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Splendid.
Karl.
I like to think of Tone as its own entity. (And from here on out, ‘Tone’ shall thereby be capitalized, as it should be.) It is living, breathing, is all around us, and we are just trying to tap into it with our rigs, hands, and minds. We’re trying to hear what it tells us, in essence (which is usually ‘more mids!’…and in my case, ‘you do know that sound will still go through your rig if you turn the delay pedals off, right?’). It is leading us to this nirvana of sound, and we just have to figure out how to listen to it. And this started off as tongue-in-cheek, and now I am frightened by my how much I actually believe in what I just wrote. So here is what my Tone has told me lately:
Big muff pedals and all their many ‘cleverly-named’ clones sound fantastic at home…get ’em in a live situation anywhere where you can’t absolutely just crank your amp over the band, and they’re pretty much expensive mute switches.
Why does it seem like 99.72% of Christian bands have yet to discover that thing we like to call ‘melody’?
Chords are important.
I need to be broken of some deep-seeded self-righteousness…especially when I’m being self-righteous about all the self-righteousness in other people (not sure it was my Tone that told me this one).
The electric guitar means absolutely nothing without a solid rhythm section in a band situation.
Sometimes we blame the church for not worshiping when it was the band who screwed up.
I might have to start wearing a cheeseball ‘I love the ’80’s’ wristband when I play if I want there to be any finish left on my guitars in the next few years.
What am I saying? I’ve never kept any gear for a few years in my life! (Hey, that’s what my Tone tells me to do!)
Not so much into attenuators.
I don’t think the half power switch on the Divided by 13’s is actually a half power switch.
I like to think I know a lot more than I actually do.
Life is really weird not owning any Holland amps.
If the I-IV progression works, please don’t feel the need to ‘spice it up’…only musicians care, and even most of them can’t tell the difference beyond, ‘What’s that terrible sound?’
I’m not sure anymore if I’m actually chasing Tone. I think I might be chasing like, 50 Tones, and I want them all at once.
Grace.
My insecurity sucks.
Tone exists somewhere in that tiny area between mud and ice-picks.
Did I really just say ‘this morning’ and ‘in this place’ when I welcomed people to the service? I am a loser.
I love bass players. (Take that how you will; but not the gay one.)
Ever listen back to a recording of your service and go, ‘Oh. No wonder people weren’t worshiping.’
When looking at sheet music in the wrong key and trying to convince yourself that you’re good enough to just pick it up on the fly………write it down.
And lastly, love may be all you need, but that song never could have been written without George’s Vox AC30. (Because, of course, without that toneful solo, the song would cease to exist.) So…paradox. The only possible explanations are that either love and tone are all you need, or that love=tone. I’m good with either one.
Splendid.
Karl.
Guitar for Worship 