Elusive Tone

Clapton has his 'woman tone.'
Page has his 'watery tone.'

The rest of us chase tone as if it were the Holy Grail.
Some of the wiser people understand it is the fingers and not the equipment that makes the tone.
And yet, we continue chasing, hunting, striving for that perfect tone.
We buy tube amps or stomp boxes all in pursuit of our ideal sound.

Last night I had a rehearsal and I brought my Strat rather than the Gibson.
I realized I had the same effects running on my pedal board, but it sounded like a Strat, not at all like my Gibson.

The SG has a creamy, very thick tonal palette.
The Strat has a very bright, chiming sound.
So even though the pedal board chain is the same, the sound is very different and distinct.

And yet, it still sounded like me.

What garners kudos is the skill of the person playing.
Other guitarists have asked me how I get my tone - like magicians sharing secrets.
I usually hand them my guitar as a reply.
More often than not, after noodling around for a bit they hand it back to me puzzled, thoroughly unsatisfied.
"But, how do you get that tone, man?"

How do I explain it?
It is how you play, how your fingers caress the strings. How you coax nuance from yourself, not your equipment.
I can use a tube amp or a solid state amp - doesn't matter. (Heresy!)
So I ask them, "Do you dance?"
Blank stares.
I am asking if they have a soul.

Magic is Zen-like.
We can practice to polish technique. But magic is not a practiced skill.
True magic is a part of you. Maybe you mother sang to you as a child. Maybe you went to shows and found something very special. However it happened, the infusion of love and joy at such a simple thing as the movement of the bodies on stage. For me, a daily dose of a favorite piece will light that fire.

It is sad to think that most musicians are seeking something they will never find.
When you stop looking for it, it may indeed, come to you.
This is also why we must continue to grow and explore other musicians.
Without that growth our own magic will go silent.
Hmmm, so perhaps magic is something we practice - just not on our chosen instrument, but rather in our hearts.