Signature Sounds of the Stars

Tone. Whether we’re hearing “Eruption” or “Cliffs of Dover”
for the first time or trying to nail the Appetite for Destruction sound
we’ve been pursuing for decades, guitarists are always chasing tone. Sweetwater
customers frequently ask us how famous musicians achieve their signature
sounds. In response to this, we decided to explore the gear lists of some of
the most-asked-about artists in order to gain a bit of insight into their sonic
alchemy.

Eddie Van Halen

Since the inception of the electric guitar, few musicians have revolutionized the instrument like Edward Lodewijk Van Halen — there’s a reason why the guitar community reverently christened him “King Edward: the Mozart of Rock Guitar.” EVH’s legacy is so all-pervading that there are arguably two periods within rock-guitar history: before Eddie and after Eddie. A number of innovations that contemporary guitarists take for granted were popularized by Mr. Van Halen, including humbucker-loaded Stratocasters, double-locking tremolos, hot-rodded high-gain amplifiers, and the lion’s share of the modern shred lexicon. In short, almost every guitarist who employs two-handed tapping, harmonic squealies, whammy dive-bombs, and rapid-fire 3-note-per-string runs owes a debt to Eddie.

Edward Van Halen was an avid sonic tinkerer, employing tried-and-true gear in novel ways as well as concocting his own equipment when the situation called for it. In fact, one of the most coveted tones of all time — Eddie’s legendary “brown sound” — was cooked up by running a home-brewed electric guitar through a hand-selected assortment of MXR stompboxes and an old Echoplex then plugging it into a voltage-starved Marshall Plexi guitar amp head.

Eddie’s relentless tinkering eventually led to him forming his own brand: EVH. This not only enabled him to produce spot-on re-creations of his oft-cloned instruments, but it also permitted him to create modern-day guitars, amplifiers, and effects that met his exacting standards.

Sweetwater’s Eddie Van Halen gear list reflects all stages of Edward’s brilliant career. Whether you want your own Frankenstrat replica or want to get one of EVH’s contemporary Wolfgang axes, Sweetwater has your number. Want sweet Plexi tones? How about Eddie’s later-day sound? We’ve got the amps. You can also turbocharge your existing electric guitar with an EVH Frankenstein humbucker. Eddie’s signature MXR phaser, flanger, and chorus pedals are also on tap, as are a sizable cache of picks, strings, and other EVH-approved accessories.

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Slash

Considered one of the greatest guitarists in rock ‘n’ roll history, Saul Hudson — a.k.a. Slash — is hard-rock royalty. Slash originally came to prominence as the lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses during the waning years of the 1980s. With the first delay-drenched notes of “Welcome to the Jungle,” Slash brought us out of our Aqua Net–addled stupor with raw, bluesy, scorched-earth licks, alerting us that big changes were on the horizon. Besides his tenure with GNR, Slash has also garnered acclaim for his work with Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit, and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.

Unlike most other hard-rock guitarists of the time, Slash eschewed flamboyant Superstrats and hyper-processed high-gain textures in favor of classic-styled electric guitars and old-school cranked-Marshall tones. In fact, Slash (along with brother-in-arms Zakk Wylde) is often credited with the Les Paul‘s late-20th-century resurgence in popularity. Slash has also shown an enduring affection for vintage-style effects and pickups.

Slash’s gear list contains everything that you’d expect from the top-hatted one. His signature Gibson Les Paul is the perfect place to dive in, arming you with classic Appetite for Destruction–era tone and aesthetics. Slash’s trademark, screaming Marshall tone is also easily within your reach; and, if you want to nail the wah-soaked section of his “Sweet Child o’ Mine” solo, you’ll need the right tool for the job. The list also includes strings, pickups, and the perfect acoustic guitar to test your “Patience.”

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Mark Tremonti

Mark Thomas Tremonti. To state that he epitomizes modern hard-rock guitar is a massive understatement. Jam-packed with pummeling riffs, lightning-fast legato runs, and arena-ready solos, the multifaceted Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist covers melodic hard rock, alternative metal, thrash, and post-grunge with equal aplomb.

Mark Tremonti’s tone is enviable. It’s aggressive yet
articulate, compressed yet dynamic, with tight low-end frequencies that make
his palm-muted chugs really hit you in the chest. From a technical standpoint,
Mark’s playing is replete with vocal-like leads, paint-peeling riffage, and
deft rhythmic phrasing.

