone are two different areas. I've heard some world class players getting a horrible tone because they recorded it with a cellphone with a mic the size of a pencil eraser head.

[@ANDI3niable]

Great job with this video. Further educating how guitar players should listen closely to other people's opinion. The first time I heard Glenn saying that pick ups don't matter was just that, "pick ups don't matter" because I kept skimming his videos, but when I carefully watched his later videos, it clarified that pick ups won't matter that much on a modern metal/high gain settings.

[@kelainefes]

Yeah when your signal chain is a boost pedal into a high gain head you already have way more gain then you'll use 99% of the time, so the extra gain from an active is not needed. I'd be curious to know if actives have a better signal to noise ratio though.

[@garyanthony8044]

Hi Clark. I'm just a hobby player and I haven't had a lot of different equipment. I have mostly budget guitars and I've change some pickups etc. but mostly I wish I hadn't. I've had 4 or 5 different small combo amps and were never really happy with the way they sounded. About 10 years ago I was given a 50 watt Yorkville keyboard amp . It's a very simple solid state amp but it's a closed back cab and uses a 10" woofer and a tweeter. So, much like a stereo speaker, it has a high fidelity sound. And it handles my Boss ME 50 quite well and sounds great. To me. I'll keep using it until one of us croaks.

[@ClarkColborn]

Hopefully, neither of you will croak for a very long time! Thanks for watching & for your comment!

[@nomadnick726]

Shame on glenn for showing me how to be smarter with my guitar passion & helping make me a better musician. In all honesty, i love glenns content cuz aside from the somewhat over the top persona he does for his channel, his info & evidence on what to invest in, what to avoid, & straight to the point content is great. He tells the ugly truth about many of the big time guitar/amp companies that want to shamefully drain their communities pockets while sending us on wild goose chases to chase our desired sounds & set ups. You sir also earned a new subscriber.

[@RATTL3R186]

Glad to find another person with the understanding of how electricity works, speakers work etc. Glenn opened my eyes years ago. Hat off to you both.

[@alanpettibone]

I get what you’re saying, but it seems like there are these thought/belief factions in the guitar world and everybody wants to pick fights when somebody else dares to have a different idea. I do not play metal guitar but I love Glenn’s channel… I just operate under the assumption that his information about where “tone” comes from is not really as relevant to what I play but there is still some truth in it. His channel has inspired me to dig into the sound impacts of speakers in my amps and, low and behold, I have changed speakers out of amps I don’t love and found something new in them that I do love. All in all, I think we live in a world of information overload and you know is what they say about free advice… you get what you pay for.😂

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & for your comment. I agree with you that people seem unnecessarily contentious about most things guitar related & admire your willingness to consider ideas that, at first glance, may not seem to apply to you. Congrats on trying new things!

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@traviswoyen2243]

Good video. If you're putting together a guitar tone with an electric guitar, a single channel non master volume amp, and a speaker cabinet like people were in 1973, then little things will make a bigger difference in your overall tone because there are fewer things generating the sound - that's just plain logic. Putting in a hot modded pickup, changing your tubes, and re-biasing your amp will probably make a noticeable difference in what's coming through the speaker - this holds especially true if you're playing with overdriven tones of the era, which wouldn't be considered "high gain" at all. A big portion of how we perceive those guitar tones comes from how the notes distort after picking. That's the electric guitar culture that initially gave rise to a lot of ideas about aftermarket pickups, tone woods, and tube types - and it makes some sense in that context. And it's proven to be reliable marketing ever since, even when it no longer applies. Even in a blues rock or old school rock context, it's really valuable for people to know what things are actually doing before they think spending money will magically "fix" them. It's helpful to know that the phase inverter probably adds more distortion to your vintage Marshall than the actual power tubes. It's good to understand that buying two good speakers is a lot better than spending the same money on cables. It's good to understand that instead of spending a bunch of money getting your amp re-capped to make the treble "rounder" or something, you can just turn the treble or presence knob down. I did guitar tech work in a store for some years, and it was just astonishing how much people just wanted to spend their money, regardless of whether there was any perceived benefit. Saw Schenker on the 2012 tour. I was right in front of his guitar rig and it sounded amazing.

