Thomson Course Technology Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound Reviews

4.7/5.0 based on 7 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Anthony Boncoraglio
from Manalapan NJ
March 27, 2013Music Background:
Student Hobbyist

Guitar Tone

Super book I thought I knew what there was to know about Guitar playing.
I was so wrong this book really opened up my eyes. Mitch laided it out really good so every could understand. Thank you sweetwater for this book and the great service.

Anthony B

Tony
from South Bend, IN
August 21, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great Book

This book is very well written and covers a lot of ground. This book tells how the build and material of a guitar affects tone. How different speaker cabinets, tubes, and,foot pedals play their roll in shaping tone. It tells how some of the top guitar players get their tone. I would recommend this book to anyone that plays guitar.

jl
from
January 23, 2012

guitar tone

I think Mitch did a great job explaining the various elements that go into getting the tone you want. I would highly recommend this book to anyone searching for his or her own sound. Thanks Mitch and thanks Sweetwater.

Ward
from
December 13, 2011

Guitar Tone

Mitch Gallagher's book is a treasure. It's a LOT more than it's modest-title implies: it's more like "A Complete Guide to Electric Guitars-and Amplifiers for Novices and Experts Alike, As Considered From the-Perspective of Tone, With an Informative Compendium of Great-Guitarists, Their Gear, and Their Techniques." (Somehow I don't think-the editors would've gone for that title.)-Though not exactly an encyclopedia, it has the same kind of scope and-exhaustive detail; yet it is very readable, such that even a-non-guitarist would probably find it interesting. But it is no-"Beginner's Guide to Guitar Tone"; I'll bet that most long-experienced-pros will be surprised to find how much they learn from this book. It-has the feel of a reference book, something you'd return to time and-again, as your own knowledge and experience grew.

Also, though certainly not a "buyers' guide", it contains more than-enough information to lead both novice buyers and seasoned pros to-intelligent, personalized choices regarding new or vintage guitars,-amps, stompboxes, software, aftermarket products, and even strings and-picks.-And in the end, it is all about tone: every detail of every chapter is-considered from the perspective of tone. How does the wood of a guitar-body affect tone? How does the material a bridge is made of affect-tone? How do amplifier tubes affect tone? And so on. In fact, at the-end of each chapter is a table listing the various parameters-discussed, summarizing their contribution to tone.

The section on "Iconic Guitarists" (he lists fifteen) would almost be-worth the price of the book; in fact, I could imagine this expanding-into the second volume of a two-volume set, so as to include even more-great players. And I'm sure some readers will grouse over the-exclusion of one or another player who they thought should be included-in this section. But Mitch's main criterion for inclusion here had to-do with the unique, recognizable sound each of the players is known-for, not necessarily their virtuoso skill or popularity with fans. And-as with the rest of the book, detail is plentiful, and often (very-authoritatively) pokes holes in the myths and legends surrounding-guitars and players.

Jason
from Birmingham and Nashville, USA
November 22, 2011Music Background:
Guitarist, Recording Engineer, Songwriter, Pro Musician, Teacher, Bassist, Singer, others...

Just try and find a better book on the subject...AMAZING!

Ok, i'll admit it: I have a problem.

I'm a tone freak. But I'm not alone. I think all of us guitarists are always searching for "THAT" sound. Whether for inspiration, to emulate what others have done, or to build our "tonal library", we're always looking for "that" sound, when in reality, we all know there isn't just one---there are INFINITE sounds that a guitar, its amplification, and the effects chain (if used) can make.

I was skeptical about this book at first, but I couldn't resist it. It is a LARGE tome. QUITE detailed. Mitch has done his research. You can use this book to get specific sounds not just from specific artists, but from specific artists in certain eras defined by their recordings, which is EXTREMELY helpful.

Once I started looking through this book, I could NOT put it down and in fact read every line. I thought I knew a LOT about guitar sounds and what works and why, etc., but I obviously didn't know asmuch as I thought I did. I really appreciate that mitch didn't just list what people used, but HOW they used them, both live and in the studio. I'm impressed.

Of course, there's always room for more detail in a book like this, but so far,nothing like it has come close.

Congrats, Mitch, on such a great release. And, guitarists, get this book!

from Charlton, MA
April 10, 2013Music Background:
Noodling around with guitars for a handful of years

Good read if you aren't familiar with electrics, amps.

Having more $$ than talent, I spend my toy money here at Sweetwater. So far that has mostly been acoustic guitars and recording gear. Having just dipped my toe in the electric guitar world, this book has left me with the feeling that I can sort out all the hype related to buying amps, guitars, affects, and using them. Good Book! Glad I spent the $$ on it, and I keep it nearby.

New to the game? Trying to sort out what to believe in the advertising? This book does help!

Gerald Stewart
from Dubai UAE
February 16, 2012Music Background:
Studio Designer, Musician, Live Sound Engineer, Professional Consultant.

Great Book

As a professional Electro - Acoustic consultant and a sound chaser, I found this book very accurate and written with a lot of technical basis and tried / tested information. Mitch obviously has the 'curse or blessing of the sound man' and has, been there done that, trying new ways to create sounds. Whether these sounds be unique from a new standout solo or replicated by using 'not the original' methods. Sound and the search for the sensation of 'their' tone is something that every guitar musician looks for and this book is a great way to get ahead of the pack.