Customer Reviews

Introduction to Guitar Tone & Effects: A Manual for Getting the Sounds from Electric Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals & Processors

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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

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

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.

i've sifted through books trying to answer the questions I had about the sounds i heard coming from my cd's and speakers.
i knew i heard some of these sounds coming from the players, i just didn't know what the effects were called or how they were using it.
i've seen pedals in music stores, but i was always too intimidated to ask questions or try stuff in front of a store full of good guitar players (i'm a beginning female guitar junkie btw).
i thought this book laid everything out in an easy to follow and digestable manner.
loads of pictures, great audio CD, plenty of diagrams, settings, rig set-ups, it even has jimi hendrix's set-up!
this is an excellent book for all guitarists, no matter what style of music or skill level.

I hate to start some kind of debate over this book on here, but I disagree with both of the negative comments about this book on here.
I bought this book after my brother turned me onto it, and it really did help me with effects, setting my amp, and much more. I guess you might consider me technically an intermediate player BTW, not a beginner, but tone and effects were always hard for me to understand how the legends and greats were able to get such a wide array of sounds.
I have a lot of books about technique, theory, and other guitar related topics, and although there are a number of books on the market regarding tone and effects, this is one of the few that actually has an audio CD so you can hear what these effects and sounds are supposed to sound like.
I don't know what websites the guy before me was talking about, but if you're getting information from the web then you need to reconsider. I've been surfing online for years and the abundance of inaccurate tabs, wrong information, and articles written by 14 year olds is rampant all over the www.
If you have questions about tone and effects, this is a great reference guide. Nuf said!

I saw this book in a music store and looked it over, then i ordered it online (it was cheaper that way!), and I must say that it's a good book for beginner's who are overwhelmed by all of the different effects and tonal options that guitarists have today.
The CD is good, and there are a bunch of solid riffs and licks on there to keep you interested while you're reading from the book. I also like the way some of the examples feature the effect off and then the riff is repeated with it turned on so you can hear the difference.
The effects chain diagrams and proper connections were helpful.
It covers just about every aspect of getting a good tone and keeping it.
Highly recommended!

I used to take guitar lessons from the author of this book Dave Brewster and let me tell you you he's a super great guy and a really great guitarist. The CD that comes with this book is loaded with great jams showcasing the different effects available to guitarists, and his guitar skills all in one.
This book is necessary, bar none!
I've read a few of the reviews on here, and while most were positive, some were downright bad.
I don't know what those "folks" were expecting, but rest assured that this is a great book and a swift kick toward experimenting with differnt sounds and effects.
FYI - I just talked to dave the other day and he has a new metal book coming out soon...check out his other books too!

First of all, David Brewster used to give me guitar lessons a few years ago and let me tell you he is a monster player and a great teacher. (Check out his Harmonics For Guitar book too!)
I bought this book at a Borders a while back and it's a good one dealing with tone and effects.
David lays it all out in front of you, the different effects (with sample settings), talks about and demonstrates stylistic tones (Rock, Blues, Metal, etc...), the CD is inspiring and well recorded (the riffs and licks simply jam!), plus the effect pedal "chains" and famous guitarists rigs (Hendrix, EVH, Clapton, etc...) is a nice touch.
He even talks about putting a pedalboard or rack set-up together.
Don't believe what the bad reviews on here say, this is a good book and well worth the money.
Contrary to what the guy before me said this book is not fodder, good luck trying to find all of this information online (with audio samples!).
Trust me, this one is good for beginners or intermediate players wanting to shape their sound and tone, plus get exposed to every effect known to man (or woman)!

I have been trying to find a non complicated guide to incorporating effects and setting my amplifer for the best possible sounds.
This book is packed full with information about these subjects and much more.
I really liked looking over famouis guitarists rigs, to see what players like Hendrix, Clapton, Van Halen, and others used in their rig.
Great book and excellent audio CD< the songs and jams are inspiring and showcase the various tones and effects wonderfully.
We need more books like this one!

After asking for help for a book with effects for my guitar, the sales person at Borders suggested this book. It answered my questions, and I bought it. It is a must for guitarists wanting to find his/her voice on guitar. I also enjoy the "famous guitarists" section; by listening to what guitarists have done in the past, I found what I can do now and in the future. The approach of the text and the CD are great. D. Brewster makes it appear easy, but it is an important addition to my desired style.