[@nco_gets_it]

any computer science first year student could tell you that tone is in the set up and most of that string of equipment make marginal differences. Tone is something we hear and that means it is produced at the speaker. We call it the "session layer" in IT. That is what you see on the screen or hear from the speakers. If you have crap screens and speakers, perfect inputs will still be crap. Now when it comes to music...that might be the tone/sound you are going for. But you do not have to spend yourself poor to achieve it.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for the insightful comment. You're right, no need to put yourself in debt to get a 5% improvement in tone. Practice more instead, lol!

[@careyvinzant]

Love Glenn and Jim both. Thanks for restating in context what they have both said.

[@doknox]

Tone is in your gear, feeling is in the hands. No speakers or pickups or pedals are gonna give your guitar feeling. And if you're just looking for the best, sorry to tell you, there is no best. Only what you like. The fact is if you have any type of decent gear and you cant get a good recording then the problem is you. I have all relatively inexpensive guitars and recording gear and get professional sounding tracks. And yea guitars with different setups do slightly different stuff but it really doesnt matter. You can make metal with a telecaster and country with a bc rich if you want. There are no rules only guidelines. Its just that some people think they are always right and to give that up would mean having to admit they were always wrong. Thats a hard pill for their gibson lovin asses to swallow. 🤣 Dont internet kill me. The last line is a joke. Lol

[@ClarkColborn]

Great comment! Thanks for leaving it, and for watching. As a Gibson owner, I take no offence at your joke. lol They lost me years ago, and while all my newer guitars are Schecter & Ibanez, I do still love my vintage Gibsons, although I have played a few of other folks' vintage ones & found some of them that sucked!

[@boogie3718]

Something I noticed and I think some guitarists and bassist need to understand is that expensive=/=better. I've found out when I had this custom made bass, nice maple and mahagony neckthrough. Beautiful thing. But I just couldn't play on it. It just wasn't comfortable for me. Sold it and gotten a used Warwick Rockbass that was like quarter It's price and man, do I love it. I think people have this mentality that If the instrument is cheap or expensive It doesn't fit them or they're not worthy. Like I want a german made Warwick Thumb even tho I am a amateur musician. Don't think It'll turn me into a better player but their basses are the one's that feel the best in my hands. I mean hey, at least It drive's me to better myself aye?

[@ClarkColborn]

@@boogie3718 Great points! Thanks !

[@michellewentworth9862]

I am a funk/disco guitar player but I quite enjoy Glenn's videos, even thought his musical style could hardly be more different to mine. I have never had a major issue with anything I have seen from Glenn. Jim Lill does amazing work. He is modest and a very intelligent guy. Your comments about Jim and Glenn were fair and reasonable.

[@OppressedApe]

Well said, Glenn has good intentions and I enjoy watching his content. In the context of Metal recording, he is right on.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thank you!

[@DS-nw4eq]

Glen promotes negative stereotypes that are detrimental to musicians. People who follow him will find themselves adhering to a negative philosophy that makes them difficult to be around and work with.

[@brotherdoom2406]

I gotta say, man, you got me good. I thought I was gonna have to firmly, though calmly, defend Glen but you’re video was very deceptive right down to introducing anecdotal evidence that you later rebuke and explain what you really heard. Well done, you’ve earned my subscription, and I look forward to checking out more of your videos.

[@bmannned]

Glenn is actually talking about clean tones too now, which is contradicting his previous results. He's not trying to save people money man. He's pushing expensive equipment that people don't need telling them they do need it because he's affiliated with it. Great example is his new pedal. Speakers will be next, you watch.

[@jeffyoung8726]

Dude, what a great video! I don't think that a lot of people will learn or agree with what you said? But I do! I agree with everything you said in this video. Opinions vary, however you can't deny facts!

