3/20/2024 0 Comments Blues deluxe tablatureA huge part of this is the result of the famous guitarists who played them. His most favoured Les Paul however is a 1959 ‘Skinnerburst’ affectionately nicknamed ‘Principal Skinner’ (after his love for the Simpsons).ġ959 Gibson Les Pauls have become the stuff of legend. The main instrument at the core of his sound however, is a Gibson Les Paul. Joe Bonamassa uses a wide variety of guitars for his sound – including Fender Strats and Telecasters, as well as Gibson Es-335s, Explorers and Flying Vs, amongst many others. Outlined below is everything you need to get those beautiful Bonamassa tones, without breaking the bank (or disturbing your neighbours!) Guitars With all of that in mind, let’s get into it. So the second and trickier challenge, is how to sound like Joe Bonamassa at lower volumes. Large amps have a lot of headroom and a very crisp sound, even when they begin to distort at higher volumes.Ĭranking a small amp doesn’t have quite the same effect, so we have to look at alternative ways of getting those searing Bonamassa tones. This is especially true if like me you are doing a lot of playing at home and have to be mindful of your significant other/family/the neighbours. He is playing at deafening volumes (quite literally) and it is a key part of his sound. Sadly, most of us are not able to play at high volumes all of the time. Live, he uses 4 high powered Fender Twins all cranked to 9 or 10. The second and bigger challenge, is that Bonamassa plays at very high volumes. Bonamassa has paid a lot for his gear, and his tone reflects this. In my opinion, this is particularly true of guitar amps. Up to a point though, the more you pay for a guitar or amp, the more you get. To replicate his rig exactly, you would have to remortgage your house (or multiple houses!)Īs with everything, the rule of diminishing laws applies. He is well known for his collection of vintage guitars and amps, many of which feature on his albums and in his live shows. The first of these is that Joe Bonamassa uses very expensive, high quality gear. If you want to sound like Joe Bonamassa, there are two main challenges you need to overcome. Here is everything you need to sound like Joe Bonamassa: Some initial considerations Those searing bluesy rock tones that feature on songs like ‘ Sloe Gin‘, ‘ Mountain Climbing‘ and ‘ Different Shades of Blue‘. Here though, I am going to be focusing on what I would define as the ‘classic’ Joe Bonamassa tones. His music is also quite varied, spanning from clean blues and big band on one side of the spectrum, to hard rock on the other. Over the course of his 30 year career, Bonamassa has used a huge variety of different guitars and amps, and his tones at different points reflect this. It is a smooth blues tone that maintains total clarity. His tone is powerful and intense, but crisp and defined. Bonamassa has combined his encyclopaedic knowledge of guitars and amps with his love of British blues, taking inspiration from players like Eric Clapton and Gary Moore. He has built upon the legacy of the British blues movement, paying tribute to the greats, whilst putting his own twist on the genre. To my mind, Joe Bonamassa is one of the most technically skilled guitarists in the modern blues scene. I heard songs like ‘ Stop!‘ and ‘ Sloe Gin‘, and became enthralled by both his playing, and the quality of his guitar tone. Have wanted to sound like Joe Bonamassa since I first became aware of him around 5 years ago.
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