Mark’s gear choices reflect a player with experience, taste, and class. He tends to avoid convoluted, flavor-of-the-week toys, gravitating toward roadworthy, tried-and-true equipment that achieves results. His signature PRS guitar boasts the perfect amalgamation of head-turning visuals, hard-driving tone, and effortless playability. His signature PRS tube amp head churns out crystalline cleans, harmonic-laden grind, and searing boosted leads — everything this flexible guitarist demands. He’s also been known to deploy a Tube Screamer when the feeling hits him.

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Steve Vai

One of the most prodigious players on this list, Steven Siro Vai is among the most individualistic guitarists of his generation. Steve started his career as a transcriptionist for the legendary Frank Zappa, cranking out notation for Mr. Zappa’s complex, multifarious arrangements. He later gained notice as a member of Zappa’s band. After that, Steve secured a recording contract, releasing such shred essentials as Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare. Mr. Vai also performed stints with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake.

Steve is a true virtuoso, able to execute dazzling two-handed
tapping, blurringly fast legato runs, physics-defying whammy-bar pyrotechnics,
and a unique circular vibrato along with seemingly impossible alternate-,
hybrid-, and sweep-picking techniques. What’s more, he was shredding before
shredding was even a thing.

One look at Steve’s gear list reveals a brilliant musician with an appreciation for cutting-edge technology. His groundbreaking signature Ibanez JEM electric guitar has long been an industry staple, and his latest design, the PIA, continues down that trailblazing path. His state-of-the-art Synergy preamp module and game-changing Morley Bad Horsie wah pedal also reflect his taste for high-tech equipment. As for tone, slap his signature DiMarzio UtoPIA pickups into your favorite axe — you’ll never look back.

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Eric Johnson

An incomparable, genre-agnostic player, Eric Johnson is among the most respected guitarists on the planet, and his Grammy Award–winning song, “Cliffs of Dover,” is arguably the most successful rock-guitar instrumental of all time. This is largely because of Eric’s engaging compositional style. While the man can rip through pentatonic scales like it’s nobody’s business, it’s his ear-grabbing string-skipping techniques, irregular passing tones, and unconventional chord inversions that set him apart from his gaggle of imitators.

And then there’s Eric’s tone, which is considered by many to
be the Holy Grail of electric guitar tones. It’s difficult to describe the
sound of Mr. Johnson’s guitar. It’s kind of violin-like — singing, sustaining,
and brimming with ear-tickling harmonics. And whether he’s playing rock, blues,
or fusion, he sounds unmistakably like Eric Johnson.

Eric Johnson’s gear list provides some clues as to where his euphoric tone comes from. His signature Fender Stratocaster, along with a Marshall JTM45 and a Fender Twin, offers a great starting point, while a vintage-style fuzz supplies you with a massive sustain infusion. Got a favorite Strat you’d like to upgrade with Eric Johnson–style tone? You’re in luck — his signature Stratocaster pickup set will help you achieve just that. The list also includes a cache of additional stompboxes plus picks and straps.

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Nita Strauss

When it comes to bringing classic shred-style guitar to a modern audience, few can match the technical prowess of Nita Strauss. As her nickname, “The Hurricane,” infers, this award-winning fretboard wizard is a true force of nature. Whether she’s ripping through her solo material, such as the melodious headbanger “Our Most Desperate Hour,” or performing an effortless, nearly note-for-note rendition of Jason Becker’s “Perpetual Burn,” it’s obvious why veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper selected Nita to be his touring guitarist.

Nita’s playing is a tasteful combination of disciplined
technique and melodic sensibility. She can burn through overlapping
three-notes-per-string patterns at breakneck speed, moving between fluid legato
and frenetic alternate picking on a whim. Neoclassical-tinged sweep arpeggios,
impeccable two-handed tapping passages, and ear-bending harmonic dives are also
parts of her arsenal. Nita is a living, breathing glossary of rock and metal
guitar techniques, able to replicate everything from classic rock to
present-day metal with absolute mastery.

As for Nita’s tone, it’s as flawless as her playing. Her signature Ibanez JIVA electric guitar’s custom DiMarzio Pandemonium humbuckers elicit classic rock–tinged metal tones with a modern-sounding chug that can tackle present-day metalcore riffs like a champ. And, while she’s run plenty of tube amps through their paces over the years, Nita has always been eager to adopt the state of the art, including the BOSS GT-1000CORE multi-effects processor. Nita’s gear list also includes the Sweetwater-exclusive D’Addario Nita Strauss Hurricane Kit — a pro-endorsed guitar-care kit that’s fit for any battle-hardened road warrior.