[@MickH60]

The one thing continually missed in these conversation's about Wood, Pickups, cabinets , tubes and so on, and it's our EARS. People hear things differently, and therefore analyse things differently. I'm a 100% ear player, can't read sheet, never tried to read Tabs, Learn by ear and play by ear, I don't even own a tuner. I understand scales and modes and know my fretboard well. I have played for over 40 years and earned a living from playing guitar. I've been in situations several times where I've been listening to music, either recorded or on CD, and I can hear overtones and harmonic influences in the music/playback, I stop the music and express a opinion based on what I'm hearing, and have had people look at me absolutely stumped as to what I'm hearing when listening to the music. Going over the songs again and again and I'm the only one hearing what I hear, I know i'm not alone. {and NO, it wasn't the drugs...!!!}. My point is, I have a very discerning ear and hear sound critically, I know I hear more than a lot of people. In Glenn's videos where he's going on about not being able to identify which guitar is being used, I can still hear clear differences in tone between the different guitars, or pickups, not being able to identify which guitar or pickup is inconsequential to me, it's the tone or sound that I'm interested in.. The comments are full of people saying "they all sound exactly the same", And "there's no difference at all", when there is clear differences and several others hear them too, they tend to get mocked for saying they can hear differences. I find a lot of Glenn's video's click batey rubbish these days, I wish he would stick to his studio stuff, that's why I subbed to his channel. I know and understand he's trying to make a living, but I hate the ranty stuff thathe's flogging to death, it creates arguments, and that's why I unsubbed....

[@ClarkColborn]

All valid points, man!

[@jacebeleren1703]

I think you're missing the point Glen's trying to make. The point that a lot of people are trying to make as well. It's not that there is absolutely no difference between them. It's that the difference is not as vast as most people expect it to be, and not as vast as most people selling gear present it to be. THAT's the most important thing to remember.

[@NoUserNamesLeft001]

Spot on, couldn't agree more. I think you pointed out some SUPER critical subtitles to Glenna claims and why so many people disagree. I think Glenn is spot on, IF you include all his qualifiers (the final mixed tone in high gain modern metal). Meanwhile, guitarists get a whole set of experiences that are not translating to a final recording, like string noise if your volume isn't high, the feel of a particular guitar and how that makes you respond, how much air is being pushed in the room, the acoustics of the room (though there is translation to the mix for room acoustics, it's no where near as significant as when playing in a room). Also, your distinction between sound vs tone in the hands was perfect. I hope a lot of people see this from both sides of the argument and understand better what's happening, which is basically a guitar players personal experience vs a recording and mixing engineers experience, who both have totally different goals (player being the overall experience and artistry of guitar and engineer being the final sound of a mixed digital production).

[@yohanonshine4664]

❤Glen is one of my all time favorites. I noticed the internet can be brutal. Guitarists are a fickle bunch. Everyone has there own nuances that establish their own sound or even for a special song. So don't hate a different opinion especially if it comes from a master sound technician cause he would probably be right and you probably do sound like crap.

[@ClarkColborn]

Thanks for watching & the comment!

[@RH-xs8gz]

Here’s the thing about Glenn Fricker. Instead of just making claims that changing tubes in your amp changes the sound, or changing pickups in your guitar changes the sound, he actually scientifically test those claims. And usually he proves those claims to be total BS.

[@imcrazedandconfused]

Funny detail: You gave a written explanation what "sound" is after you filmed the video, so no one can complain about stuff he wants to misunderstand. That's exactly where we are. People are so esoteric about music and playing instruments nowadays, that they are not able to figure out, what someone means by simple words like sound and tone. Marketing BS and the babble of boomer musicians (well, I am not particularly young myself....) did a great job to establish many post-factual statements as truth that NEVER were valid - but repeated endless times. That's many fairy tales from the times before you could look up things on the internet. Anecdotal storytelling of the "experienced" musicians after a few beers backstage, taken to the level of enlightened wisdom. Thanks for the video. You are totally right. Glen tries to be reasonable and help people to reach their goals without spending tons of money on things they don't need. And that's great. I probably spent money that could have bought me a few cars on things I never needed, because I believed in what people told me, and not what my critical thinking should have told me. Like: Physics is real.

