Introduction to Guitar Tone and Effects: A Manual for Getting the Sounds from Electric Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals and Processors (Paperback)

by David M. Brewster (Author) "Electric guitars come in all shapes and sizes, are constructed of different types of wood, and feature different electronics and pickup configurations..." (more)
Key Phrases: guitar rigs, guitar tone, stomp boxes, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An essential manual for getting the best sounds from electric guitars, amplifiers, effect pedals and digital processors! This book/CD pack features easy-to-follow instructions, with more than 75 photos, to teach the basics of guitar tones and effects. The accompanying CD provides audio examples. Readers will learn: anatomy of the electric guitar; controlling the electric guitar; getting a good clean tone; overdrive, distortion and fuzz; using equalizers; compressors and limiters; noise reduction; modulation effects; reverb and delay; special effects; multi-effect processors; getting a good tone through your PC; famous effected guitarists; and much more!

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0634060465
• ISBN-13: 978-0634060465
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #133,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get real, pro's..., June 18, 2005

By	Jimi the Gent "Jimi Andrix" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

For those guitar "experts" out there that do not remember what it was like to start off with this instrument, I will tell you that after I reviewed this MANUAL, I was delighted to find many of those long un-answered questions that I sought to answer as a beginner. 17 years later, I realized that I, a totally self-taught, guitarist had found many of the right combos on my own... but still, if I had found this book earlier, my growth would have accelerated just by reading the answers to pending questions. I still enjoy this book... a few effects I have yet to purchase. Nothing like inspiration to try them.

Don't be too hard on this book... its always good to get re-assurance, and most importantly, a guiding light. This book promises that, and delivers. I say, a MUST buy... along with a good F/X cookbook... see The Guitar F/X Cookbook byChris Amelar, pub'd by Hal*Leonard. The two seem to bring a whole new world to playing... if you do not yet have a complete base of knowledge, stick with it. There is no substitute for free experimentation, e.g. I found most of these effects on my own, but, like I said, its always reassuring to see that you were close to the answers, or dead on.

I give it 4 stars, instead of 5, because no book will ever answer the infinite number of questions about this instrument. It is up to you. When YOU write the perfect book, maybe I'll buy it. Until then, keep trying... this is such a wonderful instrument that I shall never stop playing, or experimenting with new sounds. I can only hope you, the guitarists out there, never quit as a result of "lack of answers or inspiration".

Jam away, Jimi The Gent

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book For What It Is Intended to Be, February 6, 2006

By	James Shannon Bussey (Mississippi) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I always find it funny when people give bad reviews for books when the say that they are useless and do not have any information in them. That being said, for all out there looking for books on any subject, take notice when you see the word "Introduction". Usually that means that it is a book covering the very basics of that subject, in this case tone and effects. If you are looking for something concerning an in-depth review, try looking for the word "Total" or "Complete" in the title. As stated this is an intrduction to tone and effects, and it does an adeguate job of explaining it. I bought this book to see if it would be a good book for my students who are h*#L bent in jumping right into electric guitar. I find that this book is an excellent book for beginning guitarist trying to find or create a sound. Being that it comes with a CD with examples of different tones and sounds makes this book a must have for future electric guitarist. I also like then end where it states the different effects used by popular rock guitarist.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars <From The Author>, July 5, 2005

By	David M. Brewster - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've noticed there's some kind of debate over my book on this website.
I just wanted to drop a line and remind you to carefully consider the actual title of this book, reflective of what will be found inside the book (an introduction to guitar tone and effects).
I liked the comment from a previous reviewer, (and I quote), "the book is titled Introduction To Guitar Tone And Effects, not Tone And Effects For Guitar Geniuses".
That says it all!
If you need help understanding effect pedals, processors, hearing and identifying different effects, connecting or "chaining" effects, and much more, I recommend picking up a copy of this book.
Once you understand the sounds and tonal options that you have available to you with effects and processors, you'll
find a whole new world of musical textures and sounds.
If you feel that mad and outraged after working from this book title, I'm sorry it wasn't what you were looking for, but I assure you this is a quality book.

Since I won't be leaving my own review for my book on here, I thought I'd include the review taken from the December 2003 issue of Guitar One magazine.

"Tone freaks should check out Introduction To Guitar Tone And Effects, new from Hal Leonard. This introductory guide to shaping your sound includes 75 detailed photos and diagrams, as a well as a CD of audio samples. A gig bag staple."
G1 Dec.2003