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John Petrucci

Named “The Ultimate Evolved Guitarist” by Premier Guitar and one of the “Fastest Guitarists of All Time” by Guitar World, John Peter Petrucci is a progressive metal icon. John is best known as a founding member of Dream Theater, and he’s a frequent fixture on Joe Satriani’s G3 tour, where he performs alongside other industry heavy hitters like Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, Steve Lukather, Guthrie Govan, and Neal Schon.

Listen to a few seconds of a Dream Theater track like “Constant
Motion,” and you’ll quickly understand John’s appeal. His keen sense of melody,
blazing-fast yet ultra-precise alternate picking, and emotive, slow-burning
sustained notes place him in the upper echelon of modern shred-style
guitarists.

John has one of those tones that many covet yet few achieve. That said, his gear list is pretty straightforward. It all starts with his signature Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty — a high-performance axe if there ever was one. If you already own a suitable electric guitar for Petrucci-style fretboard acrobatics, then loading it with a set of his favorite DiMarzio pickups — Crunch Labs, LiquiFires, or Illuminators — will bring you closer to his trademark sonics. As for amplification, John is all Mesa, all the way. John’s signature Cry Baby and TC Electronic Dreamscape multi-effects pedal put the final touches on his prog-infused metallic tone.

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Geddy Lee

Countless bass guitarists cite Geddy Lee Weinrib, OC — a.k.a. Geddy Lee — as a major influence. The bassist and lead vocalist of the Canadian prog-rock trio Rush, this award-winning musician is renowned for his melodic, hard-hitting bass lines and distinctive, three-octave singing voice. In 2000, after fronting Rush for more than three decades, Lee released his first solo album, My Favourite Headache — a mind-blowing slice of prog-flecked hard-rocking cacophony if there ever was one.

Lee’s playing style is chock-full of harmonic ear candy,
shunning predictable root-note plodding for higher-register, lead instrument–like
playing. His bass lines aren’t for the meek either. Want a finger workout? Try
tearing through “YYZ” at its full 140 bpm! Even pop-inflected toe tappers like “Freewill”
are a challenge for seasoned bassists to master.

Geddy Lee’s tone is to die for — internet forums are ablaze with players looking to cop his sound. While he has experimented with a number of basses throughout Rush’s decades-long career, including a Rickenbacker 4001 and Steinbergers, Lee always goes back to his 1972 Fender Jazz Bass. Diving into Lee’s gear list also reveals that he’s a huge proponent of Tech 21 products. Oh, and his book, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass, belongs on every bass guitarist’s bookshelf.

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Periphery

There is a plethora of Periphery fans here at Sweetwater. Not only do we dig their djent-packed progressive metal outings, but we think that they’re cool guys, as well. Periphery’s guitarists, Misha Mansoor, Jake Bowen, and Mark Holcomb epitomize the term “modern metal” — their pioneering use of extended-range electric guitars has influenced legions of players to adopt a thunderous, low-pitched, palm-muted, high-gain sound.

Laden with quick-fire chord changes, mind-bending
polyrhythmic grooves, muscular syncopated riffs, and virtuosic shredding, every
one of Periphery’s arrangements is a master class in technical complexity. And
songs like Hail Stan‘s “Blood Eagle,” which clocks in at nearly six
minutes, are guaranteed to test the endurance of even the hardiest of
battle-tested musicians.

Periphery’s gear list is abounding with formidable, djent-capable tools. Misha’s signature Jackson Juggernaut electric guitar is aptly named — it’s an intimidating beast. Jake’s signature Ibanez is a fast, aggressive brute that’s tailor-made for blistering down-tuned riffage. And Mark Holcomb’s signature PRS SE is the perfect platform for unleashing a barrage of technically demanding fretboard skills. Plugging anything into a Peavey Invective will release pure sonic anarchy upon the world, and, if your axe needs a bit more weight, upgrading it with a Seymour Duncan Alpha and Omega set or a duo of DiMarzio Titans is sure to pack some muscle onto its scrawny frame. A Seymour Duncan Dark Sun delay/reverb and a Darkglass ADAM distortion round out the list.

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So, there you have it — nine world-famous guitar tones demystified. And it just scratches the surface. There’s a boundless universe of sonic textures to explore. If you have any questions about how to achieve a certain guitar tone — or about guitars in general — then give your Sales
Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700. We’re always up for a tonal expedition!
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