[@Roikat]

Agree, except the internet will divulge mostly fairy tales too. This idea that one can find truth on the internet is quaint. Hopefully all the AI generated slop that takes over will finally make folks stop believing one can find truth on the net.

[@foryoubrotherdotnet]

Nuno, said when he played through EVH amps he was shocked that it sounded like himself and not Ed. The feel/ emotion comes from the individual.. in the hands, heart and soul of the person.😊

[@roberts9078]

I did swap out my stock pickups with EMGs and did experience a difference that I preferred, but the real change came when I upgraded my amp.

[@Azathoth43]

How does it feel to know Glen thinks you're an idiot?

[@pip5528]

Very well articulated! I like Glenn Fricker and Jim Lill's observations quite a lot so that was a cool shout-out.

[@travisbeckner6849]

Also Glenn is talking about studio recording more often than live performing, and he more often clarifies that point of what to do to achieve tone in a recording studio setting, not a live setting

[@tomdelrio446]

In absence of boost/overdrive/distortion maybe Michael had the volume down on his guitar on soundcheck to get a certain level, then turned up fully later. Michael Schenker from 2009 Vintage Guitar magazine. What amps and effects do you take on the road? I use two JCM 50-watt Marshall two-channel amps and the Marshall cabinets with Celestion greenbacks. My only effects are a Dunlop Dimebag wah and a Boss delay and chorus. The other pedals are just volume controls, a Marshall footswitch, and a Boss tuner. You’ve used many Flying V’s over the years, and now use the Dean Michael Schenker V. How do they compare to your old Gibsons? The Deans are much stronger and more solidly built than my old Gibsons, and they “sing” extremely well. I think the pickups are DiMarzios - I’m not much of a technician, so I can’t really give you a whole description of the electronics.

[@JamieR74]

Also remember hes talking about it from a recording engineer point if view. This means getting you to sound great in the mix on the cheap. What most people forget is that great sound they they think they have in their bedroom is not gonna sound the same the minute they hit a stage or a studio.

[@aliquidcow]

Your video came up because I searched for Glen's videos about tonewood. I expect you saw recently Paul Reed Smith's comments about the whole tonewood thing, and in the comments of various articles lots of people were saying 'Glen Fricker killed this argument years ago!' - so I decided to check out the videos. And, well, it's exactly as you say - people made it sound like he'd completely debunked the idea and there was *no* difference at all between woods. But when you listen to the clean and overdriven sounds, there is an audible difference (even listening without visual cues). Even in the full hi-gain metal mix I think it's sort of there, you just can't spot exactly where it swaps. The upshot is that if you're playing high-gain, you probably shouldn't worry about these things, but I can imagine if you were playing mostly clean stuff then maybe it is a consideration (though probably not a $5000 consideration). To be fair, he is probably doing a service to metal players, as I've found a lot of them worry far more about gear than they should, so if it convinces them not to waste money on things they don't need to bother with then maybe that's a good thing. I think he very purposefully makes these kind of click-baity statements that are close to saying 'this thing makes *no* difference', but with enough leeway that he can say later that it's not really what he was saying.

[@endless7600]

Schenker’s rig sounded different on its own than with the rest of the band?

[@ClarkColborn]

Yeah, when the tech was messing with it there was a noticeable difference from when Michael was playing, either with the whole band (which is also an obvious factor) or the bits where it was just him starting a song or whatever. Back then, I didn't give any thought to why that might be. Live & learn, though, right? Thanks for watching & commenting!

[@DeadKoby]

I build amps.... I can tell you that the speaker will give you the most dramatic sonic change without amp surgery. However, I've got some amps that LOVE one guitar's pickups, and don't like others. Certain tubes will give you modest gain differences and change the feel. I've also had amps that I LOVED, and ones that I didn't mesh with... but when a friend came to the studio, they meshed with the amps that I didn't, and "my sound" wasn't theirs. Glenn's opinion that your tone is your speaker is an exaggerated claim. as I stated it, The speaker/cab is one of the most significant pieces of a rig's tone.