Let’s talk about toan…

steviejr92

steviejr92

Authorized Vendor
I was curious about what other people consider their “toan”. And better yet I would like to hear it! So I figured I’d put up a quick demo of what I consider an awesome toan! I’ve been using this setup for the past few days and I have to say I’m in love! I would love to hear how you guys setup your equipment!

Quick specs:
Blues Jr
Vol 2
Treb 8
Bass 5
Mids 6
Master 11
Reverb 5

Pedals:
MO
Gain is at 3 o’clock
Vol is at 9 o’clock
Switch is in the “up” position

King of scream
Right side:
Drive all the way down
Vol is at 1 o’clock
Toan is at 4 oclock

Left side:
Drive is all the way down
Vol is at noon
Toan is maxed

Guitar is American strat standard on bridge pickup with vol at a “hair” over 5.


 
IMO . . . .

Many folks overlook the simple facts that the guitar's pickups and amp used are the "cake" of tone. EVERYTHING else is just frosting. If the cake sux, no amount of frosting is going to make it better. If the cake is great, it's harder to spoil it. Many guitarists confuse the words "tone" and "signature" (or "playing style"). Even if I posses and used David Gilmour's entire rig, including his guitars, amps, guitar tech & stage crew - I would still sound like me and NOT David Gilmour.

That being said, I feel that a certain "standard" is required on which to base the addition of tone shaping pedals between the guitar's pickups and amp. Using a flat setting with no EQ bumps/scoops and no added "gain" or "OD settings is kinda crucial in such discussions.
 
I really appreciate the input im new to all of this! So reading people opinions i feel is going to help shape my mindset in this hobby. I only have 2 guitars and 2 different amps. I need to dive more into different amps and guitar pickups! Ive been so heel bent on pedals maybe ive been overlooking my equipment.
 
I just started using by Blues Jr again recently. I currently have it set for the Devil's Tone: MBT 6-6-6, with the Volume at about 2.5, and the Master at where ever it needs to be to rock and roll. Granted, my Blues Jr. is from the early 2000's, and had the BillM mods done to it by Bill M. himself, so my amp also has a built in treble boost (always on) and a presence control...
 
Coda said:
I just started using by Blues Jr again recently. I currently have it set for the Devil's Tone: MBT 6-6-6, with the Volume at about 2.5, and the Master at where ever it needs to be to rock and roll. Granted, my Blues Jr. is from the early 2000's, and had the BillM mods done to it by Bill M. himself, so my amp also has a built in treble boost (always on) and a presence control...
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Duuddeee please demo please.....I would love to hear that! Mine i believe it a newer model for sure its my first ever tube amp and i love it alot man great pedal platform.
 
steviejr92 said:
Duuddeee please demo please.....I would love to hear that! Mine i believe it a newer model for sure its my first ever tube amp and i love it alot man great pedal platform.
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The newer Blues Jr's (I think they call them the Mk IV or something like that) are the best ones yet. The older ones always needed work. That's why the BillM mods were developed and implemented. When they came out with the new Blues Jr's I was super jealous. Same thing happened with the Rumble bass amps...as I sit here with my Mk I Rumble, which is a Nu Metal nightmare...
 
Coda said:
The newer Blues Jr's (I think they call them the Mk IV or something like that) are the best ones yet. The older ones always needed work. That's why the BillM mods were developed and implemented. When they came out with the new Blues Jr's I was super jealous. Same thing happened with the Rumble bass amps...as I sit here with my Mk I Rumble, which is a Nu Metal nightmare...
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You always see or hear how the older ones were better and how the MkIII was the best one yet. Maybe dont believe the hype all the time? Anyhow i love this thing tbh i really wouldnt even know where to go from here if in the future im in the market for another amp(which is inevitable right?).
 
steviejr92 said:
You always see or hear how the older ones were better and how the MkIII was the best one yet. Maybe dont believe the hype all the time? Anyhow i love this thing tbh i really wouldnt even know where to go from here if in the future im in the market for another amp(which is inevitable right?).
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If I were to "upgrade" I have no idea where I would go. I like a good clean tone, but I also want mids, so grown-up Fenders are off the list. I like a Marshall clean, but sometimes its a little too dirty. Maybe a Hot Rod Deville (the Deluxe is more common, so why not the alternative?). Marshall Origin 50? Who knows? I don't need an amp, so it seems pointless anyway...
 
Coda said:
If I were to "upgrade" I have no idea where I would go. I like a good clean tone, but I also want mids, so grown-up Fenders are off the list. I like a Marshall clean, but sometimes its a little too dirty. Maybe a Hot Rod Deville (the Deluxe is more common, so why not the alternative?). Marshall Origin 50? Who knows? I don't need an amp, so it seems pointless anyway...
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I dont either buuuuuuutttttttttt...........youve made some very good points i feel we have similar tastes in what we want.......What do you think of an orange? Only problem in my opinion your not really getting a clean tone anymore...again this is subjective. I need my clean tone...
 
steviejr92 said:
I dont either buuuuuuutttttttttt...........youve made some very good points i feel we have similar tastes in what we want.......What do you think of an orange? Only problem in my opinion your not really getting a clean tone anymore...again this is subjective. I need my clean tone...
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I like Orange, but yea, clean tone. I like three tones: clean, dirty (almost distortion, like a 55 tweed), and FMF (Face-melting fuzz). From what I have played, I prefer an Orange cab with a Marshall head...
 
