You've heard the guitar tones on record and the massive wall-of-guitar sounds coming from the stage, and you've probably wondered, "How do they get those amazing sounds? I can't believe they're just plugging a guitar straight into an amp." They're not. It takes long hours and a dedicated focus to achieving a great guitar tone, and typically it requires experimenting and noodling with a variety of pedals, effects and simulators to find what works with your particular style.
Nobody comes by a classic guitar sound easily. Walk into any well-stocked music store and you'll see dozens and dozens of pedals and multi-effects boxes all designed to make you sound better. But where do you start? Do you buy one effect at a time and find out which one works? Not unless you have deep pockets and 100 years to burn running through all the effects gear that is out there.
This book will help you get to the finish line much quicker and easier. Here author Scott Kahn has done all the legwork for you. He examines the various technologies and products available for building pro guitar rigs. Understand that this book is meant for the working musician who needs a variety of sounds beneath his fingertips--or shoe leather, more accurately--and not the beginner. The book includes conversations with custom rig builders and looks at the configurations used by some noteworthy players including John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson and Steven Wilson. Additionally he talks to rig-building wizards like Bob Bradshaw.
There are chapters here on effects loops, rack gear, switching between multiple amplifiers, and much more.
Unless you were Jeff Beck plugging a Les Paul into a Marshall or Ritchie Blackmore plugging a Stratocaster into a Marshall, you're living in a world full of effects. And to truly find your sound as a musician, you'll have to figure out what sounds you want and need. Hopefully you can find those answers on these pages, which includes a tremendously helpful DVD.