Definition of the term 'heavy' in guitar tone.

[vernplum]

Actually. I beg to differ.

Heavy-ness has nothing to do with how you sound.

But rather.

How and What you play.

Well, yes and no - like you say later 'it's not just the sound' but it does have a lot to do with the sound (and not 'nothing' as you say here ).

Try and play Master of Puppets on a ukelele. Sorry - but it won't be heavy no matter how much attitude you put into it.

Try and play a Megadeth riff on a sitar. The mass simply won't be there.

To me, 'heavy' primariliy consists of that ball-shaking (or tit-shaking for girls) low/mid frequency - we all know it when we feel it; the scooped sound typifies it though adds a bit of top end for clarity. There need not necessarily be distortion - there is plenty of music that is heavy but is not metal (anything by The Prodigy springs to mind).


My series of 'heaviest moments in metal' again for your amusement:




[url=http://gitbuddy.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/heaviest-moments-in-heavy-metal-2314-sepultura-mass-hypnosis/]Heaviest moments in Heavy Metal #2314 - Sepultura - Mass Hypnosis Gitbuddy’s Guitar Blog

Heaviest Moments in Heavy Metal #1327 Gitbuddy’s Guitar Blog


Heaviest moments in Heavy Metal #4523 - Motrhead - Ace Of Spades Gitbuddy’s Guitar Blog

 

[penguin]

in general ..i think heavy tone =drop tuning...low end that allows you to get that wicket chugging tone...

normally employs, thicker string gauge,hot pu`s and so on but moderate gain,use gain base on what u need (depends on ur picking style).

other that that...its how u play, and how u control your tone!!! haha...
something like a clear,punch,heavy tone...not muddy and the notes did not ring

also take not that the heavy tone , i believe only for rhythem section, so far i have not heard of "heavy solo tone"

ps...a gd drummer helps

 

[vernplum]

Tone aside and looking at the writing and playing perspective, its the rests placed between powerchords or single string riffage that defines heavy. Its this musical silence that lends space to breathe and creates a bigger impact when the next attack comes crushing down.

Couldn't agree more - those slower parts that chug more or use more dynamics are much heavier than those blast beat parts with the super fast snare and the guitars not getting time for that scooped bottom end to really go 'THUMP'.

 

[Whitestrat]

To me, 'heavy' primariliy consists of that ball-shaking (or tit-shaking for girls) low/mid frequency - we all know it when we feel it; the scooped sound typifies it though adds a bit of top end for clarity. There need not necessarily be distortion - there is plenty of music that is heavy but is not metal (anything by The Prodigy springs to mind).

Heaviness with a single coil: YouTube - Stevie Ray Vaughan - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

YouTube - Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dejá Voodoo

YouTube - Jeff Healey - see the light (live)

YouTube - Jeff Healey - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

YouTube - Eric Clapton - Layla (Live)

YouTube - Dire Straits & Eric Clapton - Sultans of Swing Live

And the heaviest of them all:

YouTube - Layla - Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton duet

 

[ShredCow]

Well, yes and no - like you say later 'it's not just the sound' but it does have a lot to do with the sound (and not 'nothing' as you say here ).

Try and play Master of Puppets on a ukelele. Sorry - but it won't be heavy no matter how much attitude you put into it.

Try and play a Megadeth riff on a sitar. The mass simply won't be there.

To me, 'heavy' primariliy consists of that ball-shaking (or tit-shaking for girls) low/mid frequency - we all know it when we feel it; the scooped sound typifies it though adds a bit of top end for clarity. There need not necessarily be distortion - there is plenty of music that is heavy but is not metal (anything by The Prodigy springs to mind).

Interesting point of view.

I'd agree with you too in the context of said MoP on ukelele vs MoP on heavy distorted electric guitar.

Would you say that if in the context of ukelele songs - the MoP riff still sounds heavy?

Perhaps not appropriate but I was thinking that in the context of similar instruments, a heavy riff retains its heaviness.

What do you think?*



*I suddenly realized this discussion, though cool thru and thru, has an interesting link to the mindsets of music composition. Hence the reason why when composing songs, I'd opt for an acoustic guitar usually... because I believe heaviness has nothing (perhaps it should now be "little") to do with the sound...

 

[RockerJ_77]

Okay.so basically,one,it's the composition of the riff that can be heavy and the other thing it's about the tone. Okay. I agree with both of these,and yeah,this discussion does play with people's mindsets. Haha.

 

[FREEKILL9566]

Guitar amps by Hughes & Kettner - Products

Listen to channel 3B. Thats my definition of a heavy tone. I can achieve that.

Leecs, I hate you man, now I've got GAS, big one.

I kinda agree with ShredCow, any guitar you play a classic riff on, it will sound good. Same goes, it will sound heavy if you play a heavy riff. But vernplum do has a point too. I believe we need to have a balance of sound, and riff. Will it sound great to play a holy clean acoustic kind of thing on an extremely distorted electric guitar? The holy innocence isn't there. Well, if you want heavy, heavy riff + distorted electric guitar = heavy shit. And yes, the Hughes & Kettners clip is my definition of heavy, it's balanced out. And it sounds frickin' awesome!

Cheers,
WWH

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

I think when people say heavy, what they mean is the sound is tight, saturated distortion, thick in bass, and bigness.

For tightness, hard palm muting sound do the trick. saturated distortion with a lil raw fuzzy character depends on amp and pedals. thickness in bass has gotta do with eq and cabs, usually stacked 4×12"s are good. for bigness in sound, that's the post processing of the over all sound, ie delay/echo, type of reverb and compression.

These four has got more to do for heaviness than say, pickups and guitar wood. Out of these four I wound say amps, cabs and pedals comes first in defining the heaviness of teh chug of death!