Coda said:
I like Orange, but yea, clean tone. I like three tones: clean, dirty (almost distortion, like a 55 tweed), and FMF (Face-melting fuzz). From what I have played, I prefer an Orange cab with a Marshall head...
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Im the same clean tone for me is the basis of everything its an absolute must. I agree with the "tweed" dirty as well. Now for FMF I think i can suffice with a pedal to help get me in that region if you know what i mean. That way you can still get the character of the amp still!
 
steviejr92 said:
Im the same clean tone for me is the basis of everything its an absolute must. I agree with the "tweed" dirty as well. Now for FMF I think i can suffice with a pedal to help get me in that region if you know what i mean. That way you can still get the character of the amp still!
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Totally. Clean tone is the amps job. I can add everything else with pedals. But I want a clean that is like the first 4 notes of Shine On You Crazy Diamond. From there, I'll bring the ruckus personally...
 
So I just found another setup using my @Big Monk Pi freaking love this thing!

This time I have the MO after the fuzz.
Quick specs:
MO
Gain is all the way down
Vol is at 3 o’clock
Switch is in middle position

Big Monk Pi
Vol is at 9
Sustain is at 4 o’clock
Tone is at 10 o’clock
Switch is on fat mode

Blues jr
Vol 2
Treb 5
Bass 5
Mids 8
Master 11
Reverb 5

American strat
Bridge pickup
Vol 5

Oh @MichaelW Try out one of your Big Muffs with the MO man oh man!!!

 
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I hate with a passion the expression "tone is in the hands/fingers".
Tone is the wrong word for it!

Most tone is in the gear, the playing (note choice and articulation) is in the hands.

Ain't nobody gonna make a Les Paul sound like a Strat in 4th position.
A Fuzzrite has a different sound than a Fuzz Face.
That's tone.

I thought I had my tone figured out. Fuzz Face always on into a Fender-type dirty amp. Strat at 7 clean 8 dirty 9 overdrive 10 fuzz. Mids dimed, treble and bass at 9 or 10 o'clock.
Hard to beat the beautiful tones and simplicity of this setup, especially live.

Too bad I started listening to and building other fuzzes and now I have a few of them that don't clean up like a Fuzz Face so in order to use them I've had to turn up the gain on the amp and stay between 8 and 10 on the guitar for clean to od then stomp on the specific fuzz for leads.

Most of the time I play the bridge and neck pickups together out of phase (no bass, nasal with added high end overtones), which works really well for the type of surf and spaghetti funk that I play. They stay clean at louder settings then explode into aggressive fuzz. It's one way of making a Fuzz Face less woofy.
 
andare said:
Most of the time I play the bridge and neck pickups together out of phase (no bass, nasal with added high end overtones), which works really well for the type of surf and spaghetti funk that I play. They stay clean at louder settings then explode into aggressive fuzz. It's one way of making a Fuzz Face less woofy.
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I have an out of phase switch on my tele and it's great for carving out a fuzz face into something more like an overdrive
 
andare said:
I hate with a passion the expression "tone is in the hands/fingers".
Tone is the wrong word for it!

Most tone is in the gear, the playing (note choice and articulation) is in the hands.

Ain't nobody gonna make a Les Paul sound like a Strat in 4th position.
A Fuzzrite has a different sound than a Fuzz Face.
That's tone.

I thought I had my tone figured out. Fuzz Face always on into a Fender-type dirty amp. Strat at 7 clean 8 dirty 9 overdrive 10 fuzz. Mids dimed, treble and bass at 9 or 10 o'clock.
Hard to beat the beautiful tones and simplicity of this setup, especially live.

Too bad I started listening to and building other fuzzes and now I have a few of them that don't clean up like a Fuzz Face so in order to use them I've had to turn up the gain on the amp and stay between 8 and 10 on the guitar for clean to od then stomp on the specific fuzz for leads.

Most of the time I play the bridge and neck pickups together out of phase (no bass, nasal with added high end overtones), which works really well for the type of surf and spaghetti funk that I play. They stay clean at louder settings then explode into aggressive fuzz. It's one way of making a Fuzz Face less woofy.
Click to expand...
Woah love the input! I have to agree tone is in the gear! I think people try to find their tone all the time its part of the experience for me!
 
andare said:
I hate with a passion the expression "tone is in the hands/fingers".
Tone is the wrong word for it!
Click to expand...
Agreed! Many guitarists confuse the words "tone" and "signature, articulation or playing style"). Even if I posses and used David Gilmour's entire rig, including his guitars, amps, guitar tech & stage crew - I would still sound like me and NOT David Gilmour.
"Sounds like" is a very gregarious phrase. The aspects of "sounds like" needs to be declared early on in a conversation.
 
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