"Tone Is in the Hands… Or Is It?"

Personally, I think it’s a bit of both.

You can give a beginner guitarist a €10,000 setup, and chances are it still won’t sound particularly impressive in their hands. On the other hand, give an experienced guitarist a simple €200 setup and they’ll most likely find a way to make it sound good.

A large part of what we call tone comes from the way a player attacks the strings, uses vibrato, bends, muting and all kinds of dynamics. These little details are what make every guitar player sound different. It’s almost like a fingerprint, everyone has their own. Two guitarists can play the exact same guitar through the exact same amplifier and still sound completely different.

That doesn’t mean gear is irrelevant. Amps and guitars at a higher price point may feel better to play and, in some cases, sound better as well. The same goes for effect pedals. They can create all kinds of sounds and textures that inspire a player to come up with certain riffs, melodies or even complete songs.

In my opinion, tone is largely in the hands. But that doesn’t mean I’d say no to playing through a Fender Super Reverb tube amp with a Custom Shop Strat plugged into it. XD